Chapter Forty

Images of him and his wife in the back-garden flash up, to the crowd they look like the perfect family, the kind you would see on tv advert.

The crowd lets out soft oohs and awws as the images keep flicking through, there’s a shot of Greyson and his dad and some kind of dinner both of whom seem to be smiling.

Greyson Max and their dad stare out into the crowd watching the happy faces of the employee.

Then begins flashes of half-naked women, their faces blurred, clearly straddling Max. The crowd makes a shocking noise, but Max’s eyes stay fixated on them clearly oblivious to that fact that it is his face on the giant screen.

Over and over, they appear, every time a different woman before finally pausing on the images of Brittany and Max, his hands all over her body, her back arched visibility enjoying the ride.

She lets out a loud gasp and then starts running towards the door screaming at people to not look at her, every ounce of class she was clinging to disappearing as the images continue to move.

**Greyson**

Watching her run out all eyes on her I’m almost sad that she’s going to miss her complete exposure. Max watches her run away and I watch as the realisation dawns on his face, his head turning to see himself magnified on the screen.

“Something the matter max?”

He looks at me and then at Gen before rushing to the side of the stage screaming at the tech guys to shut it off.

More images flash up of Brittany and Max, pictures from their numerous flings. I can’t help but feel bad for his wife but when I look at her, she seems to be smiling, laughing almost as if she was waiting for someone to call him out on his bullshit.

Max is screaming now, the crowd beginning to buzz with chatter as people are talking about the images.

It's time for the final images, this is a risk and could go either way but it’s worth it to make Gen happy, I just hope it does that.

Snaps from the Alex and Vicky Video, Max balls deep in Mitch Hudson. The crowd gasps and then cameras start flashing.

Mitch turns beetroot red and rushes towards the side of the stage and also begins to scream at the tech guys to turn it off, threatening them with every other word.

I scan the crowd to find Gen and she's standing next to Alex the two of them arguing, His hand is wrapped tightly around her wrist and he’s pulling her.

Looking around at my Father he is watching Max and me, studying our reactions. He's always pitted us against each other, always sat back and watched as we fought for his attention.

The satisfaction I thought I would feel from seeing him watch me take down Max is deflating. He is waiting for me to make a move, to take the mic and humiliate Max further or run to my wife.

I don’t know what he wants from me, I don’t know what the right answer is. All I know is that Gen needs help.

I rush down the stage and into the crowds of people, pushing a few out of the way I focus on getting to her. As soon as I’m by her side and face to face with Alex.

I don’t give it a second thought as I pull back my fist and punch him in the face, the crunching of his nose causing him to loosen his grip on Genevieve, he hits the ground hard pulling his hands to his face and crying out in pain.

“You deserve so much more than that but you're not worth it, you’re no better than shit on the sidewalk you should be ashamed of what you’ve done. You were supposed to be my friend, but a friend would never do what you have Alex, a friend would never try to mess with someone’s emotions or to humiliate them just for a shot at being with them”.

Gene's voice rings in my ear as she calmly insults Alex with all the grace and elegance a person could muster.

I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into me, squeezing her tightly. I hear the soft clicks of cameras and lights from mobile phones snapping images of the two of us, but I couldn’t care less, the only thing that matters to me right now is her.

After a few minutes we break apart, I grip her hand and lead her through the crowd and back to the stage.

“Greyson where are we going, everyone is looking aren't we have done”


“I just have one more thing to do and then I and you are out of here I promise”


We adorn the steps and I stand back in front of the mic; the room goes quiet and all eyes fall on me.

“Firstly, I wanted to apologise for ruining all your evenings, while the Maddox family may seem as if we are close and our lives and marriages are flawless, the reality is far from that we are dysfunctional and broken. My own brother slept with a woman then conspired with her to wreck my life just so he can be at the top”


The crowd remains silent and I feel Gen lightly squeezes my hand, urging me to carry on.

“He conspired to turn my wife against me, he sought my destruction and almost succeeded. I take no pride in sharing these images of him, in ruining Lily’s marriage or messing with the future of my nieces. The head of the company should be proud, should have morals”


“I suppose you think that’s you Greyson, I suppose you think your all high and fucking mighty now you’ve done this. I’m telling all of you the images are fake, Greyson is a liar all of you know it I mean even his wife was bought”


He scrambles for attention, his shirt untucked, his hair loose. It’s amazing how 10 minutes can change a person.

“Your right Max, Mine and Gens marriage was built off of a mutual agreement. I’m not denying that. But I love her, she is honest. She is kind and she sees me for who I am, it is not something that can be so said so easily for a person whose own wife smiled when she saw him exposed for the cheater he really is. For the man who purposely tried to get a woman pregnant to play it off as mine to ruin the image of his own family”

He’s about to snap back when my father steps in, the crowd again fall silent. This isn’t exactly how I planned on this playing out but as long as Gen is with me, I can face anything.

“Max you are a disgrace, and you Greyson. You are no better; I am ashamed to call you both my sons”.

With that, he walks off the stage, his security guard close behind.

“You know what dad that’s so typical of you”


I don’t know what comes over me or why I decided to open my mouth, but I can’t help it. He stops and looks at me.

“I don’t need this; I don’t need you. I have everything I could ever want. I quit, this family, this company, all of it. I’m done “


She squeezes my hand again and she looks at my wide eyes, asking me what I’m doing.

“Something I should have done a long time ago Gen.”

I grab her hand and walk off the stage towards the door, my father shouting at me, Max still screaming, pleading his own innocence to whoever will listen.

Jack is waiting outside, holding the car door open and scooting inside the car. The drive home is silent.

Neither of us speaking the realisation of what I have done begins to dawn on me. I’ve just given up everything. Six months ago, I would have thought this is the worst thing in the world but now…

“What are you thinking about Greyson?”


The sweet sound of Gene's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

“I’m thinking about how happy I am right now with you”.

**Genevieve**

He’s happy? how could he be happy? That was a complete whirlwind, time seemed to speed up. I witnessed things my eyes should never have had to see, my own friend tried to drag me out of a room full of people.

Greyson then quit his family and his job, none of this has turned out the way I expected it too. Tonight, was a shamble from start to finish. From the women who told me about Grey to our silent car journey home. Everything was a mess.

“Are you happy?”

“Yes, I’m happy”.

“But you just gave up everything Greyson and for what?”

“For you Gen. Besides, I didn’t give up everything, I’m not financially dependent on my father. I quit our family name that’s all, I quit years of competition. Endless attempts to please my father the only good thing that man ever did was force me to get married because it led me to you”.

He smiles and stares longingly at me, staring deeply into my eyes. I so desperately love this man, but he lied to me again tonight.

As the car pulls up out front and we enter the lift I try to hold it in, I try to force myself to suppress my questions, but I can’t.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He doesn’t seem surprised that I’ve asked, in fact, he smiles at me.

“I wondered how long it would take for you to ask me that”.

“Well. why didn’t you?”

“I know that if I had given you the option you would have asked me not show those images, even after all your brother has done to you”.

“I guess you're probably right, I could never face Mitch head-on. He broke me”


“That’s why I didn’t ask, you don’t have to face him head-on anymore you have me “


I suppose he is right; I would never have to face a battle alone if I’m with him. I would never have to worry that I’m not good enough because he proved to me tonight that I am.

On paper everything is perfect, in reality, there is this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Like a warning signal flashing over and over.

What he did to those women I met tonight was awful, he has said he changed, and I believe him but at what moment will he change back and toss me aside like I’m nothing.

When will the novelty of no longer working for Maddox inc wear off and he will yearn for his old life, A life he cannot have if I am still in his still?

Entering the apartment, it feels warm and cosy like a safe space away from the prying eyes of the outside world.

“I’m going to go and run you a bath Gen, you look like you need to relax”


He wanders down the corridor, the sound of the water splashing as it hits the bottom of the tub filling the whole space.

My legs carry me down the hall following him into the bathroom, watching him take off his suit jacket and unbutton the top of his shirt.

I’m dangerously attracted to him heck I love him, but I have to protect myself and him. I won’t wait for the day he wants his old life back and tosses me aside.

I can’t bite my tongue if I have to watch him start to resent me for losing everything, for his sake and mine.

“Gen. Are you ever going to tell me what’s on your mind? You have been staring aimlessly all night I know you, you have more than just that one thing to ask so go for it”.

I could ask him about those women.
I could ask him about leaving his company.
I could ask him to reassure me he is in this for the long haul.

I’m on autopilot, my brain cannot decide. I’m torn between logic and my heart both as invested in the man in front of me as the other.

“Greyson I…. I don’t think I can do this”.

His face drops, I can’t bear to look at his pain any longer. I tell myself it’s for the best as I run into my room locking the door behind me. The sound of his footsteps stopping outside my door.