Chapter 9 - The Paper Marianne Tried to Burn
Ethan took the stairs three at a time.
"What are you doing?"
Marianne dropped the burning paper.
A waiter rushed forward with water.
The flames died.
Audrey reached the foyer.
The document was black along one side but mostly intact.
Celeste came behind her.
When Marianne saw her, panic replaced anger.
"Stay away from this."
Celeste bent and picked up the wet paper.
Marianne grabbed for it.
Ethan blocked her.
"Enough."
Marianne looked at her son.
"That woman is poisoning you against your family."
"No. You are doing that yourself."
"You don't understand."
"Then explain."
Guests had gathered around the foyer.
Vivian stood near the dining room.
Robert remained by the front door.
Audrey noticed him watching the burned paper.
Celeste unfolded it.
Her face changed.
"What is it?" Ethan asked.
Celeste looked at Marianne.
"You kept it."
Marianne said nothing.
Celeste handed the paper to Audrey.
It was a medical record.
St. Catherine's Children's Home.
Infant Name: Anna.
Mother: Lisa Marie Hayes.
Father: blank.
Placement authorized by: Eleanor Rose Cole.
Audrey read the last line twice.
"Why did Eleanor authorize my placement?"
Celeste's face tightened.
"I told you she funded the program."
"That isn't what I asked."
Marianne stepped forward.
"You want the truth?"
Ethan said, "Yes."
"You won't like it."
Audrey looked directly at her.
"Try me."
Marianne's voice turned cold.
"Lisa brought you to Eleanor."
Audrey stared.
"When?"
"Three days after you were born."
"Why?"
"Because Thomas had told her he wanted the child."
Audrey's hands shook.
"You mean me."
"Yes."
"Why did Eleanor help her hide me?"
"Because Eleanor believed Thomas had no business destroying two families over an affair."
Celeste interrupted.
"That's not what happened."
Marianne laughed.
"Of course you'd say that."
Celeste looked at Audrey.
"Eleanor protected Lisa because Marianne had threatened her."
Marianne's face changed.
"Lie."
"You followed Lisa home from the hospital."
"Lie."
"You told her you'd have the baby taken."
"Lie."
"You bribed an administrator at St. Catherine's."
"Enough."
Marianne lunged toward Celeste.
Audrey stepped between them.
"Stop."
Everyone went silent.
Audrey looked at Marianne.
"Did you threaten my mother?"
Marianne's eyes flicked away.
"She was sleeping with my husband."
"That isn't an answer."
"She wanted my life."
"Did you threaten her?"
Marianne's lips tightened.
"Yes."
The word traveled through the foyer.
Vivian whispered, "Mom."
Marianne turned toward her.
"You think I was going to stand there while that woman destroyed our family?"
"She was pregnant."
"With my husband's child."
Audrey felt Ethan's hand on her shoulder.
She stepped away.
Not from him.
From everyone.
"I was a baby."
Marianne looked at her.
For a second something resembling shame appeared.
Then vanished.
"You were never the problem."
"Really? Because people don't usually falsify birth records for babies who aren't problems."
Robert finally spoke.
"Marianne, stop talking."
She turned.
"Don't you dare."
Robert approached.
"This conversation should happen privately."
Audrey laughed.
"No."
She looked around at the guests.
"Apparently my entire life became family business. They can hear it."
Robert lowered his voice.
"Audrey, there are legal consequences."
"For you?"
He didn't answer.
Celeste held up the burned record.
"This proves Marianne had possession of St. Catherine's file."
Marianne pointed at Robert.
"He gave it to me."
Robert went still.
The room erupted.
Robert shouted, "That's absurd."
Marianne laughed.
"You want me to take all of it?"
"You stole that from my office."
"You hid it in Thomas's file."
"Because you asked me to."
"You forged Eleanor's amendment."
"On your instruction."
Ethan stared at them.
Audrey watched something collapse between brother and sister.
Years of cooperation becoming betrayal in seconds.
Robert turned to Ethan.
"Your mother is unstable."
Marianne slapped him.
Robert grabbed her wrist.
Vivian shouted.
Several guests backed away.
Nora began crying in the kitchen.
Audrey immediately turned toward the sound.
She had forgotten for one terrible minute that Nora was there.
She moved toward the kitchen.
Marianne followed.
"Audrey."
"Not now."
"You need to understand."
"I said not now."
Audrey reached the sink.
Nora sat in her high chair with a babysitter beside her.
Audrey washed her hands automatically.
A normal action.
Soap.
Water.
Towel.
She needed something normal.
Behind her Marianne entered holding a glass of orange juice.
"Audrey."
"Please leave me alone."
"You cannot take Ethan away from me because of something that happened thirty years ago."
Audrey turned.
"This isn't about taking Ethan."
"It always is."
"He's not property."
"This family is all I have."
"You have Vivian."
Marianne's face twisted.
"Vivian chose you."
Audrey understood then.
This had never been only about class.
Or embarrassment.
Or Audrey once being hired to clean the house.
Marianne knew exactly who Audrey was.
Every insult had carried thirty-two years of hatred.
"That's why you've treated me this way."
Marianne said nothing.
"You knew I was Thomas's daughter."
Marianne's eyes hardened.
"You should have stayed Audrey Hayes."
Then she tilted the glass.
Orange juice poured onto the floor.
"Clean this up."
May you like
Behind them, a chair scraped.
Audrey didn't need to turn to know Ethan had heard.
