#28 (Warren confides in Charles...)
Warren Montgomery stood by the large bay window in his father’s office on the Montgomery Estate as a thousand conflicting thoughts raced through his mind like wild horses. He hadn’t wanted to see his father, Charles, today, but they had business to attend to including Kate and Hannah’s trust funds, Walt’s ongoing legal problems, and the one issue Warren needed to discuss more than anything else in the world. Warren was pulled from his reverie when he heard Charles walk into his office while talking in a low, hushed voice on his cell phone.
“Yes… It’s something we can discuss…later,” Charles said as he caught sight of his son. Without another word, Charles ended the call with a small smirk. “Warren. To what do I owe the pleasure. I thought you and Jill headed up to Maine yesterday.”
Warren cleared his throat. “Jill went up with the girls. Her sister, Delphine, will join them. I decided to stay in town.” He sat in a high back chair and removed a stack of papers from his briefcase. “With regard to Uncle Walt’s case, we’re nearly settled on a fine. It seems some in the prosecutor’s office want to send him to federal prison as an example to those who may step out of line in the future. I pointed out that Montgomery Industries will pay the fine along with establishing a clean energy fund of up to two billion dollars for use over a decade. Money talks, so that should be the end of it. I’m just waiting for opposing counsel to sign off on it.”
Charles examined the papers closely. He knew simply paying the fine would be enough to allow him to move on from this incident. Walton was an idiot – everyone knew it – but Charles saw no use in his younger brother going to jail all the while sullying the Montgomery name. “Do whatever it takes to keep him out of jail. The company will pay whatever fines are necessary. We’ll get The Chemical Alliance Company out of this trouble one way or another. Warren, I want you to talk to Janet Ruiz about Walton selling me, Alice, and Sandra the equivalent of his stock in Montgomery Industries as reimbursement to the other company’s owners for cleaning up his dirty work.” Charles lowered his voice, “Make it known to Walt and his lawyers that this is not a suggestion.”
“Understood.” Warren cleared his throat before adding, “Dad, I want to be added as an executor to Kate and Hannah’s trust funds.”
“Whatever for?” chortled Charles. “It’s not glamorous work, Warren.”
“I want to know what’s going on. I trust you, Mom, and the executors from the bank, but I should have a say.” Warren chewed on his bottom lip before adding, “Jill and I are having…problems. She’s against Billy’s wedding to Connor and she’s refusing to allow Kate and Hannah to be flower girls in the wedding.”
Charles took a sharp breath. “I thought we’d beaten the wild streak out of that one.”
“It’s not that easy. I never realized how homophobic and…traditional…the Stanhopes were until I saw it for myself a few days ago.”
“For a family without any money to speak of, they seem to be above themselves,” sniffed Charles.
“It’s worse than that. I’m afraid that Jill’s beliefs will seep into our children. I don’t want them to think their uncle is some sort of wicked degenerate because he’s gay.”
“If Jill has a problem with Billy, then she has a problem with the family. Despite what people may think about Billy and Connor, at the end of the day, it’s a family matter, not one for outsiders to dissect for their own gain. The bigger problem is that Jill is the mother of my grandchildren. That makes her an ongoing concern, Warren.”
“Dad, I don’t know what to do. Part of me wants to divorce her…just be done with it… The other part of me does love her and wants to work through it.” Warren released a pained sigh. “There’s no right thing to do.”
“There will never be a right thing to do, Warren. I’m still married to your mother because it’s easier to keep her. Well, it’s easier when she’s in Paris than when she’s out and about in Kingsport with Sheila. It is not for me to give you advice, but I will remind you that you have the upper hand with Jill.”
“Dad…”
“Warren, I’m serious. Your prenuptial agreement is iron clad. The jewels you’ve lavished on her are in trust; the same with your house. She can’t access a dime from Hannah or Kate’s trust funds unless you predecease her and then she only can access a portion of the income until they each turn eighteen. After that, she gets a quarterly stipend along with the right to live in your house until she remarries. If she divorces you, she gets nothing except the clothes on her back. That woman would do well to remember that,” bit Charles.
As much as Warren loved his father, his blood always ran cold with how clinical Charles could be when discussing matters of money with his family. “Dad, I don’t want to leave her with nothing.”
“Warren, if you want to have a separate divorce agreement which is attached to your income, so be it. Your wife will never get her hands on the Montgomery money, trusts, property, or the like. If you want to be rid of her, then get rid of her.”
“It’s not that easy…”
“While I don’t approve of divorce before children have graduated from college, if this is an extreme situation, then you will have my support.” Charles walked over to his eldest child and sat in the chair next to him. “I don’t want my granddaughters raised by a homophobic woman who loathes one of my sons because he’s gay. It’s not right. I won’t stand for it and neither will your mother.”
Warren gazed at Charles quizzically. “You and Mom are best friends now?”
“When it comes to our children, we’ve always been a united front,” Charles stated, firmly. “You have to do what’s best for your children, Warren. End of.”
Warren pondered his father’s words as he called for his car and walked to the forecourt of the Montgomery Estate. All around him, the ghosts of a million years rushed past him. So much of his life had happened on this estate: His first kiss; where he lost his virginity; his wedding day; and the countless happy times his family had shared before he realized just how unhappy they were. Charles and Alison were always at odds; India hated Will. Warren knew what it was like to grow up in a world filled with acrimony and polite condensation. That wasn’t what he wanted for his daughters; he knew they deserved happiness…and as little suffering as possible. Warren’s marriage to Jill was already sexless. He could wait until Kate finished college before he finally divorced Jill. He could wait that long if he had to. At the end of the day, Warren knew his family meant the world to him…and if Jill insisted on being a former member of his family, then so be it.
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