Blinding Mirror

by Shelley Halima

  “You know what’s so funny?”

  Olivia giggled. “I hope nothing right now, silly.”

  “Oh yes there is. It’s so funny that you came over here thinking I’d be interested in a continuing any kind of relationship with you.”

  All amusement quickly left her face.

  “I thought I’d give you a great good-bye fuck, but I don’t even want to do that. You have ten seconds to put back on your clothes and get out.”

  “What do you mean?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “You don’t? Let me help make it clear for you.”

  He bent over and picked up her clothes and shoes. He then violently grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the front door.

  “Stop Anton! Don’t do this! I can’t lose you!”

  Anton stopped pulling on her and glared at her.

  “You stupid little bitch. You never had me.”

  He opened the door and tossed out her things onto the steps and lawn. In that formidable instant she knew what he planned to do next. As she tried to run to the safety of a nearby room, he grabbed her again and pulled her screaming outside. He shoved her onto the front lawn and went back into the house and slammed the door. Olivia began to cry hysterically as she fumbled for her clothes. She heard the door open only to see Anton toss out her purse before slamming the door closed again. She hurriedly put on her clothes and gathered her underwear and purse. As she stumbled to the car, she saw there was an open house for a home up for sale across the street. She saw the shocked faces of people there to look at the house. She turned her eyes away from the witnesses to her humiliation and got into the car and sped off, swerving down the street.

  Part Two

  Spring 2006

  Chapter 42

  Côte d’Azur, France

  Olivia Valente-Castelli-Von Hausmann scrutinized her naked body in the full-length mirror. Her breasts, though not sagging, were no longer as perfectly pert as they once were. She was quite pleased with the rest of her body though. She had been diligent about regular exercise for years–something she picked up from Gino during their brief marriage, and it had paid off. Her nearly forty-five year old body could rival most women half her age.

  Her frame was lean and sinewy courtesy of yoga, Pilates, and cardiovascular workouts. She stepped closer to the mirror for an inspection of her face. Olivia still thought of herself as a beauty but there were a couple of things that needed a tune up. She didn’t like the extra skin in the folds of her eyelids and the crow’s feet that deepened every year despite the expensive caviar-based cream she used religiously. That would have to be taken care of. Plus, the collagen in her lips had been absorbed and needed a retouch.

  Olivia put on some Chanel No. 5, slipped on her robe and went to look for Lourdes. She padded through the villa, which she received as a gift from a wealthy suitor a few years before. She finally found her daughter sunbathing topless on the rooftop. Olivia took a seat in a nearby lounge chair and opened up an umbrella she kept handy.

  “You are going to get skin cancer if you don’t stop this sunbathing. Or should I say sun baking?”

  “Mother, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t have the natural hint of a tan like you and my sisters. I have to work on mine.”

  “Why don’t you try that suntan concoction that you get sprayed on? Isn’t that what your friend Noèmi uses?”

  “Yes, and she looks like an Oompa Loompa. The mere sight of her makes me crave chocolate.”

  Olivia let out a light laugh.

  “You’re too much, Lourdes.” She leaned back and swung her legs up on the chair to her side. “I think it’s time we head back to the States and visit your sisters.”

  Lourdes opened her eyes and looked at her mother.

  “I can’t leave now. You know I’m dating Christophe and plan on marrying him.”

  “Darling, I hate to tell you this, but that’s a lost cause.”

  “And why do you say that?”

  “I had a long talk last night with Ètienne D’Aubigne. He said Christophe has wasted most of his inheritance on bad investments and gambling. On the trip to Monaco last week to visit his uncle, he lost half a million at Le Grand.”

  “Half a million?!”

  Olivia nodded.

  “Do you know what he could have bought me with half a million?”

  “He doesn’t have all the money he appears to. So for him to waste that amount indicates he’s foolish and what’s to stop him from losing the rest of his money?”

  “But when we go out he only takes me to the very best clubs and restaurants.”

  “From what I understand, due to his family name, those places pick up the tab just for the privilege of having him patronize their business.”

  “Now that I think about it, all the times we’ve been out together I’ve never seen him pull out his wallet to pay for anything.”

  “And that gravy train will come to a stop once the word gets out, family name or not. Learn from my mistakes. Don’t go after a man who you think has money but rather one you know has money. I found out the hard way with Günter. When he died after that accident, I got the surprise of my life when I found out he didn’t have very much at all. I don’t want that to happen to you.”

  Lourdes waved her hand and closed her eyes again.

  “Christophe wasn’t that great in the sack anyway. I’ve had sneezes that lasted longer than him. So why do you want to go visit my sisters?”

  “Do you know their birthday is coming up soon?”

  “So? We could send them a card.”

  “Their 25th birthday,” Olivia said pointedly.

  Lourdes’s eyes flew open again.

  “Their 25th birthday?”

  “Yes, and they’ll be coming into the first portion of the money bequeathed to them; twenty million dollars—each. How in heaven’s name could you forget that?”

  Lourdes pursed her lips to a pout.

  “That’s so unfair. Both of them will receive a portion of their money on their 25th birthday and the rest when they turn thirty. Why did Father put in his will that I can’t get anything but a stupid monthly allowance until I’m thirty?”

  “I know it’s not fair. He believed Sofia and Isabella to be more responsible, which is ludicrous.”

  “That man may have given me his name but his actions show he didn’t really think of me as his daughter. Until I’m thirty I’ll have to live off a paltry twenty-one thousand a month.”

  “How do you think I feel? At least you will get a great deal of money eventually. He got rid of me for the home in LA, a year old Bentley and a lousy three million and child support for you. I could just kick myself! I was so young and naïve and he took full advantage of that. I thought three million was the world back then, but I went through it like that!” She snapped her fingers for emphasis. “That wasn’t nearly enough to keep up the lifestyle I became used to for long. I knew he was rich but I had no idea just how rich he was. His portfolio alone was worth a vast fortune with all the property and stocks he owned and investments. He knew he was cheating me out my fair share by having me sign those papers. Your sisters think he could no wrong but they have no idea how conniving he was.”

  “Those two don’t even know what to do with all that money anyway. We would really make good use of it. But they are just like Father.”

  “You’re right. We need to go and get our hands on some of that money.”

  “Mother, you know it’s always been us and them. I doubt if they would suddenly want to be generous and share the wealth.”

  “Perhaps not Sofia, however, Isabella is a different story. Besides, I was reading one of those business journals from back home. An interesting new prospect is going to be setting up headquarters in Chicago sometime within the next few months. We can cool our heels in Atlanta in the meantime.”

  “Who? Is he for me or you?”

  “He’s for me. His name is Jameson Fauntleroy. He’s so old he probably urinates d
ust. But having one foot in the grave can only work in my best interest.”

  “Why can’t I be his Anna Nicole?”

  “Oh, very funny. I need you to be on your best behavior with your sisters, especially Isabella. No egging her on with snippy comments. I know how you like to needle her.”

  “It’s such fun. She’s such a mouse. It’s so funny to watch her get all flustered and not be able to think of a comeback. At least Sofia can give as well as she gets.”

  “Lourdes...”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll be good.”

  Lourdes sighed.

  “It’s going to be pretty hard to leave the French Riviera for Geor-juh,” she said with an affected Southern accent. “I guess it’s good-bye foie gras and Sauternes and hello grits and biscuits. Instead of saying ‘bon jour’ it’ll be ‘hey y’all’. The things we do for money.”

  Olivia chuckled.

  Lourdes opened her eyes again and looked at her mother.

  “I hate to bring this up, Mother but I actually do miss Günter sometimes. I liked him more than any of the others. He was a nice man.”

  “He was a broke man!” Olivia spat.

  “Still, I liked him. If I’d found him at the bottom of the stairs like that, I would’ve lost it.”

  “Can we change the subject, please?!” Olivia snapped. “I don’t need any reminders of how his sister Elizabeth accused me of having something to do with the accident. She tried her best to get the police to investigate it further. And they would have if the blood alcohol in his system didn’t show it was no surprise he fell down those stairs. And all you can talk about is what a nice man he was.”

  “I’m sorry, Mother. I won’t bring it up again.”

  Olivia stared off in the distance as she recalled watching Günter tumble down the long, winding staircase and seeing his horribly twisted body at the bottom. Günter death didn’t make her cry but the reading of his will certainly did. Most of the money that he had left had gone to various creditors. She sold off his prize purebred horses and had his art collection and antiques auctioned by Sotheby’s. She received a tidy sum from the sales but it wasn’t nearly what she thought she would get from her marriage to Günter. If she’d known he wasn’t worth as much as she thought, she wouldn’t have given him that little push when she saw him drunkenly trying to make his way down the long staircase. As a matter of fact, she wouldn’t have even married him. Then to add insult to injury she found out Günter’s sister had convinced him to take her off his insurance policy and made Elizabeth sole beneficiary. She thought she would get not only Günter’s supposed fortune, but also an additional insurance payment. Neither of those happened.

  She was sick of getting shafted by men. Gino pulled one over on her with the prenuptial agreement, locking her out of tens of millions. Then his brother Anton dumped her without a thought. Her second husband Bruno Castelli was a sneaky bastard who did a great job of playing cloak and dagger with most of his assets before divorcing her and running off with his best friend’s wife. She didn’t even want to think of the men in between her marriages. She had been so misused by them but she was determined it wouldn’t happen again. She would do a better job of researching a man’s financial status and make sure she had a firm, ironclad grip on his funds. No pre-nuptials and no hiding assets. When she traveled to Chicago to set her trap for Jameson Fauntleroy, she would be victorious.

  She wasn’t too hopeful about gaining entree into Sofia’s funds. She was too much like her father. But Isabella...She had no doubt she could get some of Isabella’s inheritance. She was always such a pushover. Olivia didn’t make much effort to see Isabella or be a big part of her life. She would make up for that and lay the groundwork for part of the inheritance. If things worked out the way she planned with Jameson, she wouldn’t necessarily need Isabella’s money but she would take it anyway. Part of that money was owed to her and Gino cheated her out of it. Either way she would get what was rightfully hers.

  Chapter 43

  Alpharetta, GA

  Sofia Valente whipped her silver Mercedes E500 sedan into the driveway, causing a squirrel to scamper across the yard and up a nearby tree and a small flock of birds gathered on the driveway to quickly take flight. Sofia was a skilled driver but a fast one as a few Fulton and DeKalb County police officers could easily attest. Although she had been pulled over a number of times, she charmed her way out of most of the tickets and only had two on her record. She got out of her car and retrieved two grocery bags from the trunk. As she was doing so, she caught the appreciative eye of a young man who was walking his dog. He slowed his walk at the end of the drive and took in her lush curves accentuated by her form fitting skirt and blouse.

  “Hello!”

  Sofia turned to the sound of the voice coming from the end of the drive.

  “Hi! How are you?”

  “Much better now.”

  She flashed him a smile and winked at him in response to his flirting and turned to go inside.

  The home she shared with her sister Isabella was a beautifully constructed English manor estate surrounded by three and a half acres of woods with a stream running through the back of the property. It had been their home since her father Gino relocated to Georgia. She couldn’t wait to soak in the tub and veg out in front of the television. She had a tiring day at Bonança Bay, the spa she ran with her best friend since high school, Grace Toussaint. Sofia came up with Bonança, which was Portuguese for tranquility, and Grace added the Bay part since she was from Montego Bay, Jamaica.

  “Isabella!” she shouted as she went to put the groceries in the kitchen.

  A few moments later, Isabella entered the kitchen carrying one of the cordless phones and looking forlorn.

  “Hey you. Why so glum?” Sofia asked as she put away the food.

  “Guess who’s coming to town.”

  “Who?”

  “Mom and Lourdes.”

  Sofia paused and rolled her eyes. “Great. I knew things in my life were going too well. When are they arriving?”

  “Friday. Mom wants me to make reservations at The Dining Room. And she wants us get the house in Buckhead ready for them. I haven’t seen Lourdes since last year and I could go at least another five years quite honestly.”

  “I could do very nicely without seeing either of them.”

  “I’m not talking about Mom, Sofia.”

  “Well, I am. And why do you still let Lourdes intimidate you so? If she starts ragging on you, just do what I do—tell her to fuck off!”

  “I can’t use language like that.”

  This time Sofia’s eye roll was directed at Isabella.

  “I can’t, Sofia.” She took a seat at the kitchen island.

  “I figured those two would take some time from their cross continental prostituting and come here when it got close to our big birthday.”

  “Sofia! You shouldn’t say that about our mother!”

  Sofia turned away from the cabinet and to her sister. “Grow up! You know that’s all they do—sell their privates to the highest bidder. If our mother and sister had a resume it would say under objective: to find rich men, bed them, and sponge off of them until either they get tired of us or we find bigger wallets.”

  “I know Lourdes is like that but Mom, that’s another story. I think she keeps getting married because she’s trying to find a replacement for Dad.”

  “Are you serious? She loved Father so much yet couldn’t make it out in time for the memorial service but just in time for the reading of the will. You just insist on making up this nice little fantasy about our mother. O pior cego é aquele que não quer ver.”

  “I didn’t take up Portuguese like you did, Sofia.”

  “Essentially it means the worst blind is those who don’t want to see.”

  “I think you’re the one who doesn’t see things as they really were. You blame her for her and Dad’s divorce and you refuse to see there could be two sides to the story. You ever stop to think Dad wasn’t so per
fect and maybe he had a hand in their divorce?”

  Sofia put her hands out in a stop gesture. “You know what? I am not going to get into this conversation with you again. Let’s change the subject. What time did you make the reservations for?”

  “Seven.”

  “Fine. I’ll let Grace know I’m leaving the spa early. Are you feeling any better?”

  “I still feel a little light-headed but better. I figured it was going to be my turn to catch that stomach flu that’s been going around.”

  “Maybe it’s not the stomach flu. Maybe you’re pregnant.”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.”

  “I’m going up to take my bath. I didn’t feel like cooking and figured you didn’t either so I stopped at that new gourmet shop and picked up some things.”

  “What did you get?”

  “I bought Gazpacho, Panini sandwiches and arugula salad. Plus a few other items we needed.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll try and eat some of it. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Sofia adjusted her bath pillow and leaned back. Her tired muscles welcomed the warm, soothing bath water. The main thought running through her head was how she was not looking forward to the visit from her sister or mother. There could never be a doubt Lourdes was her mother’s child. They were so alike it was frightening. As for Isabella, she knew she had a void from not having a mother around most of the time and admittedly there was a part inside her that was the same way. But seeing how Lourdes turned out, she had no doubt she and her sister were much better off being raised by their father. On top of that, Sofia would never have the self-acceptance she did had she been raised by her mother.

  Every single time she had visitation with her mother, her weight was brought up. She was a chunky baby who grew into a chubby kid and teenager and settling into a curvaceous young woman. Her mother’s nickname for her for years was “Chunk”. It wasn’t until she was around fifteen that she stood up to her mother and demanded she stopped calling her that. After a slip up or two her mother finally did. As a youngster, at mealtime everyone else would have a regular meal but her mother would only serve her something like a bowl of plain oatmeal for breakfast or a salad for lunch and dinner. Though she would come back from visits with her mother a pound or two smaller, she regained it right away because once home she would eat even more to compensate for her deprivation. Such an emphasis was put on her weight that Sofia knew she would get more praise calling to tell her mother about a lost pound than an excellent school grade or academic award.