Chapter 6

Ivy was thrilled that Theresa had reconsidered the job. After they had their little discussion, Theresa left.

Ethan was making the phone call to Gwen.

Gwen's cell rang and rang. Ethan left her a message.

Ethan- "Hi, Gwen. It's Ethan. I have something really important to talk to you about. I really need for you to-"

"Hello, Ethan."

Ethan- "Rebecca. Gwen, I'll call you right back." Ethan hung up the phone.

Rebecca- "Naughty, naughty."

Ethan- "What do you mean?"

Rebecca- "I heard you outside."

Ethan knew exactly what Rebecca was talking about.

Ethan- "You heard what?"

Rebecca- "Ethan, don't insult my intelligence. You were outside pouring your heart out to Miss Housekeeper's Daughter."

Rebecca waited for Ethan to respond. He didn't.

Rebecca- "I also know that you are calling my Gwennie to break her poor heart. You are going to call of your wedding with her so you can be with that little wench from the wrong side of the tracks."

Ethan- "Rebecca, you don't know what you're talking about."

Rebecca- "Oh, don't I? Ethan, I heard you telling Theresa that you love her and that you couldn't marry Gwen and you didn't want to. Well, know this. If you call off this wedding, there will be consequences."

Ethan- "Rebecca, just because you're screwing my father doesn't mean that I have to listen to you."

Rebecca- "I am warning you, Ethan-"

Ethan- "Are you threatening me?"

Rebecca- "Oh, Ethan, no not you. But I would be careful if I were you. "

Ethan- "Rebecca, get off your high horse. I'm not afraid of you. What can you possibly do to me? "

Rebecca- "Oh, Ethan. Never underestimate me. I am warning you. If you call off this wedding, and break Gwen's heart, you will be sorry. I can guarantee you that if you do call of this wedding, little Miss Therosita will be found dead, lying in a ditch somewhere."

Ethan- "Don't you threaten Theresa."

Rebecca- "I'm not, Ethan. I'm just telling you, marry Gwen…or else."

Ethan was silent.

Rebecca- "Now be a good boy and call Gwen back and tell her that you don't need to talk to her and that everything is fine. Then, you will call Theresa and tell her that you need to see her. When you do, you call whatever fiasco you have going on with her off. Understand?"

Ethan was silent.

Rebecca- "Ethan? Do you understand me?"

Ethan spoke through his teeth.

Ethan- "I understand, Rebecca. Just promise me that you won't hurt Theresa."

Rebecca- "Well, as long as you promise to stay away from her and marry my daughter, she'll be fine."

Ethan- "I have your word?"

Rebecca- "Do I have yours?"

Ethan- "Yes, but don't drag Theresa into this."

Rebecca- "Well then, I guess you'd better start calling me mom."

Rebecca slithered out of the room, smiling at her accomplishment…

Ethan called Gwen back.

Ethan- "Hey, Gwen. It's me again. Sorry about that last call. I was just overreacting. There was just a misunderstanding about the wedding. It's all cleared up now. Talk to you later, Honey. Bye."

Ethan called Theresa.

Theresa- "Hello?"

Ethan- "Theresa, it's me."

Theresa- "Ethan, I'm so happy to hear your voice."

Ethan- "Theresa, can we meet somewhere? I have to talk to you."

Theresa- "Sure. Where?"

Ethan- "I was thinking of the Book Café."

Theresa- "Sure, I'll be there. What time?"

Ethan- "How about right now?"

Theresa- "Okay, see you there. I love you."

Ethan- "I love you, Theresa."

Theresa- "Bye."

Ethan hung up.



At the Book Café.

Theresa was sitting at table waiting for Ethan to show up. Her face was aglow and a smile shone on her face. Ethan walked in, a glum look upon his face.

Theresa- "Ethan!" She waved his way.

Ethan walked over to her and took his seat across from her.

Theresa- "Ethan, what's wrong?"

Ethan- "Nothing, I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately."

Theresa- "About what?"

Ethan- "Us."

Theresa- "Well, what about us?"

Ethan- "Theresa, I don't think we should do this."

Theresa- "We shouldn't do what?"

Ethan- "This. I don't think we should see each other like this."

Theresa- "Well, what do you mean? We love each other."

Ethan- "Yes, I do love you, but I'm engaged."

Theresa- "But, you said that you were going to call off the wedding."

Ethan- "I can't do that, Theresa."

Theresa- "Why not?" Theresa's eyes were starting to spout tears.

Ethan- "Because I realized that I love Gwen."

Theresa- "More than you love me?" Theresa asked a question that she was afraid to know the answer to.

Ethan- "I'm sorry, Theresa."

Theresa- "You're sorry?"

Theresa got up from the table and ran outside of the Book Café.

Ethan ran after her.

Theresa stood near the entrance to the Book Café. Her arms wrapped around her, one hand near her mouth trying to mussel the sounds of crying.

Ethan- "Theresa…"

Theresa turned to face him.

Theresa- "I want to know the truth. Did you come here to tell me that you can't love me?"

Ethan- "Look Theresa, look. Loving you hasn't been the easiest thing that's ever happened in my life. But it's a reality. You've been like a hurricane that has ripped through my life. And our love would kill Gwen. I can't deny my feelings for you. I love you, Theresa. At the same time I ask you to understand that I love Gwen too."

Theresa- "So, you chose her over me."

Ethan- "No, Theresa please understand. I'm doing this for you. I don't want to see you hurt."

Theresa- "That's just what you're doing, Ethan."

Ethan- "Theresa, I just-"

Theresa- "Ethan, you break my heart for the last time. Please, just leave me alone."

Theresa ran all the way home in tears.

Ethan returned home.

At the Crane Mansion.

Phyllis opened the door and let Ethan in.

Ethan- "Phyllis, where's my mother?"

Phyllis- "She is upstairs in her study, Sir."

Ethan walked upstairs.

He knocked on the door to his mother's study.

Ethan- "Mother…"

Ivy- "Ethan, nice to see you, dear. Listen, I've been going over these plans. And I just don't understand what Theresa means for them to say. Do you know?"

Ethan- "No."

Ivy- "Oh, well, I guess I'll just ask her tomorrow."

Ethan- "Actually, I don't think that's going to be possible."

Ivy- "Well, why not?"

Ethan- "I don't think that Theresa will be working here anymore."

Ivy- "Oh, didn't she tell you? She reconsidered. Whatever you said to her earlier worked."

Ethan- "Mother, I think she changed her mind again."

Ivy- "Oh, well, I guess we'll have to wait and see until tomorrow."

They both stood in silence.

Ivy- "Oh, Honey, I forgot to tell you. Gwen's back."

Ethan- "Really? Where is she?"

Ivy- "In your room, waiting for you."

Ethan smiled and left the room. He made his way down the hallway to his bedroom. He stopped at the door and collected his thoughts. Finally, he decided to enter the room. Ethan walked into his bedroom. He left the door open.

Ethan- "Gwen?"

Gwen was stretched out across the bed in a business outfit. A gel eye mask on her face. When she heard her name she sat up and removed the mask.

Gwen smiled at Ethan.

Ethan- "Honey, you look exhausted.

Gwen- "I am. Sitting all morning in a conference room trying to push back some merger. Oh, God! I want to take a nap."

Ethan- "Go ahead."

Gwen- "That's sweet of you. But I don't feel like spending the rest of the day in bed. Especially without you."

Gwen leans in and kisses Ethan's lips. Just as she did that, Rebecca walked by Ethan's room and saw this.

Rebecca- "Oh, would you look at you two."

Ethan and Gwen both broke the kiss.

Rebecca- "I have never seen a couple more in love than the two of you. I know you will be very happy together. I trust that you aren't getting cold feet are you?"

When she said that last line, she looked directly at Ethan.

Gwen- "No, of course not."

Rebecca- "Good. You know, Gwennie, I was thinking."

Gwen "Oh no."

Rebecca- "Well, just hear me out. You want to move the wedding back so that you can do that business thing that you do. What if you move the wedding up?"

Gwen- "Can we do that?"

Rebecca- "Of course you can. Everything is all taken care of. Just a couple calls to the florist and the caterer and everything's set."

Gwen- "Well, I guess we can. Ethan, what do you think?"

Ethan- "I don't know. If we move it up, our honeymoon would be spent while you are working."

Rebecca- "I've thought about that too. Why don't you just cancel your reservations in Bermuda and have your honeymoon in Europe?"

Gwen- "We can do that."

Rebecca- "Good. I was thinking of moving it up to Thursday."

Ethan- "Thursday? Today's Tuesday. So that would be the day after tomorrow."

Rebecca- "Yes, Ethan. Then you will have two weeks of a honeymoon before Gwen has to go to work."

Ethan- "Honey, don't you think that's a little soon?"

Gwen- "Well sooner than we expected. But this is perfect. I want to marry you as soon as possible."

Rebecca- "Great, it's all settled then. You are getting married on Thursday. I'll call the guests and let them know of the change in plans."

Gwen- "Okay, mother, where's Theresa. I have to ask her something."

Rebecca- "Oh, she quit."

Gwen- "What?"

Rebecca- "Yeah, just like that. She abandoned you days before your wedding. I always told you she was no good."

Ethan- "No, Rebecca. She had some personal family matters to attend to. She couldn't work here anymore. And besides she didn't know that we were moving the wedding up."

Gwen- "Oh, well, I'll go call her and let her know what's going on."

Rebecca- "No! I mean, no. Like Ethan said, she has business of her own to attend to. Why don't you go get freshened up? You look tired."

Gwen- "Okay."

Gwen leaves the room.

Rebecca- "Ethan, a word."

Ethan- "What Rebecca?"

Rebecca- "I trust that you broke it off with that little slut."

Ethan- "She's not a slut. And yes, against my own heart, I did."

Rebecca- "Good boy. Now, I don't want Theresa to know about this wedding being so soon. I don't want her to know that you are marrying Gwen until after the wedding. Got it?"

Ethan- "I wouldn't want her there anyway. I don't want to hurt her anymore than I already have."

Rebecca- "Whatever. As long as you say 'I do' to Gwen, I'm happy."

Ethan- "Go to hell."

Rebecca- "Yeah, well as long as I live here, I'll get everything that I want."

Rebecca walked out.

Ethan- "I just hope that you get everything that you deserve."