Chapter 4 - The Laptop Opens
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“Fine,” I repeated, my voice echoing clearly across the silent dining room. “You want everyone at this table to know who controls the money? Let’s show them.”
I turned around and walked away from her, heading straight toward the mahogany sideboard against the wall where my leather work bag rested.
Daniel’s head snapped up. His eyes widened in sudden panic as he realized what I was reaching for.
“Emma… wait,” he stuttered, taking a quick step toward me. “What are you doing? Put that away.”
“Stay right there, Daniel,” I commanded without looking back.
I pulled my silver laptop from the bag, set it flat on the sideboard, and opened the lid. The bright glow of the screen illuminated my face in the dimmed dining room lighting.
Vivian crossed her arms, letting out a loud, patronizing sigh. “Oh, please! Stop being so dramatic, Emma. Nobody wants to watch you throw a temper tantrum over a bank login.”
“This isn’t a tantrum, Vivian,” I said calmly, typing my complex password into the keyboard. “This is an intervention.”
I logged directly into the custom financial management dashboard I had created three years ago to manage the Mercer family’s hidden debts.
On the screen was a detailed list of every recurring payment currently keeping this family from total public ruin:
The primary mortgage assistance on the mansion.
The monthly lease payments on Vivian’s luxury SUV.
The salaries for the private housekeeper and gardener.
The country club dues.
The personal trainer fees.
Vivian’s supplemental credit card line.
Daniel rushed to my side, his breath hot and frantic against my ear. “Emma, please don’t do this here. Not in front of my family. We can talk about this upstairs!”
I looked him dead in the eye. “You told me not to make it worse, Daniel. So I’m making it very, very simple.”
My finger hovered over the trackpad, directly above the master cancellation button for the primary support account.
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“Watch carefully,” I whispered to Vivian.
And then, I clicked.
