A/N- I've had this idea in my head for a long time and finally got around
to writing it. This story is mostly A/U and none of the current storylines
apply. I don't want to give too much away so just read and review. It's
definitely a Therox story even though Fox and Teresa won't meet for a
couple of chapters.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, please don't sue.
Chapter one "Teresa"
Crane Mansion
Teresa Crane stared at the photo album, lost in the past, her face bathed with tears she didn't bother to wipe away. She had been so happy when Ethan proposed. They had grown up together and gone to the same schools and Teresa loved him with her heart and soul. He had been her only boyfriend and she had known when she was ten that she would one day marry him and become Mrs. Ethan Crane. Ethan had been tender and attentive throughout their childhood and adolescence. He took her to all the dances at school; he picked her flowers, recited poetry and never failed to compliment her when she wore a new outfit. He was the perfect boyfriend. All of Harmony knew that the Lopez-Fitzgerald's and the Cranes were the wealthiest families in town and Ethan and Teresa's romance was labeled the romance of the decade. They were like Ken and Barbie. Teresa was tiny and petite with silky dark hair and eyes the color of sinful dark chocolate. Her exoticness perfectly complemented Ethan's blond good looks and total strangers were wont to remark that they made a lovely couple whenever they went out. Their wedding was the stuff of fairy tales and all the papers commented that the picture perfect couple was destined to live happily ever after.
Only it was a lie. Teresa had realized shortly after her marriage that the Ethan she had fallen in love with didn't really exist. He had created this illusion of the perfect man and she had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker much like the rest of the town. But she so badly wanted to make her marriage work that she ignored the voice inside of her that whispered that she should get out while the going was good. When she had found out she was pregnant she was sure that would change things for the better. She had been so wrong. Her pregnancy had only made their precarious relationship worse. Ethan didn't want the baby. He had yelled that he wasn't ready to be a father and that she had been stupid to get pregnant so quickly. She had been forced to go to Lamaze classes with her mother because Ethan refused to join her and he had steadfastly refused to help her set up the nursery or to shop for the million things that babies needed. He hadn't even attended her baby shower. Teresa put on a brave face and excused his absences but Ethan's attitude tore her to pieces. He didn't even pretend an interest in their son after he was born and they'd had a huge fight when Ethan had informed her that he had hired a nanny to take care of Mathieu. She had let him know in no uncertain terms that she planned to take care of her child and Ethan had laughed and told that only "commoners" took care of their own children. Teresa had been so hurt she had run off. Things went from bad to worse pretty quickly. Ethan made no effort to hide his disgust with her and often made cutting remarks meant to disparage and humiliate her in front of their friends. Their sex life was practically non- existent. He rarely touched her and when he did he was so impersonal she found it hard to do anything more than lie there and let him grunt and moan. The one time she had dared to voice her dissatisfaction he had placed the blame squarely on her shoulders and told her that sex would be better if she weren't so frigid. Her lack of experience forced her to keep her mouth shut. In spite of his cavalier attitude, Teresa loved Ethan enough to want to make things work. Only her husband wasn't interested in patching things up and gradually Teresa stopped trying to mend their relationship and devoted herself body and soul to her son. She had tried to walk away from Ethan a few weeks after Mathieu had been born and Ethan had told her in no uncertain terms that if she left him, she'd lose her child. Staring at his implacable face she had known he meant every word. Sighing with defeat she had unpacked her bags and learned to make the best of things. Mathieu was well worth any sacrifice she had to make. She had accepted the status quo until the day the pictures of Ethan in bed with Gwen had been delivered to her by messenger. Teresa wasn't as naïve as she sometimes pretended and she knew Ethan wasn't faithful to her. She hadn't complained because his legion of lovers kept him away from her. But for him to cheat on her with her arch rival, the woman who had almost cost her Mathieu was another matter entirely. Teresa had never minded Gwen's pettiness and catty attitude. They were always in the same classes and had joined the same sorority in college. Teresa knew Gwen hated her because the Winthrop's had lost a lot of money to the Lopez-Fitzgerald's and Gwen's father had been on the verge of bankruptcy a few years earlier before her own father had stepped in and pulled him out of the red. Of course Martin had demanded a 51% interest in Jonathon's cosmetic's company and Gwen resented the fact that there were indebted to the "Irish immigrant" as her mother Rebecca was fond of calling Martin. She had never let Gwen's resentment bother her. But then Gwen had made the mistake of pushing her down a flight of stairs when she had been four months pregnant. She wasn't arrested because Teresa was never able to prove that the fall hadn't been an accident but both women knew that Gwen had tried to force a miscarriage. Gwen fancied herself in love with Ethan and the fact that he had married Teresa galled her. Teresa had warned the other woman to stay away from her and her son and Gwen had complied. Now Teresa knew why she had been so obliging. With the first sign of spirit she had shown since marrying Ethan, she had gone to Julian and told him that if Ethan didn't grant her a divorce and sole custody of Mathieu she would make sure her mother voted against the merger Crane Industries so desperately wanted with Sullivan Engineering. Ethan had been furious when he found out and had nearly beaten her to death. That's when Teresa knew she had to get out at all costs and she had been grateful when Julian had intervened once again. If her father or brother's knew what Ethan had done they would have killed him. Julian had kicked his son out of the mansion and told him not to come back until he had straightened himself out. Ethan had flown to New York that same night. And Teresa had breathed easier knowing that soon she would be free once again.
With another sigh she closed the photo album and stumbled to her feet. She had spent enough time contemplating the past. It was time to think about the future. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she walked over to the bed to lie down when the ringing phone stopped her in her tracks. Dread crawled over her back. Midnight calls never brought good news. She picked up the phone with a trembling hand and put it to her ear, heard the voice on the other end inform her that her husband was dead. The phone slipped from her lifeless fingers when she fell to the floor in a dead faint.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, please don't sue.
Chapter one "Teresa"
Crane Mansion
Teresa Crane stared at the photo album, lost in the past, her face bathed with tears she didn't bother to wipe away. She had been so happy when Ethan proposed. They had grown up together and gone to the same schools and Teresa loved him with her heart and soul. He had been her only boyfriend and she had known when she was ten that she would one day marry him and become Mrs. Ethan Crane. Ethan had been tender and attentive throughout their childhood and adolescence. He took her to all the dances at school; he picked her flowers, recited poetry and never failed to compliment her when she wore a new outfit. He was the perfect boyfriend. All of Harmony knew that the Lopez-Fitzgerald's and the Cranes were the wealthiest families in town and Ethan and Teresa's romance was labeled the romance of the decade. They were like Ken and Barbie. Teresa was tiny and petite with silky dark hair and eyes the color of sinful dark chocolate. Her exoticness perfectly complemented Ethan's blond good looks and total strangers were wont to remark that they made a lovely couple whenever they went out. Their wedding was the stuff of fairy tales and all the papers commented that the picture perfect couple was destined to live happily ever after.
Only it was a lie. Teresa had realized shortly after her marriage that the Ethan she had fallen in love with didn't really exist. He had created this illusion of the perfect man and she had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker much like the rest of the town. But she so badly wanted to make her marriage work that she ignored the voice inside of her that whispered that she should get out while the going was good. When she had found out she was pregnant she was sure that would change things for the better. She had been so wrong. Her pregnancy had only made their precarious relationship worse. Ethan didn't want the baby. He had yelled that he wasn't ready to be a father and that she had been stupid to get pregnant so quickly. She had been forced to go to Lamaze classes with her mother because Ethan refused to join her and he had steadfastly refused to help her set up the nursery or to shop for the million things that babies needed. He hadn't even attended her baby shower. Teresa put on a brave face and excused his absences but Ethan's attitude tore her to pieces. He didn't even pretend an interest in their son after he was born and they'd had a huge fight when Ethan had informed her that he had hired a nanny to take care of Mathieu. She had let him know in no uncertain terms that she planned to take care of her child and Ethan had laughed and told that only "commoners" took care of their own children. Teresa had been so hurt she had run off. Things went from bad to worse pretty quickly. Ethan made no effort to hide his disgust with her and often made cutting remarks meant to disparage and humiliate her in front of their friends. Their sex life was practically non- existent. He rarely touched her and when he did he was so impersonal she found it hard to do anything more than lie there and let him grunt and moan. The one time she had dared to voice her dissatisfaction he had placed the blame squarely on her shoulders and told her that sex would be better if she weren't so frigid. Her lack of experience forced her to keep her mouth shut. In spite of his cavalier attitude, Teresa loved Ethan enough to want to make things work. Only her husband wasn't interested in patching things up and gradually Teresa stopped trying to mend their relationship and devoted herself body and soul to her son. She had tried to walk away from Ethan a few weeks after Mathieu had been born and Ethan had told her in no uncertain terms that if she left him, she'd lose her child. Staring at his implacable face she had known he meant every word. Sighing with defeat she had unpacked her bags and learned to make the best of things. Mathieu was well worth any sacrifice she had to make. She had accepted the status quo until the day the pictures of Ethan in bed with Gwen had been delivered to her by messenger. Teresa wasn't as naïve as she sometimes pretended and she knew Ethan wasn't faithful to her. She hadn't complained because his legion of lovers kept him away from her. But for him to cheat on her with her arch rival, the woman who had almost cost her Mathieu was another matter entirely. Teresa had never minded Gwen's pettiness and catty attitude. They were always in the same classes and had joined the same sorority in college. Teresa knew Gwen hated her because the Winthrop's had lost a lot of money to the Lopez-Fitzgerald's and Gwen's father had been on the verge of bankruptcy a few years earlier before her own father had stepped in and pulled him out of the red. Of course Martin had demanded a 51% interest in Jonathon's cosmetic's company and Gwen resented the fact that there were indebted to the "Irish immigrant" as her mother Rebecca was fond of calling Martin. She had never let Gwen's resentment bother her. But then Gwen had made the mistake of pushing her down a flight of stairs when she had been four months pregnant. She wasn't arrested because Teresa was never able to prove that the fall hadn't been an accident but both women knew that Gwen had tried to force a miscarriage. Gwen fancied herself in love with Ethan and the fact that he had married Teresa galled her. Teresa had warned the other woman to stay away from her and her son and Gwen had complied. Now Teresa knew why she had been so obliging. With the first sign of spirit she had shown since marrying Ethan, she had gone to Julian and told him that if Ethan didn't grant her a divorce and sole custody of Mathieu she would make sure her mother voted against the merger Crane Industries so desperately wanted with Sullivan Engineering. Ethan had been furious when he found out and had nearly beaten her to death. That's when Teresa knew she had to get out at all costs and she had been grateful when Julian had intervened once again. If her father or brother's knew what Ethan had done they would have killed him. Julian had kicked his son out of the mansion and told him not to come back until he had straightened himself out. Ethan had flown to New York that same night. And Teresa had breathed easier knowing that soon she would be free once again.
With another sigh she closed the photo album and stumbled to her feet. She had spent enough time contemplating the past. It was time to think about the future. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she walked over to the bed to lie down when the ringing phone stopped her in her tracks. Dread crawled over her back. Midnight calls never brought good news. She picked up the phone with a trembling hand and put it to her ear, heard the voice on the other end inform her that her husband was dead. The phone slipped from her lifeless fingers when she fell to the floor in a dead faint.