Tabitha looked on in shock as Bobby, Piper, and Michael gave slight nods to indicate Betty was right. With that she huffed and turned on her heels to leave.
“Now someone shut that door,” Betty ordered as she ran a finger over Frankie’s smooth cheek.
“I can’t believe you just did that, Ma. You have no idea what’s going on here. You just assume that it’s Tabitha causing the problems. What if you’re wrong and you just insulted my mother-in-law?” Jules started with a raised voice and then lowered it to a hoarse whisper when Betty gestured toward the baby.
“You people don’t cause problems. You walk in on a mess and try to fix it, but I don’t know any of you to start trouble. Any woman who plans a party and drags the mother of a sick baby with her doesn’t have my respect. I suppose she had a tactic for getting you to go with her today. I don’t see you just leaving Frankie like that.”
“No, she didn’t have a tactic. She was upset and crying. Things are very tense here right now, and I was trying to help. I want her and Michael to have a relationship, and I’m hoping to be a part of bringing them together.”
“Crying is a tactic. I’m not blaming you for going; I’m saying she had no business putting on some crocodile tears and asking you to leave your daughter for even a minute today. So if you want to fill me in on what’s going on, I suggest you get to flapping your gums.”
“Michael came out here on his own because he thought his baggage was too much for me to handle. He and his father had a very difficult relationship, and I think now that his dad is gone he’s taking out his anger on his mother. I’m sure she hasn’t been perfect, but he hasn’t seen her in nearly a decade, and he’s not even giving her a chance.” Jules looked so confident in her response that it made Michael sad.
“Is that really what you think is going on here?” Michael asked, amazed at how out of sync he and his wife were. “I told you my mother couldn’t be trusted. She doesn’t care about you, or any of us for that matter.”
“Well, I’ve spent a good amount of time with her since we’ve gotten here, and she seems very much like a woman who’s hurting. And you seem to be acting like someone who couldn’t care less.” Jules turned toward Betty to make her case. “He stood out on the lawn and told the media he was closing up everything she’d help to build, including charities she’s dedicated years to.”
“So?” Betty answered with a shrug. “I’m sure he’s not just trying to be a mean old dog about it. Out with it, Michael; tell me why you’re trying to shut everything down and get the hell out of here.”
Michael scanned every face in the room. Bobby, Piper, Betty, and Jules were all standing there waiting to hear what it was that had him acting like he was on the warpath when, in fact, he was just defending what he’d worked so hard to finally find. “I always knew my mother and father were hungry for power. When I was younger I assumed it was a positive thing. It’s part of what made me who I am. Some of my earliest memories are of me emulating my father. He made sure I had everything I ever wanted. Then after high school he set me on a course for a law degree. We started mingling in important circles and I met contacts that would fast track me on my way to a career. That summer I started working with him on a business level and I figured out what my job would actually be once I had my law degree. I got a peek behind the curtain of my father’s world and I couldn’t believe the things he did every day all in the name of wealth.
“His goal of me becoming a lawyer had nothing to do with his pride or his belief in me. He wanted me to protect him from all his crimes and hide all his lies. I was going to be the man he could trust. I’d be writing contracts for his mistresses to sign to make sure they didn’t disclose the affair without harsh consequences. I’d be his guy to backdate paperwork to cover up inside trading. The laundry list of things a clever lawyer can do to cover up crimes is impressive.”
“I wasn’t trying to make an argument for your father. I never met him and I didn’t have a chance to form an opinion about him,” Jules explained as she cleared her throat, looking less comfortable by the second.
“When I realized this is what my father wanted out of me, my world caved in. He was my hero. I based my entire existence on becoming the man he was. I was devastated, and when I turned to my mother for sanity and comfort she told me to stop being ridiculous. She explained this was how the world worked and if I ever wanted to be successful I’d need to do what I was told.”
“That’s ugly,” Betty said, shaking her head and mumbling some kind of prayer under her breath.
“And I asked her what would happen if I didn’t. What if I wanted to go practice law somewhere else or even expose my father and his crimes? My answer was waiting for me the next morning. My house keys were gone. My credit cards were taken from my wallet and cut into confetti. My cell phone was smashed. The tires were taken off my car, and it was put up on blocks in the garage. The only thing I had to my name was the clothes on my back and a note from my mother. It read: You have nothing without us. I picked that up, stuffed it in my bag, and never looked back. I was dead set on proving to them I could be a success without them. I enlisted in the Marines and used the G.I. Bill to pay my way through school. And now, all these years later I have everything I’ve ever wanted in my life. I have family. Right here in this room I have people who would do, and have done, anything for me.”
“That is awful, Michael, and I’m not making excuses for her actions. But that was a long time ago. Isn’t there any chance she’s changed?” Jules’s chin was turned up as she kept trying to make her case.
“Oh honey, that’s like finding bird shit in a cuckoo clock. Some people just ain’t real and that ain’t going to change over time. Any mother capable of not only expecting such things out of her son, but punishing him for not doing them is, excuse my language, a cold-hearted bitch. This here is your husband. You need to take his side and his hand and go home.”
“That’s very Christian of you, Mother,” Jules responded sarcastically.
“Jules, it wasn’t just that day. It’s every moment leading up to that. I saw my mother destroy staff here for supposedly stealing her earrings. She publicly humiliated two of the housekeepers and made sure they couldn’t work anywhere in this area again. Two days later the earrings turned up. They were in the pocket of a suit she’d dropped off at the dry cleaner. She never made that right. She meddled in every relationship I ever had and intentionally ended the ones she didn’t like. My mother has an agenda for everything. These charities are a way to steal money and help her friends do the same. Her wanting us here right now has nothing to do with caring about us. She’s looking for some last ditch effort to convince me to run my father’s empire the same way he did so she can continue living the lifestyle she’s accustomed to. Every conversation I’ve had with her so far has been either a threat or an attempt to blackmail me.”
“Michael,” Bobby interrupted, nervously clearing his throat as though he wasn’t sure it was his place to say anything. “Why are you still here? Why bother getting involved? Couldn’t you sign everything over to her and let her sink the ship on her own?”
“I would, but my sister’s never known enough to get out. I guess my father learned his lesson with me. He didn’t give her the chance to find out the kind of man he was. Instead, under the illusion of training her for the business world, he used her name to perpetuate dozens of crimes. Some are serious enough to land her in prison if they ever were to surface. By closing everything down I’m trying to bury that. But there are also a lot of people who benefit from my father’s crimes. I’m trying to tactfully navigate that.”
“Well if anyone can, it’s you,” Betty said with a warm smile. “That’s your gift. You can tell someone to go screw themselves and make it so they thank you for the suggestion.”
“Your sister didn’t know what your father was doing?” Piper asked, clearly trying to sort out who knew what.
“No, I plan to tell her but not until everything is done. Ther
e isn’t anything she can do at this point, and I don’t want her to worry.”
“Aren’t you worried about getting in trouble for covering anything up?” Bobby asked.
“I’m not covering anything up really. I’m closing things down and hoping no one cares enough to come digging around. If my sister gets married and goes on to live a normal life, then no one is going to care about this stuff. It will just disappear. Or at least that’s what I’m hoping.”
“Isn’t your mother the one who told you about your sister being in trouble? She obviously wanted you to help.” Jules was starting to pace the room as she spoke.
“No, at first she just asked me to take over the business and protect my father’s reputation by keeping everything that was locked up safe and sound. When that didn’t work she played the card about my sister. She knew I wouldn’t leave Josephine here to take the blame for something she didn’t realize she was doing. It’s not her fault. She shouldn’t have had to think twice about trusting her own parents.”
“Tabitha said she didn’t know what was going on. She wouldn’t have let him do that to Josephine.” Jules was starting to sound more like she was trying to convince herself rather than anyone in the room. “You don’t know for sure.”
“I don’t,” Michael admitted. “But I’m not willing to risk you or Frankie on the off chance she’s changed.”
“What could she possibly do to us?” Jules asked through a breathy laugh that told Michael she really didn’t understand.
“She can make it look like I’m having an affair so you leave me and take Frankie away. She could dig into any of our pasts and find one small linchpin that drives a stake right through our careers or our relationships. We’ve all made enough questionable choices over the last two years to provide her with some ammunition. She could spread a rumor, threaten us, or even plant evidence that makes us look like we committed a crime.”
“You sound like you’re on a television cop drama, Michael. You really believe your mother is capable of those things?” Jules scoffed.
“I don’t believe it; I know it. She’s done every single one of those things before. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
Jules pursed her lips and drew in a deep breath. She seemed to be out of arguments in favor of his mother, or at least Michael hoped that was the case.
“How close are you to being done here?” Bobby asked, still looking uncomfortable.
“Lindsey is out right now chasing down a few more pieces of information about my father’s associates. We’re trying to understand his relationship with each of them to make sure I’m prepared to counter any threats they make. Best-case scenario: I meet with a few people tomorrow, file the dissolution forms with the secretary of state’s office, and submit the funds remaining to the real beneficiaries of the charities. I got lucky; the way my father structured his will made it so I could make these moves without a vote from the board of directors for the charities. I’m in the home stretch.”
“So wait, you’re honestly planning on packing up and never looking back? You’re willing to write your mother off?” Jules threw her hands up in exasperation.
“Jules, she wrote me off a long time ago. She’s looking for a means to an end, and I refuse to be that for her. She’s collected a fair amount of life insurance, and I’m structuring the manufacturing business in a way that it practically runs itself. It will turn a profit for her.”
“I’m not worried about the money.” Jules groaned, now sounding on the verge of tears.
“I know you’re not, Jules, but that’s the problem. That’s all she’s worried about.” Michael moved toward her then stopped himself.
“Everyone in this room needs to be on the same page,” Bobby said, looking directly at Jules. “That’s how we’ve always gotten through this stuff before. Michael’s goals need to be our goals. If he thinks the best thing to do is shut down anything he can and get back to Edenville, then that’s what we should all be trying to do. I can help Lindsey out and Betty can stay with Frankie to give you a hand, Jules.”
“I’m going to this party. I made a commitment to help, and I’m sticking with that. Is it really so crazy to hope this all works out? Look at everyone else's family. Bobby, you and your folks weren't getting along so well for years, but I saw you with them at your wedding. They were there to support you, and I know you're in a better place now with them than you've ever been. And Piper, I hopped in a car with you and ran off to New York City to find your biological father. Look at how well that turned out. You have people in your life now you can call family. Jedda and Willow have each other. Even Crystal is talking to her sister. Why can't I want that for Michael? If Michael has it, Frankie will too. My daughter deserves as many people in her life that love her as possible. You are all looking at me like I'm crazy to fight for that.”
“Do I need to invest in some heavy duty Q-tips? Because your ears must be plumb full of wax if you didn't hear everything your husband just said about his mother. Does she really seem like somebody you want in your family?”
“But she is family. We all choose to be here, but she's Michael's mother. I just think that warrants a little extra hard work. I don't believe someone is just good or bad. I think things happen to people and they make choices. I look at my daughter and I can't imagine anyone would put anything, especially money, before their love for their child. I just don't want to believe that.”
“Well, while you're busy not believing that, I think you're leaving yourself exposed. This woman sounds very manipulative. If Michael doesn't trust her then I don't trust her. And while I think your motives are admirable, you’re being foolish." Betty was still rocking rhythmically and in between doling out her opinions she was humming sweet songs to Frankie.
“Look at this room, Ma. She found out about us at about ten o’clock at night and by lunchtime the next day she’d already had all of this done. All for Frankie.”
“Of course, because Frankie has such expensive taste. Just the other day I heard her complaining about how the dust ruffle on the crib at my house was peasant-like and she wouldn’t stand for it.” Betty rolled her eyes. “Nothing in this room is for Frankie. The child bites her own toes and thinks spit bubbles are magical. This room was about impressing you.”
“Frankie could have the best of everything if we made room in our lives for Michael’s family. I’m not saying I want to move from Edenville; I’m just wondering what advantages she could have if we kept the door open here. Great schools, prestigious clubs, it’s endless what she could accomplish. But Michael hasn’t even considered that as an option. ”
“It’s not too often I don’t respond to something. But that’s so asinine that I won’t even engage you on that. You’re wearing your rear end as a hat right now, that’s all I’ll say about that.” Betty looked like she was literally biting her tongue.
“I'm still going to the party. I hope all of you come too. Josephine is Michael's sister, and it doesn't sound like she has a history of being some kind of monster.” The tone Jules was using told Michael she didn’t believe his mother to be as bad as he was saying. “She's Frankie’s aunt, and I've committed to being there to celebrate. If you still want to leave the moment the party is over then I'll go. As long as Frankie is healthy enough to travel.”
“I'm going to be here with this baby all night and in the morning. If she's not back to her old self, we’ll take her to the hospital. This party is in two days, right?"
"Yes," Michael said as he exhaled and rolled his eyes knowingly. Betty’s raised eyebrows and stern look told him she was about to propose a compromise.
“Then let’s just be hospitable guests until the party is over. Then we all agree to leave. I don't care if we have to drive back one hour at a time to accommodate Frankie. Let's agree that Edenville is the best place for all of us, and then y'all can talk through how to move forward. But at least you'll be surrounded by people you can trust.”
“Fine." Michael and Jules spoke the w
ord in unison and then stared down at their shoes like disappointed children.
“Now tell me, I'm feeling a bit peckish. Where’s the kitchen? I'd like to make myself a sandwich before I settle in to watch Frankie for the night.”
“It's not that kind of kitchen, Ma,” Jules explained. “You can't just walk in there and make yourself something to eat. They have a staff. You tell them what you'd like, and they make it for you. They'll even bring it in here with everything you need." The smile on Jules's face faded quickly as she seemed to realize Betty was neither impressed nor excited about this.
“That sounds an awful lot like what it used to be like in the South when I was a kid. Since then folks have worked damn hard to make sure no one was in the business of ordering anyone around like a servant. I'm plenty capable of making my own sandwich. Just point me in that direction. I don't need to be waited on."
“It's not like that, Ma. They get paid a fair wage. It's a job just like any other."
"I don't know about that actually," Piper said, twisting her face up slightly. "I don't know if there's a paycheck in the world big enough for them to put up with the way they are treated here. Maybe you haven't seen it yet, but I have. It's kind of twisted."
“I guess I've been blind to everything lately." Jules’s anger was starting to bubble over. "I'll have them make you a sandwich, and I'll bring it here for you. I'll be sure to ask them very nicely. Heaven help us if we ever have a falling out like this. I didn't realize all of you would give up so easily. Whatever happened to fighting for family?”
Jules was out the door, her shoes slapping hard against the marble floor. The room was silent for a moment and then, like usual, Betty sliced the quiet open with sharp words of wisdom. “I think that woman has done a number on my child. I don't know what kind of bull she's been feeding her, but it certainly sounds like Jules is falling for it. All I know is, I trust you, Michael."
Battling Destiny (The Piper Anderson Series Book 6) Page 14