Her Perfect Revenge (35 page)

Later that day, William was in his office going over some figures when Charlotte, his secretary, buzzed him on the speakerphone.

"Excuse me, sir? Mrs. Havenwood is here to see you," she announced.

Maddie was here? What the bloody hell did she want, William thought?

"Tell the bitch to wait," he decreed.

In the outer office, Charlotte sheepishly looked at Maddie who had clearly heard everything. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Havenwood," Charlotte was very embarrassed.

"Don't apologize for his rude behavior, Charlotte. You deserve a medal of honor for having had to put up with that man all these years; and I deserve two for having had to sleep with him," Maddie tartly replied.

Charlotte giggled.

Inside the office, William was donning his jacket, straightening his tie and making sure every strand of his hair was neatly slicked back into his ponytail. He instinctively wanted to look good for the blasted, damn woman.

He pressed the button on his speakerphone and commanded, "Charlotte, please tell Mrs. Havenwood she can fly in on her broomstick now."

Outside, Maddie made a face at the disembodied voice coming out of the phone on Charlotte's desk. Ooooo… that man was so insufferable!

Holding her head high, Maddie proudly walked into William's office. He was standing behind his emperor's desk, with hands clasped behind his back, Napoleon-style.

Maddie gave him a dirty look. "Where shall I park my broom, William? Up your ass?"

William had to laugh at that. Maddie Havenwood was the only woman on the entire planet who could dish it out to him and that he would take it from.

"Maddie, Maddie, Maddie, let's not be mean to each other. It'll only prolong the agony of having to be in each other's presence. Just tell me why you're here and then get the hell out."

"Now there's the Havenwood charm I fell in love with. Just hearing your wonderful witty remarks makes me want to stick a fork in your eye."

"But my beloved, don't you remember? You already tried that in our fifth year of marriage? You really should get some new material."

"Well, how about this, you start treating our boy right or else I'll put a voodoo curse on you that'll make your head spin exorcist-style." Maddie smiled but her eyes were deadly serious.

"That's a new one. Something you picked up on your hippy dippy, freak-parade commune?" William threw back.

Inwardly, Maddie was livid. The man was just impossible! She walked deeper into the office and approached him. "Listen to me, you old goat! I've come here today to give you a few home truths about our son that you're too obtuse to figure out on your own."

"There's nothing that you know that I don't already know so you can get back on your broom and fly out of here."

Maddie ignored him. "Home truth number one, that boy loves you. I don't know why but he does. Home truth number two, he also happens to love Christina very much. He can't wait to marry her and start a life together."

"Is that all? I already knew that, so you see, your visit here has been a colossal waste of my time."

"Home truth number three. Our son has been in Alcoholics Anonymous for over a year. He's clean and sober, and recovering."

William was shocked. "What? That's impossible!"

"It's the truth. When did you last see him have a drink?"

"Why… I saw him…" William racked his brain. When had he seen Bill drink alcohol? "The toast… at his engagement party."

"I was there, William and I didn't see him drink. I saw him kiss Christina while everyone else was drinking but he didn't drink the champagne."

William was stunned. That was right. Bill hadn't had a sip.

He, suddenly, snapped his fingers at his ex-wife. "He had some the night he and Christina announced their engagement to me… at dinner back at the house."

"Did you see him actually drink it, William, actually see him with your own two eyes?" William's fevered brain went over that night's events. No, he hadn't. He stared at Maddie and remained silent. "Exactly," Maddie declared. "He's been sober for over a year and he's been trying to change his ways."

For the first time, William was speechless. "But…but… why didn't he tell me?"

Maddie's eyes narrowed. "Because he's got this crazy idea that a father should maybe care enough to notice these things about a son without having to be told. But I know differently where you're concerned. I don't have that kind of faith in you that he seems to have. So, that's why I'm here today to tell you to your face."

William was angry that his ex-wife knew something that he hadn't known. "He should have told me himself," he shouted.

"He's your son and his thick skull can be just as hard-headed as yours."

"He's… sober?" He unbelievably shook his head.

William was still so amazed at this revelation that the fire suddenly seemed to go out of him. He plopped down in his chair. His son had given up drinking and he had been sober for over a year? It was almost too incredible to believe. After all, how many times had he and Maddie put him in one rehab clinic or another when he was growing up, praying that each time would be the time he would finally give up his addictions?

Maddie could see how shocked her ex-husband was and she was satisfied. It was good to see the great William Havenwood come down a peg. A little humility was good for the soul.

"And another thing, William. Don't even think about telling Bill that I told you this. He's told me many times that I wasn't to tell you and I don't want him finding out from you or anyone that I broke my word. Sometimes a mother has to do these things for the good of her children but that doesn't mean I want him to know."

William was still in a state of shock. "No… I won't tell him."

"Good. Now I'll just remove my broomstick from your ass and I'll fly out of your hair."

Maddie turned and was about to leave when William called her back. "Maddie?" She turned to him again. "I want to give a dinner next week, a few days before the wedding for the family, including Christina's parents. Will you come?"

Maddie didn't respond as she was slightly taken aback at having William invite her to anything. He continued, "I mean, I'm only asking you for Bill and Christina's sake, of course."

"Of course," Maddie agreed. "I'll be there."

"I'll have Charlotte call you with the details."

"See you then, William." Maddie walked out.

Still deep in thought, William didn't notice his ex-wife leaving. He was thinking about his son and the fact that he was now sober! He broke out in a big grin. How fantastic was that!

* * *

William barged into Bill's office.

"Dad?" Surprised, Bill rose from his desk chair. What did his father want? He never came to Bill's office.

"Son, I just want to say that you're getting married now and starting a new chapter of your life… and… you've picked a wonderful girl to be your wife. I adore Christina and you'll be starting a family soon and…" William stopped his awkward speech.

Bill prodded him, "And…?"

William stared at his son. "And… I'm proud of you." Suddenly, William approached his son and hugged him. Releasing him quickly, he added, "That's all I came to say."

He then, promptly, left the office.

Bill was floored. What had that been all about? And his father had said he was proud of him? He'd never said that before! In fact, that was the second time in Bill's entire life someone had ever said those words to him, the first being Christina last night. Amazed, Bill shook his head. Was there something in the drinking water?

The next week was the happiest week Christina had ever experienced in her life.

She and Bill spent a lot of time together, laughing and talking, and making love like rabbits. They went out. They stayed in. They were inseparable. During the day they couldn't keep their hands off of each other and the nights were steamy as well.

They were in love and they wanted everyone to know it.

The whole house noticed the change in their relationship, and the love they generated was contagious among the staff.

Everyone was in a good mood and excited about the upcoming nuptials. A cleansing breath of fresh air had swept through the huge, stale Havenwood house and it signaled new beginnings.

The only wrinkle in Christina's week of happiness was her nagging little voice that told her she should have told Bill about her revenge plan days ago.

Each day, she would decide that today was the day she would tell him. But then something always happened to thwart her plan—and he seemed so happy—and the right moment never came—and she would lose her courage.

She'd tell him before the wedding, though.

Maybe…

* * *

During Christina and Bill's week of bliss, another person also experienced her own brand of joy. Stephanie Hartwell was called into her detective agency for a meeting.

"Miss Hartwell, this is for you," Drummond Sinclair said, as he handed her a black writing journal.

Stephanie took the book and flipped it open. It was indeed a journaling book written in longhand. As she turned several of the pages, her eyes, instantly, zeroed in on Bill's name written in some of the paragraphs.

She looked up at Drummond's smug face. "What is this?"

"It's Christina Matteo's personal journal written in her own handwriting, with her thoughts, feelings, ideas… and plans for your ex-boyfriend, all clearly spelled out."

Stephanie was shocked. "My God, where did you get this?"

Drummond laughed, "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you."

Stone-faced, Stephanie didn't laugh at his pathetic joke.

Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and turned serious. "Let's just say, we liberated it from her apartment."

"You broke into her place and stole it?"

"If you really want to know the details, then you could be an accessory to the fact."

Stephanie quirked a snooty eyebrow at him. "I don't care how you got it, Mr. Sinclair and I'm not really interested in the details either. I've paid you enough."

"In that case…" he handed her an invoice from his desk, "…the rest of your bill."

She gave him an evil smile as she snatched it, then triumphantly flipped through the book again.

The wedding was five days away—and tonight was the night of the in-law dinner at the Havenwood mansion.

The dinner menu had been prepared and the dining room had been elegantly set with the best china and silver serving pieces. The house staff had worked long and hard to make this night special for the happy couple.

Christina's parents, Gabriella and Nunzio, had been invited as had Maddie. They were to be joined by Christina, Bill and William. It was to be a private dinner, for family only—a chance for everyone to get know each other better before the wedding.

Christina had dressed in an elegant, cream-colored sleeveless long gown that emphasized her sexy, curvy body. Her hair was up and her makeup was perfect, and she looked every inch the happy, beautiful bride-to-be.

She was wearing the diamond necklace Bill had given her along with her diamond engagement ring and one karat diamond stud earrings, which her sweetie had surprised her with earlier in the week.

Christina looked old money chic, perfectly suited to her new position as lady of the manor and wife to one of the richest men in the country.

It was almost 7 p.m. and dinner was to be served at 8 p.m. Strangely, both William and Bill had still not arrived home from the office, and Christina was left to greet her parents and Maddie by herself.

Gabriella, Nunzio, Maddie and Christina were all sitting in the salon having pre-dinner drinks. Christina was slightly embarrassed by William and Bill's absence.

"They should be here soon. They're probably delayed at the office. I left messages for both of them," she explained, as she sipped her drink.

Maddie patted her hand. "Don't worry, dear. William probably got tied up in some silly meeting and Bill is probably stuck in traffic. Those two are never on time for anything, believe me, I know."

Christina smiled. Maddie was such a nice person and Christina felt very lucky to have her as a mother-in-law.

Gabriella came to sit beside her daughter on the couch and put a comforting arm around her. "My darling, you're learning the hard way that husbands are undependable and unreliable." She turned to Nunzio who was sitting across the room and gave him a dirty look.

"Hey!" Nunzio retorted. "What are you looking at me for? I was here on time."

Christina chuckled to herself. Her parents had always been like this and they were never going to change.

Suddenly, she frowned. But where were Bill and William? Bill had promised her that he would be here when her parents and his mom arrived—and William should have shown up on time if only not to give Maddie any new ammunition to use against him.

Oh, where were they?

* * *

Earlier that afternoon, Bill had been in his office when his secretary, Julie came in carrying a gift-wrapped box with a big bow on it.

"This just came for you, sir. It looks like a wedding present," she announced as she placed it on his desk.

"Thanks, Julie," Bill replied and she left.

The box had a gift card on top with his name written on the envelope. He opened it. The only words on the card were

'You're welcome.' That was odd. What did that mean? And who had sent this gift? There was no name anywhere on the card or the box. Bill tore the wrapping off and opened it.

Underneath layers and layers of tissue paper, was a black, hardcover book. Curious, he started flipping its pages. It was a handwritten journal of some kind that—wait! He, suddenly, recognized the handwriting. That was Christina's scrawl. She had written this—but what was this all about? Was this some sort of secret wedding surprise that his darling had sent for him?

Smiling to himself, Bill sat down at his desk and began to read. But his smile quickly faded as he began to learn the truth—about who Christina Matteo really was—and what she had planned for him. His heart sank as every word he read speared another arrow into his soul. He forced himself to read every single word—and he felt such pain—pain like he'd never felt before.

Everything had been a lie.

Everything!

She had been a lie and her love for him had been a lie.

She had gotten her revenge because she had indeed destroyed him.

And in that moment, after he had turned the last page, Bill felt his whole world collapse around him.

* * *

William was at his desk engrossed in financial reports when he glanced at his watch. Damn! He was going to be late for the dinner party and that blasted ex-wife of his would definitely lord it over him. Well, a few more minutes wouldn't make much difference.

It was then that he spotted the large manila envelope marked 'Private & Personal' near his telephone. Reaching for it, he ripped it open. Inside, were 8-1/2" x 11" colored photographs, along with a note. The note had cut-out and pasted magazine letters on it and it spelled the words, 'Every Caesar Has His Brutus – Look To The Son.'

Annoyed, William made a face. What the hell was this?

He checked the envelope but there was no return address on it. His intuition went into overdrive. This didn't look right. He scanned the photographs.

Suddenly, he recognized his son who was shaking hands and socializing with a bunch of people whom William didn't know. And then he recognized Bill's friend, Jake but he was in a wheelchair? What the hell had happened to him? He hadn't seen Jake in over a year and a half since he never came to the house anymore. William placed the pictures under his table lamp and took a closer look.

Suddenly, he gasped. He knew these people. They were those goddamn GME hippies that had been protesting outside his offices for almost two months now! This slimy, rotten bunch had been responsible for his company's share prices falling but what were Bill and Jake doing fraternizing with them?

William studied the pasted note again.

'Every Caesar Has A Brutus – Look To The Son.'

And, suddenly, he knew! His son—his own flesh and blood—had betrayed him! Bill had stabbed his own father in the back. And not only was he a member of GME but in all probability was financing their operation!

Just look at this rowdy, dirty bunch. They wouldn't have enough money between them to buy a packet of gum let alone finance a clever, well-oiled machine like the Guardians of Mother Earth.

No, his son was behind them and was giving them his, William's hard-earned money—and was also probably giving them insider secrets on the machinations of Fido Foods and Samco Oil. That's how they'd managed to keep one step ahead of William at all times! That's how they'd done it!

It was the first time in William's life he felt like truly crying. But he didn't. His rage put a stop to that.

Chapter 62

Christina, Maddie, Gabriella and Nunzio were all still sitting in the salon having drinks when Bill arrived at half past 7. He walked in and he had Christina's journal tucked under his arm. He smiled for the benefit of his guests but refused to look at Christina.

"Sorry I'm late; the traffic was brutal," he explained, as he walked towards Maddie.

"See, I told you," Maddie directed the comment at Christina before accepting the peck on the cheek from her son.

"Hey, mom," he said. Then he turned to Christina's parents and kissed Gabriella on the cheek and shook Nunzio's hands. "I hope you've been making yourselves at home, Mr. & Mrs. Matteo. Has Christina been taking good care of you?"

He turned to her then and she was smiling at him. His heart skipped a beat. God—she looked beautiful tonight—every inch the Havenwood princess—but she didn't love him. She hated him. Those had been her very written words.

And she was no princess. She was a she-devil bent on revenge and retribution. She had used every tool in her arsenal—her smiles, her words of love, her luscious body, sex—everything she had, to pull off her plan. And he, idiot that he was, had fallen for it—and fallen hard.

And now he was in torment.

Was it only a few hours ago that he had been the happiest he'd ever been in his life? And now, he was devastated. It had all been a lie—an illusion, a sham, a plan to destroy him—and it had destroyed him. This was his lowest point, even lower than when he'd hit rock bottom with his drinking.

He pasted a phony smile for the benefit of his guests as he came towards Christina and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Darling, you look lovely tonight," he said, before quickly stepping away from her.

"Thank you," Christina replied but her smile, suddenly, slipped as she felt him emotionally pull away. There was something wrong with him tonight. Why hadn't he kissed her on the lips? And why were his eyes looking at her like that, with that frosty glare? Christina was so focused on Bill's face that she didn't even notice the book he was carrying under his arm.

"May I speak to you privately, Christina?" Bill asked, staring at her as if her presence disgusted him.

Worried, Christina put her drink down. "Yes, of course," she replied before turning to her guests and excusing herself.

Bill put his hand under her elbow and steered her out of the room and into William's office.

"Okay, tell me what's wrong," Christina asked, as Bill closed the door. He turned to her then and she almost gasped at the hate she saw reflected in his eyes.

"I read a good book today, a real page turner," Bill sarcastically replied.

He threw the book at her and she quickly caught it. She looked down at the black hardcover in her hands and knew before even opening the pages what it was. It was her journal, the one detailing her revenge plan for Bill Havenwood—and her loathing for him. She was stunned—and scared. Her breathing became shallow as fear coursed through her body.

She looked up at him again and he was looking at her with cold eyes. "Where… where did you get this?" she whispered, barely getting the words out.

"It came to my office today… anonymously; a wedding present."

"But… this… it was in my apartment?" Confused, Christina shook her head.

Bill left out a sarcastic half laugh. "So it is yours? You're admitting it?"

Christina breached the gulf between them and put her hands on his arms. "Bill, just let me explain... this isn't…"

He violently threw her hands off his body. "Don't touch me. You save all that for your next victim."

"Please… you don't know everything…"

"I know enough and what I know disgusts me. It makes me sick to my stomach at what you've done, the lengths you went to, to get your revenge on me. And you make me sick."

"Bill, please, you don't mean that…" Christina pleaded.

"I mean it." Anguish shone in his eyes as he glared at her. "My God, Christina, you had sex with me… for revenge? Why? So that I would feel the pain of losing you when you finally left me, is that it? You prostituted yourself because you hated me that much? What kind of a person are you?"

"No… it's not like that. I love you…"

"Stop it. Just stop the lying," he rasped. "You got what you wanted and it's over. Mission accomplished. The knife is in my gut and you've twisted it beautifully. I'm bleeding and I'm in pain; and I hope you're happy. I hope it was all worth it." The last words sounded shaky as Bill was at the point of losing it but his anger kept him in check.

Christina looked at him. She saw he was hurting—and she saw that he hated her. She looked down at the book still in her hands and her hands started to shake. What could she say to him? It was all true. Everything in the damn book was true—or at least had been true a month ago. Now she loved him but she saw that he wasn't going to believe her. Her spine straightened and she resolved to act with dignity as she looked back up at him.

"All I can say is, I'm sorry; but I do love you and I went to bed with you because I loved you and for no other reason."

He laughed at that. "You're an accomplished liar, Christina. How can I believe anything you ever say to me again?"

"It's the truth."

"The truth? Come on… every word out of your mouth is a lie, not the truth." He laughed again then brazenly looked her up and down. "So you're the girl under the bleachers from high school? You turned out very well, I have to give you that."

"So, you do remember me?"

"Now I do. But I was so drunk back then that I never associated you with her."

Christina stood her ground. "Why did you do what you did to me back then? Why me?"

"Because I was a stupid, drunken, immature kid and I'd caught you staring at me a few times, so we picked you out to pull the prank on." Bill shook his head in disbelief. "Jake and I used to think we were the best at pulling pranks but you Christina… you're the master."

"I'm sorry."

"Save it!" he yelled back.

Bill's anger started to hit the danger zone as he took a few involuntary steps towards her. God, she was so goddamn beautiful and he still wanted her—and that made him madder.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her to him. "You're so beautiful… and ruthless," he gritted. "It's too bad it's over between us because you would have made a perfect Havenwood." His other hand began to caress her cheek. "No wonder my father liked you so much. He saw himself in you." He then savagely thrust her away from him and Christina stumbled back. "You disgust me."

Christina was breathing rapidly now. "I love you."

"Stop it. Just stop it," Bill shouted. "Just answer me one thing. The day of the car accident… were you really following me?"

Christina lifted her head up. She wasn't going to cower in front of him and she was going to take her punishment proudly. Maybe somehow, she could make him believe that she truly loved him but it all had to start with the truth—and the time was now.

"Yes," she admitted. "I recognized you when I was shooting the GME protesters outside your father's building and I wanted to get back at you for what you did to me in high school. I hated you and so I followed you."

"Was hitting me with your car part of your plan too?"

"No, that was an accident, and the rest, dragging me into your life to help you with your father, that was all you but I used it to my advantage."