His footsteps thundered through the empty halls.
Minutes later he came racing back down.
“The bedrooms are empty too!”
“Correct.”
“The closets!”
“Also empty.”
“The office!”
“My father’s library was never your office.”
Several neighbors laughed.
Brandon’s face turned crimson.
Patricia’s composure began cracking.
For years she had imagined this moment.
The master suite.
The pool parties.
The charity luncheons.
The elegant lifestyle.
The mansion carrying the Montgomery family name.
Now all she had was a giant empty building.
Then Vanessa frowned.
“Why is it so hot in here?”
Brandon walked to the thermostat.
He pressed several buttons.
Nothing happened.
“It’s off.”
Vanessa rushed to a sink.
She turned the faucet.
A weak cough echoed through the pipes.
No water.
Patricia stared.
“What did you do?”
“I disconnected the utilities.”
Silence.
“The electricity.”
“The water.”
“The internet.”
“The cable.”
“All of it.”
Brandon looked horrified.
“No internet?”
For some reason, that upset Vanessa most.
“No Wi-Fi?”
“No Wi-Fi.”
The neighbors laughed again.
And suddenly the Montgomery family’s dream began collapsing in real time.
A multimillion-dollar mansion.
No furniture.
No electricity.
No water.
No internet.
And absolutely no legal right to stay.
PART 3: The Family Falls Apart
The moving company became the next disaster.
The foreman approached Patricia carrying a clipboard.
“Ma’am, are we unloading or leaving?”
Patricia forced a smile.
“We’ll reschedule.”
The foreman shook his head.
“That’s not how contracts work.”
He handed her the invoice.
Nearly five thousand dollars.
Waiting fees.
Truck fees.
Cancellation fees.
Crew fees.
Patricia nearly choked.
“For doing nothing?”
“You hired us,” the foreman replied.
“You pay us.”
Brandon stepped forward aggressively.
“You serious?”
The foreman slowly looked him up and down.
“Yes.”
Brandon immediately backed off.
An hour later the trucks left.
Still fully loaded.
Patricia paid every penny.
Then another problem appeared.
Brandon’s SUV had been parked partially on my lawn.
My security company had already immobilized it with a bright yellow wheel lock.
Brandon exploded.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
The police officer checked the notice.
