Authors: Vivienne Harris-Scott
"
The
man sent someone to find you within 24 hours. Doesn't it tell you
something?"
I could see the imaginary smirk.
"You
need a bloody holiday or have yourself examined pumpkin, the man is sleeping
with another woman! If you think I need to be involved in a triangle, you've
got another thing coming!" I replied harshly to the voice in my head.
Feeling
in love is hazardous to my health, clearly. I start hearing voices, question
myself at every corner, and I wonder which way is up.
See,
this is why I won't let myself cause my heart so much misery ever again, and
it's all thanks to you E.
I
almost broke away from my resolve when Julian somehow managed to
awaken the very same heart you broke, but you taught me well.
I
don't need to let it get any further.
My
skin is thicker. My heart doesn't need to be involved in any of this.
The
sex was enough.
Liar.
These ties that bind
…
Part
I
Julian
and Ethan
March 2004. Darling Harbour. Sydney.
Australia.
"Twice in one week... We've got to
stop meeting like this! First the hospital
…
now church?" he said in a caustic
tone.
"Ethan.
What are you doing here?" I said looking at him with surprise.
"Well,
when everything else fails, one can only turn to the old man..." he
indicated the cross with his hand.
He
sat next to me and asked, "How is Helen?
”
"She
is good. Has been out of the hospital for a few days now. She will be ok. Well,
for now anyways..." I exhaled.
He
smiled.
"So,
why are you here? Something heavy on your mind?
”
He asked, giving me a
quizzical
look.
I
looked at him, thinking
: how is this even happening? That I am
confiding in him? In a church, no less!
"Well,
the truth is, I'm about to do something terrible, and just needed a
nudge..." I started hesitantly. Ethan interrupted, chuckling bitterly,
"Something horrible, huh? I've done more than my share of these...The main
question, the only question is: is it worth it?"
Cerulean
eyes, met navy blue ones; the response, "Yes," came in as
a whisper.
"Then
I guess, your prayer has been answered. You've got your nudge. If you are
willing to pay the price, then do what needs to be done." Ethan pursued.
"E?"
I asked.
"Yes?"
he returned, looking straight at me.
"How
is your wife, how is the baby?" I continued, as I watched his eyes stop
wandering, and focus on something.
No
answer came. Ethan just stared intensely at the clay man on the cross in front
of him.
I
got up, patted my old friend shoulder and left Saint Patrick church.
((~~!~~))
Julian
Some lies are simply unforgivable. He had
to punish her.
I
have no choice.
"I
wasn't kidding. I want you gone. Divorce papers will be filed by the end of the
week." He said bluntly.
"Julian,
you can divorce me, but you are not keeping my daughter away from me.
”
She retorted, her gaze displaying a fire
she kept out of her tone.
"Well, I
want you out of this house...TODAY." He ground out trying to control his
breathing.
"Fine,
I will get Madeline transferred to a private hospital
’
s room until she is well enough to fly
home..." she stated, giving him a cold stare, trying to keep her voice
under control.
"Maddie
is staying put, Belinda. We have a nurse assigned to her 24/7, and she is in a
familiar environment..."he muttered as he saw his ex-wife to be pale a
little further.
"Julian,
stop it right here! If Madeline is staying, so am I! If the sight of me makes
you that mad or sick or both, then you can move to a hotel and come
visit anytime you please
…
"
she yelled at him.
"Belinda,
you..." he pursued, but she interrupted him, her hand raised to his face.
"No!
You fucking stop! If you think for a second you can tell me to leave and let
her stay, you
’
re
dreaming Julian! You need to come to terms with the fact that you are not
keeping my daughter. I am certain Todd already told you this.... "
Julian
sat down and exhaled. Todd had told him a few things actually, one of them
being that he might want to take advantage of being in Australia to divorce his
American wife...and with the right judge he could end up with full custody of
his daughter if he played his cards right....
This
would be much more difficult in the US, if not impossible, since even unfit
mothers got to keep their children there.
But
he was in Sydney, his hometown. He was Julian McCarty, son of Peter McCarty, in
need of seeing his marriage dissolved quickly and if he wanted to keep his
daughter, this could, and would, be arranged...
She
is mine, and I'm not gonna let that bitch take her away...
"Belinda,
just out of curiosity, why did you do it?" he asked coolly, actually
curious to hear her answer.
She
fell silent.
"Sweetheart,
the cat is out of the bag, you might as well..." he said bitterly.
"I
had no choice.
”
she explained in a harsh tone.
“
You had no choice? Wow. Really? How so,
Belinda?
”
He laughed caustically,
”
Because
we've been married 3 years, had countless dinners with plenty of blanks, so you
did have the opportunity to say something, but you did not. Not once. Not once
did you feel the need to tell me the child I have been raising is not mine!!! I
don't recall anyone being around coercing you to keep this piece of
information secret...Unless, I missed something, so please, do tell,
sweetheart
,
how is it you had no choice?" He ended, staring at her with contempt.
"If
I had told you the truth, you would have thrown me out...
”
she tried to explain in a broken voice.
"Baby,
I'm throwing you out anyways
…
actually, more than that..." He uttered menacingly.
"What...W-what
do you mean?
”
She asked with a shaky tone.
"You'll
see soon enough.
”
He exhaled,
“
You'd
better make arrangements for your return to the States because as of today you
no longer have any access to my money for anything, so I hope you saved up some
because you will not get a penny in the divorce settlement. I have to buy Todd
a bottle of Courvoisier for forcing me to have you sign a pre-
nup
...."
"You
can't do this! How am I going to support myself and Maddie?" she cried.
"I
can and I have. As to Maddie, she's no longer your
concern..." he said clasping his hands.
"No
longer...What are you talking about?" she demanded, wide-eyed, actual fear
transpiring in her voice.
Julian
got up and said with contempt, "I have to go. Be gone when I come
back, or you will suffer the consequences. I promise you."
((~~!~~))
Vi
"Kev? Kevin
…
" she whispered, watching her best
friend.
"God!
You're awake!" His head jerked at the sound. He had been dozing off.
"Yes.
When did you..." her shaky voice started to ask.
"Shush,
don't say anything
…
I need to get the doctor and Ethan...." he said, getting up from the
chair.
"Kevin,
wait...please..." she begged with a hoarse voice.
"Vi,
I need to get the doctor..." he continued, opening the door.
"No!"
she yelled, and then coughed.
"Ok.
What is it?" he asked impatiently, turning around to face her.
"My
baby...Did they
…
"
she whispered, lowering her gaze.
"Your
baby is ok..." he stated, reassuringly.
She
started to cry, almost chocking due to the tubes that were in her nose.
Kevin
removed them and poured her a glass of water.
"Kevin,
how long..."She started again, after taking a few sips.
"You've
been here for a four fays. You collapsed at home and your
husband took you here. I arrived two days ago. It was touch and go
for a while, you've been in and out of it ever since. You had us so
scared!" He replied gently.
"The
baby is ok?" she repeated.
"Yes.
Now, can I, please, get the doctor? We will talk later...Please?
”
he demanded, caressing her cheek.
She
nodded, and kept on crying.
((~~!~~))
Ethan
"Vic, I'll do whatever you need me to
do...But...Baby, please...
”
he said, passionately.
Ethan
was pleading with his wife. She had finally come back from the semi state of
consciousness she had been in since admittance.
The
first night, when the doctor had stabilized her, they told him, his wife was
severely anaemic, and they had discovered a large tumor in her uterus. The
pregnancy was simply draining her body of her good health and if she persisted
with it, not only chances were she would lose the baby but probably her life in
the process.
Her
condition was tenuous at best, they stated.
Ethan
had asked them to be as honest as they could and tell him what exactly was and
would happen to his wife.
They
explained, the
tumor
would continue to grow due to the hormonal changes, and due to its location,
surgery would be almost impossible without removing the foetus or worse losing
her on the table.
Moreover,
they had managed to do an aspiration of some the mass
’
s fluids and tissues while she had
been anaesthetized, and were waiting to see if the cells
were cancerous as they strongly suspected. The question for them was no
longer if, but how bad?
They
recommended an immediate termination and then treatment for the cancer. They
caught it early. Treated aggressively with surgery, she would survive, almost
unscathed, they promised. Being barren was a small price to pay to be alive and
otherwise healthy.
Ethan
had been so stunned and devastated after spending the night at the hospital; he
had gone to his therapist to seek clarity. He couldn
’
t believe this was happening right after
the epic evening they had on the Premier
’
s ball. It had been less than 48 hours
ago.
Why
did it feel like a lifetime ago?
On
her 2
nd
day when she came to, he hadn
’
t told her the full truth but only hinted
they might have to terminate. Unfortunately, she became unconscious again, and
he thought he was responsible, so he promised himself not to say anything more
to her until she was truly recovered and able to face the tragic choice.
Ethan
had been so distraught. He even found himself in church the previous day,
bumping into his old friend Julian who, also, seemed to be in crisis of his
own. But upon leaving the church, he was still completely lost as to what he
would tell his wife.
Now,
Kevin had gone to their home to catch on some sleep, - as he had been sleeping
on the hospital chair since his arrival-, and Ethan was alone facing his wife,
sitting at the edge of her bed, holding her hand and trying to convince her to
save her life.