Laura goes into the bedroom and Luke follows her, gently closing the door behind him. Luke sat down on the bed as Laura started to pace, thinking of a way to tell Luke the truth. She didn't know how to explain it, if there was an explanation for it. This was one secret that she thought would follow her to her grave, but like all secrets, they had a way of coming out. She looked over at Luke, who was staring at her now, curiosity in his eyes.
Laura: Luke, I need to tell you something and I need you to listen completely.
Luke: You know I will, Angel. I always listen to you.
Laura: Okay. (A long awkward pause) I don't know where to start.
Luke: From the beginning, Baby. I'm here and listening. Just tell me what's on your mind.
Laura: (taking a deep breath as if it was going to be her last) It has to do with the Cassadines.
Luke: I knew it. Is Stefan the one who called last night? I'll kill him if he threatened you in any way.
Laura: Please, Luke, just let me get this out. I don't know if I will have the strength to tell you later on.
Luke: I'm sorry. Go on.
Laura: I told you what happened to me when I was held on that island. How I was a captive there and given no freedom until I agreed to marry Stavros. And when I did marry him, it wasn't much better. He was abusive. Maybe not physically as much, but he treated me like I was a piece of property that he owned. I was his servant more than his wife. Maybe that was the Cassadine way or maybe that was because he knew that I was in love with another man... a dead man. (Luke winced at the thought of the pain he must have caused with pretending to be dead) I didn't think I had anything to live for anymore. I thought of taking my life every single day, but for some reason, I didn't. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was the idea that someday I would be able to come home. I don't know.
Luke: I know your life was hell there. I never doubted that.
Laura: You don't know everything that happened there. I need to tell you.
Luke: Okay... okay. Come on and sit down. Let it all out.
Laura: (sitting down next to Luke on the bed) I used to escape to a certain part of the island for a short time every day. That was the only way I could keep my sanity. I used to scream as loud as I could to let out the frustration. I'd find the strength to go back to Stavros' bed at night, praying he was too drunk to even sleep there. (Laura slumps down a little)
Luke: Shhh... (holding Laura's hand and kissing it) I understand.
Laura: No you don't. How could you?
Luke: Because I love you.
Laura: Please, just let me finish this... Please. (Luke nods) My sanity was there at my secret spot in the form of a young man. He let me talk about my life. What it used to be and what it had become. I proposed suicide to him numerous times. He would ask why and I would tell him that I wanted to join my real husband. Somehow he would convince me not to kill myself. He always promised me that someday I would see the world outside of that island again. I wanted to believe him so much that I started to. He gave me hope to move on. A reason to live. And then he gave me the ultimate reason for survival... my son.
Luke: (getting up, shocked at what he's heard) Are you saying that Stefan is Nikolas' father?
Laura: Yes.
Luke: How... I...
Laura: Luke, he was the only thing that was good on that island. I would have surely killed myself if he wasn't there.
Luke: You slept with a Cassadine willingly?
Laura: Yes... but Luke, we never made love.
Luke: You just said that you slept with a Cassadine willingly! What is it then if it isn't making love?!
Laura: I never loved him. Not for one moment. I couldn't love anyone else, but you.
Luke: Sure sounded like you fell for him to me.
Laura: I did it for my survival! You couldn't even imagine what life was like for me no matter how hard you try, Luke. You didn't have people keeping you from your family.
Luke: All this time... all this time I believed Nikolas was a child of rape. That Lucky was the first child of love that you had. I always tried to wonder how you could love Nikolas so much even after what Stavros had done to you. I guess I was blind not to see that Stefan was the father all along.
Laura: What is that supposed to mean?
Luke: Come on, Babe. Figure it out yourself. That man is obsessed with you. He still is after all these years. Makes me wonder what is keeping his obsession going.
Laura: If you think that I am leading him on in anyway, you are completely wrong.
Luke: Am I? You were just over there. And what about last night. We were about to make love and all of a sudden Count Vlad calls and you totally get cold. What's with that? Are you thinking of how he was in bed? Is that what turns you on? You thought of him and decided that I wasn't good enough anymore?
Laura slaps Luke hard, almost sending him stumbling back. He wasn't prepared for it at all. Laura was furious, but there was also a sign of fear in her eyes. Luke couldn't get passed his own anger to listen to anything else Laura had to say. He picked up their wedding picture on the table and threw it across the room before leaving. Laura picked up the shattered pieces of the frame and held the picture close to her heart, praying that given a little time, Luke would come back.
