Secret Obsession

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  Paige picked up her home phone, preparing to call Derrick so she could ask him for Andrea’s number, but she set it back on its base when her cell rang. “Finally,” she said, rushing out of the kitchen and into the living room to get it.

  “Hey,” she said but realized she’d answered way too quickly since it wasn’t Pierce at all. It was Camille.

  “Hey sis,” Camille said, sounding wounded and troubled. “Girl, you won’t believe what happened.”

  “What?”

  “Pierce found me at a motel with some man who claimed he was that William guy. The man who I’ve supposedly been having an affair with.”

  “No way.”

  “Yes, and Pierce is angry enough to kill someone. We argued until the wee hours of the morning, and then when the kids went to school, he packed his things and left. And Paige, I think he’s gone for good this time,” she said, crying. “He was so hurt and disappointed.”

  “But how did you end up at a hotel?”

  “I don’t know. The last thing I remember is you and I stopping for coffee.”

  “Well, that’s strange, because right after that, you drove me home.”

  “All I know is that Pierce found me half-naked, and I can’t explain why.”

  “Do you think maybe you’re having memory problems?” Paige said, lighting another cigarette and feeling a hundred percent better about things.

  “Funny you would say that, because I’m starting to think the same thing. There has to be something wrong, otherwise how could I have sent emails to someone I don’t know, end up in bed with him, and then not remember any of it?”

  “I think you need to see a doctor.”

  “Paige, I really need you right now. I feel like I’m losing my mind, and I don’t know if I can handle this.”

  “Do you want me to come over?”

  “Can you? I’m going to call Mom and Dad, too, because it’s time I tell them what’s going on, but I really need my sister.”

  “I’ll be there soon,” Paige said.

  She went into her bedroom, dropped her phone inside her tote, grabbed her leather jacket, and hurried out to her car. She couldn’t have been more thrilled. Her plan had worked perfectly, and now that even Camille knew Pierce wasn’t coming back to her, Paige couldn’t stop smiling. She actually laughed out loud as she drove out of her subdivision, heading to her sister’s house—the house she would soon be living in and completely taking over. This had all been a long time coming, but now that the day was here, she decided it had all been well worth waiting for. It was true that she’d had to stoop to the lowest of levels and create more trickery and deception than most people saw in movies, but this was the reason she’d won. Her willingness to do whatever it took to get what she wanted had paid off, and if more people shared her philosophy they’d get what they wanted, too. But maybe they didn’t have the kind of drive or desire she had and would simply have to settle on being miserable and unsatisfied for the rest of their lives. If so, she felt sorry for them and wished them well.

  Chapter 32

  As soon as Paige got out of her car and walked up to the front door, she rang the doorbell and looked around at all the beautiful leaves that had fallen onto the ground. She wasn’t sure why Pierce hadn’t called the lawn service to remove them, and she would have to make sure to remind him about it. There was so much involved and so much that had to be done when one lived in a huge house, and she would certainly do a much better job of keeping things in order around here than her sister had. She would be a better wife, a better lover, and even a better mother to her niece and nephew. She would show everyone that Paige Donahue​—Paige Donahue Montgomery—had arrived.

  Camille opened the door, but interestingly enough, all she did was stare at Paige and walk away. So Paige walked inside, closed the door, and followed her into the kitchen. Camille stood with her arms folded, and Paige sat at the island.

  “You know, I’ve thought about this for hours now,” Camille said. “And all I wanna know is, why?”

  Paige didn’t like the look on her sister’s face or the eerie vibe overtaking the room. “Why what?”

  “Why do you hate me so much? Why would you go out of your way to destroy me like this?”

  Paige could barely breathe. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course you do. And to think I brought you into my home and trusted you.”

  “Look,” Paige said, not knowing where this was going or what Camille had discovered. “I don’t have the slightest idea what you mean.”

  “I mean how you moved in here all innocently and then sent those email messages from my computer.”

  “What?” Paige yelled, acting as though she didn’t have a clue.

  “Yes, you sent the emails, Paige, so don’t lie. And the sad part of all is that had my sweet little Crystal not overheard me early this morning talking to Mom about those messages and who could have possibly used my computer, I still wouldn’t know it was you.”

  “You’re crazy. And why in the world would you bring an innocent child into this?”

  “Because she saw you, Paige. She saw you tiptoeing out of my office one night when you were staying here, and she said you had papers in your hand.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “It is. And even when I wondered if maybe she’d made a mistake, my hesitation was put completely to rest when your friend’s wife called me.”

  Paige’s body fell limp.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Camille said. “Andrea called me right before noon and told me how you were never raped and that you’ve been after Pierce for a long time now.”

  “Andrea? Who’s Andrea?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Paige. You know exactly who I’m talking about and that she’s telling the truth.”

  Paige stood up in a huff. “This is crazy, and I’m not about to waste any more time listening to this foolishness. You’re just mad because your perfect little life is falling apart and you need someone to blame.”

  Camille shook her head, but when the doorbell rang, she left the room. Paige didn’t like what was happening and knew she had to get out of there. Although, actually, not all was lost, because even though Camille was on to some of what she’d done, she still couldn’t prove a single thing. So all Paige had to do was find Pierce. She needed to see him, because no matter how much Camille thought she had figured out, there was no fixing her marriage, not when Pierce had caught her with her lover.

  Paige grabbed her tote but stopped in her tracks when her mother and father entered the room.

  “You disgust me,” Maxine spat. “I knew you were up to something, and that’s why I never wanted you moving in here. I knew it was a bad idea from the start.”

  “I’m outta here,” Paige said.

  “No, you’re not going anywhere,” Maxine said, standing in front of her, but Paige shoved her mother against the doorway.

  “Oh my God, Mom,” Camille said. “Are you okay?”

  George helped Maxine recover her balance.

  “Baby, I’m fine,” Maxine said. “But this witch here,” she said, pointing at Paige, “she’s the one you need to worry about. She’s the tramp who’s obsessed with your husband, and she’s dangerous. Not to mention she’s the reason you ended up at that hotel last night.”

  “I know,” Camille said.

  Paige squinted her eyes at her sister. “What do you mean, you know?”

  “Like she said,” Pierce declared out of nowhere. “She knows you’re the one who set her up. We all know.”

  Paige’s body went into shock when she saw Leonard walking behind Pierce with his head down.

  “Remember him?” Pierce said. “Remember the man you hired to ruin your sister?”

  “You raggedy bastard,” Paige said, charging toward Leonard and slamming both her fists against his chest repeatedly.

  Pierce pulled her away from him. “Stop it, Paige!”

  “I’m sorry,” Leonard said.
“But I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t hurt these nice people the way you asked me to. So when Mr. Montgomery showed up at the hotel, I told him everything. I told him that I didn’t think your name was really Trish, because I heard you tell someone on the phone your name was Paige. I heard you when I was in the bathroom.”

  “He’s lying,” Paige insisted. “He’s just some dirty old homeless man who can barely even think straight.”

  “No, you’re the one who’s lying,” Camille said. “You’ve hated me all these years, and that’s the reason you did this. But I ask you again, why?”

  Paige tossed Camille a dirty look. “Because you have everything. Even when we were kids, Mom and Dad always treated you better, and I’ve had to walk in your perfect little shadow since I was a toddler.”

  Camille shook her head. “That’s not true, and you know it.”

  “It is true,” Maxine said.

  “Sweetheart, please don’t,” George told his wife.

  “No, I’m sick of Paige, and it’s time she knew the truth. Since the day you were born, I’ve never been able to stand you. And the only reason I kept you was because I didn’t think I could live with the guilt of giving away my own child. But after this…after all the heartache and pain you’ve caused my sweet Camille, I wish I had. I wish I’d dumped you at the nearest orphanage or gave you to the family of that maniac who raped me.”

  Paige gazed at her mother and then looked at her father, Camille, Pierce, and Leonard. There was no way she’d heard her mother correctly.

  “You look just like him,” Maxine continued. “You’re his spitting image, and now you’re going to prison just like he did. And if we’re lucky, you’ll end up dying there, too—just like he did.”

  Paige burst into tears. “So, you’re not my dad?” she said to George.

  “No,” he said. “I’m not. But I’ve always loved you like I was.”

  “And you?” she said to Camille. “You knew about this all along, didn’t you? You knew my father was a rapist and you never told me?”

  “No, Paige, I didn’t. I had no idea.”

  “Yeah, right. And I’m supposed to believe that?”

  “Well, I didn’t, and no matter what you think, I’ve always loved you. I’ve always been there for you.”

  “Some good it did,” Maxine said. “And—”

  “That’s enough,” George exclaimed, interrupting her, and Maxine looked at him like he was crazy, the same as she’d been doing for years whenever he tried speaking up. Strange how it wasn’t until now, at this very moment, that Paige realized her father hadn’t treated her badly at all. Only her mother.

  Still, tears soaked Paige’s face, and when the doorbell rang, she stormed past Camille and through the family room. When she opened the door, however, she dropped her handbag and stumbled backward. Detectives Johnson and Anderson, the two detectives assigned to her rape case, stood in front of her.

  Paige felt lightheaded and looked on in a daze.

  Detective Anderson stepped inside and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “Paige Donahue, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?”

  Paige heard every word he said but couldn’t speak, not even if she wanted to. There was something she couldn’t stop thinking about, though: she’d staged a phony rape and now learned she was the product of a real one.

  The irony of it all was terrifying.

  Epilogue

  A Year Later

  What a difference a year could make. Only twelve months ago, Paige had learned that the man she’d known as her father wasn’t her father, and that her mother had hidden the truth from her for years. She’d also been completely exposed when it came to all the lying, plotting, and manipulating she’d done with her sister. They’d stopped her cold, and while Camille hadn’t mentioned it that day Paige was arrested, Paige had discovered later on that Owen had in fact gotten his revenge. He had called Camille, after all, and told her about that photo he’d seen. Then there was Crystal, Paige’s sweet little niece, who had seen her favorite auntie sneaking out of her mom’s office. Paige, of course, hadn’t counted on that particular scenario, but she hadn’t blamed Crystal for telling. She also no longer blamed Andrea for calling Camille and divulging what she’d overheard either, especially since Paige knew she’d been wrong for offering Derrick a place to bring his women. She hadn’t seen a problem with doing so back when it was happening, but today she was very sorry. She also regretted the way she’d convinced Derrick to help trigger an unnecessary crime investigation, and she was glad he hadn’t had to do any jail time.

  Nonetheless, however, the incident that had caught Paige totally off guard was when Leonard had showed up at her sister’s. She’d been stunned like no other time she could remember, and she hadn’t been able to believe Leonard—poor, pitiable, homeless Leonard—had found the nerve to double-cross her. He’d truly gotten the best of her, because when he’d left the motel and gotten into the rental car with her, claiming Pierce had punched him and made him leave, she’d never questioned his honesty. She hadn’t expected a man like Leonard to betray her, and she was shocked to know he hadn’t even done it for more money. What she’d figured was that Pierce had probably paid him double the amount she’d given him, but as it had turned out, Leonard had only done what he thought was right. He was a genuinely good man who’d lost his job, wife, and children a few years back and had ended up on the streets. He was also very well-educated and now employed as an accountant at the same bank Pierce worked at. All he’d needed was a chance, Paige guessed, and interestingly enough, he’d written her a couple of letters, thanking her for picking him up and buying him clothes that day. He’d contacted her maybe a couple of months after she’d been admitted to the sanitarium, and she’d truly appreciated hearing from him.

  Today, though, she was finally being released and going home with her best friend. She couldn’t wait to start her new life and would forever be grateful to Karla for the loving way she’d stood by her. It was true that Paige’s mental illness and all the dreadful things she’d done as a result of it had totally blindsided Karla, but Karla still hadn’t turned her back on her—not even when it had taken Paige a full three months to accept and admit she was sick. Karla had never judged Paige, and she’d also done everything she could, trying to make things right between Paige and her family​—​something she was discussing right now with her therapist.

  “Well, I must say,” Dr. Lane said, smiling. “You’ve certainly made some amazing progress.”

  Paige smiled back at the distinguished-looking sixty-something-year-old man. “Yeah, I guess I have, and of course, I owe a lot of thanks to you.”

  “No thanks needed at all. Helping my patients is what I’m here for, and it always gives me great joy when I see success stories.”

  “I’m definitely better. That’s for sure. But I still have a few struggles.”

  “When it comes to your mom, right?”

  “Yes. I just don’t understand why she won’t have anything to do with me. Why she doesn’t love her own child,” Paige said, thinking back to all the therapy sessions she’d wept through due to this very thing.

  “For the most part, it’s because she’s still in so much pain herself. And she needs someone to help her work through all of it.”

  “Maybe. But if you ask her, she’ll swear she’s fine.”

  Dr. Lane leaned back in his chair. “Unfortunately, she’s no different than most people who have emotional problems or mental illnesses. She’s no different than the thousands of folks who will never get the help they need, because in many cases, not even their family members believe they need therapy.”

  “Just like I didn’t. And now I know that if a judge hadn’t forced me to come here, I probably never would have.”

 
“But you did, and that’s what counts.”

  “I hope so. And at least my dad has been here for me all year long. He’s been so supportive and kind, and I won’t ever forget that day he told me he loved me the same as if I was his own flesh and blood and that he would never allow Mom to keep him away from me again.”

  “Your dad is a good man, Paige, and you’re very blessed to have him in your life.”

  “I am, and maybe one day, through some kind of miracle, my mom will eventually love me, too.”

  Paige and Dr. Lane chatted for another ten minutes or so, and then Paige went back to her room to finish packing. About an hour later, Camille walked in, and oh had they come a long way. In the beginning, Camille hadn’t wanted to see Paige, but as time had gone on, she’d found it in her heart to come visit her. Camille had proven she was the picture of forgiveness, and the reason Paige praised her so much was because Paige still wasn’t sure she could forgive any woman who’d slept with her husband—something Pierce had admitted to Camille that morning after the motel incident—the same day they’d summoned Paige over to their home to confront her.

  “You ready?” Camille said, hugging her.

  “Just about. Karla should be here soon. Also, how are my niece and nephew?”

  “They’re fine.”

  “I’m glad.”

  There was a bit of silence, and Paige could tell that Camille knew why.

  “And yes, Pierce is doing well also,” Camille added.

  Tears filled Paige’s eyes. “I still have a hard time even saying his name to you, and I’m so sorry for what I did. I’m sorry I became so obsessed with him and tried to ruin your marriage. I know I’ve told you this over and over, but I hope you believe me when I say that it wasn’t so much that I was in love with Pierce as it was about my jealous feelings toward you. Not to mention, I was very ill and not dealing with reality very well.”