Episode 34 – New Sides
Previously on Lives To Live:
– Camille revealed that she knew about Judi and Russell. Judi left and Camille then told Russell she wanted a divorce. Later she moved out of her and Russell’s apartment, saying that she couldn’t stay there, despite Russell offering to move out. Meanwhile Judi met up with Sara, and they talked. Judi was going to try it with her mystery man, but Sara still didn’t know he was Alex. Sara revealed that she was still married, having never divorced her husband.
– Victor returned from Washington. Chardonnay looked set to tell him about Leslie and John, but changed her mind at the last moment.
– Paris told April that she and Nate hadn’t spoken since their argument as she left the Samson Mansion. Then Nate asked her out, so they could talk. When they met up, he told her that it wasn’t worth losing such a great friend over a kiss and an argument. Paris was devastated, though didn’t show her upset.
– Celia and Henri arrived, to tell Nicole about Justin and Heather. Justin tried to stop her, but Celia did tell a shocked Nicole.
Saturday,
April 26th 2003, The Ritz Bar, Early Evening
“Judi…” Said Sara and Alex both together.
“Oh my…” Judi said.
“It’s Alex, isn’t it?” Sara said.
“What?” Alex asked, turning back to his girlfriend.
“He’s the one you’ve been telling me about all these months.”
“I didn’t know that he was your ‘Al’.” Judi replied. Alex looked bewildered, and puzzled.
“You mean Judi is the friend you told me about.”
Sara nodded.
“You love me?” Alex asked, turning back to Judi.
“Yes, well, I…”
“Anyone want a drink?” Corey asked. Nobody replied.
“Judi, I love Sara now. I’ve moved on. I had to after you ran out on me on our date.”
“I’m sorry, but I was going through a rough time back then. I’m sorry for that.”
“Judi, we can’t be together.”
“Of course you can’t be together.” Sara started. “Alex, I love you.”
Judi was surprised, especially as she remembered what Sara had told her back in the restaurant.
“Sara…”
“You probably knew all along. Trying to break up me and Alex.”
“What?”
“Sara, I’m sure she didn’t.” Alex started.
“You’ve always tried to steal my boyfriends, even back in school. Just because things didn’t work out between you and Russell, doesn’t mean you can try and take away my happiness.”
“Sara, please. I didn’t…”
“Russell?”
“Didn’t she tell you? When she was dating you, she was cheating on you with a married man.”
“You were seeing someone else?”
“I ended it.”
“And now she is trying to steal you from me. She was cheating on you from before you’d even went on your first date.”
“Sara, please.” Judi pleaded.
“Just leave.”
“You’ve been my friend for years, and I never thought you’d be like this to me.”
“She says she ended her affair, but then she started it back up again.”
“Maybe you should go.” Alex said. Judi silently shook her head back and forth, finding it difficult to comprehend everything Sara had said. She finally turned around and walked away, and out the door.
“Was that really necessary?” Alex said, turning back to face Sara.
“Alex, I didn’t want to lose you. I love you.”
“I love you too, but you should know that and know that I would never leave you for someone else.”
Sara leaned forward and kissed Alex, taking him by surprise. “Why don’t we go back to mine?”
“I wonder what all that was about.” Corey said.
“Do you think I should go after Judi?” Melody asked, as she looked at Judi at the door.
“Probably be best not to interfere.” Corey replied. “What can I get you?”
Outside, tears were strolling down Judi’s pale face. As she turned around she felt even worse, seeing Alex and Sara embracing. Alex’s eyes met with Judi’s, but she turned away and leaned against the window.
“Are you okay?”
Judi turned and saw an old man standing there. She remembered him from the last time, after she ran out on Alex. Judi started running, but didn’t see the oncoming car.
“Are you okay?” Asked the driver, quickly jumping out of the car. “Judi…”
As she stood up, Judi was shocked to see that Russell was the driver. “Russell, go away.”
Russell ran towards Judi, and took hold of her arm. But Judi quickly pulled away, and fell to the ground. “Judi, please let me check you over.”
“Go away Russell.” Judi said, staggering to her feet again. Russell started to follow her, but a beep from the car behind him made him change his mind.
***
The Hotel,
same time
“Oh no.”
“What?” Henri Laurent asked, turning to his wife as they walked through the hotel reception.
“I’ve forgotten one of the bags. I picked up a few things for Nicole, in case she didn’t want to go shopping. Be back in a minute.”
Celia turned and walked towards the elevator.
“Henri, I didn’t think you’d be here?”
Henri turned around and was surprised to see his son in law before him.
“Justin. What are you doing here?”
“I still work here don’t I?”
“After all that’s happened…”
“You’re sacking me? After everything that I’ve done for you. I’ve worked for you for years, and now you are really going to fire me?”
“You could always go somewhere else.” Henri remarked.
“I can’t believe that you…”
“Justin, Nicole is my daughter. You cheated on her. You can’t expect me to keep you on here after that.”
“I didn’t sleep with Heather. Why do you think she disappeared the night that Celia walked in on us?”
“She probably felt too ashamed to come to work.” Celia interrupted.
“Celia…”
“What is he doing here?”
“I work here.”
“But you don’t. You lost your job the minute you cheated on my daughter with that woman.”
“I love Nicole, why would I cheat on her. I didn’t do it, I didn’t sleep with Heather.”
“Get off my property or I’ll have you removed.” Celia said, venomously.
“You haven’t heard the last from me. Oh, and I’ll be back to collect my things.”
”There’s no need, I’ll just throw them out.” Celia replied. Justin left.
“Celia.” Henri said angrily. “Was all that really needed?”
“I was just telling him where he stood.”
“Yes but…”
“You don’t believe him do you?”
“I am having doubts. What he says does make sense. Why did she disappear that night?”
***
Out in the
street, Three hours later
“Oh, what’s wrong with you now.”
Macy Rodgers smiled as she picked up her baby son. “Oh, what’s wrong. Miss your mom?” The baby gurgled a little, before smiling. Macy looked up and saw a woman passing by looking very upset. Macy wondered why she was looking so strangely at her baby. She took up her son and walked away, pushing his pushchair with along too.
Camille felt tearful, as she walked towards her friend’s home. She was still struggling to cope with the fact that just a few days ago, she and Russell were together expecting their first baby. Now that had all changed. They were over, admittedly by Camille’s own choice, and she had lost her baby.
“Sorry.” Said a man. Camille looked up from the pavement and realised that she had bumped into the man.
“Oh, no I’m sorry.” She said.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine.”
“Don’t I know you from somewhere?”
Camille looked up the man. She didn’t know who he was, but he did look like he was very kind. “No, you don’t.”
“It was the hospital, a few weeks ago. I was there waiting to be checked over and you fainted.”
Camille suddenly realised who he was. As she remembered fainting, she also remembered how pleased she’d been when she saw how upset Judi had been. Camille started crying as she remembered it all.
“What is it?” Craig asked.
“I’m sorry.” Camille managed to say, as she continued crying.
“What is it? Did you get some bad medical news that day?”
“Yes, no. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“It might help if you did.”
“I found out that I was pregnant that day.”
“That’s great. But what’s wrong?”
“Last week I started bleeding and I lost the baby. And then I found out my husband had been having an affair with my doctor. We split up.”
“I see.” Craig said.
“Now I’m homeless and have barely any money.”
“Splitting up is always tough. Believe me.”
“You…”
“My wife and I split up. It was difficult but I don’t mind now.” Craig said. “Look this may sound a little weird, but do you want to go inside and talk?”
“You live around here?”
“At the end of the avenue.”
“I… okay then.” Camille said. They started walking.
“Are you new in town?”
“Yeah, we only arrived here a few months back.”
“We?”
“My son and I. I’m Craig by the way, Craig Smith.”
“Camille Ell… Williams.”
Five minutes later Camille was seated in Craig’s home, talking about everything that had happened with Russell, Cleo and Judi. She didn’t know why, but for some reason she trusted Craig. He seemed nice, he cared and he’d been through all this before.
“There’s my niece as well. She was living with us, but she’s been going off the rails recently.”
“I know. Joel hasn’t been doing too well since me and his mom split up.”
“Camille.” Came a third voice. Camille and Craig looked up to see Joel and Cleo standing in the doorway.
“Cleo. What are you doing here?”
“I…” Cleo Brady started, trying to think of an excuse. “I’m in Joel’s class at school and we were paired up for to do a project.”
“I see.” Camille said, wondering if Cleo was telling the truth.
“What is she doing here?” Joel asked, turning to his father.
“This is Camille Williams, she is a… friend of mine.”
“Oh, really. She’s going to replace mom is she?” Joel said, before turning and running up the stairs.
“I’m sorry about that. He still hasn’t got over our divorce.” Craig said, embarrassed.
“We better get going.” Camille said, standing up.
“Goodbye then.” Craig said, showing his guests to the door.
“Thanks.”
“Yeah thanks.” Cleo added.
“I’m glad I’ve seen you.” Camille said, once the door had closed.
“Why?”
“We need to talk. We haven’t really talked since, well you know.”
“What about?”
“The alcohol I found.”
“Look, I’m sorry. I’ve thrown that out now, since we fought. I was just feeling so down, but I shouldn’t have done that. I know that it was wrong. And I’m so sorry for…” Cleo answered, lying.
“It wasn’t your fault. It obviously wasn’t meant to be.” Camille said, putting her arms around her niece.
***
Judi’s
Apartment/Russell’s Apartment, same time
Judi Anders ran out of the elevator,
tears falling from her puffy eyes. She just wanted to get home, and curl up on
the sofa in a ball. Judi almost fell as one of her heels broke. Everything
was going wrong. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Judi reached her
apartment, and tore open her purse, searching for her keys. As soon as she
picked them up she put them into the door and quickly ran inside. She threw her
purse at the wall, leaving the door slightly ajar. Judi then felt it all
becoming too much, and broke down in tears. She slowly fell to the floor.
Meanwhile Russell was still drinking, after returning from the local liquor store. He looked down at the empty bottle, before throwing it across the room. It hit the door. Russell looked down at his hand which was cut.
“Oh my god. Judi, what happened?”
Judi looked up and saw Chardonnay Samson standing in the doorway.
“It’s all such a mess.”
***
Monday, April
28th 2003, The Hotel, Early Afternoon
Henri Laurent sighed as he looked through the computer for an address. He and Celia weren’t very good at using computers, but he had to admit they were much easier to use and helped make less mistakes than files. Justin usually showed he and Celia what to do, but now Justin wasn’t here anymore.
Henri wasn’t too pleased when he realised that he was in the staff CV’s folder. He was about to close it when he noticed a familiar name – Heather Manning. Henri clicked it, and it brought up her CV. Henri read through the rather impressive CV, which she had emailed them. He then had an idea. He reached for the phone and started to check Heather’s references.
“Hello, I was wondering about one of you former employees, Heather Manning. She didn’t? But she gave me your company as a referee. Okay, thank you for your help. Goodbye.” Henri put down the phone, puzzled. He decided to check the rest of her referees.
Upstairs Nicole Vincent stood, tears flowing down her cheeks. She was looking at a picture of herself and Justin on their wedding day. I look so happy. She thought, choking back the tears. Nicole left down the picture, beside another one of her brother Philippe and his deceased wife Carrie on their wedding day. Nicole turned around, and heard Erin crying again.
She sighed. Erin had been restless all day, missing her dad. Nicole walked towards her, feeling angry. “Erin, please.”
Nicole picked up her daughter, who kept crying. “Please Erin, please.” Nicole started breathing heavily. She suddenly remembered when she was suffering from post natal depression. Nicole shook her daughter a little, before realising what she was doing, seeing Erin’s innocent, yet terrified face. Nicole left her daughter down and burst into tears.
“I’m such a bad mother.” She told herself.
Ten minutes, and five phone calls later, Henri discovered that nobody seemed to know Heather Manning. He suddenly had an idea. He punched a phone number in and waited for a reply.
“Combs Investigators.”
“Hi, can you put me onto Tamara please. Its Henri Laurent.”
“Hello. Tamara Combs speaking.”
“Tamara, its Henri.”
“Henri, hi. Long time no talk.”
“Yeah. Look, I need you to help me with something.”
“Sure, what?” Asked the private investigator.
“I need you to find out more on a Heather Manning.”
***
Samson
Enterprises, Same time
Gabriel McLoughlin smiled as he walked towards his fiancé’s office. He knew she would be happy to learn of the special surprise that he had been teasing her about for the last few days. As he reached the hall which led towards Chardonnay’s office, Gabe was surprised to see Chardonnay and Luc talking.
“Hey, you’re not jealous of the ex, are you.”
Gabe turned and saw Macy Rodgers standing behind him.
“What?”
“Nothing, it was just a joke.”
“What did you mean, the ex?”
“Chardonnay and Jean Luc were engaged.” Macy said. “Didn’t you know?”
Next Time:
Henri’s PI gets closer to the truth, and Paris gets jealous over Nate.