Chapter 7 - Cutting the Strings
Hannah looked across the table at the three people who had spent twelve years treating her as an inferior being.
"You never cared about family, Gemma," Hannah said calmly. "You cared about appearances, free favors, and using people you thought had no power to fight back."
Arthur Sterling opened a leather portfolio, placing three separate commercial settlement agreements before them.
"Here are the terms of your lease continuations," Hannah declared, her voice ringing with absolute authority.
"First: Vance & Sterling LLP will pay full commercial market rate without the twelve-percent partner discount you secretly received for six years. Furthermore, your firm will provide two thousand hours of pro bono legal services annually to low-income small business owners in Central Market."
Gemma gasped, but quickly nodded. "We... we accept."
"Second: Jeffrey, your cardiology clinic lease will be renewed only after you pay every dollar of deferred maintenance directly to the building escrow account. And twenty percent of your clinical hours must be dedicated to uninsured patients through the county community health network."
Jeffrey swallowed hard, his hands shaking as he grabbed a pen. "Yes. I will sign."
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"And third, Rosalie," Hannah said, turning her gaze to her mother-in-law. "You will never step foot in my home, my market stall, or my company again. You will issue a written, formal apology to the Central Market Merchant Association for the remarks you made about working-class vendors."
Rosalie’s face burned with humiliation, but looking at the bankruptcy staring her children in the face, she picked up the pen and signed every document.
