49. Caught on Camera
49
CAUGHT ON CAMERA
CHELSEA
We wrapped up filming our wedding segments, and ever since they began airing in a coveted time slot of the morning show, I’d gained loyal viewers and fans. They emailed, begging for more and more wedding content.
India seemed pleased gaining accolades as the producer, and suddenly I was the TV station manager’s pet around the studio, like I could do no wrong. Admittedly, I enjoyed being in this position, and I even had a new idea or two to pitch the next time I could bend the manager’s ear.
On the production board in the staff room, I noticed India was still editing the final segment that was scheduled to air next week. Since I needed to talk to her about the schedule for filming at the Plaza on our wedding day, I headed toward the editing bay on the floor below me.
It was nearing five o’clock, so most people had gone home for the day. Off the elevator, I turned and walked down the hall, lost in thoughts, until I neared the editing studio, only to stop before her door when I heard my voice.
“I wasn’t excited about our wedding,” the clip of my voice said.
“A world of riches where I can spend, spend, spend like money has no end.” That was another soundbite from something I’d said to Maisy and Sophie while we tried on gowns.
“The Buchanan’s are obscenely rich.” Suddenly, my stomach roiled.
“It must be nice to be so loaded.”
“I could think of better ways to spend the money and not waste it on a wedding.”
What was she doing in these edits? All my words caught on camera sounded twisted, taken out of context, as if making me out to be a gold digger. I carefully peeked around the doorjamb, watching her with horror, as she edited the pieces together.
“You said the prenup was signed, but my lawyers haven’t received a copy yet. What’s the hold up?” Wait. That was Miriam’s voice. What prenup?
“I’ll deliver it personally to your lawyers.” My heart dropped hearing Rex say that.
India’s phone rang, and I jumped out of my skin.
“Hello? Oh, hi.” She turned down the volume of the video she was editing, but I could still hear my words playing over and over. “It’s coming along perfectly… I’m almost ready to drop the bomb… Yes, the minute they get this video in their email, I guarantee every word from Chelsea’s lips will make Miriam pissed… ”
What was she talking about, and to whom? I couldn’t move. Then an idea struck. There were so many times in my life when I thought I should have filmed something but didn’t or didn’t get my phone out to catch it in time.
I definitely needed to film this. I fumbled with my phone out of my pocket, clicking it open and trained my camera on her and the monitor at the edited piece, catching every soundbite and every word of her conversation.
“Sure, Richard’s money would have been nice. But cousin, you fucked that up real good. At least this way we get the satisfaction of revenge on the Buchanans, Janet.”
What the hell? This whole time India was a cousin to Janet, the woman who ripped Richard’s life apart? I stopped breathing, but my heart raced like crazy. My skin crawled because I knew it from the beginning. There was something not right about India, but I could never figure out what.
“We threaten to show this video live on television, embarrassing their family, or they pay us an enormous sum to keep us quiet. Either way, we win... So what? Our grandfather didn’t deserve to get booted from Buchanan Energy and our family shamed by Mr. Buchanan years ago. It’s time for the Buchanan’s to pay.”
With my stomach in my throat, I backed quietly away and immediately went to the station manager’s office with this.
A few days later, I still hadn’t told Rex everything that had happened, and for good reasons. The TV studio fired India and stripped her name from all credits on our wedding segments.
The manager ended up having me work diligently with an editor to produce and redo the final segment, ironically adding another notch to my career as a new producer and gaining editing experience.
Because of that, though, I had to watch through several hours of film India and the cameras caught. Which meant I also witnessed conversations between Rex and his mother and brother about the prenup.
It bothered me that Rex couldn’t bring up the subject to me for an open conversation about it. I suppose I should have known better, that a man and family like him with so much money would want to take certain measures to protect it. Money being more important than love and trust.
But I understood basic motivations, whether that of the likes of India and Janet or of the Buchanans. Love, money, power, passion all caused people to do crazy things.
I finished the edit and submitted it to the station manager for approval when I received a text from Rex.
Rex: You’ve been working too hard the past few days. Miss you. What time will you be home for dinner?
Chelsea: I’m on my way now. And I have a surprise for you .
By the time I arrived at his apartment, my surprise was already there. I’d invited Miriam over to dinner. Rex greeted me at the door and I melted into his arms. I wanted to believe the good in him, that a prenup wouldn’t cause difficulty in our relationship.
I had so much to tell him and Miriam, but where to start?
“Wish you would have told me my mother was coming to dinner,” he whispered in my ear.
“I thought it’d be a nice way to thank her for everything. Here,” I said and handed him a bag of takeout. “Chinese. Warm this up. I’ll go change.”
On the way to change clothes, I waved at Miriam. “Hello, I’m glad you could come tonight on short notice. Be right back.”
Several minutes later, we sat to eat, and I kept the conversation light, knowing the hard part would come soon enough. We finished, and I did the dishes, then joined them again at the table with cups of coffee. “Rex, did you have the quote for the transportation to and from the church? I don’t think Miriam has seen that yet.”
“Sure, be right back.” He headed down the hall to his home office.
“Transportation? Why Chelsea, I hadn’t given that a thought. Good for you for thinking ahead.” Miriam cast an appreciative look at me. But I wasn’t sure if it would last after tonight.
“He found a beautiful white vintage Bentley to drive us around for the day, back and forth between the church and the Plaza. And of course, with weather permitting, stops at Central Park for photos,” I supplied.
“That’ll be lovely. There are a hundred things that go through my mind daily about the wedding giving me splitting headaches all the time.” Miriam leaned forward. “I don’t know how Agnes coordinates dozens of these a year.”
“I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done and are doing, and paying for this wedding. Truly, I’m grateful, and I just want you to know that.” I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.
All things considered, even though Miriam enjoyed having her way and bossing people around, there could be worse in-laws. I knew in her heart she only had good intentions, even if she went about them in a different way.
She patted the top of my hand with hers. “Darling, I’m the one who should thank you. You’ve made my Rex happier than I’ve ever seen him before. Oh, how he hated taking over as CEO of Buchanan Energy after Richard stepped down. Rex was miserable, as you well know when you first met him, but then you came along?—”
“Chelsea?” Rex reappeared beside the table, his face white, holding the document I hoped he’d find on the top of his desk. And they had nothing to do with transportation.
“What is it, dear?” Miriam must have noticed the look on his face.
He set the prenuptial agreement down on the table. Before dinner, I’d searched through his desk and found it. Still standing, Rex’s eyes hadn’t left mine yet .
Miriam grabbed the document, sifting through the papers to the last one, the signature page, reading aloud what I’d written on it. “ ‘If anything in our marriage goes awry and we separate, I get nothing. I leave with only my own assets I came into the marriage with. Signed Chelsea Calhoun.’ ”
“What the hell? Why would you do this?” Rex seemed nonplussed. Miriam squinted her eyes at me, as if trying to read right through me.
It was time to tell them the full story. I trembled, fearing what would happen after they knew it all. But I had to take the chance we’d be fine despite it.
“Something happened a few days ago. Sit down, please. Let me tell you and show you.” I waited until he did, then I launched into every detail. “Brace yourselves for this news.”
Miriam’s brows furrowed as I spilled everything I learned about India and Janet. Rex’s face reddened by the minute as I revealed details, especially after showing the video I’d taken of India editing and manipulating our words.
When I finished India and Janet’s plan to blackmail the family, he leaned forward, his elbows on the table and fingertips to his forehead. “I can’t believe this.”
“Neither can I,” I said, almost breathless after rushing through it.
“I knew Janet was trouble the moment she got her hooks into Richard. I’m calling my lawyer and going to the authorities with this. We have to stop them from doing anything else that might harm our family.” Miriam stood, aghast at the turn of events.
“What about the prenup?” I asked .
“Chelsea, I wanted to tell you about the prenup, but I didn’t care if you signed it or not. I love you, and you have to believe me. This paper meant nothing to me,” Rex finished and took up my hands.
His mother took the document and ripped it in half and in half again. “What prenup?”
“Mom! You were pressuring me to have Chelsea sign it. Now you tear it up?”
“Did you know your father and I never had one? Neither do Mr. Astor and I. Son, Richard’s situation with Janet scared the living hell out of me, and because of it, I thought it wise for you to have this protection in place. A mother protecting her children is part of who I am and will aways be.” She leaned over and patted our hands folded together. “But I believe Chelsea has proven she’s one of the good ones.”
My heart warmed, and Rex gave my hands a squeeze. But Miriam stopped halfway to the door and sighed. “I guess one of us should tell Richard about what Janet and India were up to.”
“Actually, I’ve given that some thought, and I don’t think we should say a word to him about this.” They both looked at me funny.
“Sweetness, who knows what they’re plotting to do next? Richard’s life could be in peril.”
“And you can beef up security watching him, I’m sure. You had said once that you wanted everyone you knew to find a love like you did, right?” I searched his eyes for a flicker of memory for that conversation .
“I do. I want all my friends to find a good woman like you to love.”
“Richard’s already so sour about love and so mistrusting of women. Don’t you think this would only deepen that, hurting him more?”
Realization hit Miriam first, nodding. “You’re suggesting keeping him in the dark.”
“Yes. So he’ll have a fighting chance to find love again and close his old wound,” I said. Richard was such a difficult man. I hoped he would find someone to show him a love deeper than he’d ever known.
“Well played, Chelsea. I’m very impressed.” Miriam always seemed to like me before, but today I felt as though I’d earned her respect.
Rex got up and walked his mother out to her car. For a few minutes alone, I sat there, stunned that this was my life right now. Sitting in a billionaire’s penthouse apartment, breaking up a blackmail attempt, and marrying into a family that had more money than God?
When Rex returned, he walked up to me, lifting me into his arms. “Damn, you’re an incredible woman. Do you know that?”
“Why don’t you take me to bed and show me how you really feel?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” He made his way down the hall to the bedroom, his eyes never leaving mine.
“So we’re fine after all of this?” I asked, needing to be sure no lingering doubts remained.
“Sweetness, we’re more than fine. We’re getting married, husband and wife, and that’s forever,” he assured me, undressing me. Splayed out on his bed, he worked himself between my legs, worshipping me with his tongue and reminding me who I was. All his.