Chapter 45 – Phoenix
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Jailhouse confessions
Phoenix
I’ve arranged for a private visitation room at the jail. Not one of those with the glass and the phone handsets that they probably never clean. This one only has a table and two chairs. And one of those chairs is occupied by my ex-fiancée.
Beatrice looks thinner than she did the last time I saw her a little over five years ago. And apparently they haven’t allowed her to use her fancy hair products because her platinum locks hang limply on her shoulders.
Her eyes rake up and down my body when I enter. I’m wearing a black suit with an elegant black silk tie. Jordie calls it my power suit.
“Phoenix. So nice of you to drop by. I see you dressed up for me,” Beatrice says, crossing her arms over her chest.
Okay, so we’re going with sarcasm today. Noted.
“I happened to be in the neighborhood,” I answer cooly. “Ya know, I really didn’t think orange was in your color wheel, Beatrice, but you’re pulling it off.”
She flips me off. Her hands are uncuffed, but she has a manacle that’s anchored to the floor around one ankle.
“Why are you here? To gloat that I got caught?”
I take a seat in the chair across from her, making a show of brushing imaginary lint from my pristine suit before crossing one ankle over my knee. Then I look at her and ask the one question that’s been burning me up since I watched that video last week.
“Why?”
“Why what?” she has the nerve to ask.
I want to grind my teeth, but I refrain.
“Why did you steal from my family and then sell the formula to our competitor?” Beatrice glances up at the corners of the room, and I say, “If you’re looking for the cameras, I had them turned off.
Used the whole I’m an attorney and need to speak with this prisoner thing. ”
Beatrice returns her gaze to mine but doesn’t speak, and I’m already losing my patience.
We have copies of the formula, of course, but it’s going to cost our business a fortune to sue Aquarius Cosmetics, along with all the other legal fees involved with stopping them from getting the patent they applied for. With our formula.
“Was it for the money? Is Daddy not paying you enough? Answer me, Bea,” I say, purposely shortening her name because it pisses her off. “Why?”
Her jaw clenches, and there’s so much hatred in her eyes it takes me aback. “To punish you,” she grits out.
“My family?”
“Yes, but specifically you,” she says venomously.
“Why do you want to punish me?”
I can hear the grinding of her teeth as we stare each other down, and then she finally detonates. “Because you were supposed to choose me!” The shout is so loud it startles me, and I gape at her like she’s lost her mind.
“What do you mean, Bea? I did choose you. I was going to marry you, for fuck’s sake.”
The glare she shoots me could cut glass. “And then you chose some baby over me.”
Oh, I’m pissed now. “Some baby? I chose my baby, and I would choose her all day, every day, over anyone.”
“It wasn’t just her,” Beatrice spits, her eyes venomous jewels. “You always chose everyone else over me.”
“Who did I choose over you? I treated you like a fucking queen,” I snap back.
“Your whole goddamn perfect family. You wanted to spend every holiday with them instead of me.”
I throw up my hands and let them fall. “What in god’s name are you talking about? You came with me to every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthday. Every single year because your family didn’t do anything special for the holidays.”
“You should have chosen to spend them with me. Only me,” she says, pointing at her chest.
“I took you on a two-week ski vacation to Aspen every year after Christmas. Just the two of us, so don’t act like I neglected you.”
Her eyes skitter away for a second because she knows I’m right. “What about when you used to come see me at MIT? You always saw Helix too.” She sneers my twin’s name, and that only pisses me off more.
“Because you lived in the same fucking town,” I grind out.
“Fuck, Bea. I would have dinner on Friday night with my brother and then spend the rest of the weekend with you. I can’t believe we’re sitting here years later in a goddamn jail arguing about weekend visits when we were in grad school.
What else did you want from me? To just ignore everyone but you? ”
When her nostrils flare, I realize I’ve hit the nail on the head. She wanted to completely isolate me from my family. Beatrice didn’t want to be my top priority. She wanted to be my only priority.
“You had that special bond thing with your brothers, but especially with Helix. You were always laughing together.”
“Yeah, because that’s what families do. Normal families,” I specify. “Not your cold-as-fuck psycho family with your awkward silent dinners.”
When her bottom lip trembles, I soften my tone just a bit. “I know that was your reality, Beatrice, but you have to know that’s not normal. It’s good to have family in your life, people you can have fun with.”
“My family is fine,” she snips. “My father doted on me.”
“Your father doted on his business. He threw money at you. There’s a difference.” I cross my arms over my chest and lean back. “I’ve always thought you grew up without siblings, but your father’s career was your sibling, and it was the golden child.”
Anger flushes her cheeks at the truth of that, and I continue.
“Have you been treated for your raging narcissism, Bea? Or are you just letting it ride?”
From the sound of it, I’m surprised she hasn’t ground her molars into little nubs. “Please spare me the amateur psychobabble.”
“I just want to know why you stole from my family.”
“To hurt you,” she explodes. “Because you chose that little brat over me.”
I launch myself across the table. Beatrice is so surprised she almost topples over backward in her chair, but I grip her by the throat and hold her in place.
“You keep any mention of my daughter out of your fucking mouth. Do you understand me?”
Her eyes are wide with fear, and she nods. Slowly I release my grasp and stand, straightening my jacket.
“People can love more than one person, Beatrice. I have a big heart, and I could have loved you and Reece. I was willing to move away from my twin and the rest of my family to be with you. I was going to give up my job so you could succeed in your career. That’s love, not whatever you have with your father. ”
She stares at the floor, her chest heaving.
“My family welcomed you, treated you like one of us.” Her head drops lower because she knows I’m right. “You could have had everything, but you chose your father instead. And then what happened?”
When she doesn’t answer, I place my hands on the table and lean toward her. Her eyes slowly rise to meet mine, and I say, “He stabbed you in the fucking back. Went back on his promise to you after you’d given up everything for him.”
I can see the hurt in her eyes at the stark reality. “Do you want to know the irony of it?” she asks, and I wait for her answer. “Father said he gave the CEO position to Justin because he’s more stable. Because he has a wife and kids.”
I almost laugh in her face, but I don’t.
“At any point you could have contacted me to talk about your feelings, and yet you chose to let your anger simmer for years. And then you snapped and decided to go after me and my family when your father screwed you over. Maybe you should have stolen from old Barty instead. That probably would have made you feel better.”
Taking one last look at the woman I had planned to marry, I turn on my heel, calling over my shoulder. “Later, Bea. I’ve got a family to get back to. Have fun in jail.”
And I walk out the door feeling about a hundred pounds lighter.