Chapter 2 - The Midnight Threat
I drove back to my empty house in Monterey with my hands shaking on the steering wheel.
The beautiful white walls I had dreamed about for ten years suddenly felt like a prison.
Jessica had advised me to freeze my social security number immediately.
We were dealing with a level of financial fraud that went far beyond a toxic mother.
I locked my front door, engaged the deadbolt, and checked all the windows.
I sat on my mattress on the floor, eating a cold slice of pizza in complete silence.
I wondered how a woman from the suburbs of Phoenix got involved with an offshore equity firm.
Just past midnight, a strange noise broke the silence of the neighborhood.
It was the distinct crunch of heavy boots walking across the gravel in my front yard.
I held my breath and crept toward the living room window.
I peaked through the blinds, my heart hammering violently against my ribs.
A tall man in a dark hooded sweatshirt was standing on my front porch.
He was holding a crowbar and staring directly at my front door.
I grabbed my phone and dialed 911 with trembling fingers.
The operator promised that officers were already on their way to my location.
The man suddenly raised the crowbar and smashed my porch light into pieces.
He didn't try to break the door down, but instead turned and jogged away into the darkness.
When the police arrived ten minutes later, they searched the perimeter and found nothing.
However, one officer shined his flashlight on my front door and called my name.
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Taped to the wood was a beautiful, embossed wedding invitation for my sister.
Written across the pristine white envelope in thick red marker were the words, “You will pay for this.”
