| Fool’s Gold |
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*Fool’s Gold*
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She stretched against the cool white sheets like a cat. Sighing blissfully as the morning sun poured through the window. A twinkle in her brown eyes. It was such a beautiful day. Everything was beautiful. She was Ethan s fiancee. And she had worked damn hard to get there, she thought with a self-satisfied grin. Ethan hadn’t known true love until he had loved her. Gwen was only a distraction. An obstacle in the way to their perfect union. And it would be PERFECT. All her dreams would come true. Today. She would become Mrs. Ethan Winthrop.
So it wasn’t Mrs. Ethan Crane like she had always imagined. But she didn’t care. Besides…Mrs. Crane was letting her use the wedding gown she wore when she married Ethan’s…Julian. She’d still have the exquisite dress she’d always pictured. Who knows what else? Mrs. Crane LOVED her and was all too willing to make sure she had all she needed to make sure her precious son was happy. Thank goodness she had no idea she knew the truth about Ethan’s paternity before it was revealed. Like Mama said…her goose would be cooked.
She giggled softly as she placed the veil atop her head and twirled around and around. Watching it flutter through the air. “Theresa,” she heard Whitney sigh. Whitney always was such a spoilsport. She didn’t know how to have fun at all. “Whitney,” she sighed back. Grinning at the helpless smile that formed on Whitney’s lips. “It’s my big day, Whit. Please be happy for me.” “Theresa…I AM happy for you. But I would be a lot happier—feel a lot better about this—if you weren’t so shrouded in lies and secrets. This isn’t the way to start a marriage at all.”
“Oh, but Whit,” Theresa bubbled. “The wedding will be extraordinary. And won’t I look so gorgeous?” she giggled. Holding her gown up in front of her. “The dress is pretty,” Whitney admitted. Biting her tongue. Sometimes she wonderered…Theresa was going to have to face some hard truths. Soon. Did the girl even think past the wedding? Say perhaps about how hard it was to keep a marriage alive. It wasn’t all roses, and love didn’t make the world turn like Theresa would like to believe. At least not by itself. This was NOT some Cinderella story. And Ethan…Ethan didn’t really fit the bill as Prince Charming. But who was she to ruin her best friend’s wedding day? She picked her bridesmaid’s dress up off the bed. “Only three more hours, Whit!” Theresa squealed excitedly. Bouncing on her heels.
Theresa took one last look in the mirror. Tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “You look…I love you, Mija,” her mother whispered. Hugging her cautiously. “I don’t want to crush your dress,” she explained. “Thank you, Mama,” she beamed. “I love you, too.” They both turned at the sound of a gentle knock on the door. “Are you ready?” Luis asked. Peering around the frame. Theresa took a deep breath and nodded her head. “I’ve been waiting for this day my entire life,” she breathed. Taking her brother’s arm. Her brother’s dark eyes were tempered with sadness. But Theresa wouldn’t let his misfortune rain on her parade. He and Sheridan would work things through. She was sure of it. Too bad Alistair Crane hadn’t waited until after their double wedding to play that horrid tape of Sheridan’s confession. After all, marriage was forever. Right? She said a silent prayer of thanks to God for letting her escape unscathed so far. Once they had recited those vows…Ethan would never leave her. No matter what she told him. She had big plans for their honeymoon.
The strains of the wedding march played in the background as Luis led her to her future. Her life. Ethan. His blue eyes sparkled with happiness as he took her hand. And she trembled with excitement. This was it. Her wish was finally coming true. Her brother kissed her gently on the cheek and took his seat. But not before casting a wistful glance at the beautiful blond tucked away in the dim back corner pew. Away from prying eyes. If he looked closely, he could almost see the single tear that slipped down her silky cheek. He settled in his seat beside his mother and faced forward. His gaze unwavering. It hurt too much to look at her right now. He could feel her pain. Still feel the connection between them. He would find out the truth about his father. The whole truth. And win Sheridan back to his side in the process. He KNEW she couldn’t have committed such a heinous crime, and he was going to prove it. To himself. Her. And everyone else in this sleepy little town. She wouldn’t be able to push him away anymore.
He watched his sister with a slight smile. At least someone was happy. He wasn’t happy with the way her and Ethan’s relationship had come about. What his sister had done was terribly wrong. He couldn’t deny the pair loved each other. Even though he couldn’t squash down his feelings that this was more of an ideal to Theresa. What would she do when she was forced to face reality? He hoped she didn’t fall too hard when she shot him an “I told you so” look as Father Lonagin began the ceremony. He took his mama’s hand in his own and squeezed it reassuringly. Trying to ease her nerves. She was so anxious. And for the life of him, he couldn’t figure it out. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up when Father Lonagin spoke. “…any objections, speak now. Or forever hold your peace.” He watched his sister closely with a curious eye. Saw her scan the pews. Why was she afraid, he wondered as her body stiffened with recognition.
A calm voice rang out from the back of the church, and his sister’s shaking was visible from a few feet away. Gwen. “Luis,” she cried. “Luis…please make her leave,” she pleaded. “He can’t do that, Theresa,” Gwen said smugly. “Father Lonagin asked if anyone had any objections. And I most certainly have objections. Ethan,” she said. Walking closer. So close Theresa could feel her breathing down her neck. “You deserve to know the truth. The truth about your precious Theresita. I know, Theresa. I know your secret.” “That’s it,” Luis said angrily. Rising from his seat. “I know you’re bitter, Gwen. But there’s no need for this.” “No need, Luis,” Gwen scoffed. “Don’t you want to know how much of a liar your sister is? How far her deceptions go? She’s not the perfect little angel she claims to be. Far from it.”
“Please, Gwen,” Theresa begged. “Don’t. Not here. Not on my wedding day.” Gwen threw back her head, and her laughter rang through the halls of the old church. “Not here? Not on your wedding day? I think this is the perfect place, Theresa. The perfect day. You didn’t have any objections to Ethan calling off our engagement on the day of my party, did you? But then…things are different for you. You deserve special treatment, don’t you Theresa? Because Ethan LOVES you. Only you. More than he ever loved me. Is that right?” Gwen didn’t give her time to answer. “Maybe he does love you more than he ever loved me,” she admitted. “But then…does Ethan really know what LOVE is? I’m not so sure. Love isn’t dumping your girlfriend of over ten years IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE TOWN on Christmas Eve and proposing to the little liar and schemer that plotted from day one to catch you. So…no. Ethan has no concept of love, Theresa. Are you sure you want to marry him? IF he forgives you?”
“Forgive her for what, Gwen?” Ethan asked in irritation. “Theresa’s the innocent in all this. And I do know what love is. I love HER.” Gwen smirked. “You can have him, Honey. Better sharpen those claws, though. He’s mighty tough to hang on to. Has a roving eye. Don’t let that letter of Ivy’s you found fool you. Ethan may have Sam Bennett’s blood coursing through his veins. But Julian raised him. That has to count for something.” “Theresa,” Ethan demanded. “What is she talking about? The letter of my mother’s YOU found? Tell me the truth. NOW!” Theresa glared at Gwen hatefully. She was ruining her perfect dream. “You vindictive bitch!” she screamed. Striking out blindly. Making all the guests gasp at her surprising transformation. Luis jerked his arm free from his mother’s hold. Aghast at what he was seeing. Hearing.
“Ethan!” she cried. Fat tears spilling from her big dark eyes. “Ethan! You have to believe me. I’m not the person that sent it to the tabloids. I swear,” she wailed. Trembling terribly while Gwen rolled her eyes. Ethan held his hands up in front of him. “SO you admit it. It is the truth. You knew I was Sam Bennett’s son and didn’t tell me.” “But Mama…” “Don’t give me that. That excuse doesn’t hold water. If you really wanted to tell me…if you had no need to hang on to the information to suit your own purposes…you would have told me yourself. And not let someone convince you not to. Get away from me. I can’t stand to look at you right now. You ruined my life, Theresa. Do you understand me? I should have seen it. All your lies and deceit. But I thought it was cute,” he laughed in disgust. “I can’t marry you. The wedding’s off!” he said. Storming down the aisle. His mother rushing after him.
“This is all your fault,” Theresa screamed in despair. “I was going to tell him. But you couldn’t let me be happy, could you? You couldn’t lose. You…” She lunged at Gwen again. And she would have surely taken out all her anger, all her frustration, on her had it not been for Whitney and her brother. Her mother cried softly in the background. What had her Theresita become? She was a failure as a mother. “When, Theresa?” Luis questioned in barely controlled anger. “When? After the wedding? The honeymoon? I don’t even know you,” he said disappointedly. “Love means nothing without trust and honesty. I hope you’ve learned that. Learned something from this experience. And grow from it. I have to go,” he sighed. Stalking away. He couldn’t bear to look his own sister in the eye at that moment. “My life is over!” Theresa cried. “Over!” she wailed pitifully. Crumpling to a heap on the ground. “I’ll die without Ethan.”
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That was years ago. Ten to be exact. Today…today was a different story. Her fairy-tale worked out alright in the end. It just took lots of begging and pleading. Groveling. And of course…it wouldn’t have been complete without a little scheming. Ethan DID marry her. And they lived happily ever after, she thought with a smile. Picking up the picture beside her and studying it carefully. Ethan had his arm thrown around ten-year-old Junior’s shoulders proudly. And Junior’s brown eyes sparkled up at Ethan. She stood to the side. Watching them both. Something was wrong with this picture, she thought. But she couldn’t quite pinpoint it. She set the picture down beside the dozens of pictures of Luis and Sheridan and their three children all close and cozy and went to answer the doorbell. “Hi, Mrs. Winthrop!” an exuberant blond with wire frame glasses exclaimed. “I’m Tess! Your new assistant. I’m so excited to have this job. I’ve saved every picture and article about you and your family for as long as I can remember,” the young girl bubbled. Extending her hand. “You are so lucky. To be married to such a dreamboat,” she sighed dreamily. “I…” But Theresa heard NO more. It was like deja-vu. Saved every picture…every article. She slammed the door in the young girl’s face with one last thought ringing in her head. “That only worked for one person. And one person only. There’s NO ONE else like Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, Honey. And you better get over it.”
The End
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