“You’re really looking after this? Of course, you’re looking after this. It affects your reputation and image as much as mine. Your friend’s reputations and images are involved as well.” “Don’t let Leon hear you say that, Julie. He sees himself as your friend and never cannot tell me when I’m screwing up with you.” “Really? I guess you didn’t listen to him very much about that.” “After we married, we talked little because of the mess Aria pulled. Just because I told him he could take Aria, that didn’t mean I liked it. He thought he was saving everyone by taking her away. Leon wasn’t expecting Aria to latch on to him like she did. He confessed his interest in her, which sparked chaos in his life. When I realized what he went through about six months later, I was glad it was him and not me.” “Why did you allow her to return? If you were glad to have avoided that situation, why bring her back and string her along? “Two reaso
The next morning, Julie woke up feeling a little better and remembered Michael had a meeting to speak with Leon. She needed to start things so he could prepare. She couldn’t remember the exact time of his morning meeting, but she knew it was early and his first task of the day. They’d be dealing with this mess online. Julie remained uncertain about his ability to do what he claimed. She’d been all set to give up again and here she was finding hope in a person she’d least expected help from, let alone hope in any form. Michael was slowly persuading her to accept this at face value and have faith in him to create miracles. Right now she needed to run around doing her routine, so everything was in its place before she lost herself in writing or doing her own editing before it went off to Mike, the man she’d hired to edit her last two novels. In the bathroom, she grabbed a quick shower in case the meeting was here. Julie suspected she wouldn’t be able
Leon arrived on time, and Julie caught sight of him. She saw Michael looking rumpled and unhappy, and then Leon, who appeared ready for war. He’d been the one to set up the downfall of the modelling agency staff and Aria’s manager for the drugs. Julie didn’t remember seeing Aria taking medication over the years they knew each other. She remembered rumours during school about Aria taking drugs. But she was sketchy on the details. Again, Aria’s life took precedence over hers with Michael. Julie hated it. She felt how unjust and one-sided it was. She hated being the one on the losing end again. The pretty blonde received all the attention, leaving Julie to fend for herself. Julie worried about disappointing Michael again, and this was the reason Julie believed she wasn’t worthy like Aria. She couldn’t work in this emotional state, and Julie unconsciously looked for something to do so she could avoid her work. Ju
Michael brought Leon into his office, and they closed themselves off from the rest of the apartment. “Mike, what was that? After signing the separation and divorce papers, I never saw her again. Michael could see Leon’s discomfort of this. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong. Dude, it’s not any better, is it?” “In some ways, it is. I’m less annoyed with her now that I understand her deliberate actions and the unintentional consequences of dealing with her day and the surrounding people. But we’re pussyfooting around the past and it’s a real pain. I’d rather not revisit last night. It scared the crap out of me. That wouldn’t have scared me before I figured this out about Julie. I would have thought I’d annoyed her, and she’s giving me the silent treatment.” Michael hated saying this to Leon, but of anyone, Leon was the one person he believed he could trust. “Wait, what happened? Rewind for a minute and fill in the details you missed the first time
Julie tried to get through her work, but try as she may, it wouldn’t happen. She’d have to send it off to Mike for editing as is. To stay on schedule, she had no other choice. The schedule became irrelevant when the publisher rejected the novel, but Mike’s popularity meant they still had to make appointments for him. It was something that kept her working and on schedule for other aspects of her writing. Deadlines helped, as did music. It didn’t work for everyone, but it worked for her. Unlike Michael, she could wear a set of earbuds with the music on softly, and Ms. Higgins could do as she pleased around the apartment. It wouldn’t bother her one bit. If the music was instrumental only. But today the music wasn’t cutting it. She changed playlists three times, but it didn’t help. Julie couldn’t forget the kitchen scene. She’d been rude to Michael and Leon. Michael’s only intention was to help her. All they discussed was how different she was from Aria.
“She says start and she’ll be right here. I found Julie in the kitchen baking cookies. Is that something she does regularly?” Leon returns to Michael’s home office, and he took his seat at the table before a monitor that hung on the wall where the faces of four men appeared. One man Leon didn’t know grumbled. “Great, she’s anxious and avoiding doing her work.” Leon looked at Michael. “That’s Stephen Jones, Julie’s agent.” “When we arrived to prepare for the meeting, she had already been working for hours. She craved something sweet but couldn’t find it in the kitchen, so she made it herself. I’d say that’s using her time wisely. Oh, she promised to bring something in here for us when she came.” Seeing the publisher’s logo behind the other stranger, Leon decided it wasn’t wise to say it in front of everyone. “You’ve met John and Gary, our lawyers.” Michael gave the final introduction of the attendees. He’d not expected the
Julie didn’t know what she walked into when she first opened Michael’s office door, but she wasn’t expecting to hear him go for the jugular of a representative of her publisher. She recognized who he worked for by the symbol on the wall, not his name. But there Michael sat, acting like they’d attacked him personally, and cancelled his contract with them, not hers. She felt a warm spot form in her chest from this discovery. Was this part of his plan to win her over? Julie felt indifferent but appreciated having someone on her side besides her few reliable allies. She’d expected that to happen for Aria with Leon there, and she couldn’t picture Michael doing this for her without seeing it herself. If someone told her, he’d done this, she more than likely wouldn’t have believed them. Julie was too busy listening to people defend her against the publisher’s representative and criticize the media’s gossip articles to speak. The veiled threats flew from Michael and his lawyer so
Julie was thankful for the recording of the meeting, as she had difficulty focusing on everything they were saying. Leon’s lawyer mumbled often and talked over others. Stephen, as usual, spoke slowly and dragged on. A gathering like this was inherently stressful. Julie struggled to find her words as she tried to keep up with what the others were saying. So, when she had the words, they’d gone on to something else. This added to her frustration. She wasn’t unreasonable, but nothing moved at her speed. They spoke too slowly, but switched topics before she could contribute. She preferred conversations through email. Having a record of the conversation would aid her in making her point. “Julie, is there anything else you’d like to add before we wrap up this meeting?” “What?” “I ask if you…” “Oh no I don’t sorry.” Julie said to Michael. She interrupted him with an embarrassed rush of words when what he’d said finally registere
Julie removed her earbuds as she sat at her desk. She’d just listened to the ready-to-print version of her fifteenth novel. It was survivable, at least. She felt Stephen and her publisher would love it. She could hear everyone out at the pool having fun. Michael entertained the early bird parents and kids as they slowly arrived for Johnathan’s birthday pool party. Their children’s parties seemed to be an event where people wanted invitations and their presence recognized by their peers. Julie couldn’t believe the changes that had happened over the last few years. Johnathan’s birth shone in her brain as the mark when Julie knew Michael was hers. He’d not settled, but he’d found a different direction for his life that made him happier. Michael had help from the parents, nannies, and several staff members minding the chaos of children everywhere. They’d long ago child proofed the house, and currently Michael hid his genuine prized items in a series of locked rooms away from t
Aria’s honeymoon was so much more than she had expected, and she used her social media accounts to poke the bear that was her father. She posted teasing photos of the place where she got married. Sold a few of her wedding photos to a couple of magazines with an interview hinting at why her father really wasn’t at her wedding and how disappointed she was at his betrayal of family ties. At the end of the interview, Aria made it good and clear that she’d broken off all ties with her father and she wasn’t interested in ever reconciling at any time in the future. He and his staff burned those bridges. As she went around Europe and saw the unique way of life there, some of it initially felt confusing and complicated. But she investigated other differences in how they treated people. It was something she’d not given much thought about until her life spiralled out of control and she finally understood why she was the way she’d become. It wasn’t pretty, and she had the photos and v
“Edward has everything in the car, Julie. We’re ready to head for the hospital. Now, you’re sure you’re okay with going through with a c-section? I mean, if you change your mind, you can still back out.” Michael could see how large Julie grew and wondered how his son hadn’t torn his way out. Michael worried Julie could no longer stand and walk safely. Life kept changing and he couldn’t believe he’d once thought this part of his life could go on without him. Over the last eight and a half months, he’d learned so much about a woman’s body he had to wonder if they were the same species. Women were so complicated, and Julie had some unique complications. A common comorbidity Julie had called EDS would complicate even the epidural she would need. Her joints had more range, and it caused her shoulders, back, and hips to be uneven. It could complicate administering the epidural. If she couldn’t get it, then she’d have to give birth naturally without it. This terrified Julie, alon
“I’m glad you’re doing this, Julie. Honestly, I don’t know what her father is thinking. But if he thinks she could embarrass him normally, to not come to his daughter’s wedding. Campaigning or not, he’s going to look bad. He recognized her as his daughter when it was convenient for him. Now he pulls this because it’s not convenient. His poll numbers will go down and he’ll lose the public confidence. If it gets out and it will that we showed up after that entire mess that started all of this. He’s sunk.” “You don’t think this is a mistake? She will not pull something fast. Like become caught in someone else’s bed?” “Julie, Aria’s been through a lot in the last six months. Leon didn’t just send her to rehab to just get off the medication. He sent her to a location that deals with complex abuse cases. She doesn’t realize it, but they did. He had to wait for over two years to get her a place there. It’s why I took her in like I did. I admit there were other stupid
The small plane landed at the secluded island airport, and Julie sighed in relief. There was something about travelling she disliked. To come all this way for a wedding for someone she didn’t like seemed crazy. But Leon was Michael’s best friend and Julie would muddle through it for five days there. What she still couldn’t get over was Aria’s request to come and bury the hatchet somewhere other than Julie’s back. She’d apologized. The hadron collider must have tested something again, and the world altered in reaction to the outcome of that test. That’s how Julie thought of why things changed in ways she didn’t see coming. Not that she believed the conspiracies; it was just a humorous way to look at her problem because Julie didn’t believe she’d ever find out the true reason these things changed. But jumping off into another timeline felt as sane as any other reason, and perhaps sometimes more logical. They stepped off the plane with the other guests, and a protracted line
Michael had said that he didn’t want to celebrate something that didn’t change. He didn’t want to admit he’d changed, and that changed their relationship. His explanation for this was he’d not been aware that he could be any other way until he’d seen how she lived in perpetual difference. Her effort to give him an easier existence while ignoring her own struggles had him questioning and rejecting much of his father’s teachings. It’d crossed over into his work life to and several people mentioned it over the months. So much so it became part of the water cooler gossip. Julie only found out about this after they’d gone back to the gym, and she heard the gossip at the juice bar. Michael hadn’t gone with her today as he now often did. Julie still struggled to become used to his constant presence around her. But she knew why this time around she struggled with it. Julie had to fight putting up a mask for the world and in that moment with Michael at the gym, she couldn’t figure
Christiana brought Aria upstairs, showed her the room, and helped her to unpack her things. Aria had to wait an hour before Leon came upstairs to her. But once Christiana ended with that, she gave Aria an odd warning before she left Aria to her own devices. “My dear, you’re not as sweet as you pretend to be, but that’s not a mark against you with me. The problem you will have been with the men of this family. They run this family with an iron fist, and we are not part of the conversation or the family business. So, if you think you will control anything or anyone within this family, then you’ll be walking a thin line between surviving or disappearing within an unfortunate accident. Please be careful what you say and do. This is something we say to all women who enter this family. Think carefully and long. If you stay, learn to keep your head down and your mouth shut. You can do and say anything outside of the family but don’t allow the bad to reflect on the family.”
“Julie love, you fell asleep. We’re here now. Let’s go in for our appointment.” Julie woke up to Michael’s voice. During their trip to her doctor’s appointment, she’d fallen asleep. Today she would talk to the doctor about her pregnancy and what to expect, including her birthing plan. Something she’d been avoiding because it absolutely terrified her. With pain, she had an odd relationship with it. There was no normal response to it for her. It either didn’t register or she was in a world of hurt that no one understood. Medications didn’t seem to work correctly either when dealing with pain. She’d believed that she was imagining this issue for most of her life, but Julie learned not too long ago that wasn’t the case. Her body resisted many pain medications, and she did in fact register pain differently to other people. “Great, let’s get this over with because there’re things I need to get done today.” She’d been grumpy for most of the day. Between
Julie sat there in the conference room with her lawyer. They’d been hashing out exactly how things would go from here on out. Michael had given her a file of documents which gave her terms he was willing to work with and he’d changed all the wording. Her lawyer had to review it all over the last few days and he had admitted to Julie that the generosity in the new offer was off the charts compared to the first time they sat down to get through this. But to stay was more beneficial for both parties. However, he warned her not to do anything if it wasn’t in her heart, or best for her safety. She should do what she believed was best for her and her child. “I will, I promise you that. But I will have to say that things have changed greatly in the last six months. I’m still unsure what changed things. If it was a single event or multiple events, but he’s not the same man. No, before you say it’s temporary, understand he’s happier now with the changes he’s made. It’s