Chapter 8: The Process Server
Liam glared at me before turning to answer the door.
Standing on the porch was a man in a plain gray suit holding a thick manila envelope.
"Liam Vance?" the man asked.
"Yes, that's me," Liam said impatiently. "Look, we're in the middle of a private event..."
"I'm not here for you," the man said smoothly, stepping past Liam into the foyer. He scanned the silent living room until his eyes landed on Valerie. "Valerie Vance?"
Valerie puffed up her chest. "Yes? Are you the florist? I explicitly told them to deliver around back."
The man didn't smile. He held out the manila envelope. "You are being served."
Valerie didn't take it. The man simply dropped the envelope at her feet, turned around, and walked out the front door.
"What on earth is this?" Valerie demanded, staring at the envelope like it was a snake.
Liam picked it up, tearing open the top. He pulled out a thick stack of legal documents. As he read the first page, the color completely drained from his face. He looked like he had just been punched in the stomach.
"Liam?" Brittany asked, setting her drink down. "What does it say?"
"It's... it's a notice of immediate default and foreclosure," Liam stammered, his eyes darting frantically across the page. "Mom, they're foreclosing on your condo."
"That's impossible!" Valerie shrieked, snatching the papers from his hands. "I paid the arrears! I wired Oakmont Financial twenty-three thousand dollars six weeks ago! The account is completely current!"
"Oakmont Financial doesn't own your mortgage anymore, Valerie," I said quietly from the center of the room.
Everyone turned to look at me.
"What are you talking about?" Liam demanded, his voice cracking.
"I bought it," I said, a cold, serene smile spreading across my face. "My trust purchased the Oakmont portfolio three weeks ago. I am the sole lienholder on your luxury condo. And per the terms of your original mortgage agreement, any use of fraudulent or misappropriated funds to pay the principal balance triggers an immediate, uncurable default."
May you like
Valerie staggered backward, dropping the papers onto the hardwood floor. "You... you bought my mortgage?"
"I did," I nodded. "And because you used stolen money to pay it, I am foreclosing. You have exactly seventy-two hours to vacate the property before the sheriff removes your belongings and throws them onto the street."
