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Taking a quick look through his drawers and closet I can see that all of his toys and clothes are packed perfectly. Thank goodness I had asked the designer to include that in her fee as moving with a toddler was stressful enough to do on my own!
Glancing at my wristwatch I see I still have plenty of time before I need to fetch my little guy.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. The last thing I feel like is talking to someone right now, but dutifully I pull it out and look at the screen. My mother. Reluctantly I slide the green button across the screen to answer the call.
"Hello, Mother."
"Darling!" She gushes into the phone. "How is the move going? Why you had to move all the way out there I will just never understand. How is Taylor taking it? It's not too late to change your mind you know."
"Everything is running smoothly." I always try to keep my answers with my mother as short as possible and to the point so that I can avoid her being able to nitpick everything I say.
"Darling, I am just so stressed out with your move. You know there was another article online today about your wife."
"My ex-wife. And honestly, I don't want to hear. If the lawyers think it is something to look into, they can look into it."
"Oh, but Daring, they were talking about your brother as well. Surely you care about Daniel?"
"You mean the same brother that was supplying my wife the prescription meds she became addicted to just before she went out to have a spree of affairs, including one with him… and those disgusting displays of drunken debauchery? That brother? The brother who was completely happy to sleep with my wife. You think I should be caring about that brother?" the anger in my voice is thick and obvious. I can't believe I have let her get to me so quickly. Usually, I can navigate conversations with my mother without reaching this point. I guess I am more stressed out with this move than I thought.
"Hudson, do not speak to me like that!"
I stay quiet. Rather stay quiet than say what was really running through my mind. Why today, Mother, why add stress to the move and the court case? Why bring up difficult topics right now when I am in the middle of something chaotic enough as it is!
"Hudson, how is Taylor liking the new house?"
Excellent. Yes. Change the subject. "He is still at daycare. I am fetching him later today."
"Shall I fetch him? Send me the address and I'll have my driver take me. I can come over and help him settle in."
The thought of having my mother here just when we are trying to settle in is not pleasant by any stretch. "No thank you, Mother. I am looking into hiring a nanny. It will be much easier. Thank you for the offer though, I appreciate it."
I do actually want to hire a nanny. I had better message my assistant and tell him to set up some interviews for me.
"I am just trying to help, Hudson. You don't have to brush me off so rudely. Why do you continue to disrespect me?" I know I have not brushed her off in a rude way. I know I have been polite. But this is my mother's way. "And please Hudson, give your brother a call. He isn't feeling very well after this latest article, and he needs your support."
That is the last straw for me. "He needs my support?! He needs to get his life together. He is the reason that my marriage was destroyed, and he was never there to support me after that happened! Why in the world would I be there to support him now! You know I haven't spoken to him in over two years!"
"I told you not to speak to me with that tone, Hudson. I am your mother. Call your brother. I am not asking you! I am telling you."
This phone call is not worth the energy it is draining from me. Why do I let her get to me like this?
"Yes, Mother. I will call him." I lie. It is easier than continuing to try and get her to understand the damage Daniel has done to my life. I have nothing to do with him now and I will never have anything to do with him again.
The same goes for my ex-wife. As soon as this custody battle is over, I will never speak to her again. Even now we only speak via the lawyers and mediators and that is perfectly fine with me. Whatever is going on between Daniel and Karla and this latest article is entirely their own problem as long as it does not spill over and cause issues for my son.
I reassure my mother that I will have her and my father over for dinner as soon as everything is settled down and I end the call as politely as I can manage. My frustration is worse than ever though, and I wonder if I can fit in a session at the gym that they have here at the estate before it is time to fetch Taylor. This is meant to be a really happy day for him, and I need to get rid of some of this agitation so that he doesn't pick up on my bad energy.
CHAPTER3
GIANNA
"Hudson Drake!?" I stammer into the phone in total disbelief. "Hudson Drake as in Daniel Drake's older brother?" I almost want to cry. Samantha is on the other end of the call. "Yes, honey I am so sorry. I just came across some paperwork at the office, and I mean --- obviously, I am not supposed to be telling you. It is private legal documents, but I know what you have been through so when I realized that he was your new neighbor I just wanted to give you a heads up."
"Okay but, Samantha, are you sure it is Hudson Drake as in my ex's brother? Are there not maybe other Drake's in the area? Please tell me you are wrong. Please." The thought of this being a reality, my beautiful home being infested by that disgusting family, has tears threatening to escape my eyes. I close my eyes to make sure that does not happen. I am still at work, and I definitely don't want to be walking out into the office area and having my assistant see me upset like this.
"Gi, there is only one Drake family. The tobacco empire. The stinking riches. The pompous, over-the-top parties---"
"The abusive, violent, narcissistic sons."
