Chapter 8 - Brittany’s Comeuppance
While Daniel’s career was officially incinerated, Brittany Miller was learning what the real world looked like without her brother’s illicit corporate credit card.
On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, Brittany sat behind the counter of *B-Line Chic*, her high-end boutique in the city’s historic district. The store was dead. For months, she had covered the $6,500 monthly lease using wire transfers Daniel sent from Vanguard’s vendor payment system.
A sharp knock rattled the glass door.
Brittany looked up, expecting a wealthy customer. Instead, she saw two men in dark suits carrying clipboards, accompanied by a locksmith and a private process server.
She hurried to the door, opening it an inch. “We’re closed for inventory today!”
“Brittany Miller?” the lead process server asked, handing her an envelope through the crack. “You are being served with a commercial eviction notice and an immediate writ of attachment on all commercial fixtures and merchandise.”
Brittany’s heart stopped. “What? Eviction? I paid rent!”
“No, ma'am, you didn't,” the building’s leasing agent replied, stepping forward. “The lease for Suite 402 is held by Holloway Commercial Properties. The last three payments were made via checks drawn on an account currently frozen by federal court order due to corporate embezzlement. You are in default for ninety-two days.”
“Holloway?” Brittany shrieked, the name ringing in her ears like a curse. “Claire owns this building too?!”
“Holloway Asset Management owns this entire shopping corridor, Miss Miller,” the agent said coldly. “You have sixty minutes to collect your personal effects. All retail inventory purchased using diverted corporate capital is subject to a statutory commercial lien.”
Desperate, Brittany grabbed her phone and dialed Daniel.
*“The number you have dialed has been disconnected or is no longer in service.”*
She dialed her mother.
Patricia answered on the first ring, her voice raspy and broken. “Brittany? Did you bring groceries? I don’t have any money left on the card, and the reporters are parked outside my driveway—”
“Mom! Shut up about your groceries!” Brittany screamed into the receiver. “Claire is shutting down my store! They’re locking the doors! Danny’s phone is disconnected! What did you do? Why did you touch that damn beef?!”
“How dare you speak to me like that!” Patricia yelled back. “I did that for you! I took that meat so you could impress your wealthy friends!”
“My friends don’t care about me, Mom!” Brittany wept, sliding down the boutique wall as the locksmith began changing the deadbolt. “The second the video came out, they dropped me from the group chat! Nobody wants to be seen near me! You ruined Danny, you ruined my business, and you ruined our entire lives!”
“Brittany! Don’t hang up on me! Brittany!”
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Brittany threw the phone against the full-length mirror, watching it shatter into a thousand pieces.
***