Chapter 20: Out in the Cold

Leo threw Elsie and her three children out

Elsie stood outside the gates of the mansion she had once called home, her three children clinging to her side. The cold night air bit at her skin, but it was nothing compared to the icy betrayal she felt in her heart. Leo had not only taken everything from her—he had thrown her out like trash.

The security guards had escorted her out without ceremony, their faces impassive as they handed her a single suitcase filled with her belongings. "Mr. Udeh's orders," one of them had said, his tone cold and final.

Elsie's children, confused and frightened, looked up at her with wide eyes. "Mama, where are we going?" her youngest asked, his voice trembling.

Elsie knelt down, pulling her children close. "We'll figure it out," she whispered, though her voice shook with uncertainty. "We'll find somewhere to stay."

But as she looked around at the dark, empty streets, she realized she had nowhere to go. She had no money, no friends, and no family in the city. She was completely alone.

Elsie turned to her lovers for help

Desperate, Elsie pulled out her phone and began calling the men she had once charmed and manipulated. Surely, they would help her. They had adored her once—they wouldn't abandon her now.

The first call went to voicemail. The second was answered by a cold, dismissive voice. "Elsie, this is over. Don't call me again."

The third call was met with laughter. "You thought this was real? You were just a game, Elsie. A means to an end."

Elsie's heart sank as she realized the truth. These men had never cared about her. They had used her, just as Leo had. She was nothing to them—nothing but a pawn in their game.

Elsie became abandoned

One by one, the men she had once relied on turned their backs on her. Some blocked her number. Others simply hung up. By the time she reached the last name on her list, Elsie was in tears.

"Please," she begged, her voice breaking. "I have nowhere to go. My children… they need a place to stay."

The man on the other end of the line sighed, his tone cold and detached. "Elsie, you made your bed. Now you have to lie in it. Don't call me again. 

The line went dead, and Elsie sank to her knees, her children huddled around her. She had never felt so alone, so powerless. The life she had built—the wealth, the power, the luxury—was gone. And she had no one to blame but herself.