The Marriage Act(85)
‘You can say anything you want and there’ll be no repercussions.’
‘Oh, believe me, there’s a lot I’ll be getting off my chest about you.’
‘How can I make this better? I hate that I’ve made you so angry.’
‘Tell me in your own words why you think I’m angry, Anthony.’
‘Because I wasn’t honest with you.’
‘That’s only a part of it. I’m angry because you didn’t want to hear me. I am your equal but you didn’t see me as that. It’s taken decades for women to have their voices heard, to be paid the same as men, to not be sexualized, marginalized, bullied or have their opinions overlooked. And it’s been twice as hard for women of colour. Even today, I have to fight for my seat at the table. So the last place I expected to be suppressed was under my own roof. And you did that, the man I thought loved me.’
‘I didn’t mean to do that to you.’
‘But you did, Anthony, you admitted as much. It was deliberate.’
‘I want to find a way in which we can move past this.’
Jada shrugged. ‘I don’t know how to because I don’t know who I’m married to any more. Your work has turned you into someone I don’t recognize. I feel betrayed.’
‘Betrayed? I’d never cheat on you.’
He thought of Jem Jones and how he might define their relationship. Some would consider it an emotional affair. But it was more of a form of co-dependency. They’d needed one another. And, without her, he had become untethered.
‘Nonsexual betrayals are just as devastating as if you’d slept with someone else,’ Jada continued. ‘You can be betrayed by someone when they don’t put you above all others.’
It wasn’t just Jada’s frankness that wounded Anthony. It was the way her eyes had become cold and hardened. He could no longer see his reflection in them. And that frightened him the most.
68
Corrine
Eleanor Harrison moved towards a decanter and poured herself a whiskey. She held up a glass as if to offer one to Corrine.
She declined. ‘You’ll forgive me if I don’t trust you when it comes to beverages.’
‘How do I know you’re not recording this conversation?’ Harrison said as she took a seat opposite Corrine.
‘This conversation needs to remain private.’
‘You mean away from the rest of the FFA fanatics? What do you want from me then? Money, I assume?’
Corrine nodded. ‘Yes, although not from you. I want what I am owed because of you.’
‘What have I done?’
‘Your support of the Marriage Act has ruined so many lives. And I don’t think you even give a damn.’
Harrison rolled her eyes. ‘That old chestnut. Why can’t people like you appreciate the bigger picture and how much it has helped the economy—’
‘Eleanor, honestly, I don’t care what you have to say. My husband and I have a fractious relationship. To cut a long story short, he duped me into signing papers that updated our marriage to a Smart Marriage when we were supposed to be divorcing.’
Harrison gave a closed-lipped smile. ‘Oh deary, deary me. So, what, you’d like me to pull a few strings and grant you an annulment? I’m afraid I have no sway in that department.’
‘No, it’s too late for that. I petitioned for a speedy divorce on the grounds of domestic abuse but he found another way to thwart me.’
‘How?’
‘He found a copy of that video recording I had hidden in the Cloud.’
Harrison’s eyes tapered. ‘You didn’t hide it very well then.’
Corrine ignored her. ‘And now he’s blackmailing me. Shortly before our divorce hearing yesterday, he warned if I don’t withdraw my application immediately and go back to him within twenty-four hours, he’ll make it public. Not only might I face criminal charges for unlawful entry and joint enterprise assault but he’ll be the one divorcing me, and on the grounds of criminal activity. Then he’ll marry someone he already has lined up. And the law being as biased as it is, I’ll barely see a penny from the settlement. But if I do return to our marriage, we can continue as we are.’
‘And was he abusive?’
Corrine hesitated. ‘No.’
‘Interesting. Using the suffering of others for your own benefit.’
‘I don’t need a morality lecture from you.’
‘So you’re not yet divorced?’
‘No, I put a hold on it.’
‘And if you go back to him, what will happen to the new bride-to-be?’
‘He’ll break it off with her. He’s using her as leverage. He admitted as much.’
‘Then I don’t see you have a choice. Stand your ground and we’re both at the centre of a shitstorm or do as he asks and we’re free.’
‘He doesn’t want me and I don’t want him. He just wants to control me. You haven’t got to where you are today by rolling over and doing what you’re told, have you? So why should I?’
‘Then I’ll ask again, what do you want me to do about it?’
‘Our finances are invested in land he’s purchased and is selling to the Government for the creation of New Towns. I need you to ask one of your colleagues to put pressure on him to rethink his choices at home or risk his contracts.’