The Sins of the Mother Read Online Free PDF

to be with the children as much as she would have liked, Maribelle and Joe covered the bases for her. As far as they could see, their system worked, and Phillip and Liz were happy children, thriving on the love of three people instead of two. And they never seemed unhappy when their mother was out of town or at work. When that was the case, Maribelle and Joe met all their needs. They were constantly being loved, pampered, or held, even if Olivia wasn’t there to do it. It made her sad sometimes to miss important moments with them. She hadn’t been there when Liz took her first steps, or for her first tooth, but she was doing something important for them too, assuring their life and well-being in the years ahead.
    They had opened four more stores, and had eight in all, when John was born three years later. They barely made it to the hospital in time for him. Olivia had been watching them inventory new merchandise that she had designed herself, and she missed all the early signs of labor. Joe rushed her to the hospital when she suddenly doubled over, and John was born in the elevator on the way to the delivery room. Joe teased her about it later, as he held his second son.
    “I don’t know what you’re better at, Olivia Grayson, having babies, or running a business. You’re mighty good at both.” John had been a beautiful child and looked a lot like his mother. He was peaceful and lay in his father’s arms with an angelic look. And when Joe handed him back to her, he nestled happily at her breast. Phillip was five by then, and Liz was three, and Maribelle was delighted to take care of all three of them, and did it with ease. Olivia and John hired a housekeeper to help her, and a cook, and Joe left work early to lend a hand whenever he could. Olivia never seemed to be able to get out of the store till dinnertime, but she was religious about getting home before they went to bed. And putting them to bed herself was a sacred ritual to her, except when she was traveling, which was happening more and more. She was responsible about both her family and her work.
    Olivia opened their first store abroad in a suburb outside London, followed by a store in Paris, and Dublin opened after that. Two in Germany, and another near Milan. They expanded into Sweden then, at the same time they opened a store in Texas and two on the West Coast. Olivia had been on the covers of Time , Business Week , and Fortune by then. She had become one of the most important women in business in the United States. She wasn’t arrogant or showy; she was smart, brave, and practical, and her visions for the future had no limits. She dreamed of setting up stores based on their successful model around the world. And she managed to keep their quality high, their designs appealing, and their prices on the cutting edge. Ansel Morris’s hardware store, expanded into an old factory outside Boston, had become a world event.
    Olivia’s marriage to Joe remained uneventful and strong. He backed her in everything she did, ran the business side efficiently, and expected very little from her in return. He was just happy to be part of her life, and he was her biggest fan. Her mother scolded her sometimes for not spending more time with her children, but Olivia did the best she could. She loved them unquestionably, but she found business more exciting than motherhood. Joe filled in whenever he could. He and Maribelle took care of the children whenever Olivia was busy, which was most of the time. She traveled constantly. But whenever she was home, she spent her evenings with Joe and the children. She had no hunger for a racy social life, or to show off their wealth. She just enjoyed building their business into an empire, and as a result of her genius in business, their fortune grew exponentially. She talked about their children working with them one day. And never having known her own father, she valued the father that Joe was to their kids. He never missed a Little League