Chapter 30
Helen
Walking into the country club for the annual ladies’ luncheon disguised as a charity event should have been old hat. Gatherings like those were key to maintaining your spot in the social elite, where you kept up on all the gossip and tucked away any information you could use down the line.
It was where people went to see and be seen. Not going would have been like admitting defeat. I had been attending parties like that my entire life, then graduated to hosting once I married into the Townsend family.
Whispers of police interrogations, potential jail time, and wayward spouses followed me around, but I ignored them. It had been well over a week since the event and the incident… between Maxwell and Sophie.
Maxwell wasn’t in jail. No charges had been pressed, and Walt had yet to call a meeting with the board.
I would not cave or admit defeat. I wasn’t going to roll over at the slightest inconvenience.
This event was the perfect excuse to come out.
After all, I ran the committee that built the new rec center.
Scheduled to give a small speech and reveal the finished building, I wasn’t going to miss it. It gave me the opportunity to put my “personal” issues aside and focus on the greater good… or whatever it was people said.
Unshakeable, I would show everyone I had nothing to hide.
Max was on his own now. He had caused far more damage than he was worth.
It was time to cut my losses and jump ship.
Sighing, I couldn’t deny that I was disappointed.
I’d thought Max was like me, that he was cut out to survive in our world, but he was soft.
Somehow, he took after his father and grandfather more than I expected. He was weak. His feelings for Sophie clouded his vision and affected his actions. How could a girl worth so little cause so much damage?
Since Sophie first walked into our lives, I knew she was trouble. She didn’t know what it was like to be born into a swarm of sharks, to have to spend every day staying alive, on top, not to get chewed up and spit out.
As the daughter of a venture capitalist, I was raised to always be looking for the next bigger and better opportunity. Every new person or interaction was studied and analyzed for its potential worth—use or be used.
“The first rule is not to lose. The second rule is not to forget the first rule.” My father would quote Warren Buffett frequently.
Losing was not allowed in our house, so I won everything. I kept my hands clean, played well in public, and whispered in the right ears at night. By hook or crook, I got everyone out of my way until the trophy at the end of the finish line became clear: Thomas Townsend.
Money was good, but without respect, there’s no power. That’s why reputation was so important, why optics really did matter. The Townsends were always the big fish in a small pond.
Wealthy, successful, but above all, respected. They were smart in business and kind to those around them. They valued family and the townspeople. With nothing tawdry to discuss, they became untouchable.
When I first met Thomas, it wasn’t life-changing, not in the way one would think. It wasn’t love at first sight. It wasn’t a grand chase or conquest. He went by unnoticed until I started paying closer attention to the whispers.
“The only heir, all of that money, the company is going straight to him.”
“Good businessman. Naive, though. Wouldn’t last a second if it weren’t for nepotism.”
Those were the two facts that caught my attention. Thomas liked to blend into the background, never rocking the boat, never stealing the limelight. He didn’t feel the same clawing need as the rest of us to make sure we were seen and heard.
In the beginning, I admired that. It made him moldable, allowing me to take control. Once we married, though, that steady temperament and wholesome approach to decisions would slowly chip away at me.
With the Townsend name and wealth behind us, we could do anything—unlock any door, break any boundary—but Thomas wasn’t interested. All he cared about was the family and the company. He went in every day and was involved with every aspect of the business decisions.
He could have handed those tasks off easily.
We could have traveled the world or tried to start our own venture, investing in other areas, but he wouldn’t be deterred.
His loyalty was to Townsend a drunk driver blew through a red light when Thomas stayed too late at work one night.
Shock was my first reaction. I hadn’t really entertained the idea of a future without a husband.
My father had raised me with the knowledge that women were only good to barter and marry off.
But I didn’t want to tie my hands again, bound to the restrictions placed on me by a weak man.
So I made sure, under the guise of executing Thomas’ will, that everything went through my hands.
All finances, his life insurance policy, the trust fund for Maxwell, and the shares in the company went to me.
Then… I was free. Sunbathing on yachts the size of skyscrapers.
Dinner in Paris, followed by breakfast in Milan.
Men, young and old, but all handsome and willing to do whatever I asked.
I never wore the same thing twice. Stores and restaurants closed down areas when I came through.
My name was whispered with fear and reverence.
The only blip on the radar was Natalia and Max’s breakup. It wasn’t planned. When Natalia ran off, it bruised my son’s ego and started a rage inside of me. Cautiously optimistic, I watched as he channeled his pain into work, taking a renewed interest in the company and becoming Walter’s shadow.
Until he met Sophie. When I saw how everyone in our social strata reacted to her, I had to grudgingly back down.
It was obvious she had a way with people—a noticeable difference between her and Nat.
People seemed drawn to Sophie, charmed by her simple smile and responses.
I just couldn’t understand the girl. She had no ambition, no real vision.
Now, in six short years, she had managed to dismantle everything I had worked for. Ignoring the stares and whispered comments, I headed straight for Maryanne, who was hosting the event.
“Darling, so good to see you. The space looks lovely. Did you have Raphael on staff?” Her eyes widened in surprise as she leaned toward me for her part in the performative air kiss.
“Helen. So happy you could make it.” Lowering her voice, she gave my hand a soft squeeze, confusing me.
“How are you doing? If there’s anything you or your son needs, please let me know.” Sincerity laced her words, and I wanted to punch the smug bitch.
“Oh, it’s all just a big misunderstanding.
It will get sorted quickly. I’m not worried.
Now, tell me about Janice and Raymond. Is it true they’re getting a divorce?
I heard he ran off with the au pair!” Seemingly startled by the change in conversation, Maryanne halfheartedly answered my questions before excusing herself to check on the other guests.
A familiar face caught my attention, seated at a table across the way. Sophie sat demurely next to Judge Lennox, who was watching me with an amused expression.
What is she doing here? We had barely crossed paths before, and now I was seeing her everywhere? I tried not to think about that awful night, the way she had addressed me in front of everyone.
Before I could go over to their table and try to find out what they were up to, Maryanne was at the front of the room, getting everyone’s attention. Turning around, I waited patiently as she called me to join her on stage.
Standing up, I made my way to the podium with all eyes on me. A small smile was pasted on my face, my shoulders back, and head held high. I wouldn’t show any weakness in front of those people. I never had before, and I wasn’t about to start now.
Putting my glass down on the wood stand, I adjusted the mic to a height I was comfortable with. A large screen was behind me, and the small remote to activate the projector was within reach. Taking a deep breath, I looked up, taking in the curious expressions in the crowd.
“Thank you all for joining us today to celebrate the opening of the Lake Forest Recreational Center. This is a project that’s very close to my heart, and I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with the community to make sure this project meets their needs.
” There was polite applause, but there was also a weighty silence, an anticipation of some kind.
My eyes flicked over to Sophie, who was sitting there, watching me unblinkingly. Her expression gave nothing away, and that scared me more than anything.