Til' Death Do Us Part ✅

Chapter 1

Juliette

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a princess and when I found my Prince Charming we would have a storybook ending. At twenty-five years old I thought I had finally gotten that fairytale.

When I met Gregory Kramer at the Black and White Charity Ball a couple of years ago, I could tell love was in the air. He looked like a big strong warrior type with blue eyes, surfer boy blonde hair and a smile that could melt your panties off. He asked for my phone number which led to an old fashion courtship of dinners, movies, and weekend getaways. Over time, with his gentleman's behavior, he made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world. After a year of dating he proposed.

We got married in the historic St. Louis Cathedral located in the heart of New Orleans. It's around the corner from Bourbon Street and across the street from Jackson Square. I had the dream wedding with the horse and carriage, the princess gown with the long train and shoes made of Swarovski crystals.

For our honeymoon, we traveled across Europe and Africa. We drank wine under the Eiffel Tower in Paris and sipped on tea going across the Irminio Bridge as we took the train through Sicily. We ran with the bulls even if it was only a block in Spain, and swam under a waterfall at Uvongo beach in South Africa. What a time we had.

My parents, William and Corinne St. Claude were New Orleans socialites. My family roots ran deep as early as the 1800s. Back then, my great-great grandmother, Josephine, was considered a mulatto woman. Her father, Nicholas Wayles was a New Orleans businessman and plantation slave owner and her mother, Nayla, was a Haitian slave that took care of the house. During those times, there were Quadroon Balls for mixed women to be married off to rich white or European men. Josephine married a very wealthy French Navy Captain, Jean-Pierre St. Claude and their unity created two sons and four beautiful daughters.

People say that my great-great grandparents had the Midas touch. When Jean-Pierre married Josephine, his fortune quadrupled within a year. People thought she was a witch because while people in France were going broke, their family were busting at the seams with money. They owned not only the shipyard but several large ships and small businesses along downtown. When Papa Jean-Pierre died, he left everything to Josephine. She and her children along with the last four generations have managed to keep it viable. Now my daddy and his brother Titus were co CEOs and their businesses were still going strong. Josephine Street along with St. Claude Avenue were named after them.

I never had to want for anything as all my needs and ninety-nine percent of my wants were met. My parents had always taught me to be humble, help the poor, give to those that were less fortunate and that money couldn't always solve your problems. Money didn't make a person but it could sure bring on a lot of trouble. I just wished that my new husband knew that.

A few months after we married, I opened up an upscale restaurant. I had just graduated from culinary school and as a graduation gift my father bought me a space right on the corner of Canal Street in the French Quarters. Opening night for Chateaux St. Claude was a grand slam. Celebrities, government officials, and socialites packed the restaurant. After that, reservations were booked up for the next six months.

My culinary delights tantalized even some of the most discriminative tastes. My restaurant was advertised on television, billboards, social media and in local magazines. Within a year, I had the down payment for my next restaurant. I opened another one on Bourbon Street located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Both restaurants stayed packed all week long.

They say you should cool from the soul. Every bit should be memorable and taste beyond compare. I grew my our herbs and spices and dabbled in horticulture  trying to bring something new and exciting to a city of possibilities. I had even opened up a little farm on the outskirts of the city where I cultivated fresh fruit and vegetables. It was also my solace as Greg traveled a lot.