The story hit the ears of gossiping socialites before it ever hit the ears of those most involved. Michael Chamberlyn had filed divorce papers! He was asking for custody of their four children, but was willing to grant visitation rights to Szelem. Some of the gossipmongers had heard he was having an affair. Some said that he had walked in on Szelem having an affair the night of Jada's débutante ball (snidely, some said that was the reason Szelem's fund raisers were so successful.) Some said Szelem had threatened to leave him for being a workaholic. But no one guessed at the truth.
“You can't do this to me.” Szelem snarled, watching Michael moving his clothing into a suite down the hall. “Mike!”
“You left me long ago.” he told her solemnly, looking at the older woman he barely knew. “I'm just cutting the cord, darling. The papers are filed. I expect you to sign them. I want this peaceful and over with.”
“It isn't enough.” she slammed the papers down on the desk in the bedroom, and in a flash the older man knew what Szelem's real problem was. Not that he was divorcing her, not that he wanted to take their children away from her. It was that she thought he wasn't giving her enough money! “You wouldn't have anything if it weren't for me. I'd have everything! If I'd married as my mother said, I'd be a politicians wife, with everything I wanted! Not stuck here in Destiny City with four brats!”
Michael watched her silently and then swallowed. “You want more, Szelem? How much more? You are making more money through those papers than you brought into our marriage financially. I'm being quite generous with your alimony.” She glared at him silently. “And I am offering to support you financially on a monthly basis until you remarry. Not just throwing a lump sum at you and declaring our marriage dissolved.”
“This pittance-”
“Pittance?” he laughed at her. “Did you have anything else you cared about besides the money in the papers?”
“Not particularly.” her chin tilted proudly. “Just that you let the children decide who they want to be with.”
That was the reason that the four children were seated around a table, late in the evening after dinner. Zora sat across from Michael, Kayley from Sora. Lucas was seated on Jada's lap, holding Kinjo's squeaky toy. “We wanted to talk to you, darlings.” Szelem's voice made Jada look up. Something was wrong. Her mother was using her snake voice- seductive and kind, the voice that she used when she needed or wanted something. Some would call it Szelem Montgomery-Chamberlyn's 'fundraiser voice.' “We have some important news, and thought we'd get your opinions on the matter.”
“Your mother and I are getting a divorce.” Michael didn't beat around the bush. “I've asked for custody, but your mother insists you be given the option of who you live with.”
Jada paled, her arms tightening around Lucas. It was all a trap. This entire conversation was screaming. It was as though with one hand she was being lifted from her little bowl of tepid water, and thrown into a river. In her lap, Lucas was as still as his sister, taking his clues from both her and his whirling emotions. “Mother and Daddy don't like each other any more?” he whispered up to her.
“They still like each other, Lucas.” Jada met her mother's gaze first. “See? Mother and Daddy aren't fighting, Lucas. They just don't want to be married anymore.”
“Is it because of-”
“It's because of you!” Kayley's finger shoved in Jada's direction. “You're always fighting with Mother, and-”
“Sit down, Kayley.” Zora jerked on her sister's dress. “It isn't Jada's fault.”
“Yes it is!”
“No it isn't.” To Jada's surprise, Szelem spoke up. “Your father and I have been feeling strain for some time. It isn't Jada's fault any more than it is Kinjo's fault. It is our fault.” It was her fault. Mike had always been as attentive as she'd wanted, a loving father to his children, and a loyal man.
They spoke for several hours, the younger kids garnering much more attention than Jada herself. The monthly allowance lay in the younger three children, and Szelem figured (correctly) that Jada would choose to remain with Michael until she was eighteen. Kayley wanted to remain with Mother. Zora was going with Mike, no hesitation. Lucas was the one torn, wide-eyed and terrified. His family was dividing itself down some very distinct, well-known and expected lines, lines that the younger boy had always tried to walk carefully. The lines had always been Mother | Daddy | Children. And now the children were dividing between Mother and Daddy with military precision. He should go with Mother, but she scared him. But Mother loved him, and Zora was a meaniehead. Jayj went with Daddy though, and Jayj loved him.
Jayj wouldn't be with Daddy much longer. She was getting her own house, and then she wouldn't live in the big house anymore. And who would Nanny go with? Who would love Lucas when Jayj was gone if it weren't Nanny? “I need to think about it.” his voice was mulish.
Szelem was almost proud. Her little boy, alright, going to milk the situation for all it was worth. Jada knew better. Kayley knew better. Zora knew better. Jada pressed her lips to Lucas' forehead. “You don't have to decide immediately, sweetheart.” she reassured him. It didn't appear that her words soothed the blonde little boy at all, for he just clung to her tighter. She stood, hoisting him up in her arms. “I'm going to go lay down with Lucas.” she told her parents, and moved upstairs with him.
Curling up in the bed with her little brother, Jada stared wide-eyed at the wall.
“You can't do this to me.” Szelem snarled, watching Michael moving his clothing into a suite down the hall. “Mike!”
“You left me long ago.” he told her solemnly, looking at the older woman he barely knew. “I'm just cutting the cord, darling. The papers are filed. I expect you to sign them. I want this peaceful and over with.”
“It isn't enough.” she slammed the papers down on the desk in the bedroom, and in a flash the older man knew what Szelem's real problem was. Not that he was divorcing her, not that he wanted to take their children away from her. It was that she thought he wasn't giving her enough money! “You wouldn't have anything if it weren't for me. I'd have everything! If I'd married as my mother said, I'd be a politicians wife, with everything I wanted! Not stuck here in Destiny City with four brats!”
Michael watched her silently and then swallowed. “You want more, Szelem? How much more? You are making more money through those papers than you brought into our marriage financially. I'm being quite generous with your alimony.” She glared at him silently. “And I am offering to support you financially on a monthly basis until you remarry. Not just throwing a lump sum at you and declaring our marriage dissolved.”
“This pittance-”
“Pittance?” he laughed at her. “Did you have anything else you cared about besides the money in the papers?”
“Not particularly.” her chin tilted proudly. “Just that you let the children decide who they want to be with.”
That was the reason that the four children were seated around a table, late in the evening after dinner. Zora sat across from Michael, Kayley from Sora. Lucas was seated on Jada's lap, holding Kinjo's squeaky toy. “We wanted to talk to you, darlings.” Szelem's voice made Jada look up. Something was wrong. Her mother was using her snake voice- seductive and kind, the voice that she used when she needed or wanted something. Some would call it Szelem Montgomery-Chamberlyn's 'fundraiser voice.' “We have some important news, and thought we'd get your opinions on the matter.”
“Your mother and I are getting a divorce.” Michael didn't beat around the bush. “I've asked for custody, but your mother insists you be given the option of who you live with.”
Jada paled, her arms tightening around Lucas. It was all a trap. This entire conversation was screaming. It was as though with one hand she was being lifted from her little bowl of tepid water, and thrown into a river. In her lap, Lucas was as still as his sister, taking his clues from both her and his whirling emotions. “Mother and Daddy don't like each other any more?” he whispered up to her.
“They still like each other, Lucas.” Jada met her mother's gaze first. “See? Mother and Daddy aren't fighting, Lucas. They just don't want to be married anymore.”
“Is it because of-”
“It's because of you!” Kayley's finger shoved in Jada's direction. “You're always fighting with Mother, and-”
“Sit down, Kayley.” Zora jerked on her sister's dress. “It isn't Jada's fault.”
“Yes it is!”
“No it isn't.” To Jada's surprise, Szelem spoke up. “Your father and I have been feeling strain for some time. It isn't Jada's fault any more than it is Kinjo's fault. It is our fault.” It was her fault. Mike had always been as attentive as she'd wanted, a loving father to his children, and a loyal man.
They spoke for several hours, the younger kids garnering much more attention than Jada herself. The monthly allowance lay in the younger three children, and Szelem figured (correctly) that Jada would choose to remain with Michael until she was eighteen. Kayley wanted to remain with Mother. Zora was going with Mike, no hesitation. Lucas was the one torn, wide-eyed and terrified. His family was dividing itself down some very distinct, well-known and expected lines, lines that the younger boy had always tried to walk carefully. The lines had always been Mother | Daddy | Children. And now the children were dividing between Mother and Daddy with military precision. He should go with Mother, but she scared him. But Mother loved him, and Zora was a meaniehead. Jayj went with Daddy though, and Jayj loved him.
Jayj wouldn't be with Daddy much longer. She was getting her own house, and then she wouldn't live in the big house anymore. And who would Nanny go with? Who would love Lucas when Jayj was gone if it weren't Nanny? “I need to think about it.” his voice was mulish.
Szelem was almost proud. Her little boy, alright, going to milk the situation for all it was worth. Jada knew better. Kayley knew better. Zora knew better. Jada pressed her lips to Lucas' forehead. “You don't have to decide immediately, sweetheart.” she reassured him. It didn't appear that her words soothed the blonde little boy at all, for he just clung to her tighter. She stood, hoisting him up in her arms. “I'm going to go lay down with Lucas.” she told her parents, and moved upstairs with him.
Curling up in the bed with her little brother, Jada stared wide-eyed at the wall.
