Chapter 6 - The Ultimatum
Vanessa was not a woman who accepted defeat gracefully. When Marcus returned home and delivered the news that his father refused to budge, her despair curdled into pure, venomous rage.
"Fine," Vanessa spat, pacing the living room that was now boxed up in cheap cardboard. "If the old man wants to play hardball, we’ll play hardball."
The next morning, Vanessa marched into the polished offices of Vance & Associates, demanding to see Eleanor Vance. To her surprise, she was shown right in.
Eleanor sat behind her desk, looking at Vanessa with the detached curiosity of a scientist observing an insect.
"Mrs. Pendelton. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"You tell Arthur that if he doesn't reinstate that mortgage by Friday, he will never see his future grandchildren," Vanessa threatened, slamming her hands on the desk. "Tell him I will take out a restraining order. I'll go to social media. I will tell everyone in this city that he is a senile, abusive old man who is trying to bankrupt his own flesh and blood out of spite!"
Eleanor didn’t blink. She slowly opened a file folder on her desk and turned it around to face Vanessa.
"What is this?" Vanessa snapped.
"That," Eleanor said smoothly, "is a meticulously documented ledger of every dollar Arthur has spent covering your hidden credit card debt over the last four years. Below that are sworn affidavits from three of your former housekeepers, detailing your verbal abuse toward my client. And finally, there is a drafted defamation lawsuit, ready to be filed in superior court the second you post a single word about him on social media."
Vanessa’s jaw dropped as she looked at the mountain of evidence.
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"Arthur was an auditor for forty years, Mrs. Pendelton," Eleanor smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "He doesn't make emotional decisions. He makes calculated ones. If you attempt to slander him, we will bankrupt you in legal fees before the bank even takes your house. Do we understand each other?"
Vanessa backed away from the desk, her threats turning to ash in her mouth. She turned and fled the office, realizing for the first time that she was completely outmatched.
