Chapter 59 Negotiating an Annulment
Bradley got to his feet abruptly upon hearing those words. It was, indeed, news to him.
Moreover, he was not one to judge people solely by their past, so whatever Paige had done before, it hadn't been of concern to him.
He was aware that Raymond had once had Charles dig into Paige's background, but he chose not to interfere further.
Now, as Bradley's gaze met Raymond's, there was no sign of surprise on the latter's face, which steadied Bradley's emotions.
However, having already risen, all eyes, particularly Xena's, were fixed on him.
It seemed only fitting that Bradley say something.
"So, she served time? What was the reason?" Bradley inquired, hitting the nail on the head, the crux of the matter: why had Paige been incarcerated?
In a moment of desperation, and seeing Paige backed by both Bradley and Raymond to the point of pushing Louis to address her as 'auntie,' Xena had blurted out the jail sentence. Once Louis embraced that title, it would cement Paige's status, and if Xena married into the Carnegie family, wouldn't she have to follow their hierarchy and address Paige likewise?
Xena couldn't bear that thought, which led her to reveal Paige's stint in jail.
Xena shot Paige a look, the reason for the jail time? The reason was well, because of...
Paige's eyes were cold as ice, void of any warmth as she looked at Xena and demanded, “Well? What was the reason? Aren't you going to explain?"
At Paige's question, Xena found herself at a loss for words, while Louis was also recalling vividly the true reason for Paige's incarceration.
Yet, to speak of it here would mean admitting his own role in the ordeal, openly antagonizing Raymond.
Paige observed their silence, realizing that, as always, they were only concerned with their own gains and losses.
So be it, Paige thought; no more hiding.
"If you won't spell it out, then I will," she declared, defiance rising within her.
What, after all, did she have left to fear?
Julian had already taken measures at the Sackler’s care facility. Although he hasn't secured her mom's release just yet, she now stood at an advantage, making it difficult for the Sacklers to harm her.
Previously, Xena's engagement to Louis was of little consequence to Paige; it wasn't something that would affect her significantly. But times have changed. The last thing Paige wanted was to have Xena constantly in her presence, and the notion of being called "auntie" by her was enough to churn Paige's stomach.
Paige confronted Xena, "As the sole heir of the Sackler family, you wield your noble status with a heart of darkness, willing to strike down even your own mother to preserve your perfect reputation. When the scandal of your attack against our mom broke, you were too afraid to face the music, forcing me, a nobody in the Sackler family, to take the fall and end up behind bars for you.
"Madam Sackler, here I am, out of jail. Do you resent that you can’t keep me down in the mud, unable to rise again for the rest of my life? You’ve managed to play your part quite well all this time. Why can't you show some restraint today? A moment of patience yields a lifetime of peace, and we could consider the matter closed. But you just couldn't hold back; you had to speak up.”
"Let me take a wild guess why you had to speak up. You thought I married a nobody, a disabled man with a bleak future, who wouldn't even need your attention to be trampled in the mire. In a surprising twist of fate, today you discovered that the man I married is not just any disabled person, but Louis' uncle, Raymond.”
"Only one of us can remain in the Carnegie family, so you brought up my past imprisonment. You'd like to see Raymond discard me, and even more so to see Bradley cast me out, turning me, Paige, into Northwind’s laughing stock, right?"
Paige paused, then let out a soft chuckle.
She turned and smiled at Raymond, asking, "Raymond, I've served time—five years. Do you care about it? If you do, you can tell me now, and we'll get a divorce. Not many in Northwind know that I'm part of the Sacklers, but, anyway, Xena and I do share a mother.
"Imagine the gossip if word got out that the Carnegies, uncle and nephew, married the Sackler sisters. There would be unwanted gossip. Therefore, why don't I step aside now to spare everyone the embarrassment?"
When Paige posed the question, she wasn’t fully confident that her suggestion wouldn’t happen. Just a couple of days earlier, Raymond had presented her with divorce papers. Now, with Xena exposing her stint in prison, Paige wondered if her past made her unworthy of the prestigious Carnegie family. So, she cut to the chase with a bracingly direct line of questioning.
For a brief period, Paige's candor made Xena happy. Paige had a track record, after all, and how could someone like her possibly match Raymond? Furthermore, Xena found a sentiment that struck a deep chord: the sisters marrying into the uncle-nephew Carnegie duo didn't sit well; it just wasn’t the kind of thing that passed without comment.
The thought of Paige and Raymond divorcing was an appealing prospect for Xena. After all, a blue-blooded family like the Carnegies wouldn't want anything to do with someone who had been behind bars.
But as Xena's delight mounted, she saw Raymond reach for Paige's hand, his tone unexpectedly humble, "Darling, as long as you don't despise me, that’s all that matters."
At those words, Paige's hand trembled ever so slightly, and Xena felt as if her whole world had been upended. What did this mean? Could Raymond actually cherish Paige, the ex-convict? Paige had married into the Carnegies right out of jail; there hadn’t been enough time for their relationship to deepen.
Even with his own challenges, Raymond was still a Carnegie, a part owner of the grand Hawke Corporation. His status was too high; he couldn't possibly settle for someone like Paige!
Furrowing her brow, Xena blurted out, "Raymond, she’s tricking you. She’s no good!"
Panic set in for Xena. Paige's blunt words meant only one sister could remain tied to the Carnegie family. If Raymond and Paige stayed married, it implied that Xena herself couldn't secure her place within the Carnegies. To Xena, this was a devastating blow.
Raymond turned to her, his gaze sharply cold, as if his stare alone could strike her down.
Xena was about to say more but Louis pressed her down with a firm hand, "Zip it."
Seeing Raymond defend Paige, Bradley sighed with relief. His greatest concern was if Paige and Raymond kept harboring secrets and their secrets came to light, he had no idea what may follow. Since Raymond had just recently tied the knot, heading for a second marriage was the last thing anyone wanted.
The Carnegies didn't exactly have a tradition of divorce.
Feeling somewhat more relaxed, Bradley finally spoke, "Since the two of you are so solid, why not pick a date and have a proper wedding? As for Louis and the Xena's engagement, let's call it off."
Bradley mused as he continued, "Marrying within such close family ties doesn't sit well with me. Louis, get your mother here. I'll personally call Margaret Sackler and request her presence to discuss calling off the engagement."
