Chapter Twenty

Wendy arrived at the TV station to visit her mother while Warren was at work. She was beaming with radiance as she breezed into the studio. "Is my mother here?" she asked Justine who was seated at the front desk.

"Yes, she is, but -."

"I can't wait to show off my new maternity clothes!" Wendy gushed. "What do you think, Justine?" Wendy twirled around in her gorgeous purple dress.

"You look beautiful as always, Wendy. I am sure that Stephanie will be glad to see you. It's just that -."

"Ohhh come on, Justine. Tell my mom that I'm here," Wendy said impatiently as she rubbed her rounded stomach. The baby had been kicking vigorously lately. She was certain she was carrying an incredibly rambunctious little boy.

"I've been trying to tell you, Wendy. You mom is here, but she's not exactly in her office. She..."

"Then where in the world is she?" Wendy interrupted once again. She then looked down at the paper Justine was holding in her hand. It seemed to be some sort of guest list. "What is that you're working on? Are you planning a party, because I just love parties?"

"I was just making plans for Suzi's baby shower," said Justine.

"WHAT?" Wendy gasped. "Suzi's pregnant?"

"Well, yes. She's having a little boy. Cagney and I are dear friends so I thought I would -."

Wendy looked absolutely horrified. "How far along IS she?"

"I don't know. She had an ultrasound though. She's having a little boy," Justine replied.

Wendy quickly computed the math in her head. She knew that the only way the baby was Cagney's was if Suzi had hopped into bed with him immediately after the near fatal car wreck which had come close to shattering Wendy's life. Was Cagney Suzi's baby's father? Knowing that Warren had slept with Suzi, too, on the exact same night of Wendy's accident made Wendy agitated. What if Warren had fathered Suzi's baby?!

"Mother!" Wendy suddenly screamed. She burst into Stephanie's office and there was nothing Justine could do to stop her. She was like a ferocious hurricane. She picked up an expensive statue off her mother's desk and tossed it across the room. It shattered against a metal file cabinet with a hideous crunch. Suddenly Justine and Chase came running as Wendy exploded.

"What in the WORLD is the matter with you?" Chase asked Wendy.

Wendy let out a string of expletives, but did not answer Chase or even register that he had entered the room. "My God, Justine, what did you say to her?"

"I - I don't know... She just... "

Justine and Chase stared in disbelief as Wendy continued to destroy her mother's office, throwing books and other objects all over the room. "Wendy, come on," Justine urged. "You're having a baby. Pregnant women are supposed to be jovial."

"I don't think she's listening," Chase said to Justine. "Someone better go find Stephanie. You stay with her. I'm getting the heck out of here and finding her mom."

"I am not staying with her. She's dangerous."

Suddenly Wendy lost all the fight she had left in her. She was sobbing uncontrollably as Stephanie walked into the room to find her office had been ransacked. "Darling, what it it? What's wrong?" Stephanie asked her hysterical daughter.

She then looked at Chase and Justine accusingly. "And what in Heaven's name happened to my office?"

"Hurricane Wendy happened," Justine stated.

"Wendy? You did this? What on earth is wrong with you?" Stephanie demanded as she caught Wendy in her arms.

Wendy stared at her mother with wounded eyes. "Suzi's pregnant!" she cried out. "And no one told me! Why is it such a big secret?!"

Stephanie looked at Wendy in shock. "Suzi's pregnant?!"

Justine was nodding "yes" that it was definitely true. "Why has everyone been keeping it from ME?!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Darling, I swear... I knew nothing about this," Stephanie said. "No one told me that Suzi's pregnant. Who- who's the baby's father?"

Wendy looked at Justine. "Cagney's the father," Justine stated.

"She's claiming the baby is Cagney McCleary's," Wendy said, her voice hoarse and scratchy from her earlier outburst.

All of the sudden, Wendy felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her lower abdomen.. She clutched at her stomach as she got weak in the knees. "What is it, dear? Is it the baby?" Stephanie asked in worry.

"I- I need to sit down," Wendy said in a little whimper. "Something... something's wrong."

Stephanie looked at Justine and Chase and said fiercely, "You two look out for Wendy. I need to make a call."

She was concerned about Wendy's well-being, but she needed immediate answers from Suzi. She needed to go somewhere private so she could ask Suzi why she hadn't been told about Suzi's pregnancy. Kissing Wendy's cheek, Stephanie said gently, "You just rest, baby girl. Mother will take care of everything."

She then walked out, leaving Wendy with Chase and Justine. Chase helped Wendy over to the couch and gently helped her take a seat. "Everything's going to be alright," Chase said as he knelt down and held Wendy's hand. "Just put your feet up and rest."

"Are you still in pain?" Justine asked in concern.

Wendy didn't answer as silent tears coursed down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Stephanie had gone into Chase's office and grabbed the phone. She placed a call to Suzi who had taken some personal time off work as Stephanie's assistant. When Stephanie had asked Suzi about the time she needed off from work, Suzi had told her she shouldn't worry. Now Stephanie was thinking the absolute worst.

As soon as she had Suzi on the telephone, Stephanie demanded to know the truth. "Did Warren Carter father your unborn child?" she questioned her former stepdaughter.