Chapter Four

Chloe wiped the steam from the mirror in the bathroom with her towel and gazed intently at her reflection in the mirror. She felt…better now that she had showered, not quite as shattered. She watched her face as it appeared after the steam was gone.

"Chloe Lane," she said to her reflection, "what is going to happen now? Your father is the most despised man in Salem. People actively hate him, despise him, and fear him. He has been responsible for so much unhappiness. He has also wreaked havoc in the lives of so many families here." She paused and then admitted aloud to herself, "Including your boyfriend's and your best friend's."

She smiled slightly as she remembered her times with Belle and Brady. "They are so special to me," Chloe admitted. "Belle befriended me in Salem before anyone else would even talk to me, except to call me "Ghoul Girl". She accepted me for who I was, not for who she wanted me to be."

She trailed her hand along the counter. "And Brady. Oh, god, Brady!" she exclaimed in despair, holding one hand above her aching heart. "He is so important to me! Brady and I have such an intense connection between us. He pushes me to show my feelings, whether I am singing opera or just talking to him. He makes me laugh when I am so upset with Nancy!" Her eyes laughed as she recalled the time this past summer when she went bowling with Brady, Nancy, and Craig. "We always have so much fun together. It's because we have so much in common."

She fingered the necklace Brady had given her earlier tonight that signified the love he felt for her. It seemed like eons ago now. "And now we have even more in common. Stefano DiMera. My father, and his father's enemy. Damn, it sounds like a really awful opera! Will we survive this mess?" Chloe wondered aloud as she finished dressing.

Chloe heard the end of Hope and Greta's conversation as she stopped by the kitchen door and silently agreed with them. I think the three of us will need to help each other come to grips with this horrifying news. Chloe then entered the kitchen, dressed in the gray sweatpants and pink t-shirt Greta had given her.

"Chloe, you're here," Hope exclaimed with a warm smile. She stood up from her kitchen stool by the counter. "Here, have a seat. I'll make you some hot tea."

Chloe walked over to the stool that Hope had vacated and sat, heartened a little by Hope's reception to her. Stefano had royally messed up Hope's life, Chloe thought, and she doesn't seem to hold him against me or Greta. Maybe other people's reactions to the news won't be that bad. Chloe was surprised at the strain of optimism that popped into her head. All right, and maybe hell might freeze over.

"Hope and I were discussing the surprising turn of events of this evening," Greta began as Hope carried over a cup of tea for Chloe. Chloe accepted it with a small smile as she added sugar to her tea.

Hope sat down on the stool next to Chloe, so that Chloe was in- between her and Greta. "That's a surprise, isn't it?" she said to Greta and Chloe, at a small attempt at wry humor.

"I would never have expected it," Chloe responded as she sipped the hot liquid, grateful to feel the warmth. She still felt cold and numb on the inside.

"Anyway," Greta grinned at her friend and her new sister, pleased that they were attempting to rally around each other, "we thought that the best way to face the world of Salem is together. We will need each other to get through this, ah, situation."

Chloe suddenly felt grateful to be here, where her plight was accepted and understood. "When I was taking my shower a few minutes ago, I wondered how on earth I would be able to get through tonight. I mean, my world has completely shattered, in the blink of an eye. I'm not the same Chloe Lane I was, even an hour ago. Everything is completely different."

Hope looked sadly at the two new sisters. "We are here to help you, Chloe. Greta is your sister. She knows exactly how you are feeling right now. I've also been a victim of Stefano DiMera, and I know how hard it is to put your life back together after it has been destroyed."

Greta shook her head as a realization dawned on her at Hope's words. "Hope, you're right! I didn't think about this before but we are victims, too!" Greta turned to Chloe and said, "You said that Stefano had contacted you through "mysterious" ways for the past few weeks. You never knew his identity, just the fact that he was your father. He wanted you to become curious and excited about the possibility of meeting him."

She slammed the countertop with her hand as she began to unravel Stefano's diabolical plan for the evening. "If Stefano wanted to have both of us meet with him so he could share his "joyful" news, he could have done in a more appropriate manner."

"Such as in private," Chloe interjected sarcastically.

"Right. Instead, Stefano set the stage so carefully for us tonight, crafting it so he could reveal his identity to both of us in front of people we care about and the town of Salem!" Greta flushed in excitement as she picked apart Stefano's plan. "Now the only question is, why? Why did Stefano choose to reveal his parentage to us at the Christmas Ball, with such a large audience?"

Hope arched her eyebrow at Greta and laid her teacup on the kitchen counter. "You are onto something here, Greta." She remembered her earlier conversation with DiMera. "He let something slip when he talked to me in front of Shawn tonight. I know he did it for a reason. But I'll get to that in a moment. O.k., so Stefano wanted both of you to know he was your father. He "revealed" this information in public, and created a sensation throughout Tuscany. There's only one reason why he would do that," Hope said decisively.

"I'm a little drained right now, and am not thinking too clearly," Chloe said when Hope paused. "Why would he choose to reveal that he was our father in such a sensational way?"

Hope answered Chloe, "I think he wants to alienate you from people that you care about. You see? He wants to make both of you vulnerable so you will need to turn to him." Hope turned to Greta and said, "He made sure that Colin and John knew you were his daughter. I'm not certain what has happened between Colin and DiMera, but I know it's bad. Colin and John are two people you seek out for support in Salem."

Greta pointed at Hope in agreement, even though her hypothesis recalled the hurt she had felt about Colin's desertion when Stefano had greeted her tonight. And he still hadn't called her. "Yes, this could be it."

Hope turned to Chloe. "Chloe, he planned this whole, elaborate scheme for you. The timing had to be perfect for it to work. He contacted you through mysterious ways, hoping to gain your attention and interest. Then, at the ball, he instigated a conversation between John and Marlena that would lead back to family. When it did, Stefano was able to drop his bombshell in front of you, Brady, John, and Marlena. They are people you would rely on for support."

Chloe placed both hands over her mouth as she breathed, "You're right! And that's the reason why Brady didn't come after me. He must have calculated their responses to the news!"

"It's like a chess game to DiMera," Hope said, "and we were all his pawns tonight. He did the same thing with me, when he caused further friction in my relationship with Shawn. The man is utterly ruthless." She analyzed the situation as she calmly sipped her tea.