Episode 31 – Affairs Revealed Part I
Previously on Lives To Live:
– Celia told Henri what she had seen. Then she told Justin he was sacked, as Nicole walked in. Celia told Nicole that Justin had made a costly mistake, for the hotel. But he kept his job, as Celia didn’t want to lose Nicole. Two days later the family had dinner and Nicole sensed that something was wrong between her parents. She told Justin she was going to find out what it was.
– Victor left for Washington. Leslie got drunk, and spotted a red stain on his shirt. Then, later, JJ Robertson appeared and he and Leslie shared a drink. They talked about their families.
– Chardonnay and Gabe met with Luc in the Ritz Bar. Luc and Chardonnay argued for a moment, as Gabe got the drinks in. When Gabe returned he asked Luc to be his best man. Luc said yes.
– Camille bought her first clothes for the baby. She then got a call from the school, and discovered Cleo hadn’t been there in over a week. Camille lied for Cleo and then searched her nieces room, where she discovered alcohol. Cleo finally returned home at 11pm, and Camille confronted her. They argued, and Camille collapsed, clutching her stomach.
Saturday,
April 19th 2003, The Hospital, 7am
Russell Elliot stared at the marble floor of the hospital room. He was used to walking up and down these corridors, as he delivered bad news to people of all ages. But telling them was easy, watching them deal with it was the most difficult thing a doctor could do.
Cleo Brady sat beside him. Fresh tears were in her eyes, as she remembered her argument with Camille. If only I hadn’t hit her… She thought.
“Melody, is she awake yet?” Russell asked, as nurse Melody Scott walked past. Melody turned.
“Oh hi. She’s awake now, but she’s crying to herself. Losing the baby has hit her hard.”
Cleo started to cry again.
”And can we see her?” Russell asked.
“Yes, but maybe one at a time. But, just so you know, she hasn’t spoken since we told her the news.”
“I’ll go first.” Russell said, standing up. He walked down the corridor and into his wife’s room.
“Are you okay?” Melody asked, looking at Cleo. She didn’t respond. Melody walked over to Cleo and sat down beside her, before trying to put her arm around her. “It’ll be okay.”
“It was all my fault.” Cleo was saying to herself. She pulled away as she felt Melody’s arm around her. “Get off me. Leave me alone.”
“She’ll…” Melody began, but Cleo stood up and started running down the corridor. But she ran past Camille’s room and out the door. Melody sighed to herself.
***
The Samson
Mansion, same time
Leslie Samson brushed back the strand of her short blonde hair that had fallen onto her face. She felt a gentle breeze blowing in on her face. It was cold. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up. The glass door leading out to the balcony was slightly ajar. Leslie sat up as she looked around the room. Her clothes were thrown all over the floor, and all of the items which had been on her dressing table were scattered around the floor.
Leslie heard a small noise behind her, someone was behind her. She took a deep breath and slowly turned over. Oh my god. She thought to herself as she spotted the man lying next to her.
“Leslie… what time is it?”
“John, what are you doing here? We didn’t… did we?” Leslie asked.
John Robertson slowly nodded. He remembered that he still had his watch on. He pulled up his hand from under the covers and looked down at the Rolex.
Seven.
“I have to go.” He said.
“What?”
“I need to get home before Natasha wakes up.”
“But…” Leslie said. She couldn’t believe it. John had been a friend for several years, and now she’d slept with him. No, this can’t be happening. I love Victor.
“Will you go down and check?”
“Check what?”
“That there is nobody down there. You don’t want to have to explain to Nate and Chardonnay why I’m getting out your bed first thing in the morning, do you?”
Leslie started to push off the covers, but realised that she was naked.
“I’m not looking.” John said, covering his eyes. He’d realised why she had pulled back the covers to quickly. Leslie glanced over at him, before getting out and quickly walking towards her closet. She slipped a dressing gown around her naked body, and quickly did the tie around its waist.
“I’ll be back in a moment.” Leslie said. She walked past John, to the door. After leaving the room, Leslie lay against the door for a moment, pondering how she’d let herself cheat on Victor again, especially with John, one of Victor’s best friends. Even if Victor were having an affair, it didn’t mean that I had to get drunk and sleep with the first man I saw, did it? She thought, moving to the top of the stairs.
Leslie quickly checked all the rooms downstairs, they were empty. She walked back up the stairs and into her and Victor’s bedroom.
“There’s no one down there.” She said, trying not to make eye contact with John. He was now dressed, and sitting on the bed. Leslie turned around and walked out the door. John followed her down the stairs. She opened the front door of the Samson home, and turned to him.
“I guess I’ll see you then.” She said.
“Yeah.”
“Mom… John?” Came a startled third voice. Leslie and John both turned to see who it was. Chardonnay Samson was stood at the kitchen door.
“Chardonnay.” Leslie started.
“No… you and John?” She said.
“It’s not what you think.” Leslie said. But Chardonnay had already run into the kitchen, tears welling up in her eyes. Leslie started to run after her, but felt a strong hand take hold of her arm. She turned to see that it was John.
“Don’t let her tell Victor, because if you do then…”
“Let go of me.” Leslie said, pulling her arm away from John. “And get out.”
John walked out onto the steps of the mansion, and Leslie slammed the door. She stood there for a second, wondering if this was it, the end of her marriage. She walked towards the kitchen door and slowly pushed it open.
“Chardonnay, it…” She began, but Chardonnay quickly cut in.
“Get away from me. I don’t want to talk to you ever again.” She said. She pushed past her mother and ran out of the room.
***
The Smith
Home, 7.30am
Cleo watched from across the street as Craig left the house. After he was gone, she crossed the street and knocked on the door. There was no sign of anyone opening the door, so she knocked again. This time someone shouted from inside that “they were coming.” Joel.
As he opened the door, Cleo broke down again.
“Cleo, hey what’s wrong?” He asked. Cleo threw her arms around Joel’s naked chest. “Hey, it’s okay.”
“No, no it isn’t.”
“Why, what’s wrong?” Joel asked, puzzled.
“Camille, she lost her baby.”
“Your aunt?”
“Yeah, and it is all my fault. I was fighting with her and I hit her. And then she… there was blood.”
Joel closed the door and he and Cleo walked into one of the rooms.
“It’s not your fault.” He said.
“Yes it is. We were arguing.”
“Oh Cleo.” Joel said, as he leaned forward and kissed her. Cleo was surprised by the kiss, and pulled away.
“Sorry.” He said. “I just…”
“Don’t be.” She said, her cheeks still shining with tears, as she leaned forward herself and kissed Joel. They continued to kiss, as she slid her arms along his chest.
“Let’s go upstairs.” She said, standing up and holding out her hand.
***
The Samson
Mansion, Evening
Chardonnay Samson sighed as she parked her car in the garage. Three other vehicles were parked in the garage – her father’s car, he’d left it there rather than at the airport where it could be stolen; Rosa’s, she always parked her car there and Leslie’s 2003 jeep.
Chardonnay picked up her bag from the passengers side, and got out of the car. She didn’t want to face her mother now, not after seeing her and John. After running out of the kitchen, Chardonnay had quickly dressed and left for work, avoiding her mother and lying to Gabe about why she was going so early. But now she would have to see Leslie, she couldn’t avoid it anymore or Gabe and Nate would know something was wrong.
“Hi Chardonnay.” Rosa said, as she walked through the door leading to the kitchen.
“Oh hello Rosa.” Chardonnay greeted.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
“I’m just tired.” Chardonnay lied. I lied to Gabe, and now I’m lying to Rosa. Thanks a lot mom. Chardonnay thought bitterly. “You going home?”
“Yeah, your mother gave me the night off.”
“That was nice of her.” Chardonnay said.
“I better go. See you Monday morning.” Rosa said, as she opened the door to her car. She sat down behind the wheel.
“Bye.” Chardonnay said. Rosa turned on the ignition and started to reverse. Chardonnay walked through the door, down the corridor and into the kitchen. She looked around, the room was empty.
Chardonnay sighed again, before walking towards the fridge and getting a snack.
“Chardonnay.” Came a voice from behind her. Chardonnay quickly turned to face her mother, who was standing in the doorway.
”Go away.”
“Please.”
“Leave me alone.”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen. He just…”
“I don’t want to hear this mom.”
“I love your father, not John. You have to believe me.”
“How could you sleep with another man if you love dad.”
“He’s not exactly innocent himself.”
”What?”
“Your dad has had many affairs over the years.”
”No, you are lying.”
“Why do you think we argued so much last Christmas? I found out that he’d been having an affair.”
“Even if he did, then it doesn’t mean that you have to now that he is away.”
“Why do you think that he is gone this weekend? Is it really business?”
Chardonnay turned back to face her mother. “You think that dad is having an affair and that is why he is gone to Washington?”
“Yes.”
“But that still doesn’t excuse what you did.”
”I know, but… Are you going to tell him?”
“Yes, I am.”
“You are really going to tear our marriage apart like this?”
“I can’t keep this from him. He’s my father.”
***
Celia and
Henri’s Apartment at the Hotel, same time
“So how was your day?” Henri Laurent asked, as he took a seat his daughter Nicole.
“Yeah it was great. We went to the park and then bowling. Thanks for looking after Erin.” Nicole said, as she casually flicked through a magazine.
“It was Celia who did most of the work.” Henri joked.
“Hello.” Came a third voice. Justin Vincent had entered the apartment, after stopping to deal with a customer’s complaint downstairs.
“Hello Justin.” Henri greeted.
“Hi. So where’s Er?” He asked.
“Erin is being changed by mom.” Nicole replied, not particularly liking Justin’s new nickname for their daughter.
“Here she is.” Celia said, emerging from one of the doors. “Oh, hello Justin.”
“Celia.” He said. She walked over to Justin and handed him Erin, as Nicole left down the magazine and stood up.
“We better go.” She said, smiling at her parents.
“If you want to stay, then you can.” Celia offered.
”No, better not. Erin will be too tired if we stay.” Nicole answered. She quickly kissed her father on the cheek and then her mother.
”Bye.” She said, moving towards the door.
“Yeah, see you soon.” Justin said, following her.
“I can’t do this.” Celia said, taking a seat once the door was closed.
“What?” Henri asked.
“Lie to Nicole. I can’t do this to her. She needs to know what her husband is really like.”
***
The
hospital, same time
Camille Elliot turned in her bed as she
heard voice’s nearby. Russell? She wondered. She slowly opened her eyes,
and at first everything was a blur. Slowly everything began to clear. She was
in a bed, in a hospital room. Why am I here? Camille silently asked
herself. She started to remember arguing with Cleo, and then something had
happened. What happened? Camille then remembered seeing Russell, another
doctor and a nurse in the room. Russell was sad. But why?
Camille heard the voices again. Russell and someone else. She looked towards the door. There they were, Russell and Judi. Suddenly Camille remembered what had happened. She had had a miscarriage, the doctor had told her. That was why Russell was sad. That was why it had all gone blank. She hadn’t been able to cope, there was a needle. Then she woke up.
Tears welled up in Camille’s eyes as she remembered it all. She made a small noise.
“Russell, please, just let me do my job.” Judi was pleading.
“Judi, I need…” Russell started, but stopped as he noticed his wife was waking up. “Camille.”
He ran towards her, and Judi followed. “Are you okay?” He asked, taking hold of his wife’s hand.
“I…” Camille started, but couldn’t say it as the pain of losing her baby hurt so much.
“What is it?” Judi asked.
“I know…”
“It’s not your fault that you lost the baby.” Russell started.
“No. I know about you and her…” Camille said, raising her finger and pointing towards Judi.
Next Time:
Judi and Russell are shocked by Camille’s revelations, and will Chardonnay tell Victor?