Chapter 7: Legal stonewalls
281 words
Elena left the hospital with nothing but a plastic bag of Arthur’s clothes and a burning resolve. Thorne thought he was untouchable? She effectively had nothing left to lose.
She spent the next six hours on a bus tour of the city’s legal district.
The first firm was all glass walls and hushed carpet. The partner, a man with a tan that cost more than her rent, listened for two minutes before sliding her folder back. “Mr. Thorne chairs our annual charity gala. Conflict of interest.”
The second firm didn't even let her past the receptionist.
The third was a 'pro bono lawyers near me' search result. The attorney looked tired. “Without video evidence? It’s your word against a pillar of the community. In a he-said-she-said with Golden Horizons, you lose. I work on contingency fee attorney models, Ms. Vance. I only get paid if we win. And we won’t win.”
It started to rain as she left the last office. The water soaked through her canvas shoes, chilling her to the bone. She sat on a wet bench, pulling out her phone to check her balance, praying a miracle had occurred.
Ping.
ALERT: Your account is overdrawn.
Golden Horizons had auto-drafted the monthly fee, ignoring the fact that Arthur was in the hospital.
Balance: -$2,042.00
Elena stared at the screen, the raindrops smearing the red numbers. She didn't just need an overdraft fee reversal; she needed a life reversal. She couldn't pay rent. She couldn't buy food. She lay her head back against the cold metal of the bus stop, the city gray and blurring through her tears. Thorne had stripped her clean.
End of Chapter 7
