Chapter 3 - The Desperate Demand
I slowly unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the heavy wooden door open just a few inches.
Daniel tried to push his way inside, but I firmly held the door in place, completely blocking his entry.
"You are not coming into my house acting like this, Daniel," I said with absolute authority.
He stopped pushing and leaned against the doorframe, sobbing uncontrollably into his hands.
"Mom, Vanessa's parents are totally broke, they have been running a massive Ponzi scheme for years!" Daniel cried.
He explained that the police had raided their home during the wedding ceremony, seizing all their assets.
The lavish wedding, the expensive dress, and the extravagant catering were all funded by stolen corporate money.
"And you expect me to sell my parents' lake house to bail out a family of criminals?" I asked in pure disbelief.
Daniel looked up at me with panicked, bloodshot eyes, completely desperate for a quick fix.
"Vanessa is my wife now, Mom, I have to protect her and you have to help us!" he demanded selfishly.
I looked at the son I had raised, completely failing to recognize the entitled man standing on my porch.
"She sat me next to the trash cans, Daniel, and you stood by and laughed with your friends," I reminded him coldly.
Daniel flinched as if I had physically struck him across the face.
"I didn't know she put you out there, Mom, I swear I didn't know!" he pleaded.
I shook my head, absolutely refusing to accept his weak, pathetic excuse for treating me like garbage.
"You knew exactly where I was sitting, because you didn't even look for me when you gave your toast," I countered firmly.
He fell completely silent, unable to deny the undeniable truth of his malicious neglect.
"I am not selling the lake house, and you need to leave my property right now," I ordered.
I slammed the door in his face and quickly engaged the heavy deadbolt before he could protest.
I walked back into my kitchen, shaking slightly from the intense emotional confrontation.
I grabbed the cream envelope containing the deed and decided I needed to secure it immediately.
I drove to the twenty-four-hour branch of my bank and placed the envelope safely inside my personal safety deposit box.
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When I returned home, I expected to find Daniel still crying on my front porch.
Instead, a sleek black SUV with heavily tinted windows was parked directly across my driveway.
