Chapter 5 - ServedDaniel glared at me, brushing past into the hallway to open the front door. "This is ridiculous. It's probably the building manager..."
He pulled the front door open.
Standing on the welcome mat were two tall, uniformed process servers accompanied by a woman in an immaculate charcoal suit carrying a leather briefcase.
Victoria Sterling.
"Daniel Gutierrez?" the lead process server asked neutrally.
Daniel blinked, caught off guard. "Yes? Who are you?"
"You have been formally served," the process server stated, handing a thick stack of legal documents straight into Daniel's numb hands. "Notice of Divorce Petition, Emergency Application for Sole Custody, and an Ex Parte Financial Restraining Order issued by the Superior Court."
Daniel stared down at the thick stack of papers, his face turning as white as a sheet. "W-What?"
Victoria stepped past him into the foyer, her expensive high heels clicking sharply against the marble tiles. She swept her eyes over Carmen and Valeria, who were cowering near the dining room corridor.
"Good morning, everyone," Victoria announced smoothly. "I am Victoria Sterling, legal counsel for Mariana Vance-Gutierrez. As of 7:00 AM this morning, all joint assets, bank accounts, and lines of credit affiliated with my client have been frozen by court order."
"Frozen?!" Carmen screamed, running forward. "You can't freeze my money!"
"It isn't your money, Mrs. Gutierrez," Victoria corrected, pulling a second set of documents from her briefcase. "It's Mariana's money. Furthermore, this document is an Emergency Notice to Quit. You, your daughter, and your husband have forty-eight hours to pack your personal belongings and vacate these premises."
"THIS IS MY SON'S APARTMENT!" Carmen roared, her eyes bulging.
"The lease is solely in Mariana's name," Victoria countered with a sharp, professional smile. "Her landlord has accepted her cancellation notice. In fourteen days, this apartment will be cleared and handed back to the property management firm. If you remain on the property past forty-eight hours, local authorities will remove you for criminal trespassing."
Valeria began to sob hysterically. "Mom! What are we going to do?! My clothes are here! Where are we going to live?!"
"Daniel..." Carmen gasped, grabbing her son's arm, shaking him violently. "Daniel! Do something! Tell this lawyer woman to leave! You are the man of the house!"
Daniel stood frozen in the center of the foyer, staring at the front page of the divorce petition.
His eyes lingered on paragraph four: Petitioner requests full forfeiture of all marital assets due to gross financial exploitation and severe child endangerment.
He looked up at me, his eyes filled with pure panic. "Mariana... please. You're divorcing me? Over a dinner?!"
"No, Daniel," I said, grabbing the handles of my two large suitcases and nodding to Victoria. "Not over a dinner. Over the fact that I finally realized you and your family are nothing more than parasites. And parasites get exterminated."
I picked up Camila, held her securely against my hip, and walked past my husband without giving him a second glance.
"Mariana! Wait!" Daniel yelled, reaching out to grab my arm.
Victoria instantly stepped into his path, placing a hand firm against his chest. "Touch my client, Mr. Gutierrez, and I will have the two officers waiting in the elevator lobby arrest you for assault immediately."
May you like
Daniel flinched back as if he had been burned.
I walked out of the apartment, the heavy front door clicking shut behind me, leaving the screaming, weeping Gutierrez family trapped inside the crumbling illusion of their luxury life.
Related Stories
