The minute I heard the front door click and the cars pull out of the driveway, I sprang into action. It was 4:55 AM, exactly five minutes before they expected me to be at the curb, ready to haul their mountain of luggage. I wasn't going to be there. Not with them, and not with their bags.
I pulled out my phone. First call: "Hi, Mark. It's Dr. Hogan. I need a bulk waste disposal service, immediately. My entire household luggage collection needs to be picked up and disposed of. No, don't worry about sifting through it. It's all… without value."
Mark, my long-time estate manager, sounded confused. "Dr. Hogan? Are you sure? That's rather, uh, unconventional."
"Positive, Mark. Consider it a purge. I'll transfer the funds for expedited service in five minutes. And make sure it's all gone before sunrise."
"Understood, Dr. Hogan. Right away."
A quick tap on my banking app, and a significant sum vanished from my primary account. A small price to pay for the satisfaction blooming in my chest. I watched from my bedroom window as a large truck rumbled up the drive, its mechanical arm scooping up the meticulously packed designer luggage – every single suitcase, carry-on, and garment bag – that Jackson had so carelessly thrown onto the curb. It was all gone. Every single material possession they valued, reduced to disposable refuse. A symbolic farewell.
Second call: "Jessica, it's Hailey. I need you to finalize the divorce papers. Immediately. And cancel all their travel arrangements. Every single flight, hotel, and charter. The St. Barts trip is off. Freeze all associated credit cards and allowances. Effective now."
Jessica, my chief legal counsel, was unflappable. "Understood, Dr. Hogan. Consider it done."
Third call: "Pierre, my private jet. Ready in two hours. St. Barts. Solo trip. The usual villa, but I want it fully stocked with my favorite champagne and that obscure truffle cheese. And no interruptions. Absolute discretion."
"Oui, Dr. Hogan. As you wish."
Two hours later, I was nestled in the plush leather seat of my private jet, a chilled glass of Dom Pérignon in hand. The rising sun painted the clouds in hues of orange and pink, a breathtaking canvas outside my window. The silence was golden, broken only by the soft hum of the engines. No bickering, no passive aggression, no entitlement. Just peace.
My phone buzzed. Jackson. 'What the hell, Hailey?! Where are you? Why aren't you here? Our flight is in an hour! The hotel isn't showing a reservation! What did you do?!'
I took a slow sip of champagne. 'Oh, that. I canceled it.'
'Canceled what?! Our entire trip?! Our flights?! Hailey, what are you talking about?!' His words were jagged, filled with rising panic.
'All of it, Jackson. Every single reservation. Every single flight. Your luxury villa? Gone. Your first-class seats? Reverted to the airline. You're on your own now.'
'On our own?! What do you mean?! Where are we going to stay?! My parents are here! Amber is here! This is unacceptable! You're doing this to embarrass me!'
'That sounds like your problem, Jackson. Not mine. Perhaps you can ask Amber where you're going to stay. She's so much more 'family' than I am, after all.'
My private jet soared higher, leaving the petty dramas of the world far below. The Caribbean glinted like a sapphire necklace. 'Hailey! Are you insane?! Do you know how much a last-minute flight to St. Barts costs?! A private villa?! We can't afford that! We don't have access to your bank account! Give me the code! Now!'
My voice was as smooth and cold as the champagne I was drinking. 'Access denied, Jackson. All accounts that you, your parents, or Jordan had access to have been frozen. Your credit cards? Canceled. Jordan's allowance? Terminated. Her luxury car? Registered in my name, I'm afraid. It's been repossessed.'
There was a stunned silence on the other end, a palpable shockwave.
'And just for clarity, Jackson, I've also filed for divorce. My legal team has all the documentation. Including the charming PDF you sent me detailing my 'budget route' on one of the world's most perilous flights. That'll make for some interesting reading in court.'
His mental voice, usually so loud and self-assured, went quiet. I could feel his shock, his disbelief, like a distant tremor. It was the frantic, desperate scramble of a man whose entire world had just been pulled out from under him. The Golden Goose, the one he had tried to send to her death, had just flown away, taking all her golden eggs with her.
'Hailey, you can't be serious! You wouldn't! This family, we are… we are yours! You love us!' His mental voice was barely a whimper.
'I loved the idea of you, Jackson. The idea of a family. But you all proved, quite spectacularly, that I was nothing more than an ATM with a pulse. And this ATM just closed its doors. Permanently.' I pictured his face, probably pale and sweating. 'Enjoy your 'adventure,' Jackson. Your budget flight to irrelevance just departed.'
I severed the mental link, a decisive snap. I then sent a final, short email to my accountant: "Ensure all previously authorized standing orders for the Dorsey family are irrevocably canceled. Confirm immediate cessation of all financial support."
I leaned back, closing my eyes, feeling the gentle sway of the jet. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery strokes of orange and purple. It was beautiful. Truly beautiful. And for the first time in years, the beauty reached me. I felt light. Free. The burden of their lives, their expectations, their endless demands, had lifted. A solo luxury vacation was exactly what the doctor ordered. And it was going to be glorious.
