Chapter 7 - The ArrestBy Thursday afternoon, the fallout was complete.
The local news stations had obtained the high-definition security footage from the Grand Plaza ballroom. The video of Eleanor Montgomery stepping on my gown and Chloe dumping my belongings onto the floor was played on every major network across the country, sparking widespread outrage over elite arrogance and domestic abuse.
I sat in my cozy living room at my father’s private estate, watching the evening news with a warm blanket wrapped around my shoulders.
“…breaking news in the Montgomery scandal,” the news anchor announced. “Former high-society matriarch Eleanor Montgomery and her daughter Chloe were taken into police custody earlier today outside their residence. Both face felony charges of grand larceny false reporting, physical assault, and misdemeanor harassment following the incident at the Grand Plaza Metropolitan…”
The screen flashed to a video shot by a crowd of reporters outside the police precinct.
Eleanor was being led out of a black town car in handcuffs, wearing dark sunglasses, hiding her face behind her hair as reporters shouted questions at her. Chloe walked behind her, sobbing uncontrollably, covering her face with a orange prison jacket.
My phone rang. It was Sarah Jenkins.
“Vivienne, the arrest went through smoothly,” Sarah reported. “Their defense team tried to secure a low bail, but given the flight risk and the public backlash, the judge set bail at $250,000 each. The Montgomery accounts are frozen, so they’re going to be spending at least a few days in county holding.”
“And Daniel?” I asked quietly.
“He tried to post their bail using his personal savings,” Sarah replied, “but his accounts were seized under the corporate cross-guarantee agreement he signed for his father’s company. He’s currently staying in a cheap motel near the airport.”
I let out a long, quiet sigh. There was no joy in hearing how far they had fallen, but there was a deep, profound sense of peace. The nightmare was over. They could no longer touch me or my child.
“What about the divorce papers?” I asked.
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“Delivered to Daniel’s motel an hour ago,” Sarah said. “He signed them without a fight. He knows he has no legal ground to contest.”
That evening, I walked through the gardens of my father’s estate, feeling the cool evening breeze against my skin. The baby kicked strongly, a reminder that a new life was just around the corner. A life built on strength, self-respect, and true love—not fear and cowardly compromise.
