2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Cordie slips a copy of the letter Simone wrote to Andrew to Simone at a fancy Ball, and Simone fake faints when she sees Cordie. Why? Who is she determined to keep in the dark about her daughter? Why is she so determined to keep Cordie a secret? What does she stand to lose if Cordie’s existence comes to light? Afterward, Cordie indicates she has no desire to destroy their family. She only wanted to see if her mother got what she deserved. Why does she later change her mind and decide to go public? What would you have done?

I don't know why Simone fake fainted. I think she wanted to keep it from her father. I don't know why Cordie should be such a big secret. She would lose a certain amount of social standing, but not her wealth and privilege. She would embarrass her family.

Cordie was exacting a little bit of revenge for her father and the little girl who was raised without a mother.

Money/perceived power/reputation -- all intertwined for Simone.
She certainly did not learn anything from her youthful rebellion and she never grew up. What a mean, despicable woman.

I would probably want to see justice/revenge in equal measures, not that I'd be proud of this.

The fake faint was to keep her father away from Cordelia so the secret wouldn't be told. We were told that Julian Taylor was very strict and kept the family in line. Maybe Simone thought he'd boot her and her husband out if her secret was told and she embarrassed the family.

Robin, that was the part that confused me at the end. Simone had the power. She only let her father run the company because she just wasn't interested in it, but she held the power. Julian couldn't have done anything to her.

I agree, Anita. Simone actually held the power. The thing she treasured most was the lifestyle the money afforded her and her standing in the public eye...the adoration - the public had placed her and her family on a pedestal - like royalty. She couldn't face the public embarrassment that having Cordie come out would cause her. This is one of the meanest, the most cold hearted, arrogant "mothers" or women I've seen in some time even in books. Despicable!

I agree Sandra. She is despicable. She loved the adoration of the country, and she wasn't going to let the daughter of an auto mechanic take that from her. I don't think she felt Cordie was hers at all.