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Today, she and David have a ying-yang working relationship at Corrigan Investments. David handles tasks that relate to the physical aspects of a property; Catherine takes on marketing, interiors and organizational matters. Mark Noble, a partner in that firm, moved to Dallas and became president of the combined operation. Seven years later, in May , the firm was sold to Colliers International, a giant that operates in more than 50 countries. David and Catherine retained a minority stake in the Dallas branch; Noble was tapped to run it as managing director.
Allen Gump, executive vice president at Colliers, says the merger was a good move for both sides. The family is like real estate royalty in Dallas. Their first solo development was Pavilion TownPlace, a unit luxury apartment complex built in on land that Leo Sr. For now, the two plan to focus on projects in North Texas, Catherine says.
All five of the Corrigan siblings quietly support local philanthropic groups and serve the community. Last year, David was named chairman of the Dallas Regional Chamber. On the real estate side, the siblings have focused on two significant undertakings: Both involve buys Leo Sr.
But the project was put on hold when the Dallas real estate market crashed in the s. Judith wrapped her arms round herself, rubbing the soreness where his fingers had dug into the skin of her upper arms.
She could smell the wine on his breath and knew that made him reckless sometimes. Beneath the anger she felt deep sadness. This, on top of everything else! It's you I'm leaving, Desmond Corrigan, because I don't like what you've become. Set one of your security people to guard me day and night?
Wasn't sure she'd succeeded. Judith knew how few morals he had when it came to either business or his own desires. Well, she'd known it for a while, really, but it had taken time for her to admit to herself that she'd had enough of it, because he could be charming when he wanted and was very good in bed. The main reason she'd stayed was not because she was still in love with him but because they had a son.
Mitch mattered more to her than her husband now, far more. Des stared at her for a moment then stabbed a forefinger towards the trio of white leather couches which had been delivered only the month before. She sat down because she couldn't fight him physically, but she hadn't changed her mind about leaving and wouldn't, whatever he said or did. He sat on the next couch to hers, at right angles, eyes watchful. You didn't walk out on me then. I don't give a stuff about your sister.
It's you I care about. What you're turning into. What sort of an example you're setting our son. His expression grew sulky. And the business wasn't big enough to support the three of you then, you know that. She's the one who's made it what it is now. Besides, this all happened thirty years ago. She was determined to be top dog there.
Corrigan's is known all over the world for precision engineering of small, specialist parts. And look how rich she's become on it, yet she never paid us a penny for the potential. I swore then that I'd get the family business back from her one day and now I have done, or I will have once the paperwork goes through. And doing it this way, with trickery and lies, stinks.
Does your brother know what you're doing? Have you even asked Leo if he wants the family business back? He seemed happy enough running his hardware shop when we visited him. Judith had only met him once, given how far away he lived, but she'd liked him and his sensible wife. Life's too easy there. Anyway, he always was too stupid to help himself. For all your big talk about family, you're doing this purely for yourself, out of sheer spite. Gone were the days when Des could intimidate her with an angry look - or make her bones melt with a loving one.
He was married to the business nowadays - and to that damned mobile phone of his. Their marriage had been over for a long time, except as a useful social arrangement. Your previous one was, you swore blind, a temporary madness. The existence of Tiffany Jane Roberts makes infidelity seem more like an ingrained habit to me.
After one twitch of surprise, he became very still. Five mistresses you've had in the past ten years, he tells me, not to mention the odd one-night stand when the opportunity has presented - like last month in Manchester. You even boast about it to your business friends. They all know you're unfaithful to me.
How do you think that makes me feel? And I'm sick to think of the diseases you might have passed on to me.
Not even in the also-rans. She picked up a cushion and hurled it at him before he realized what she intended. She'd promised herself not to scream at him, to tell him quietly then leave. It was proving harder than she'd expected. He flapped one hand sideways in a dismissive gesture. You know I've got a higher than average sex drive. It's often the way with successful businessmen - and politicians.
This Tiffany female has been with you for five years. And your first long-term mistress bore you a child. Whom you still support. Is all that nothing? He looked like someone from a Breughel painting, a man with a brutal, lumpy face made insensitive by the harshness of daily life. But Judith knew that Des had not had a hard life, he had just lived life to the full. He could always pull out that particular smile, but she could spot it a mile off now and knew it wasn't genuine. And you've kept yourself trim, too - '. He jerked upright and glared at her.
You've even let your hair go. It used to look good, now it's just ordinary. Other men have wives who don't look like stick insects - and they still manage to love them, but not you.
Desmond Corrigan's wife has to be fashionable in every way, a visible sign of his success. Well, next time you marry you can get yourself a skinny young trophy wife - preferably a blonde, because you clearly prefer them.
But don't forget to write it into the marriage contract that she mustn't put on any weight. We've been together nineteen years and it's stupid to throw it all away on a whim. You're a good wife for a man like me.
You can talk to anyone. It's not much to ask. It's not much fun living on lettuce leaves. Or eating them alone when your husband's away, which is at least half the time with you. What's more - ' she stared at herself in the mirror - 'I quite like being this size. I enjoy the voluptuous feel of my body.