Down in the front driveway of the Grand Plaza Hotel, a small crowd had gathered near the main entrance.
Chloe was standing next to her luxury rental car, screaming into her smartphone as her sister walked out of the lobby carrying two large shopping bags.
Chloe: I don't care what the police say! That woman assaulted me in broad daylight!
Sister: Chloe, stop shouting! Everyone is looking at us!
Chloe: Let them look! Brandon is the general manager! He's going to come down here and fire every single guard who touched me!
Just then, the glass doors opened, and two security guards walked Brandon out through the side entrance.
He was no longer wearing his custom blue suit jacket—only a plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, carrying a small cardboard box containing his desk items.
Chloe's eyes went wide as she ran toward him across the driveway.
Chloe: Brandon! There you are! Did you fire that crazy woman in the coat?! Did you get my ring back?!
Brandon stopped, looking at her with cold, dead eyes.
Brandon: Get away from me, Chloe.
Chloe: What?! What are you talking about? Where is your suit jacket? Why are you carrying a box?
Brandon: I got fired. I lost my job, my pension, my apartment, and my entire life savings because of you.
Chloe: What do you mean you got fired?! You told me you were a partner!
Brandon: I lied! I was just a manager! And now I have a criminal record and a million-dollar debt to the Sterling estate!
Chloe took a step back, her mouth dropping open in utter horror.
Chloe: You... you lied to me about being rich?!
Brandon: You only cared about the money! You didn't give a damn about me!
Chloe: Of course I cared about the money! You think I was going to marry a middle-management loser?!
A loud gasp went through the crowd of hotel guests standing nearby.
Several people pulled out their smartphones, filming the entire furious argument on video.
Brandon: You fake, miserable snake! I ruined my life trying to impress you!
Chloe: Don't you blame me! You're the one who stole money like a common thief! Get away from my car!
Brandon: That car was rented on my corporate credit card! And the rental company is repossessing it right now!
As if on cue, a heavy tow truck pulled into the hotel driveway, stopping right in front of the luxury sports car.
A driver stepped out holding a clip board and a set of keys.
Tow Driver: Chloe Vance?
Chloe: Yes! What do you think you're doing with my car?!
Tow Driver: The Sterling Corporation cancelled the corporate credit authorization ten minutes ago. We're impounding the vehicle immediately.
Chloe: No! You can't do that! All my designer bags are in the back seat!
Tow Driver: You have two minutes to grab your personal items, ma'am. Otherwise, they go to the impound lot.
Chloe screamed in frustration, lunging toward the trunk to grab her luggage while the crowd of guests laughed and filmed everything on their phones.
Brandon tossed his cardboard box into a nearby trash bin, wiped a tear from his face, and began walking down the street on foot, completely broke and broken.