Chapter 8 - The Sheriff's Visit
Friday, 4:45 PM. The sky was iron-gray, threatening snow.
I sat in the passenger seat of David’s car, watching the driveway of the lake house. A county sheriff’s cruiser was parked out front, lights flashing silently.
A rusted, rented U-Haul truck sat in the driveway. Chloe was hauling garbage bags full of clothes into the back. She was entirely alone. No Julian. No Eleanor. None of the "friends" who had enjoyed her lavish dinner parties came to help her move.
She tried to take the velvet sofa, but the sheriff stopped her. David had placed a legal lien on all the furniture inside the house. Since it was purchased with credit obtained via identity theft, it belonged to the estate to be liquidated to pay off the debt.
Chloe could only take her clothes, her makeup, and her personal effects.
At 5:01 PM, the sheriff walked out, locked the front door, and handed the keys to David. Chloe stood by the U-Haul in the freezing cold, looking at the house. She finally looked toward our car. I rolled the window down just a crack.
She didn't scream. She didn't beg. She just looked utterly, completely broken. She climbed into the U-Haul and drove away, the engine sputtering down the road until she disappeared from sight.
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I stepped out of the car, took the keys from David, and walked up to the porch. I put the key in the lock, turned it, and pushed the door open.
The house was empty. It was cold. But for the first time in four years, it was mine again.
