Authors: Vivienne Harris-Scott
“
She
’
s staying in, until she decides to come
out!
”
she had calmly said to her husband,
“
Even if that take me to death
’
s doors.
”
Julian had silently nodded as his wife
took his hand and softly kissed it while staring straight into his eyes. The
spouses had reached a silent understanding; the rest was in God
’
s hand.
Vi
I have a daughter.
Christabella
Eve McCarty.
I have given birth to her, and this time I
didn
’
t miss it.
37 weeks and 4 days. We made it that far.
She is healthy and so am I. It
’
s like her birth liberated me, or maybe it
’
s just a different type of hormones being
released in my brain. My depression and fears are all but gone. All I feel is
joy.
She
’
s got her father
’
s eyes, navy blue and her father
’
s smile which makes me weak every time she
graces us with it.
E. has reappeared, just in the nick of
time, one might say, and I am thankful to him and my husband. Without them, I
wouldn
’
t have made it through the final weeks
that led to Christy
’
s birth.
The depression and fear didn
’
t disappear overnight, but their presence
at my side, made it tolerable, and then less active as weeks went by, until it
simply faded, because I was reassured, and finally certain, I would get to see
my daughter alive and well.
When we asked where Ethan had been, he
just said,
“
Menindee Lakes,
”
and I understood. Not further explanation
was needed.
Because Menindee Lakes is the first place
he took me to on my first trip to Australia, it was only natural, he
’
d go there to grieve me, to grieve us.
He
’
s apologized profusely for not being there
during the beginning of the ordeal surrounding
Christabella
’
s birth, but in the end it was for the
best, as it gave me a chance to see what my husband is made of in times of
crisis, and Julian
’
s got nothing on E. When I
’
m concerned, they
’
d both do anything.
I am the luckiest woman alive.
I have a wonderful husband and a wonderful
friend in my ex.
And we are truly friends. Julian no longer
feels threatened, and their own relationship is mending in unexpected ways.
((~~!~~))
Julian
This is the happiest I have ever been. A healthy baby
girl, a healthy wife who loves me. My life is complete. Truly.
It
’
s been a hard road getting here, and there
were times, I wasn
’
t sure, I
’
d make it, we
’
d make it.
But, here we are...happy.
I
’
m thinking of Orson Wells, and I have my
happy ending. I
’
ve got the girl, the baby the money.
Nothing can nor will hurt us or destroy the happiness we have been blessed
with.
I want to stop the story right here, right
now, and make this time go on a continual loop.
((~~!~~))
Ethan
I look at her and I just feel my heart swell
…
like a proud papa.
She
’
s not my daughter, but she stole my heart
the first time I laid eyes on her, as her mother did.
I still remember Julian coming out of the delivery
room, and as our eyes met, him saying,
“
She is fine, they both are
…”
and as he walked over me, giving me a
tight embrace he murmured against my ear,
“
Thanks E. Thanks for being here...
”
and as our eyes met again, I
’
m sure mine were as misty as his.
Then we both went to the babies ward, and
as he held his daughter in front of the glass, he said, meet your God daughter,
Christabella
”
And I fell in love, all over again.
She
’
s over 3 weeks old now, in my arms,
asleep, and we are at home, Julian
’
s Penthouse. He and Vic are packing the
last of their things for the weekend. We
’
re all going to the countryside.
A bit of fresh air, some serious R&R
is what we need after the intensity of the last few months.
Yes, this weekend is the signal of a
calmer, more peaceful time in our life. Something none of us would have even
contemplated when our story began.
We are getting our happy ending.
CHAPTER 108
Frances
October
2011. Rue Le Tassé, 75016, Paris.
France.
“
What about
her
?
”
Frances said to the woman next to
her, as they were sitting in the car.
“
I would never deprive a child from her
mother or vice-versa.
”
The woman replied.
“
A father, not so much, and that
’
s why Julian must pay. But, I have nothing
against this woman, she just happens to be collateral damage.
”
she sighed.
“
And this is why, a gun wouldn
’
t do. Too many risks of a bullet being
lost. This is much, much, better, because I know what I
’
m doing, and he
’
ll get to see me while I
’
m doing it, and no one else will get hurt.
”
Frances looked at the building in front of
her just a few yards away.
In a few minutes, she would enter it, and
give the performance of a lifetime, distracting Julian enough so he
’
d be totally unprepared when his long
awaited upcommance would hit him in the face. Literally.
“
This is goodbye Frances. As we agreed, I
won
’
t return to the apartment when it
’
s done, so no one can link us. Thanks
again for your help.
”
The woman said with an eerie smile on her
face.
The triple Oscar actress, nodded, and
replied,
“
No. THANK YOU.
”
And as she gave a final look to the
building she was headed to, her signature Cheshire cat grin on, she declared:
“
It
’
s show time!
”
((~~!~~))
Ethan
Ethan was the first one to notice the car. Something
was off. This was a rich residential neighbourhood street filled with Lexus or
Mercedes SUVs; a $300,000 white convertible car was a very noticeable
exception.
And, Ethan knew his cars
…
Add the fact that this particular one had
a strikingly beautiful woman at the helm, and was waiting on the second lane
without a blinking light on, motor silently running, as if the driver was just
waiting for something to happen, was strange.
‘
Strange
’
seemed to be the operating word for the
day. First off, Julian had announced, they were all spending the weekend
together, he
’
d already arranged for Melissa, Charlie
and their girls, Kevin, James, Marcus, Lily, Todd and Deric to meet them at the
country estate he had purchased in the Loire Valley, a 3
rd
home for
all to enjoy. He saw spending quality family time away from Paris would give
them all the rest and peace they needed to mend any residual fences after the
past few stressful weeks they all went through, the birth of their child and
the impromptu return of Ethan. Yes, much rest, bonding and simple joie de vivre
was needed, and
‘
no
’
was no an answer he
’
d even entertain.
Then, as the three of them were still
upstairs about to leave for the countryside, Frances Palmers of all people, no
doubt bribing the concierge to be able to come in unannounced, had just turned
up a few minutes earlier adamantly demanding to speak to Julian alone.
They had started an argument almost
immediately, as Julian, first surprised to see her upon opening the door of the
penthouse, then became instantaneously just plain angry. He had gripped her by
the elbow pushing her back to the elevator cage in front of stunned Vi and
Ethan who had come to the entrance hall to see what the commotion was about.
As he shoved Frances into opening cabin,
he had said,
“
We
’
re already running late, Ethan will drive
you. Let me deal with this!
”
he shot an angry look at Frances.
“
I
’
ll see you at home.
”
He said to his wife, as the elevator
’
s doors had closed on them.
Ethan had told her he
’
d take her luggage and would wait for her
downstairs, while she brought
Christabella
down.
Kissing the sleeping child he was so attached to, he joked saying to the
mother,
“
Lucky me, I get to be the one taking you
home!
”
She had softly laughed, as he kissed her
cheek, and she replied,
“
Yes lucky you! Don
’
t let it get to your head! I
’
ll see you downstairs!
”
He took the next empty lift, and sheer
stupor awaited him once he exited the building to place the weekender bags in
her car, the Lexus SUV.
Julian and Frances had now stepped into
the pavement and were no longer arguing on the sidewalk as they had just a few
seconds ago. Just as they had displaced their argument onto the actual street
and were in a screaming match drawing attention from by-walkers, Ethan heard the
white car
’
s motor go from silent
to roaring in a flash of seconds.
At the same instant Vic was coming out of
the building with the stroller talking to him, saying,
“
E, what were you
…
-
”
but the rest of her sentence was drowned into
the screeching sound coming from the tires of the white car that was now
lurching forward at incredible speed.
Ethan watched the two unsuspecting
ex-lovers who were in a heated argument. They were too busy yelling at each
other to notice a car was gunning for them and he realized the driver had no
intention to stop at all. As a warning scream went through his lungs to alert
Julian and his body jumped into in a protective run to push them both out of
the way, his thought was,
“
Please
…”
Then, everything seems to go in slow
motion for him.
From the moment he felt his body jump and
crash on top of Julian
’
s as they both rolled away, to the feel of
the asphalt against his cheek as his head hit the pavement, and he heard a cracking
sound in his neck, to the feel of wheels over his chest and upper legs, to the
sheer horror on Vic
’
s face as their eyes met before it all
went black.
((~~!~~))
Julian
Some people say they get a feeling right
before they die. Some kind of sixth sense. When the great beyond is headed for
you, you feel it. They see their entire life flash before their eyes within the
last few seconds, and then it
’
s all over.
I guess, I was too busy arguing
…
All I saw was my wife and my daughter.
More precisely, my eyes met Vi
’
s, as she pushed my daughter
’
s stroller out of the building and I saw
her lips move but didn
’
t hear what she was saying.
Then I felt a violent impact as my body
hit and rolled on the asphalt of our street, I felt the wheels of a car
crushing me, and it all went black.
((~~!~~))
Vi
I think there was a silent scream coming from my lungs
as I watched it happen.
I can
’
t recall any sound at all, not even the
sound of the car, or the cracking of bones, or other people around me, no doubt
yelling and calling out for help as I saw the love of my life get run down by a
white Lamborghini Gallardo
Spyder
driven by a
beautiful smiling blonde woman.
Yes, I paid enough attention to recognize
the make of the car.
And, her smile. That was what struck me
the most, as she was performing such a horrific act, recoiling and charging
once more after the first impact until the 2
nd
one, when the car
finally stopped moving.
And, her eyes, cold, so cold
…
They would have given me shivers, if I
hadn
’
t already been trembling from the shock of
the scene in front of me.
Strange things, a traumatized brain
registers
…
((~~!~~))
Frances
They say love is blind. I guess revenge is too
…
I wanted Julian to pay for humiliating me time
and time again. I wanted the woman he left me for to feel some pain too.
Be careful what you wish for, sometimes it
does come true
…
in
more ways than expected.
When I was auspiciously approached with a
plan that would accomplish these two goals in one strike, I thought it was
genius, guaranteeing each of us, its originator and I, would get some
vindication for what Julian had put us through
…
She
had taken every precaution, enlisting Chicago mob
contacts in getting everything ready for us, untraceable documentation, car and
accommodation
…
Nothing was supposed to go wrong, and even
if it did, neither of us would be connected to the other
…
Well, you know what they say about the
best-laid plans
…
they never quite turn out as one plans
them
…
A bloodbath. Two dead, including herself.
One in critical condition, potentially
becoming a 3
rd
casualty.
Me, interrogated by the French police
…
until a day later one of their forensic
teams examined the glove box of the salvaged carcass of the
accidented
car and found a detailed confession letter; evidence, I wasn
’
t the innocent bystander I had pretended
to be, but an active participant in the incident, - no, they called it murder
now-, and arrested me as an accessory at Charles de Gaulle airport as I was ready
to board my flight to LA never to return to the French capital.
Considering the high profile of the main
victim, the authorities were out for blood.
And by authorities, I mean the French, the
Australian and the American.
Someone had to pay for this mess, and I
was the designated target.
Believe it or not, my US passport was not
a saving grace as it usually is in such cases; when the foreign affairs
department and the department of justice try to strike pleas so American
citizens can be tried and serve their sentence at home. Here, it played against
me because, I, Frances Palmers, officially reside in the state of California
where capital punishment is still legal, and the extradition treaties between
the two countries allowing my lawyers to strike a plea-agreement to be sent
home to serve my sentence after a French trial would actually put me more at
risk.
Because, see, even the uncivilized French
no longer have the death penalty, nor do the Australian, but in the US of A, we
do.
I could have survived the humiliation of a
very public LA murder trial, coupled with a life conviction if it ever came to
that, and even with the fact that I
’
d have to wear an orange jump suit for the
rest of my natural life; but, the idea that I could simply be executed was where
my pride caved, and utter fear set in.
So here I am, my current address being La
Santé, -can you believe, one had the audacity to name a Prison
‘
Health
’
literally! -, in Paris, wearing a grey suit for the next twelve years, nine
with good behaviour my lawyers tell me
…
Yes, revenge is blind; because me, Frances
Palmers, never in this life expected that I would set foot in prison other than
to play a part.
Now, it is my real, - not reel-, life.