Chapter 4 - The Legal Blitzkrieg
The police officers surveyed the bizarre scene: four freeloading family members shivering in a dark, unheated million-dollar condo, glaring at a calm, professional pregnant woman holding a packed suitcase.
"Evening, ma'am. We received a distress signal and reports of domestic disturbance," the senior officer said, stepping inside.
"Officer, thank God you're here," Carol wailed, rushing forward with fake tears streaming down her face. "This hysterical woman has locked us out of the controls, cut off our heat, and she's threatening to throw us out into the cold on Thanksgiving! Arrest her!"
I didn't blink. I simply opened my tablet and handed it to the officer. "Officer, my name is Lauren Vance. I am the sole owner of this property, as documented by the deed and mortgage statements in this file. Furthermore, my father-in-law, Arthur Vance, just physically assaulted me by burning my abdomen with a lit cigarette while my husband pinned my arms from behind. I wish to file formal criminal charges for domestic battery and assault against both of them."
Hunter's jaw hit the floor. "Are you insane?! You can't call the cops on family over a tiny scuffle! Officer, she's lying, she's mentally unstable—"
"Silence, sir," the second officer intervened, stepping between Hunter and me. He noticed the slight redness and scorched fabric on the front of my shirt where the cigarette had touched. "Ma'am, do you need medical attention for that burn?"
"I need to visit my OB-GYN to ensure my baby is safe, yes," I replied firmly. "And I want these individuals removed from my premises immediately under a temporary emergency protection order."
Arthur's face turned a mottled shade of purple. "You ungrateful little whore! You'll pay for this! We made you! Without my son, you'd be nothing!"
"Your son makes forty thousand dollars a year as an assistant junior clerk, Arthur," I said, my tone lethal. "He couldn't even afford the taxes on this condo, let alone the luxury car he drives or the clothes on his back. Every single cent your entire family has spent for the last five years has come directly from my salary."
The police officers didn't hesitate. Given the clear evidence of the burn mark, the undeniable property ownership documentation, and the verified distress call, they placed Arthur and Hunter in handcuffs for domestic battery and trespassing.
"You can't do this! Do you know who I am?!" Arthur roared as the cuffs clicked onto his wrists.
"You're homeless by midnight," I replied calmly.
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As the police escorted the sputtering, disgraced men out of the penthouse, Carol and Madison shrieked in absolute terror, realizing they had nowhere to go, no money for a hotel, and no way to pay for a cab.
I turned my back on them, stepped into the private elevator, and rode down to freedom.
