Chapter Twenty-One

Suzi had knew it was coming; it had been just a matter of when. She couldn't keep her pregnancy a secret forever, especially from someone as astute as Stephanie. "Suzi, I need you to answer me immediately!" Stephanie insisted. "Did Warren Carter father your child?"

"How- how did you find out I was pregnant?" Suzi asked, her voice trembling as she was clutching the phone.

"Justine told Wendy!" Stephanie exclaimed. "And as you can imagine, the news sent Wendy into hysterics."

Suzi didn't feel even the least bit of sympathy for Wendy's plight. The woman who had betrayed her friendship deserved every bit of suffering that Warren had set into motion. "Stephanie, Cagney is my baby's father," Suzi said calmly. She felt that it wasn't a total lie - after all, Cagney was prepared to act as a father-figure in her child's life. She didn't want Warren anywhere NEAR her baby.

Hearing Suzi's words, Stephanie didn't believe it for a second. She put two and two together and said, "Cagney may be the man who will help you raise the child, but Warren Carter, my daughter's new husband and your ex is the man who supplied the genetic material to facilitate your pregnancy. I can't believe you'd try to deceive me, Suzi - I helped raise you! A lie has hardly ever crossed your lips, but yet you'd lie about this? I have never been as disappointed as I am right now."

Suzi was tired of Stephanie's haughty and imperious attitude. "Maybe you should just mind your own business. You have no say in what I do in my life. I am a grown woman... and you are NOT my stepmother any longer."

Suzi hung up on Stephanie, but even so Stephanie furiously screamed into the phone. "Don't speak to me in that manner, Suzi! I will not ALLOW it!"

Angrily, Stephanie hung up the receiver. Despite knowing that Suzi had to have been lying, Stephanie realized she couldn't breathe a word of it to Wendy. Instead, Stephanie decided she must confront Warren. She'd get answers she needed one way or another.

Stephanie approached her office, hearing Chase talking to Wendy in a soft, soothing tone. Justine caught sight of Stephanie. Quietly, she joined her employer out in the hall. Stephanie looked frazzled. "How's Wendy?" Stephanie asked.

"She's a little better. I think she really needs to rest," Justine replied.

"Justine, I am leaving it up to you and Chase to take care of my daughter and see that she gets safely home. There's somewhere I need to go and I'm afraid it's urgent."

Justine knew better than to ask. Obviously Stephanie was on a mission. Justine promised that she and Chase would look out for Wendy. "Thank you, dear," Stephanie said gratefully. Justine did a double-take as she realized it was the first time she had ever heard her employer say anything half-way kind to her. Stephanie rushed out, leaving Wendy in Justine and Chase's care.

"Hey, Wendy," Justine said as she walked back into Stephanie's office. "Your mother had to go take care of some sort of important business and she asked that Chase and I make sure that you make it home safe."

Wendy looked up at Justine, her face streaked with tears. Most were angry tears that continued to course from her reddened eyes, but a few were tears of sorrow.

"It will be okay. Do you need me to carry you to the car?" Chase asked Wendy as he softly stroked her hair.

"I- I'll be fine," Wendy said, but the minute she stood up, she felt dizzy. She clutched at her swollen stomach again.

"You're not fine," Chase said as he lifted Wendy into his arms.

Xxxooo

Stephanie arrived at the construction site belonging to her current boyfriend, Lloyd Kendall. It was such a droll place with dust, jackhammers, and filthy, sweat-soaked men. Stephanie turned her nose up in distaste as the men came out the door of the foreman's office, eager to leave after a long day. The last man who came out the door was Warren Carter. He looked just as disgusting and dirt-smudged as the rest of Lloyd's employees.

"Stephanie, what are you doing here?" Warren asked in surprise.

"Believe me, this is the last place I want to be, but I've come because of my daughter. What you've done to Wendy and to Suzi makes my blood boil and you won't get away with it, Warren Carter."

"What have I done now?"

"You know exactly what you've done," Stephanie said as she got in Warren's face. "You coerced your way into my daughter's bed while you were married to my stepdaughter-."

"That's old news, Steph. Get with the times," Warren taunted.

"I wasn't finished!" Stephanie screamed. "You have BOTH of my girls pregnant!"

Warren stood there as all of the color drained from his face. She could tell by his expression that it was the truth. He was Suzi's baby's father!

"Stephanie, come on. I love Wendy and I don't -."

"Don't you DARE deny it! I know what you are and exactly what you've done. You make me sick!"

"Wendy's had a difficult pregnancy. If she hears-."

"Well, she's not going to hear it from me. But I will tell you one thing, Warren Carter, if you don't tell my daughter immediately after the baby's safely born, then I will! How dare you do this to my daughter?! How dare you?!"

"Stephanie -." Warren attempted to speak, but once again, his mother-in-law rudely interrupted him.

"I'll tell you something else, too. Wendy's going to leave your sorry ass as soon as the truth comes out. There is no way in hell Wendy's going to forgive you for - for THIS!"

"Wendy loves me."

Stephanie laughed cruelly. "But you didn't love her. All you do is hurt my daughter. I can't wait until you're out of her life forever. In fact, I hope that you're out of ALL our lives for good."

She then briskly left the scene after their heated and ugly confrontation. Feeling defeated, Warren walked out to the parking lot and approached his car. He wondered how Stephanie had discovered Suzi was pregnant and more importantly, he was wondering if Wendy knew.

Xxxooo

Wendy was lying on the couch in her apartment as Chase and Justine fussed over her. Justine brought her a glass of cold water as Chase affectionately stayed at her side, holding her hand in his. "Thank you both," Wendy said softly. "But you can go home now. I'll be okay."

"We can't leave you. Not like this," Chase said as he gently squeezed her hand.

Justine placed the cool glass of water in Wendy's other hand. "We can't leave you. Not until we know -."

The door opened and Warren walked in. He saw Wendy lying on the couch as another man held her hand. He recognized him to be Chase Kendall, Lloyd's youngest son. He couldn't place the woman who hovered over Wendy, but he thought he'd seen her working at Stephanie's studio. "What's going on here?" Warren asked with a frown.

Chase stood up quickly, as if he had been caught making out with Wendy instead of holding her hand. "We're here because we care about Wendy," Chase said. "She's having a tough time today."

"Well, you can leave now. I can take care of my wife," Warren said gruffly, a hidden warning within his tone.

"You really are a jerk!" Justine said in a mouthy voice as she gave Warren an angry look.

"Look, I don't mean to be abrupt, but I've had a crummy day and I would appreciate it if you'd just leave," Warren quipped. "I'm not in the mood for any sort of nonsense."

"Fine!" Justine said as she reached for Chase's hand. "Chase and I know when we are not wanted."

"Chase, Justine, you're both wanted. I appreciate what you did for me today. Thank you so much for helping me get home. I'll be fine- I promise." Wendy took a little sip of the water, then placed the glass aside on an end table.

Justine gave Wendy a soft kiss on the cheek, then she whispered, "Your husband is an asshole."

Wendy didn't comment as Chase and Justine said their goodbyes and walked out. She was left alone with Warren who seemed to be tongue-tied.

"You had a crummy day, did you, Warren?" Wendy said as she stared into his eyes. "My day hasn't been a ray of sunshine either."

"What- What's wrong?" he asked as he noticed her clutching her swollen middle.

He came to her side, kneeling down on one knee as he gazed at her with concern. "Wendy, is it the baby?"

"I need you to hold me," she begged in a tiny whisper.

He held her close, breathing in her sweet scent as he said a silent prayer. He pulled back slightly as he lovingly caressed her cheek. He stared questioningly into her eyes.

"I got some shocking news today," Wendy stated. "Justine told me that Suzi's pregnant. Tell me the truth, Warren. Are you the father of Suzi's baby? Did you get her pregnant the night of my accident?"