It was already noon when Gwen had awaken from her dreams. In a peculiar way, she felt very much rested despite her terrible ordeal with reality. She still recalled last night when someone had come to her aid as if it was all a sweet dream. Was it? She wasn't quite sure. All she recalled was feeling as if someone out there cared for her. Like she actually mattered. It was a strange sensation after being cheated on, but it had momentarily swept her away from anything negative in this world. Gwen remembered being spoken to. In a low, but soft voice a man was reassuring her that everything would be okay. His words were as if gentle music to her ears, feeding her with phrases she wanted to hear so badly. That she wasn't alone in this world and was strong enough to move on with her life. These things she would often doubt but the confidence in his words made Gwen almost believe him. It was a voice she longed to hear again in the near future, whoever it may have belonged to.
"Gwen, how are you feeling?"
Distracting her from her thoughts, Gwen examined the man standing in front of her. It was Dr. Abel, a man that had started to treat her sensitive pregnancy ever since she had flew to LA with Ethan. He gave her a slight grin while checking over files that lay in his hands. For a quick moment Gwen just stared at him while he remained focussed on her paperwork.
"Fine," Gwen almost hesitated to say. She didn't particularly like lying, especially to her own doctor. Although she attempted to smile back at him as a sign that everything seemed well, he sensed just the opposite.
"Gwen, I know when a patient of mine isn't fine." Doctor Abel explained, looking up at her. "I understand if you are feeling hurt right now. You should be. The loss of an infant is a lot for a mother to deal with."
Just as Gwen nodded in a miserable mood, someone emerged from the curtain. The last person she would ever request to see. He stood there, clenching his jaw and fighting back tears. He had no idea what Gwen would say to him but he sensed the words wouldn't be pleasant.
"Ethan," hissed Doctor Abel, aggressively pushing him back to where he had emerged from. "What do you think you are doing? You know Gwen doesn't want to see you right now."
"I'm her husband!" Ethan harshly spat at the concerned doctor, making him all the more angry. This man in front of him wasn't worth being called a husband. To him, Ethan Winthrop was garbage. Marriage vows were meant to be sacred and special, but this man's actions proved differently. Doctor Abel only briefly heard about his love triangle with Gwen and Theresa from the gossipy nurses, but he knew enough to know Ethan wasn't at all decent or loyal. No honourable man would cheat on their wife with her number one rival. It utterly sickened the doctor that Gwen had promised herself to love Ethan Winthrop for all her life, through sickness and health. It wasn't equitable that she had remained devoted and trustworthy to her partner while he wasn't. He was a fool for doing this to Gwen. She deserved so much better than this unfaithful man who stood in front of him just now.
"You don't deserve her." Doctor Abel point blankly exclaimed. Ethan opened his mouth to protest but only stopped himself. Although he didn't want to believe it, Doctor Abel was right. No way could he explain his actions to his devastated wife. How could he possibly explain her that her suspicions had been accurate this whole time? That he was in love with a woman and dreamed of her? That he craved to be with this woman more than his own wife? Still, he didn't want to leave Gwen. Ethan wanted to help her get past their baby's death, after all, it was his own fault. He hated himself for being so selfish and careless.
"Please, let me see my wife." Ethan begged Doctor Abel, his eyes full of regret and deep sorrow. Although the doctor personally would have thrown him out the second he learned Ethan's true colours, Doctor Abel thought of Gwen. It was only fair to her that she would at least get an explanation. She needed to hear the truth from him. That was what marriage was all about. Truth and honesty and what kind of man would he become if he stood as an obstacle in letting them work things out? He didn't want to admit it, but there was always room for a second chance. Selfishly the doctor prayed Gwen wouldn't forgive him and finally set herself free. Move on with her life. Find someone that was worth fighting for.
"Alright, go in. It's only up to Gwen if she wants to see you or not."
Sighing, Doctor Abel stepped aside and examined the urgency in Ethan. He was either ready to work things out with his wife or better yet, put an end to things and let them part ways. All of this chaos somehow hit the doctor more on a personal level than any other patient he had dealt with in his career. It was simply a relationship built on lies and injustice. He knew it wasn't any of his business to get involved yet his eyes didn't dare to blink as Ethan stepped inside Gwen's isolated corner. She said nothing. He said nothing. For a long time all they did was stare at each other. All the bruises and scars were still fresh. They both knew on some level their love could not get passed all that had occurred here in the LA heat.
"Gwen, honey..."
"Don't you honey me." Spat a bitter Gwen, rotating her face around. She couldn't even look at Ethan anymore. His eyes only reminded her of everything disastrous in her life. Doctor Abel attentively studied the scene unfolding in front of him. He remained hidden in a small corner of the curtain as Ethan scrambled for the right words of reassurance.
"Just let me explain at least."
"Explain what exactly Ethan? The gory details of how you cheated on me with Theresa. My God Ethan! Theresa!? Your old fiancee!? I knew you still loved her! You do, don't you? So how long has this been going on for? Huh? Tell me! How long have you been seeing Theresa behind my back? Have you made love to her yet, Ethan or is making out on the beach enough to satisfy your disgusting needs?"
"Gwen!" Ethan interrupted her from going any further. "It wasn't like that at all!"
"Oh really? So you two just fell on top of each other? Or maybe you were giving Theresa CPR. Yes Ethan. That's how it must have been, right? Just a big misunderstanding! Silly me for thinking the worst! I mean, I see my husband, who by the way, promised to love and cherish me, making out with no other but the famous Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald! You knew I hated her Ethan. You knew that I thought she would come between us and look! Yet again she has! I don't know how she did it but she did! And now all I can do is picture you two on that beach!! And how you two were touching each other and..."
Gwen stopped mid-sentence to weep. This news wasn't new to her. Ethan loved Theresa. Ethan wanted to be with Theresa. Ethan wanted to leave Gwen to be with Theresa. It was the same thing all over again like a dreadful cycle. She was a fool for trusting in Ethan. She thought he loved her more. She thought he would learn to get over Theresa and focus on her and her needs. All she wanted was his love, so why was it so hard to hold onto it? Gwen knew the answer to that question. It took all of the strength in to admit this but Theresa was the one that had the true key to Ethan's heart. Gwen only regretted not realizing this earlier. Such pain and grief could have been spared.
"It's over Ethan," the words were both demanding but soft. All that had been left to say was goodbye and this time it was forever.
~*~
"Gwen, how are you feeling?"
Distracting her from her thoughts, Gwen examined the man standing in front of her. It was Dr. Abel, a man that had started to treat her sensitive pregnancy ever since she had flew to LA with Ethan. He gave her a slight grin while checking over files that lay in his hands. For a quick moment Gwen just stared at him while he remained focussed on her paperwork.
"Fine," Gwen almost hesitated to say. She didn't particularly like lying, especially to her own doctor. Although she attempted to smile back at him as a sign that everything seemed well, he sensed just the opposite.
"Gwen, I know when a patient of mine isn't fine." Doctor Abel explained, looking up at her. "I understand if you are feeling hurt right now. You should be. The loss of an infant is a lot for a mother to deal with."
Just as Gwen nodded in a miserable mood, someone emerged from the curtain. The last person she would ever request to see. He stood there, clenching his jaw and fighting back tears. He had no idea what Gwen would say to him but he sensed the words wouldn't be pleasant.
"Ethan," hissed Doctor Abel, aggressively pushing him back to where he had emerged from. "What do you think you are doing? You know Gwen doesn't want to see you right now."
"I'm her husband!" Ethan harshly spat at the concerned doctor, making him all the more angry. This man in front of him wasn't worth being called a husband. To him, Ethan Winthrop was garbage. Marriage vows were meant to be sacred and special, but this man's actions proved differently. Doctor Abel only briefly heard about his love triangle with Gwen and Theresa from the gossipy nurses, but he knew enough to know Ethan wasn't at all decent or loyal. No honourable man would cheat on their wife with her number one rival. It utterly sickened the doctor that Gwen had promised herself to love Ethan Winthrop for all her life, through sickness and health. It wasn't equitable that she had remained devoted and trustworthy to her partner while he wasn't. He was a fool for doing this to Gwen. She deserved so much better than this unfaithful man who stood in front of him just now.
"You don't deserve her." Doctor Abel point blankly exclaimed. Ethan opened his mouth to protest but only stopped himself. Although he didn't want to believe it, Doctor Abel was right. No way could he explain his actions to his devastated wife. How could he possibly explain her that her suspicions had been accurate this whole time? That he was in love with a woman and dreamed of her? That he craved to be with this woman more than his own wife? Still, he didn't want to leave Gwen. Ethan wanted to help her get past their baby's death, after all, it was his own fault. He hated himself for being so selfish and careless.
"Please, let me see my wife." Ethan begged Doctor Abel, his eyes full of regret and deep sorrow. Although the doctor personally would have thrown him out the second he learned Ethan's true colours, Doctor Abel thought of Gwen. It was only fair to her that she would at least get an explanation. She needed to hear the truth from him. That was what marriage was all about. Truth and honesty and what kind of man would he become if he stood as an obstacle in letting them work things out? He didn't want to admit it, but there was always room for a second chance. Selfishly the doctor prayed Gwen wouldn't forgive him and finally set herself free. Move on with her life. Find someone that was worth fighting for.
"Alright, go in. It's only up to Gwen if she wants to see you or not."
Sighing, Doctor Abel stepped aside and examined the urgency in Ethan. He was either ready to work things out with his wife or better yet, put an end to things and let them part ways. All of this chaos somehow hit the doctor more on a personal level than any other patient he had dealt with in his career. It was simply a relationship built on lies and injustice. He knew it wasn't any of his business to get involved yet his eyes didn't dare to blink as Ethan stepped inside Gwen's isolated corner. She said nothing. He said nothing. For a long time all they did was stare at each other. All the bruises and scars were still fresh. They both knew on some level their love could not get passed all that had occurred here in the LA heat.
"Gwen, honey..."
"Don't you honey me." Spat a bitter Gwen, rotating her face around. She couldn't even look at Ethan anymore. His eyes only reminded her of everything disastrous in her life. Doctor Abel attentively studied the scene unfolding in front of him. He remained hidden in a small corner of the curtain as Ethan scrambled for the right words of reassurance.
"Just let me explain at least."
"Explain what exactly Ethan? The gory details of how you cheated on me with Theresa. My God Ethan! Theresa!? Your old fiancee!? I knew you still loved her! You do, don't you? So how long has this been going on for? Huh? Tell me! How long have you been seeing Theresa behind my back? Have you made love to her yet, Ethan or is making out on the beach enough to satisfy your disgusting needs?"
"Gwen!" Ethan interrupted her from going any further. "It wasn't like that at all!"
"Oh really? So you two just fell on top of each other? Or maybe you were giving Theresa CPR. Yes Ethan. That's how it must have been, right? Just a big misunderstanding! Silly me for thinking the worst! I mean, I see my husband, who by the way, promised to love and cherish me, making out with no other but the famous Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald! You knew I hated her Ethan. You knew that I thought she would come between us and look! Yet again she has! I don't know how she did it but she did! And now all I can do is picture you two on that beach!! And how you two were touching each other and..."
Gwen stopped mid-sentence to weep. This news wasn't new to her. Ethan loved Theresa. Ethan wanted to be with Theresa. Ethan wanted to leave Gwen to be with Theresa. It was the same thing all over again like a dreadful cycle. She was a fool for trusting in Ethan. She thought he loved her more. She thought he would learn to get over Theresa and focus on her and her needs. All she wanted was his love, so why was it so hard to hold onto it? Gwen knew the answer to that question. It took all of the strength in to admit this but Theresa was the one that had the true key to Ethan's heart. Gwen only regretted not realizing this earlier. Such pain and grief could have been spared.
"It's over Ethan," the words were both demanding but soft. All that had been left to say was goodbye and this time it was forever.
~*~