Addicted To Greed

by Catherine Putsche

  An RJP Publishing Paperback First Published in Austria 2012 by RJP Books LTD,

  Copyright Catherine Rose Putsche 2012. The right of Catherine Rose Putsche to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

  recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

  All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  Greed is the inordinate desire to possess wealth, goods, or objects of abstract value with the intention to keep it for one's self, far beyond the dictates of basic survival and comfort. It is applied to a markedly high desire for and pursuit of wealth, status, and power.

  As a secular psychological concept, greed is, similarly, an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs. It is typically used to criticize those who seek excessive material wealth, although it may apply to the need to feel more excessively moral, social, or otherwise better than someone else.

  www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greed.

  "Greed is a sin against God” Thomas Aquinas

  Dedications

  For Rudi, my wonderful husband and beautiful daily inspiration: www.josef-p.webs.com. Zena, Jamie, and Jean, without you the pages would have been empty, thank you. A big thank you to Rainer Constant Kubisko, www.kubisko.at for reading the first copy and offering invaluable feedback.

  Last of all for my wonderful daughter Naomi, and beautiful granddaughter Tia, this book is in your memory.

  Acknowledgements This was a tough book to write I would like to say thank you to all my friends and family, I know it can’t be easy living with a writer and I know it wasn’t easy putting up with me while I wrote this book, Rudolf Josef Putsche, for the great advice, support, encouragement and foreign representation. Jean Mary Thompson, support, encouragement and childhood inspirations. Zena Louise Clayden Walker, support, encouragement and illustration. Rainer Constant Kubisko, for proof reading and positive feedback. Jamie Robert Thompson, for being the only little boy who grew up with three nagging women and came out on top.

  Prologue As he lay on his old Victorian bed, hand carved by his own grandfather many years ago he knew he was dying. Giving in to his death was proving difficult; he didn’t want to die yet, why now? Why when he had so much to put right and little time to do so. He searched around the room for some answers, scanning his favorite bookcases where he not only kept his own private works; he also kept his personal journals from over the six decades of his life. His eyes began to fill up as he remembered the births of all his dear children, his journals were endless memorials of his life and nobody knew about them, only himself. What would he do with them now? Would the children be interested in reading them? Written in his own hand? Or would it be best for him to just leave them in the past as they didn’t belong in the future, as they would reveal all his secrets, the prospect of this troubled him immensely. However the journals held a lot of answers the children were once curious about and he felt he owed it to them. Maybe they would understand why he did what he did and it would give them some clarity, if not what really did he have to lose? He wouldn’t be here to witness their reactions however good or bad they maybe. He hoped for their forgiveness one day, even in the event of his death. While mulling this over his beautiful wife entered, along with his private nurse. He immediately lost his trail of thoughts as he noticed the expression on his wife’s face, a cold heartless look of disapproval.

  Her dark, angry piercing blue eyes, not leaving his for a moment as if she was reading every one of his thoughts. . . Thinking back on how he met her he shivered, the guilt came surging back to him. Why had I looked at her? I was a happily married man.

  Felicity, his second wife had lured him in slowly at first. He remembered meeting her at one of his client’s engagement party over in New York, where he was hoping for his architectural work to become hugely successful. She began to pay a lot of attention towards his work at first and proved to be a valuable contact as she worked in real estate. Felicity was young, beautiful, and ambitious and shared the same opinion on European architecture as he did.

  He was amazed by her beauty, passion, and intelligence. He couldn’t resist the urge to ask her out to dinner the following week and she simply accepted. Twice he thought about calling her up to cancel, in hindsight he wished he had.

  They met at the L'Atelier de Joel Rubicon for dinner. He arrived early, nervous, and hesitant at first. After his second cocktail he began to loosen up and that’s when she arrived dressed in a black ankle length cocktail dress, her blonde hair neatly tied up into a French pleat. He noticed that her delicate beauty caught the attention of all the diners as they looked on in awe of her. Felicity was almost six feet tall of slender build and walked with an elegance he associated to his late mother.

  He suddenly found himself mesmerised by her beauty as she approached him. He almost forgot his manners as she stood at his table waiting to be seated. Once he rose to the occasion she asked,

  “Wilhelm, have you ever been to Paris?”

  Momentarily breaking eye contact for a few moments to take a deep breath he replied, “Yeah, but it was over a decade ago.” “You know what I love most about Paris?”

  She didn’t wait for a reply she carried on, as if she was talking to an old friend. “The sheer beauty of the place and the ability to walk until dawn. I’ve spent most my life there, staying up all night wondering from café to café. I could spend all day reading at this great brasserie Le Balzar. I had an apartment on Rue Des Ecoles, which I shared with a college friend.”

  Felicity paused for a moment looking somewhat embarrassed and gently whispered in to his ear. “And that’s the last glass of champagne I’m having tonight. I’m told I have a tendency to talk a lot when under the influence of alcohol.”

  “Go on encore un verre.” he said pouring the rest of the bottle of champagne into her glass.”

  “Please, only if you join me.”

  Wilhelm let out a small chuckle admiring the tone of her subtle French accent.

  “I’d be delighted to join you.” After sharing several bottles of champagne he had the distinct impression where it was all going. He sensed that she would invite him back to her apartment as she made it plainly obvious that she couldn’t resist him. What was niggling him the most however was the fact that he just couldn’t resist her either and this worried him slightly, giving into his yearning and desires was all he could think of, nothing else mattered to him more than this momentary lapse in time. What he wasn’t aware of was that this very act of adultery was going to not only change and destroy his life; it was going to shape everyone who was in it in a way he never imagined.

  Now, presently ten miserable years later he was trying to avoid looking into her stern hateful eyes.

  Felicity approached him fiercely pointing with her index finger. “It’s time for your medicine.” The nurse anxiously approached him gently pulling up the sleeve of his dressing gown. He didn’t resist as he knew what was coming next.

  “Nurse Patterson there’s no need for apprehension here; make sure he gets an extra dosage for good measure.” With this Felicity walked towards the door glancing back to see if the nurse was doing her job efficiently, not satisfied until she witnessed both injections pierce into her husband’s arm. She then closed the door and left them alone.

  He waited until he heard the footsteps disappear and whispered to
the nurse “I need you to do something for me, but it has to remain strictly confidential between you, me, and Mr Wallace. Felicity is not to know about this, do you understand?”

  Nurse Patterson looked into her patients eyes with sincerity and compassion and answered.

  “Yes sir, I understand. What can I do?” He pointed towards his journals and gave her strict instructions, and then he gave her a hand written letter addressed to Mr Wallace, informing her that this must follow.

  “In the event of the journals not reaching Mr Wallace, then you must deliver this to him in person. Here are his contact details, there’s a personal number if you can’t reach him in the office. Are you clear on my instructions?”

  “Yes sir I am. I’ll make sure that they are all delivered. You have my word.”

  He gently squeezed the nurse’s hand. “ Thanks for you for your help, dedication and support in these last eight months of my life. I’d like you to accept this as a token of my gratitude.”

  He handed her a large sealed brown envelope, containing a cheque for 2.5 million dollars along with an exceptional working reference. He had a feeling that this may change her life for the better and gave her hand a further squeeze.

  Nurse Patterson ’s eyes filled with tears. She knew that these were her patients last moments and she was dammed if she was going to leave him in solitude, unlike his ice queen of a wife. She didn’t like Felicity with a passion and had a deep empathy for her patient. She considered him to be the perfect gentleman, never once complaining of his illness, but sensing that he wished he had more time. She couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of sadness for this and hoped he would get more time. As a devoured Catholic she had on many occasions prayed for him. She would never forget this man’s great displays of courage, bravery, and generosity. She planned to sit a distance away from him, to give him his personal space, but to let her presence be known to him. She would pray in silence, that his passing would be graceful, painless and without suffering.

  “May I sit with you for a while sir?”

  He sensed her need to do so and his need of company.

  “Of course nurse. I don’t want to be alone tonight. But before you do can you call for Felicity to come to my bedside?” “Yes sir . Can I get you anything else?”

  “A neat triple whisky if you wouldn’t mind.”

  With this the nurse politely excused herself.

  He knew he would have several minutes before she returned. Reaching for his telephone he dialed his eldest daughter Ella, hoping she would pick up. After a few rings it went to answer phone and he thought it best not to leave a message. He repeated the process with Destiny, his middle daughter and found the same friendly answering machine. Disappointed and deflated he thought it best not to try Chase in the event of further rejection. Without further hesitation he dialed the third most precious number hoping she would pick up. On the third ring he heard the once familiar voice of his ex wife who he hadn’t spoke to in almost ten years.

  “ Hello, Jeannie Mansfield speaking.”

  Plucking up all his courage he managed an audible whisper. “Hello Jeannie, its Wilhelm.”

  He felt his pulse rising and suddenly found himself speechless. He half expected her to hang up, but she replied slowly as if in shock,

  “What can I do for you Wilhelm?” “Please Jeannie don’t hang up, I need to let you know just how sorry I am for all the heartache I put you and the children through. I truly apologise for what I did to you all. I’ve never stopped loving you and our children.”

  He wondered if she had hung up as there was a deadly silence on his end of the handset. After a few uncomfortable moments, he heard the beautiful high intonation of her voice becoming irritable.

  “Wil helm this is absurd. Why are you saying all this now? Has something happened? I don’t understand it was so long ago. What’s going on?”

  “I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I should’ve never turned my back on you and the children. This I consider to be the biggest mistake of my life. I was a selfish, ambitious, stupid young arrogant son of a bitch, who shouldn’t have left you and the children. I was more interested in making a name for myself over here in the states than anything else. The price I paid for this was my family. I just want to let you know that I never meant to sacrifice you and the children. You were and still are the love of my life.”

  “Oh Wilhelm, please spare me the details. I don’t know what in God’s names gotten into you. What you did to me and the children was absolutely unforgivable, however in time I did forgive you. As you’re aware I’m happily married now. So whatever you say to me now holds very little significance and the fact that it was over a decade ago. I think you’re a little too late.”

  “ Please Jeannie hear me out I don’t have long. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor several years ago. I’ve kept this quiet as I don’t need self pity. Everything has been done medically to preserve my life and now the tumor has advanced to the stages where it’s no longer treatable with medication. I wish I had more time to explain, however I don’t, and I just want you to know that I regret the stupid choices that I made in the past. It may come as a shock to but not all my choices were my own doing. I agree that I was incredibly stupid to cheat on you with another woman but things are not what you and the children think they are and I want you all to know the truth. Please if you get a chance in the next few days would you drop into Wallace’s London office? There’s something I’ve have mailed to you as private and confidential there that I would very much like you to have.”

  “Jesus Christ Wil helm you haven’t even told the children? My god I just don’t know what to say. Why now? Surely you could have made the time to tell me this before now. I am sorry for you I really am and to be honest I am absolutely speechless.” “I know that this has come as a shock for you. I’m deeply sorry to be putting this on you now, as a dying man this is my last wish Jeannie. I know it doesn’t make much sense to you now but hopefully in time it will and the children. Please I beg you to do this one last thing for me. I have been a very a selfish man in my life and in a way I deserve to die for this.”

  Without further hesitation he replaced the handset wiping the tears of anguish away feeling relieved that he told her his real feelings. His heavy heart beat began to slow down just as Nurse Patterson and his wife entered the room.

  Felicity hadn’t changed her cold expression, but allowed him to drink his whisky without too much disapproval. “Felicity, my dear I know the time is near . This is for you.” He handed her a small white envelope.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s for you and our only son . I hope this is suitable, if not, take it up with Mr Wallace, I am sure he will be able to advise you of your rights.”

  Felicity tore at the envelope with such urgency trying to open it, breaking one of her perfectly manicured nails in the process. Choosing to ignore the broken nail she looked at the contents of the envelope, it appeared to be a cheuqe for eighteen million dollars. Her eyes soon filled up with fear, despair and anger. “Is that all our worth? I’ll see to it that your filthy siblings get nothing as all your wealth belongs to me, this house, the villas, the penthouse and the cars and you lucrative businesses. I will not accept this, its sheer peanuts.”

  “You’ll find that you’re entitled to a lot less before you plan to seek any legal advice. On the country I believe I was quite generous, it’s your choice to accept or not my dear, but you won’t get another cent from me. You and your blackmailing antics are the reason for this. Do you know I have never loved you, once I found out what you were and as far as I am aware still are? How many more husbands will you cheat out of their families and fortune hey? You’ll get nothing more from me. Now get the hell out of my house and let me die with some dignity. The biggest mistake I made was meeting such a money grabbing bitch like you. But rest assured one fine day you’ll be exposed for your indiscretions.”

  “You can’t do this to me Wilhelm. I am after all your wife, and
we have a daughter together. What about Benjamin our disable son? The one you’re so keen to hide away from this world? What about him?”

  Wilhelm could feel his temper rising but was too weak to get into a long debate about his son. “Benjamin is indeed my son and he will receive the best care available. I’ve never hidden him from this world, my dear that was you. Before I fell ill Benjamin and I went fishing every weekend. I know his likes, his dislikes, and he has come on remarkably over the last several years. Something you’ve not even taken the time to find out. According to the hospital you haven’t visited him in over four long years, not even on his birthdays. You simply forgot about him. I never did and I don’t have to explain to you that I have a very healthy father son relationship with my son. I think you’ll find that our daughter doesn’t belong to the both of us. I had a paternity test upon her birth, as I did with Benjamin. The reason for this is because I never had any trust in you and my suspicions were correct when the test revealed that Bonnie was not mine. I had a second paternity test just to make sure. All this time I’ve raised another man’s child and I’ve kept this to myself up until now because me and my lawyers as well as my private investigators have been building a case on you that will in effect entitle you to nothing more of mine, except the nine miserable years I’ve been married to you, and I think you will find the cheque over compensates you for that.”

  “You bastard Wil helm, I hate you. I’ve always despised you and your horrible siblings. So in simple terms what you’re trying to inform me is that I’m worth a measly two million per year in this joke of a marriage? I should have gone for Senator Gordon while I had the chance, at least he had no wife, no children, and it would have been so much easier. I hear now he’s been accepted for vice presidency. My life would have panned out so much better I believe. However, instead of the senator I was tipped to meet you, an English architect new to the states, who had many successes in Europe and to my great surprise here also. That’s the reason I stuck this marriage out, much to my disappointment, you couldn’t even perform in bed as you’d get so drunk on the whisky. I was hoping if the tumor doesn’t kill you, the whisky would sooner or later.”