INSTALLMENT #6

Both Genevieve and Gavin grew quiet on the phone. Although she knew he needed to know, she wasn’t sure it should’ve been told that way. But it was too late. It was now his choice to decide what role he would play. Considering the nature of his situation, she knew that role would more than likely be a tiny one if he did anything at all. The silence between the two of them grew long. She could hear him breathing and knew he was still on the other end until finally she heard a click and the phone went dead. Genevieve didn’t bother to try calling him back. The purpose of her actions were to let everyone know that she was fine and to somehow move on from her wretched past. The next number that she dialed was her mother’s cell phone. She didn’t call the house because she figured that there would be too many people there to answer the phone first besides her mother. This included the housekeeper Harriet, who was sweet but nosy and intrusive, her mother’s best friend Francine, who was always around whenever her mother was going through a tough time, and lastly of course was her step father John. Genevieve wasn’t as worried about Harriet or Francine as she was of John. He only tolerated her because of her mother. He would give Genevieve’s mother whatever she wanted. She was a trophy to him. Genevieve’s mother Rosetta had been a runway model in her heyday. She wasn’t as well known as some of the others but she did well for herself. Genevieve’s biological father, Edmond was a successful businessman in the textile industry, negotiating sells and trades of some of the most unique and precious silks, lace, and cashmere from countries in Europe and Asia. Edmond was quite charismatic and he did his job well. He acquired some very sought after customers through his own way of networking which often included invitations to many high society parties and gatherings of some of the world’s top designers. It opened up plenty of opportunities for him, not to mention a lavish lifestyle. But the most important thing that Edmond acquired as a result of being in his business was his relationship with Genevieve’s mother Rosetta.
Rosetta first caught Edmond’s attention on one of her many strolls down the runway during a show. He had seen many models, hell it was the business. However, he’d never paid them much attention. Sure, he dated them. They were easy access in a business such as his. They came a dime a dozen and it was merely casual amusement. But the night he laid eyes upon Rosetta, her image and her smile would be forever burned upon his memory. Edmond pursued Rosetta for 3 months before she finally accepted his dinner invitation. She assumed he was simply another male hound looking to say he’d been hot and heavy with a model. After a 6 month courtship, the two began to fall deeply in love. It was within this love that Genevieve was born. After learning that his beloved Rosetta was with child, Edmond immediately planned to marry her but sadly fate wouldn’t have it. Edmond died in a mysterious car crash a week before Genevieve was born. Genevieve never knew him. She would only hear about him when her mother could bear to speak of it. It remained a heavy and painful scar on her heart but she also hated to admit that she never wanted to speak of him for fear of upsetting John, her new husband. He knew how much in love she had been with Edmond but John, much like Edmond. pursued Rosetta to no end. Rosetta finally gave in, accepting his proposal knowing what the future might be like without his care. John had taken in Rosetta and her young daughter when Genevieve was only 2 years old. He and Rosetta bonded out of similar tragedies. John’s wife had succumbed to a weak heart during childbirth. Because of this, Julianne would always receive the first and the best, the promise of security, and any attention he could give her when he had the time. Julianne was his princess, and Rosetta was his queen. Genevieve was just the one who got in the way.
As the phone rang, Genevieve thought about all of the things that were passed over her so that Julianne could have the best. And how her mother constantly tried reassuring her throughout it all, “You’re so beautiful.” she would say. “You don’t need anything handed to you because you have your father’s blood flowing through your veins!” But Genevieve never felt that way. She always felt she had to work harder for what she attained and oftentimes she felt like second best. Gavin had been the love of her life since the 10th grade. When she met him, she finally felt as though she had someone in her corner, someone who truly loved her. They’d made all kinds of plans about their futures and laughed about how many kids they would have and whether or not she’d work or stay at home. Sure, Genevieve had dreams, but she loved Gavin so much more. When they parted ways for college, she left for design school in San Francisco and he left and went to college at Stanford. He graduated head of his class from the school of business. He was sought after by many companies. But John had a one up on all of them as a result of Gavin’s relationship with Genevieve. John hooked Gavin with a tempting compensation package which included the implied promise that he might someday seize control of the successful business after John retired or died. But of course, there was some coercion from John concerning Gavin’s personal life. At the risk of possibly being blackballed by John should he defy his suggestions or try to quit, Gavin simply gave in, putting his career over his relationship with Genevieve. He broke it off with her unexpectedly saying that he wasn’t ready for something so serious with her and that he felt they were going in two different directions. Shortly after, he began seeing Julianne, at first quietly and then after about a year it became open when John decided to announce their engagement at a holiday dinner party. Genevieve was distraught. She could not believe that it was all actually happening. She thought for the longest time that she’d been in an ongoing nightmare. But as time passed she would come to learn that this was real and this was her life. Her heart had been torn out of her chest and she bared the pain each and every day. Eventually she and Gavin gave in to what they’d once had together and reduced themselves to sneaking around, and lying and cheating. As a result, Genevieve convinced herself that she was in fact the rightful missus and took on the title. She had allowed herself to become delusional not wanting to come to the truth that if Gavin had valued their relationship, and had been truly honest and sincere, he would have never given up on their relationship so easily just for a shaky promise and a mere suggestive possibility of success and status.
It was here in this moment that Genevieve realized that she couldn’t change what had happened. She could only change the direction for her own life in the present. She would create a new start for that of herself and for her child and she wouldn’t look back, only forward. Ahead of her was an open road and a clean slate.
Finally, after several rings Genevieve’s mother answered the phone. “Hello.” came a weak voice on the other end of the phone. “Mother.” said Genevieve, “It’s me.” “Oh God, Genevieve! Where are you? Where have you been? Oh God, we’ve been looking all over for you!” said her mother. “I know, and I am so sorry to have put you through this but I had to get away. I just had to.” said Genevieve. “Where are you?” asked her mother. “I’m just a few hours up the coast. Look, I know that this must be quite embarrassing for everyone. Things got so out of hand. I was just so blinded. I felt so manipulated and for a moment, I thought I was finally getting the life that I felt was rightfully mine. I was so angry at all of them. I just found myself losing control. I am so sorry mother, I am so very sorry…” said Genevieve as she began to cry. “Genevieve" answered Rosetta, "I am very aware of what took place and as your mother I will not sit here on the phone and not hold you accountable. You were fully aware, despite your hurt, that when you once again took up with Gavin, he had become someone else’s husband. I am just angry that you allowed yourself to get pulled into this destructive lover’s triangle. This thing was a whole mess from the start. It almost broke John and I apart.” “Well why did you stay with him after knowing what he’d done to me?” asked Genevieve interrupting her mother. “Because Genevieve, as you get older, things aren’t always as easy as they might seem, I do love you, but where would you and I have gone had I left? Like I always told you, you aren’t like Julianne. John always felt sorry for her because she didn’t have her mother like you had. He felt the need to hand her everything on a silver platter. He never let her figure out anything for herself. After a while it’s come as a sort of handicap for her. She calls him for everything. If Gavin ever left her, what would she do? She didn’t go to school like you did. She’s never had to work. She’s depended on every one that has ever come into her life. I didn’t want that for you Genevieve. If John was going to pay for what he’d done to you. I made sure he paid for the best schooling and afforded you the best life. Perhaps you didn’t have everything handed to you like Julianne. But you had a good life! You had an affluent lifestyle! I will admit that it was underhanded the way she accepted a proposal from the man whom she knew loved you, her own sister for so many years. She has been the ultimate witch and I know that. But you cannot continue to let other people’s actions dictate your happiness and how you will live your life. If she’s fine with lying in bed beside a man who was coerced into marrying her and who happens to still be in love with her sister, then so be it! It’s her life! But Genevieve, please darling, don’t let it be yours. Besides, I have something for you that I have held onto for 23 years.”
“Something for me?” asked Genevieve. “Yes, one reason why I never left John is because I knew that if I couldn’t support us on my own, I would be forced to dip into the inheritance your father left for you before you were born.” said Rosetta. “Inheritance? What do you mean? You told me that my father died before I was born.” said Genevieve. “He did,” replied her mother, “but before that, we’d planned to marry once we’d learned that I was pregnant. Edmond immediately created a trust for you. He was so excited. He had been an only child. His mother was dead and he had never known his own father and so as soon as he knew you were going to be born, he began to feel as though he had a family again and he wasted no time making arrangements, which included putting money away in a trust on your behalf.”
Genevieve grew silent, she couldn’t believe it. All of this time, she’d felt so excluded and so uncared for. She’d always wondered about the father she’d never known. Now, hearing her mother’s words, finding out that her late father cared enough to make sure her future was secured even before she was born gave her the sense that someone did sincerely care about her and that she wasn’t just an afterthought.
“Hello, Genevieve, are you still there?” asked her mother. “Uh, yes, yes, I’m still here. May I ask how much?” asked Genevieve. “Well darling, I’d rather discuss that in person. Please tell me, when are you coming home?” “I can’t mother” said Genevieve, “I promised myself I was leaving that all behind, plus the police are looking for me.” “Genevieve, don’t worry about that. It will all be taken care of. But I need to see you. Please tell me exactly where you are.” said Rosetta. “I’m a few miles outside of Monterey. If you can meet me here the day after tomorrow at say 1:00pm we can have lunch at a local diner in town.” said Genevieve. “That will be fine. It will give me some time to smooth things over here and to leave without being noticed. Genevieve, I love you, please be careful.” said her mother. “I love you too mother, see you soon.” said Genevieve. After hanging up the phone, Genevieve knew full well that the hardest part of all of this was yet to come, she still hadn’t revealed her pregnancy to her mother, and she still hadn’t done the one thing that she knew needed to be done after all of these years. She was going to have to deal with Julianne woman to woman. It wouldn’t be easy or pretty, and she knew this. Julianne was never hesitated to make Genevieve feel worthless. Despite her mother’s claim on their relationship, Julianne and Genevieve never fully considered themselves sisters. It had been a competition from day one between the two and Julianne always got what she wanted no matter the cost. However, this time Genevieve had to let her know that the tables had turned and that she was no longer her precious little step-sister’s underdog.

Tune in next Sunday and EVERY Sunday for a new post from Dose of Drama for the series, Genevieve O’Hare…