Like a Moth to a Flame...

Camilla Bowen-Brown never got along with her mother in-law, Mrs. Brown.
Mrs. Brown always asked everyone, including Camilla, to call her Mrs. Brown and never by her first name. Her son David, Camilla’s husband, referred to her as mother. To her, saying anything other than Mrs. Brown meant that she was not the wife of billionaire John Brown II, but a regular person and not the prestigious woman she felt that she was. Her husband John was the president and CEO of Micro Models Inc., which meant that she never had to work a day in her life. Every day was filled with manicures, pedicures, hair appointments, massages, etc. With her sleek white hair, and dark grey eyes, every time she looked at Camilla, the one thought that popped into her head was “trash,” and she never understood why her son would marry someone like her.
After her father died of a cocaine overdose when she was just a year-old, Camilla grew up in a homeless shelter with her mother. Unlike her husband David, who grew up in a mansion, she was never accustomed to having a real family. She was a rebel when she was younger, trying everything from alcohol to drugs, and even prostitution. When she became 15, she vowed to turn her life around after her mother was shot and killed while trying to buy drugs from a dealer off of the street. She began by dedicating herself to school, making all A’s and winning many awards. Camilla applied for and received money from every scholarship she could, which landed her at one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, Harvard. At this time, she decided that she wanted to become an attorney.
David Brown‘s life on the other hand was perfect compared to Camilla‘s. He was a straight A student, captain of both his high school and college football teams and was a very handsome and intelligent young man who also dreamed becoming an attorney. He met Camilla when both were set up on a blind date on Valentine’s Day. The attraction between the two was immediate. They talked about everything, from childhood dreams, to lifelong goals. Camilla, in choosing not to reveal too much too soon, did not tell David about her rebellious past until they decided they were serious about their relationship. They married after 4 years of dating, completely going against the wishes of Mrs. Brown, who always viewed Camilla as nothing more than a gold digging tramp. Even on the 5th year anniversary of their wedding day, Mrs. Brown still believed that David made a terrible mistake in marrying Camilla.
While she was in her room getting ready for the anniversary party, Camilla was confronted by her mother in-law who sneaked into the room after David headed down stairs to check on the décor.
“It’s not that I don’t like you dear, it’s just that I don’t think that you were the right woman for my son.” Mrs. Brown said.
“Well, tell me how you really feel!” Camilla began. “Look I know that you hate me and that you have hated me for years. I also know that you didn’t want me marrying David, but I did. Why do you have to pick a fight with me today of all days? We have been married as of today for 5 years and together in total for 9 years. Two children have come out of this union and you still treat me as if I am an outsider, like I’m not good enough. I’m your daughter in-law, Mrs. Brown whether you like it or not. And I would like you to remember that you are in my house…”
“…Which we helped pay for.” Mrs. Brown interjects.
“You know that David and I were in a tight spot when we first began our legal careers. You and John helped us out by choice. If I recall, David and I adamantly objected to your help in paying for this house; but you both insisted, and to this day you still bring it up as if we begged you like poor people begging for change.”
Mrs. Brown began, “You are the expert dear, spending most of your young adult life in a homeless shelter addicted to alcohol and prostitution. It’s a wonder that your children are even normal. I mean with all of the substances that must have passed through your body, along with the drugs; we most certainly can’t forget the drugs. But since leeching on to us I guess you’ve changed…what you’ve changed, I don’t know, but I guess you have.”
“You are such a bitch and a hypocrite.” Camilla interjects. “David told me about your spending some time in a mental institution, after John had an affair with one of those models. Went a little crazy, did we? He also mentioned that you had a problem with alcohol as well before you became the prestigious hag that you are, drinking your days away into the nights. So don’t you sit across from me and act like you are the only person on earth with no flaws.”
“Listen to me you no good piece of trash. Don’t you ever compare yourself to me in any way. You are nothing like me. People like me, stomp on people like you. Camilla Bowen-Brown; you are not even good enough to carry the Brown name, to be married to my son, or be in this family. David told me once that you felt as if you were nothing. Well let me tell you dear, that you are nothing. You are beneath me and this family. David may say otherwise, but he married you out of pity. He doesn’t love you, he just got stuck with you because you wound up pregnant with his child and I still have to wonder if Samantha is even his daughter. I guess Jasmine is, because she was born 2 years after you were married, but you still have to wonder.”
With tears in her eyes, Camilla says to Mrs. Brown, “You’re spiteful.”
“No, just truthful. I suggest you dry your face and get downstairs, you don’t want to hold up the party do you? By the way Camilla, you have known me for years now. I thought you knew that trying to challenge me by hurling insults at me was not the best thing. I always win, I have lived longer than you and even out-bitched my husband’s mother, may she rest in peace until I get there. Hurry up dear, this is your anniversary party! At least pretend to be happy, I know that I am.”
As Mrs. Brown leaves the room, Camilla wonders if she can still handle being around the woman for the rest of her life. If it were not for the love of her children and husband, she would have left this life behind a long time ago. While she dries her tears and is ready to head downstairs, David comes back into the room and tells her that everything looks as perfect as she does. He notices that she has been crying and asks her what’s wrong and if his mother had anything to do with it.
“I can handle your mother.” Camilla says. “She’s just a hard pill to swallow. David begins, “I didn’t even notice her coming into the room, but I did see her coming down the stairs. I thought that she was just checking in on Samantha and Jasmine. You know what, I am going to say something to her right now. She has no right to make you cry on a day that is all about us. In fact, she never has a right to make you cry.”
“Please David, don’t make a scene today. She was just trying to get under my skin as usual. Look she hates me, I know that, you know that, everyone downstairs knows that and I don’t want her thinking that I turned you against her. So lets just go downstairs, have a great time, and after the party when all of the guests are gone, and we are all alone…then you can rip into your mother!” Camilla and David head downstairs to their party, and while she is greeting guests, David is frantically trying to find his mother. He finally finds her in the kitchen, just as she is badmouthing Camilla to the chef’s who are catering the party.
“It’s a good thing that we have professional’s who are doing the cooking today. Heaven knows that Camilla can’t cook. Once, she tried to bake a turkey for Thanksgiving and she didn’t leave it in the oven long enough. I offered to help her because I knew that she had no idea what she was doing, but she snapped at me as usual…”
“Mother, may I have a word with you?” David asks.
“Of course David, I always have time for my favorite son.”
“I’m your only son. Mother, what did you say to Camilla earlier? I went back into the bedroom, and she was crying.”
“Nothing that she hasn’t heard before. Look, lets not get into this now, you have an anniversary party to get attend. Even if this marriage is an abomination. Just kidding. You know that I love your wife David…” Mrs. Brown says.
“…Not more than you hate her.” David interjects. “Tell me what you said to her.”
“David, I just told your wife the truth; that she’s not good enough for you. We all know that you could have done better, but you always were the type of child who loved to bring home stray dogs. Unfortunately, this one never ran away and do you know why? Because of our money….”
“…Stop it mother! I am going to tell you this, and only tell you once so I suggest you listen quite carefully. For too long, Camilla has taken your abuse and we are both sick and tired of it and you! She is not a stray dog, or something on the bottom of your Jimmy Choo’s! Camilla’s my wife, and I love her more than anything. Understand this, you come 2nd, she’s first. Hurting her by saying that she is not good enough, shows your true colors and what a demented and horrible person you truly are…”
“David!” Mrs. Brown interjects.
“I’m not finished! You have no right to come into my house and treat my wife like she is less than. She’s human, and she has feelings. Treating her like the outsider for all of these years is more than anyone can handle, and quite frankly I am surprised that she hasn’t left me if only to get away from you! You’re intolerable, your mean and cruel, and Camilla and I are not going to take it anymore. I suggest that if you would like to continue seeing your grandchildren or myself, you will change your ways, because I can guarantee you mother, that before I let her leave me because of you, I will leave you first. Have I made myself completely clear, because if I haven’t believe me I’ll be glad to repeat it for you.”
“Don’t you have a party to attend to?” Mrs. Brown says softly. David walks away from his mother, who is on the verge of crying, but of course will not let her tears flow. As guests are still entering the party, Mrs. Brown feels that after the conversations with both her son and Camilla, something has to be said. Walking into the dining room of their home, David and Camilla thank all of their guests for coming, and begin to dance and have a good time.
“Excuse me,” Mrs. Brown says “Could you turn the music down? I have something that I would like to say.”
“Oh no.” David says to his wife.
“What is she going to do now? What else can she possibly do…but we are talking about your mother.”
“I would just like to say, that contrary to what my son and his trashy wife may believe, I am not that horrible of a person.” Mrs. Brown says.
“Mother, that’s it! I have had it with you. You are going to have to leave this house right now!” David says.
“No David! I am not going anywhere. You and your wife are going to have to settle for one more showdown with me before I leave this house! I always have the last word, no matter who I am talking to. Ever since you were a little boy, your father and I groomed you to become the best man we knew that you could be. The best man, that would eventually take over the family business that your father created from the ground up. But you chose a different route. You chose to become a lawyer, to people who don’t even make enough money to pay you for your services. You go to one of the best schools in the country to get the best education possible, and all we asked is for you to come back with a diploma, and you come back to us with this piece of trash.”
“Get out!.” Camilla screams.
“Oh no,” Mrs. Brown states, “I’m just getting warmed up! You have been leeching off of this family since you were selfishly brought into it by my son and I see right through you. You are nothing more than a pathetic excuse for a mother and human being. You didn’t know how to make your own way, make your own money, so when you saw my son, the first thought that popped into your head was, JACKPOT! Knowing that he was rich, you told him that ‘poor me’ sob story and he ate it up like chocolate cake. I, on the other hand always knew that you were nothing. All of these years you have tried to turn my son against me, and BRAVA! You have finally succeeded in doing so. David, my son, born of people with a wealthy pedigree and marrying someone who eats it right out of the can!”
“BITCH!” Camilla screams. “You’re just pissed off because your son finally stood up to you and for himself! It didn’t take me for him to tell you off. All it took was your constant nagging and your constant disappointment of him, saying that everything that he did was wrong, everything he did was a mistake. His biggest mistake was not telling you off a long time ago. Having to suffer through every one of your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, while you moped and griped about him being married to me. Get over it lady! I am not going anywhere! All of that bitching and complaining has gone in vain! You are the one who is nothing, not me. You are the one who is trash, coming into our home and treating us like dirt. You don’t deserve respect! You have to earn it first.”
“Oh, dear! This is all very touching, but when it comes to you Camilla, my heart is made up of ice.”
“That is it mother! I told you earlier that if you could not respect my wife, that you would not see your grandchildren or myself anymore! How can you live with yourself treating people the way that you do? It’s like you get off on it some how, like it makes you feel good to see other people in pain. Do you not understand how I have suffered my whole life trying to make you and Dad happy? I was the popular guy in high school because you said that was the way it had to be. I played football, not to get a scholarship because heaven knows we didn’t need the money, but because you and Dad said I needed to, and that it would make you both so happy and proud! I worked my ass of to get into Harvard because that is what you wanted, not me, and I disappoint you by doing what? Becoming a lawyer and not the prominent business man that Dad is? Give me a break! I was never able to stand up to you before because, to be quite honest, I was afraid that you and Dad would cut me out of my inheritance. All of these years, I was afraid of not getting any money when the old man died, and guess who I learned that from? Only the best mother, only you.”
“I see. Well, it’s so nice that the two of you have each other to lean on. The bitch and the pauper. I love you David, but I hate your wife even more. I am sorry that you don’t want me to be a part of your life anymore, but I am not going to change, not even for you. I will always believe that you and this family are better than she is.”
Mrs. Brown begins to walk to the front door to leave the party and realizes that, with words, she may have won the battle, but in the process, has lost the one thing that she deemed the most precious to her, the love of her son.
“Oh, by the way,” Mrs. Brown begins, “Happy anniversary. So sorry that I had to ruin it with the truth. If your mother can’t tell you the truth, who can? Go ahead and dance, have a good time, but I have said it before, and I will say it again, this marriage was made in hell.”
“You have made you hell mother.” David says.
“No, I haven’t David, unfortunately you have made my hell.”
Mrs. Brown left the aniversary pary, more upset than she had ever been before in her life. She could not believe that after all of these years, Camilla still had more of a hold on David than Mrs. Brown ever did, or ever could. she was determined to get rid of Camilla no matter what the cost. Mrs. Brown had all of the intentions to have her daughter in-law killed, to finally have the woman out of her life, as well as David's life, but with that thought in mind, Mrs. Brown knew that she had to work fast. When she got home that evening, she thought of the different ways that she could "off" Camilla without anyone asking too many questions. Over and over, she thought of life without her, finally having David as her son again; wishing and hoping that he would turn to her in his time of grief. Mrs. Brown suddenly remembered a garnder Michael Gonzales, who would modify and trim her hedges, mow her grass, and keep the yard looking nice. She had fired him about a year and a half before, because she caught him in her bedroom stealing some jewelry. Because of the incident, he spent a few months behind bars for petty theft, but was let out soon after.
The next day, Mrs. Brown tracked Michael in a run down neighborhood. She asked her current gardner and Michael's former helper, Benny, where he stayed. Walking down the street in which Michael lived, rats and mice came out from every corner, while stray dogs and cats sniffed at Mrs. Brown's feet. She thought to herslf that she should have just taken a cab, or had her driver take her, but she didn't want anything coming back around to her, if the plan inded followed through. People stared at her as she walked down the street, mainly because she was the only person on that side of town to actually be brave enough to wear anything over $20.
"Hey lady!" a woman yelled out in her direction, "You askin' for trouble, walkin 'round here like that! Might get ya'self robbed or sumthin." The woman began laughing with her friends, while Mrs. Brown gave her a dirty look, and proceded to the apartment complex, in which Michael was living. When she finally reached the fifth floor, she went to Michael's door and knocked and loud as she could, because he had music playing that was so loud, nothing else could be heard.
When he finally turned the music off, and walked to the door, he was half dressed with nothing but a white t-shirt on filled with holes, dirty jeans that had obviouls not been washed and were unbuttoned, and a beer in his hand. Micheal was a balding 30 something year old, who had been out of work since he was charged for stealing Mrs. Brown's jewelry.
"Well, my eyes must be playin tricks or I am drunk as hell! Mrs. Brown, is that you? I'll be damned! Never thought I'd see you again, 'secially in a neighborhood like this...and after you put me in jail."
Mrs. Brown looked at him with disgust in her eyes. She tried to be as nice as she could, and knew how to play that well, especailly when it came to getting something that she wanted.
"Oh Michael," Mrs. Brown laughs, "You know that my husbad filed those charges. I just would have rather let them slide. I mean, you really didn't take anything that expensive. Besides, that was over a year ago. Why cant we just forgive and forget huh? Let bygones be bygones?" Mrs. Brown flashed a million dollar smile, the same one she flased to snag her husband John.
"I guess, even though I havent had a real job since then. Hey you wanna come in?"
As he let her in, Mrs. Brown looked around the filthy room and was filled with everything from dirty clothes to month old pizza boxes.
"Hey, you wanna sit down?" Michael proceded to clean of one of the availble lawn chairs that he had within the apartment.
"Thank you."
"You wanna beer?"
"No thank you. Look Michael, I feel just awful about you being out of work because of my husband, and i would like to make it up to you..."
"Now? Where were you a few months ago, when i could have used the apology and a job."
"Look, I am here now, and i have a proposition for you. And i promise you, that if you decide to take me up on my offer, you will see youself as one lucky man."
"What job is it? Manager of the maintenence workers around your house, or i got a job at your husbands modelin' agency doin something with the models, or..."
"No, none of that. Now, i know that you did time, in prison for murder..."
"No, nuh-uhn they could never prove that I killed that man...but of the record it was self defense."
"Look, I'm not judging you. I just need a favor. My daughter in-law Camilla, you use to see her around the house and in the garden with my son David? Anyway, she is a no good, lying tramp and I want her out of the picture. I want her dead, and i want you to kill her."
"Wait, wait, wait a minute...you want me to kill you daughter in law? Lady, are you crazy? I am out on parole and I cant do anything stupid, and i definately am not going to kill your daughter in-law for you."
"What about the man you killed..."
"That was different," Michael said as he jumped up from his chair, "He was coming after me and i had to defend myself, but what you asking me to do is kill someone, just for breathing. I cant do that."
"Yes you can! Here, i can give you money, how much do you want, I will pay you. You want one million dollars, you got it. Two million, name your price, i have no limit."
"I cant. She was really nice to me, and she dont deserve it. I cant do it lady, I'm sorry."
(Will he change his mind, once Mrs. Brown raises the stakes....To Be Continued).