I changed into a clean pair of jeans and a comfortable sweater, made myself a cup of instant coffee using the bathroom sink, and waited.
Heavy boots stomped up the front porch stairs.
I heard loud voices in the ruined living room. A man with a gruff voice was speaking quickly.
Then the frantic clicking of Sarah’s heels.
Moments later, they knocked desperately on my door.
“Hannah, open the door,” Sarah demanded, the sweet chirpy tone completely gone from her voice.
She rattled the doororknob.
I took a slow sip of my coffee, unlocked the door, and swung it open.
Sarah looked flushed, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.
David stood behind her, pale and sweating.
“The card declined,” Sarah blurted out, skipping any pleasantries. “The contractor is here with the lumber and the custom cabinets. And they tried to run the second installment and it declined. The first deposit bounced, too. You need to call your bank right now and fix this error.”
“It’s not an error,” I replied smoothly, leaning against the door frame. “I reported the card stolen.”
David’s eyes went wide.
“Mom, what? Why would you do that?”
“Because someone stole my credit card information to authorize $15,000 of construction on a house they don’t own,” I answered, keeping my voice at a calm conversational volume. “That’s textbook fraud.”
Sarah’s face turned a modeled red.
“We didn’t steal it. We’re family. We are doing you a favor by upgrading this dump. Now, the foreman is out there threatening to pull his crew if he doesn’t get a wire transfer right this second.”
“Then I suggest you figure out how to pay him, Sarah,” I smiled politely. “Because you hired him, not me.”
I stepped past them, walking calmly toward the living room, where a large bearded man in a high vis vest was waiting, looking extremely unamused.
The foreman crossed his arms as I approached.
He looked from me to David, clearly sensing the tension.
“I’m Greg,” he grunted. “I own Apex Construction. Look, lady, I don’t work for free. Your kids here signed a contract for a $40,000 remodel. If the money isn’t there, I’m taking my materials and leaving.”
I extended my hand.
“I’m Hannah Wells, the sole owner of this property. I did not authorize this demolition, Greg. My son and his wife do not hold the deed, nor do they have my permission to alter the structure.”