Chapter 5 - THE UNMASKING
The next morning,
the Richmond business community was buzzing with a single headline.
"Solomon Construction Empire Revealed as Subsidiary of T.S. Group."
Spencer sat on the front steps of the mansion,
his clothes wrinkled and his eyes bloodshot.
He had spent the night in the foyer,
unable to access any of the rooms.
Martha was huddled next to him,
wrapped in a cheap throw blanket she had found in the laundry room.
Kaylie had disappeared hours ago,
taking a rideshare she had to pay for in cash.
A fleet of black sedans pulled into the driveway,
moving with the precision of a funeral procession.
Spencer stood up,
expecting his lawyers,
expecting an apology,
expecting his life back.
But the person who stepped out of the lead car wasn't a lawyer.
It was Taylor.
She was dressed in a sharp,
navy blue power suit,
her hair pulled back in a sleek bun.
She looked radiant,
healthy,
and entirely in control.
She didn't have the baby with her; Lisa was safe with the nurses.
Taylor walked up the driveway,
her heels clicking with a rhythm that sounded like a countdown.
Marcus Thorne walked beside her,
carrying a leather briefcase filled with the end of Spencer's world.
Spencer lunged toward her,
but two security guards stepped in his path,
their expressions like granite.
Taylor!
What the hell is this?
Spencer screamed,
his voice cracking.
Undo this right now!
You’re going to jail for fraud!
Taylor stopped a few feet away,
looking at him as if he were a strange insect.
Fraud,
Spencer?
she asked,
her voice cool and melodic.
Is it fraud to exercise my rights as the sole owner of this estate?
Is it fraud to fire a consultant who was caught sleeping with the staff?
Spencer’s jaw dropped,
his brain struggling to process the words.
Sole owner?
What are you talking about?
My father started this company!
Taylor sighed,
a sound of mock pity.
Your father started a small firm that went bankrupt ten years ago,
she explained.
I bought the debt through a shell company.
I funded your "expansion."
I paid for your "success."
I even paid for that ring you used to propose to me,
she added,
glancing at her bare hand.
Martha stood up,
her face twisted in rage.
You liar!
You were nothing but a quiet little mouse!
You didn't have two pennies to rub together!
Taylor looked at her mother-in-law,
the woman who had mocked her labor pains.
I had billions,
Martha,
Taylor said.
I just didn't feel the need to brag about it to people like you.
I wanted to see if Spencer could actually build something on his own.
I wanted to see if he was a man of character.
She paused,
looking at the mansion behind them.
He failed the test,
Taylor concluded.
He’s not a king,
Martha.
He’s just a very expensive mistake I’m finally correcting.
Marcus stepped forward and handed Spencer a final document.
This is your formal termination notice,
Marcus said.
And this is a restraining order,
prohibiting you from contacting Mrs. Solomon or the child.
Spencer looked at the paper,
his hands shaking so hard it fluttered in the wind.
You can’t take my daughter,
he whispered,
a pathetic attempt at leverage.
Taylor stepped closer,
her eyes flashing with a dangerous light.
You called her a "distraction,"
Spencer.
You told me to be "grateful" for your crumbs.
She is my daughter,
and she will never know your name.
The security guards began moving Spencer’s few personal belongings—the ones they had cleared for removal—onto the lawn.
A trash bag filled with his expensive shoes.
A box of his vanity awards.
Taylor turned her back on him,
walking toward the front door.
The electronic lock recognized her fingerprint immediately,
the heavy door swinging open with a welcoming hum.
Wait!
Spencer cried,
trying to follow her.
But the guards held him back,
their grip unyielding.
Taylor paused at the threshold,
looking back one last time.
Oh,
and Spencer?
she called out.
Kaylie left her shoes in the foyer.
I’ve had them thrown in the incinerator.
Along with everything else you touched.
The door closed,
and the locks clicked into place.
Spencer Solomon was standing on the lawn of "his" mansion,
homeless,
penneless,
and utterly alone.
May you like
The "nothing" he thought he had discarded was now the only thing that existed.
And he was no longer a part of it.
