6

She sat in the realtor’s office staring at the offer in her hand in shock. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” the woman said as she sucked deep on her vaping apparatus, blowing eucalyptus scented smoke around her head. “I had a call this morning telling me the buyer wanted something in your neighborhood, with your specific number of bedrooms and bathrooms. It was a kismet situation. He made a full cash offer. Close tomorrow. All you must do is sign on the line and find a way to get your furnishings out by tomorrow. Do you have an alternate place to go?”

She looked at her brother beside her and nodded, “yes. My brother and his wife are going to put me up. I’ve been in the house six weeks now since I found out about his affair, and I need to get out. It’s too full of horrible memories.” She pouted her lips at Fred, “can we get everything out in a day?”

“I swear, if it takes me and three moving companies and all our friends and family the next twenty-four hours, I will get everything you want out of the house. I promise.” Fred clasped her hand and looked at the promise of a half million dollars in her hand. “Take it and run.”

She looked at the realtor and nodded, “where do I sign?”

An hour later she had deposited the money in her personal checking account via wire transfer and was back standing in the middle of the foyer of the home she had once considered her dream home. Her glass castle of floor to window ceilings in the pricy suburban neighborhood had been her fairytale come to life. Now, as she stood looking around, it felt very much like a prison.

She looked around sadly and then noted the mess made in the living room and remembered the second part of her plan. She looked to Fred, clearing her throat nervously, “I think someone was here.” She felt bad for lying to him, but she couldn’t implicate him in fraud and filing false police reports. She hadn’t even told Janka or Elsie about her offer for Machado to break into her house to steal the laptop. She’d made the decision in the heat of the moment, half-asleep when the man had called.

“It couldn’t have been Merlin because he’s in the middle of his wedding vows.” Fred grimaced distastefully. “I cannot believe our mother expected us both to be there to support Sandy.”

“She gave me shit saying Sandy’s condition is delicate due to her pregnancy. You can go if you want.” She shot her brother a look as she looked around the trashed room. Whoever Machado had sent made it look good. “I think we need to call the police and step outside. I don’t know what’s been touched and what hasn’t been.”

“It’s a good idea to call the police. Also, I’d rather rip my limbs off and feed them to the McGrath estate pinschers than support those two assholes.” Fred said as he dragged her out of the house in rush, looking over his shoulder worriedly. “I hope nobody is still in there.” He dialed 911 and reported the break in. It was an affluent neighborhood, and the wealthy were always catered to, therefore the police were on their way.

“How strange is it a secret purchaser of your home paid full asking in cash?”

“Very.” She said nothing more and looked away with a smirk.

“What? I know that grin. What are you hiding?”

“I may have tipped off a certain developer of the house going on the market. One who despises Merlin’s family.”

“Why?” He was stunned.

“Sandy wants the house. For the last three weeks I’ve been getting text messages and phone calls from both her and Merlin asking me to sell it to them. Merlin offered me twice the market value for it. I haven’t answered a single message or call. I delete them but he’s persistent.”

“He offered a million?”

“He did. She wants to raise their child in my house and he’s giving her whatever she wants. I don’t know what I ever did to her to make her want to hurt me the way she does but whatever I have, she wants it. She’s been jealous of the house since I first moved in. She used to say all the time it was far too much house for a simple artist. I loved the natural light in it. Now, I’d do anything to make sure it never falls into her hands.”

“Do you think the guy who bought it will sell it back to them? This could all be for nothing. If he hates him, he may simply make him pay three times asking to get it.”

“He told me you can drive the bulldozer, but it has to be when they come back on Saturday.”

“Why?” Fred was astounded.

“Close enough Merlin can almost taste it. I’m sure their first call will be to pressure me to sell it again and the buyer wants to livestream him bulldozing it.”

“Who is this guy?”

“Isaias Machado.” Her brother’s silence made her look curious in his direction. “You know of him?”

“Yes. How do you know of him?”

“Merlin complained about him all the time. I simply went to Merlin’s enemy and told him I was putting the house Merlin wanted on the market and he took the bait. Why? You look like you saw a ghost.”

“No ghost. I’m surprised you found a way to get to him. He has more money than Merlin would ever dream of having and he’s known for taking what he wants without asking. My company has been offered the opportunity to interview and do the interior design for one of Machado’s new offices. It’s where I was the week your husband confessed his indiscretion,” he said the word sneeringly. It was the word they all mocked the most. “He had five different companies on the premises at the same time to pitch his ideas. I’ve never met him personally though.”

“Did you get it?”

“He whittled down to two companies: mine and another one from Los Angeles. I think the main reason I’m still in is because his head office is here in Manchester, which is weird to be honest. The man has more money than God and instead of New York or LA or any European city, he stays here in Manchester, New Hampshire.”

“It’s so funny,” she said suddenly. “Merlin has hated this guy for the months, and you were off doing a bid for him, and we didn’t connect the dots.”

“Merlin has never been one to ask about my business endeavors. He thinks interior design is a waste of time. God, I can’t believe you stayed with him eight years.”

“I loved him,” she whispered quietly. “I know he was a dickhead to most people, but he treated me like his princess. He took care of me and made the decisions and,” she exhaled, “Janka thinks I have daddy issues since Dad died so young. Merl took over every aspect of my life and made me his pampered princess I gravitated to it because it’s what Dad would have done.”

“Dad definitely spoiled us,” he said quietly, “and I guess it makes sense.”

“Do you know in all the time we were together we never really had an argument? I’ve thought long and hard about how I was blindsided by this because we never even argued. It dawned on me I gave in every single time to avoid his disappointment in me. I always wanted his approval and his love.”

Her phone rang and it was an unknown number. She answered it wondering if perhaps Machado was calling her. Instead, it was her sister’s high pitch whining scream filling her ears.

“Why are you ruining my day? You and Fred are supposed to be here. Mom is the only one from our family here. Just mom. Not one aunt, uncle or cousin are here. Do you know how embarrassing this is for me and Merl? Get your ass over here –”

She hung up on her and felt the shaky breath escape her lips as her brother pressed his lips to her temple and hugged her close. “Why is she so awful?”

“Who knows but I’m done with her and Mom. Dad would be horrified by their behavior.”

“I’m sorry you’re caught up in this.”