December 23rd, 1996
Loneliness.
That was the only thing Mariah felt as she sat alone in her hotel room. She had been trying to avoid Michael the past couple of days, which hadn't been hard since he was busy with shows. But now that he had a few days off, she knew he'd want to talk.
She still couldn't believe he blamed her for something she really had no say in. She begged Tommy and her mother to let her have the baby in secret and give it to him, but they wouldn't allow.
You have no time to be pregnant. You have a career to think about ...so they said.
If things had gone her way, she and Michael would be proud parents of a two year old instead of worrying about whether or not she could get pregnant again.
There was a knock on the door. She knew it was Michael and he was probably coming in with some lame excuse about how he didn't mean what he said or how he had just been irritated and took it out on her. But she wasn't going to let him off easily because deep down she knew it's how he truly felt. He could try to hide it as much as he liked, but he did blame her for the abortion. And to be honest, she wasn't too sure that he didn't blame her for Prince too.
"Go away Michael." She shouted at the door.
There was a pause in the knocking. "Mariah, open the door. We need to talk."
"What's there to talk about? You said what you felt." She retorted.
There was another pause and Mariah could imagine Michael's tired expression.
"Mariah, open the door."
She briefly closed her eyes to mentally prepare herself and then opened the door. "What do you want?"
Michael was still in his pajamas, and he looked tired, like he hadn't slept in days. "I want to talk."
She looked him up and down. "I guess.."
Mariah left the door open with just enough space for Michael to slide in. She walked back to the bed and sat down. She crossed her legs and Michael sat on the edge. He clenched his jaw, not quite looking at her.
"I thought you wanted to talk." She said, irritated by his hesitation.
He looked up, frowning. "I do."
"Then say something instead of staring at the damn floor. " She waved her arms. "I'm over here."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. He said something under his breath.
"What was that?" She inquired, leaning forward.
"I said 'you're being ridiculous.'" He jumped up, eyes shooting daggers into her own. He raised his voice: "What the fuck is your problem? Why is it always that I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't with you?"
Mariah, startled by his sudden outburst, shrank back. She folded her arms, trying to comfort herself and Michael seemed to realize his mistake.
"Mariah, I didn't mean to yell, I just-"
"Just get out, Mike." She nearly whispered, her head turned looking out of the window. "Just leave me alone."
Michael left the room and just like clockwork, Mariah was alone again with her thoughts. Needing a distraction from her not so wedded bliss, Mariah decided to call someone she knew wouldn't want to argue with her: her father.
She picked up the hotel phone and dialed his number.
Ring..
Ring...
Ring...
Just as she was about to hang up she heard her father's voice. "Hello?"
Half surprised, Mariah pushed the phone back up to her ear. "Hi dad." She said, trying to sound excited.
"How is everything?" He asked.
Mariah cringed. "Well Mike's been busy with his concerts and I've been kinda shut in up here. I haven't really left the hotel except for the first concert after the wedding."
"Are you guys still in Japan?" Her dad asked.
"Yeah--Tokyo. We're leaving here tomorrow though. We'll still be in Japan, just in a different city." She explained.
"When do you think you'll be back home?"
"Um.. Well he's closing this leg of the tour in Hawaii. The last show is January fourth so we'll probably be back in California by the sixth." She sighed. "Dad, I miss you."
He chuckled. "You miss me? I thought you'd be having fun with your husband."
"That's the thing. He's so busy and then..." She paused trying to find the right words. She didn't want her dad to worry about her. "We're just not as close as I thought we'd be at this point"
"Ahh, I see." Her father was quiet for a moment. "That takes me back to when I was still married to your mother. It was hard to be separated from her for even a little bit, but you know for us it didn't work out. It's different for you guys, you guys have been through so much already-"
"Wait, what? Mom said you couldn't stand her. She said you didn't even think I was yours at first."
"What?" He paused.
Mariah sat up, intrigued by her father's indignant response. "She said that you didn't think I was yours, that's why you didn't support us after the divorce."
"I sent money to your mother every month to support you and Morgan."
Mariah shook her head. "What? Mom said-"
"Your mother is a liar. I don't like speaking bad on Pat, but that's a damn lie. I always tried to provide for all three of my kids."
"I-I don't understand. Why would she lie about that?" She asked.
"She probably wanted to keep you away." He was quiet again. "She never really forgave me for 'taking Alison away from her'. You know she blames me for how your sister turned out."
Mariah grew quiet. "Um, I gotta to go."
She hung up the phone before her father could say anything else. Just when she thought she could forgive her mother, she had been given another reason to distrust her.
December 23rd, 1996 (December 22nd, 1996 - New York Time)
It was approaching 10pm in New York, where Tommy and Mariah's co-collaborator Walter sat watching Entertainment News over drinks. Tommy had invited Walter over earlier that evening to discuss Walter's future at Sony.
"[...] Jackson's record breaking tour, is one for the books. Despite his massive success, Jackson found time to wed his longtime lover, Mariah Carey. The pair, both recent divorcees, stood out on a hotel balcony in Japan to celebrate their union with fans," the television news anchor reported.
"I never thought those two would get back together." Walter said.
Tommy chuckled. "Me either. I'm surprised she didn't tell you."
"Well me and Mariah keep things pretty professional-"
"She told you about the abortion." He pointed out, adding. "You know there are cameras everywhere."
Walter set down his drink. "Well, she didn't tell me any details, she was pretty quiet about it."
"I know. But that's because you didn't ask the right kind of questions.." Tommy explained, with a sinister grin.
Walter nodded, seeming to catch on. "You want me to spy on Mariah."
"If that's what you want to call it. I just want you to get some information for me."
Walter folded his arms. ""And what's in it for me?"
"How much do you want?" Tommy asked. He had been prepared for Walter to ask for some incentive to pry into Mariah's personal life, but he could think of no better person to do it. He was Mariah's main collaborator, so he was always around her at her most vulnerable.
Walter smirked. "You know I'm not cheap."
"Oh don't worry. You'll be taken care of. Matter of fact, I hear Celine Dion is working on a big project. I could get you involved with that." Tommy offered.
Walter raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna sink Mariah, aren't you?"
Tommy shook his head. "I'd never do that. I'm just going to give her an offer she can't refuse."
December 24th, 1996
It had been another hard night for Michael. He and Mariah were still sleeping in separate rooms, finding it difficult to be around each other after their blowout. He said some things he regretted, and Mariah still wasn't ready to forgive him. Not that he could blame her. When it came time to apologize for his harsh words, he ended up exacerbating the issue. What's more is that he didn't even know why he commented on the abortion in the first place, considering his stance on the issue. He was conflicted: part of him wanted to blame the whole thing on Tommy, but another part of him was convinced that Mariah was equally responsible.
What kind of mother would run away when her own life is in danger, but not when her child's life was in danger?
He decided a shower would help clear his mind.
He got up from the bed and went into the bathroom. The shower was a pristine white, with gold accents on the door handle. He turned the water on and stepped inside, letting the warm streams roll down his torso. He grabbed the soap and lathered his body.
He stood there in silence for a bit, letting the water wash the suds off him. He kept thinking about his hang ups with Mariah and couldn't help but compare her to his first love, Diana Ross. It's like the more he worried about this current situation, the more he thought about how incredible his relationship was with Diana.
Maybe if I had tried harder with Diana, I wouldn't be dealing with this shit. Diana would've never gotten an abortion without telling me. Hell she wouldn't have abandoned me when I needed her. If I hadn't been so arrogant things would've worked out between us. I was so fucking dumb.
Michael started thinking about how beautiful Diana always looked. How she could dress up or down and still resemble a goddess. He especially loved her big, expressive eyes and seemingly endless legs. And the way dim light reflected on her silky brown skin when he would undress her...
Damn. I can't believe I let THAT go.
He looked down, noticing his massive erection.
Well shit.
He could still remember the first time he had sex with her. He was nineteen and she was thirty five. The pair was filming The Wiz together in New York. He shared a condo with Latoya, who had gone out that evening with his now ex-girlfriend Stephanie Mills. Having the condo to himself for the night, he invited Diana over. They sat on the couch talking--casual conversation turning into harmless flirting. He remembered inching closer to her just so he could get a better look at her cleavage, and how she had rested a hand on his thigh, giving him a conspiring look.
He reached down, gripping his hard dick with his left hand while he used his right hand to prop himself up against the shower wall. He began to stroke himself, thinking of each time Diana looked at him.
A touch.
A kiss.
Every subtle twist of her hips when she walked.
He hastened his pace and snapped his eyes shut, his thrusts becoming more urgent. He could feel his tip becoming more sensitive as water beat down on it.
He threw his head back, allowing a soft moan to pass his lips. In a moment, he opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling.
Sigh.
I've been married four days and I already want out.
December 24th, 1996
Mariah was on edge. She wanted Michael to comfort her with everything that's been going on, but after days of nonstop arguing, Michael decided to sleep in an entirely different hotel room. She got up from her bed and went into the hallway to look for Bill. He usually stayed in the room closest to Michael's.
We're in 608, Michael stayed in 604 last night, so Bill should be in 606.
Mariah knocked on the door and waited a few seconds before Bill answered. "Hi, Mariah. Do you need me to go out?"
She shook her head. "No thanks Bill. Can you give me Michael's room key?"
"You can't just knock on the door?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mariah folded her arms. "Please, Bill?"
He reached in his pocket. "Alright, but only because I like you."
Mariah smirked.
She took the key card from him, walked down to 604, and opened the door. She didn't see Michael in the room, but she heard the shower going. The phone rang. She contemplated before going ahead and answering it.
"Hello?"
"Michael- oh, hi." The voice sounded vaguely familiar.
Mariah glanced back at the bathroom and then turned back to the phone. "Who is this?"
"Lisa." The woman said proudly. "I'm guessing this is Mariah."
"Yeah, it is and I want to know why you're calling my husband." Mariah snapped.
Michael better not be sleeping with her so help me God, I will kill him.
"Oh you didn't know?" Lisa chuckled. "He and I talked the other day and he told me that he was still in love with me and that marrying you was a huge mistake."
"Bitch, if you call my husband again I will beat your ass. You want to disrespect me, I'll disrespect you."
Lisa snapped back, "Yeah right, bitch if you touch me your ass will be in jail and then what? I already know Michael's going to divorce your ass when you give him a baby. That's the only reason he's with you in the first place."
Mariah, now a hellish red: "Bitch you were a rebound. He only married you to spite me and you know it, that's why you're mad!"
"Why would I be mad when he's been cheating on you with me?"
The running water came to a halt. Wet footsteps soon began squeaking toward the bathroom door.
"You're a damn lie because he's been hitting this every night." Mariah replied.
"Oh really? How do I taste?"
"Bitch, you ain't-"
The bathroom door flung open. Michael stepped out, startled and confused. "Mariah! What the hell are you doing on my phone?"
"Why the fuck is Lisa calling you?" Mariah shot back.
Michael's eyes widened. "Why is she still calling me?"
Mariah hung up the phone before continuing. "Why is she calling you?"
"I don't know. She called me the other day and I told her to leave me alone." He explained.
Mariah crossed her arms. "Are you sleeping with her?"
"What?" Michael replied, puzzled. "No, I'm not sleeping with her."
"Then why is she saying that you are?"
Michael let out a groan. "I don't know. But what I do know is that I'm not cheating on you."
"How do I know that, Michael?"
Michael gripped her shoulders and enclosed a small gap between them. He looked her in the eye and said, slowly, "Mariah, I'm not cheating on you."
She released a small sigh. "I'm just a little overwhelmed right now with everything. You know arguing with you, then I talked to my dad and ..."
Michael cut her off. "You know, I'm really sorry about what I said."
Mariah nodded. "I just can't believe you said that to me."
"I know, I know. I shouldn't have said it, but I wasn't trying to hurt you."
"But you did." She murmured. "You know not a day goes by I don't think about what could've been?"
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.
She shook her head. "It hurts too much to think about. Especially with everything else."
He sat on the bed, patting a spot next to him for her to sit. "Well maybe we can talk about the other thing--with your dad."
She sat down next to him, but hesitated before saying anything.
Michael, sensing her reluctance, gripped her hand. "Baby, you can talk to me."
Mariah bit her lip. "My dad and I talked earlier. He said some things that really bothered me."
"What did you talk about?" He asked.
She shrugged. "We just talked about marriage and then my mom came up. He told me some stuff about their divorce."
"Stuff like what?"
"Just...stuff." She replied. She didn't want to talk about her childhood. It would bring up all the painful memories she had tried for so long to repress.
Michael pressed her again. "Like what? I thought you wanted to talk."
She rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to go into detail right now." A beat. "I just-I really just need you close to me right now."
Michael wrapped his arms around her, but she knew that wasn't the end of the conversation. He'd drop it for a few days and bring it back up again. But for now, all she wanted was to be in his arms.
December 24th, 1996 (December 23rd, 1996 - New York Time)
It was the day before Christmas Eve in New York, but Pat wasn't in the Christmas spirit. She had just gotten off the phone with Tommy and he wasn't pleased with Mariah's marriage to Michael. He reminded her of the deal the two made: he'd buy her a house and pay her expenses so long as she could keep convincing Mariah to stay with him. Now that Mariah had run off and married another man, Pat was required to pay Tommy back for all he had done for her "or there would be a problem."
Being well aware of Tommy's mafia ties, Pat knew she wouldn't want to take any chances. So she had two options, either convince Mariah to leave Michael and remarry Tommy or pay him back the money that she didn't have.
December 24th, 1996
Michael and Mariah sat down for brunch after their conversation earlier that morning. Mariah was happy that they had finally made up after four days of not speaking to one another.
"You know, I think we need some time apart." Michael said.
Mariah paused. "Time apart?"
He nodded. "Yeah, you could go to Hawaii and then I could meet you there in January."
"Why?" She asked, feeling a bit stung. "I thought we were working things out."
"We still can, I just think it would be healthy for us to have a little space for right now." He explained.
Mariah frowned. "I'm still not-"
Before she could finish, her phone rang. She rolled her eyes and answered.
"Hello?"
"Mariah, I have to talk to you about something important."
It was Pat.
Mariah shot a glare at Michael, indicating that their conversation wasn't over. "What is it mom?"
"I spoke with Tommy earlier and he says I owe him."
Mariah sighed. "Mom, I'm not giving you anything just so you can put it back in his pockets."
Pat started. "You don't have to give me any money. You just need to divorce Michael and get back with-"
"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm not divorcing Michael."
Michael looked up from his food and cocked his head to the side, clearly confused.
"Mariah, that was my end of the deal. I owe him."
"I'm not letting you sell me again. Sorry." She slammed down the phone and turned her attention back to Michael.
"What was that about?" He asked.
She rolled her eyes. "Nothing important. Now back to you and this space."
Michael nodded. "We need space. I really think this would help us."
"You know... I find it really funny that your ex-wife called earlier saying that you were sleeping with her and now you're trying to dump me off in Hawaii."
"I'm not trying to dump you in Hawaii. I just think some space would be good for us."
"Why though? I thought we had made up." She snapped.
He threw his hands up. "We did. I don't understand why this is such a big deal."
"Because you got bitches calling your phone and saying they're sleeping with you." Mariah yelled. She didn't want to hear anymore so she got up from the table and went back to her room.
Wedded bliss my ass.
December 24th, 1996
Pat was stuck. She had been financing Morgan's lifestyle, putting Allison through rehab, and raising Allison's two children. The allowance Mariah gave her each month wouldn't be enough to cover the enormous debt she owed Tommy. On top of that, Mariah wouldn't divorce Michael. At this point, Pat had three months to come up with ten million dollars.
She was low on options for paying Tommy back. Other than Mariah, she only knew one other person who had that kind of money lying around: Michael. She had no idea how she'd get Michael to pay off her debt, so she had to come up with a plan to get him on her side.