HEARTS DIVIDED: The Truth
by tarskeewee08
"How long did you work for him?"
"Oh baby about 10 years. When he moved to Llanview from North Carolina I came with him." She said smiling sweetly at Jessica.
"So you knew of his research on infertile women"
Ms. Whitley shook her head sadly. "Baby what they have Dr. Truman in jail for was not the crux of his practice. It was a lot more complicated than that."
Jessica looked at the tears glistening in the older woman's eyes and felt somewhat frightened.
"I don't understand"
"Cloning…he only used those poor women to impregnate to steel their eggs for cloning."
Jessica stomach clenched. "What?"
"Yes
baby he and his benefactor did some pretty horrible things to women
and Dr. Truman used in-vetro to impregnate some women with his
experimentations. Those women that he went that far with always died
from his betrayal of trust and that is why the government caught up
with him. He was a great success with his discoveries in insemination
that no one suspected how deadly he was."
"Benefactor?"
Ms. Whitley eyes dropped and Jessica knew there was something she was hiding. She had to know more, especially in regards to her sister. "Can you tell me about him and Kelly Cramer?"
Ms Whitley smiled "He loved that girl, well was obsessed with that girl. She broke his heart and he took it pretty bad. You said on the phone that you were trying to help your sister and I think I can help" she slowly rose from the couch and shuffled out of the room into the back of the house.
Jessica listened to her move things around and tried to digest what she'd been told. "Cloning?" she mumbled under her breath. "What if he took some of Evangeline's eggs for this? How could she find out?"
Ms. Whitley returned with a tattered looking shoe box and sat down next to Jessica. She smiled sadly in Jessica's face and kept her worn down knarled arthritic hand on the box in her lap.
"Sweetie, I've been a nurse for 30 years. I am not proud of some of the things I've done and witnessed, it goes against what I've sworn to protect. But I cared for Dr. Truman and at one time believed in his work. Like I said the progress he made with insemination of barren women was remarkable. He was a genius. He was also quite mad."
Jessica nodded not able to take her eyes off the box. Ms. Whitley saw she was anxious to get to the truth and smiled. Touching her cheek she smiled at her sadly. "There are two truths you need to hear. The first is the one you came to seek and the second is the one that seeks you."
Jessica frowned "Two truths?"
Ms. Whitley nodded. "Yes, Dr. Truman became paranoid in the last three years. He recorded everything in his office. Meetings, procedures and some other things." She said blushing.
"Okay" Jessica said.
"The government doesn't know about these recordings because I was the safe keeper. Spencer only trusted me and his brother. He wanted to preserve his work. I have a whole box full of these tapes marked and dated. When you called seeking answers I retrieved the ones that could help you."
Jessica smiled "Thank god!"
Ms. Whitley shook her head "I also battled with ones that will hurt you. I don't know you but I know your brother. Jessica people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."
"What does that mean?"
"The first truth is Spencer did have an ongoing love affair with Kelly Cramer. Apparently her husband was away a lot and she was lonely, but the guilt of the betrayal was eating away at her. Well Spencer couldn't abide by letting her go and did everything to keep her close. Then it was discovered she was pregnant."
Ms. Whitley opened the box and pulled out a black VHS tape marked KELLY 10-04-02. Her arthritic hand shook as she held onto it. Getting up she went to the TV and vcr in the room.
While she started the tape Jessica leaned over and looked into the box. There were two more tapes marked KELLY and then her breath caught at two marked BUCHANAN. The video popped up and she looked at the screen. They walked around arguing and Kelly was in tears. She hadn't been intimate with her husband in over a month because he was on an undercover assignment and she was pregnant. She begged for Spencer to help her. He made advances on her and spoke of his need to have her and she submitted to his request having sex in his office.
Ms. Whitley fast forwarded to the end of their tryst. When it was done Spencer told her to have John come in and submit a specimen for insemination. That he would save her marriage.
Ms. Whitley turned it off and faced Jessica.
"He actually was going to tell her husband the truth. But sweet Kelly had no idea of that. The other tape in the box marked KELLY is actually a visit from her aunt Doran. Kelly shared her plan with Dorian because she needed someone to confide in. Dorian is very clever and she knew that the good doctor was setting him up. She made David confess to Spencer nefarious deeds and confronted him, forcing him to honor his agreement. You can watch that as well. The man trying to steal your sisters baby after seeing this and knowing how his wife would publicly humiliated should back off."
Jessica ran her hands through her hair. She actually felt bad for John McBain, he was a victim in this. Maybe that's what Evangeline meant she understood why she didn't want to reveal this information. Turning she slipped her hand into the box and pulled out the BUCHANAN tapes. "What is this about?"
Ms Whitley folded her arms and stared at her for a moment unsure if she wanted to reveal it all. "Dr. Truman was commissioned to come to Llanview by your brother sweetie. He learned of Truman's work through some of the dealings he had with a company called Telico."
Jessica frowned "Telico, weren't they indicted from the federal government two years ago for the enslavement of Mexican immigrants to work in sweat shops?"
Ms. Whitley nodded. "Yes and the Mexican women were experimented on by Spencer for his in-vetro discovery as well as cloning. When your brother took ill he decided to have himself cloned. He underwent several test. He told your sister that he was depositing sperm for insemination. Imagine Spencer's surprise when she showed up wanting to be inseminated."
"That's a LIE! Kevin wouldn't do that! He wouldn't fund that type of cruelty on people. He wasn't a monster!"
Ms. Whitley shook her head. "Watch the tapes baby. They explain everything."
Jessica fought the urge to cry. She couldn't get her head around this. Ms. Whitley popped out the tape and walked over to her and put it in the box with the others. "Here I don't want or need these things. Spencer was a nasty man and I despise him to know end. I'm an old woman and I just want to die in peace. I was however willing weeks back to testify. Your sister attorney found me and I would have testified to the facts about Kelly Cramer. But she declined. I don't mind helping to save a child from being torn from it's mother. Your sister was a victim. Dr. Truman didn't clone her eggs, but he thought it would be amusing to use the deposits from John McBain to impregnate her. Since Kevin Buchanan never gave any. He wanted the endowment your family offered to continue the practice. The insemination had to be a success with the prominence of your family."
Jessica still upset about Kevin didn't hear what she was saying. Putting the tapes back in the box, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. Ms. Whitley saw her anger and disappointment and took pity. "Ms. Buchanan,"
Jessica stopped and turned to look at her with tears in her eyes. "Yes."
"Think long and hard about destroying this man."
Jessica said nothing opening the door and slamming out.
Once in the car she burst into tears. Kevin had done some cruel things over the years. His interference with Antonio cost her the one chance at happiness. But she loved her brother. She refused to believe that he was capable of the things that are on these tapes. She refused to believe she didn't know him at all. She needed to see Evangeline and tell her what was going on. She needed her help.
Starting her car she sped out of the driveway and drove to Lakewood at breakneck speed. Crying and hearing Ms. Whitley in her head made her shake with anger and disappointment.
"Why Kevin? Why!" Pulling into the driveway to the ranch she barely braked when she grabbed the box and jumped out of the car. Running up the stairs two at a time she entered the house. As soon as she came in she saw Carlotta with her bags and frowned.
"Where's
Van?"
Carlotta smiled "You just missed her sweetie."
"I
did?"
"Yes, Mr. McBain packed her and the baby up and
left"
"LEFT!"
Carlotta looked at Jessica in shocked
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong! It's happening! He's
trying to take her from me!" Jessica knew she was being irrational
but Evangeline was all she had. She knew that after he married her he
would take her away. She would have no one.
Carlotta stood
there stunned. "Ms. Jessica…"
"Where did they go!" she
asked openly crying.
"I don't know but they won't be gone
long. She didn't take that much stuff."
Jessica shook her
head. "No, no…he's trying to take her from me"
Carlotta walked over and put her arms around her. Jessica moved the box she was holding and hugged her back. Jessica cried over her pain over her brother and the loss of her connection to the woman she considered her sister. If Evangeline knew that Kevin was responsible for this monster destroying John and her life with these false inseminations she would loose her. Evangeline would want nothing to do with the Buchanan's and she would leave with that McBain. She couldn't let that happen.
Pulling away she shook with her sobs "I know
what I need to do."
Carlotta looked at her confused "Okay
baby."
An hour later
Jessica walked out of the house. She went to her trunk and put the tapes of Kevin inside. She would never tell Evangeline the truth. She wouldn't loose her. When she returned from wherever she was she would blow that fake marriage from the water.
Slamming the trunk she walked around the car to her door and opened it. Before getting inside she looked up and saw Antonio in the distance on one of the horses. She stood there frozen. He had wanted to marry her. She had been so different when she was loved by him. She desperately wanted the comfort and protection of him now with her heart breaking into a million pieces.
Closing the door and walking to him she remembered how Kevin refused to let her marry him. How he threatened her to leave him alone or he would destroy him. He even had her mother take his side sighting how she was too young. When that didn't work he uncovered Antonio's checkered past and threatened to have him rearrested. Under the three strike rule he would get life. Kevin said he owned the town and charges could appear from anywhere.
She begged her brother to relent and let her be with him but he refused. She wanted to protect Antonio and finally decided to do what was demanded of her. She went to him and broke up. She told him it was her decision but he knew it was a lie. She let him believe that he was beneath her. She lost him. And even after loosing the love of her life she remained jaded to her brother's cruelty. She convinced herself that he did it to protect her. With Evangeline's help she was able to move on.
Now it was all for nothing. Kevin was the biggest liar and cheat of them all.
Antonio looked up and saw
her approaching. Steering Charlotte around he came to her. "What's
going on you looking for your sister?" he asked smiling.
Jessica
stared at him let her tears fall.
He frowned and climbed down
from the horse. Going to her he pulled her into his arms. "Jessie
what is it?"
"I have nothing!" she whimpered.
"No
baby….that's not true. Your designing career in New York is
taking off. You have a lot to be happy for"
"I am so sorry Antonio. I am so sorry for failing you."
He rubbed her back. "Jessica what are you talking about? I wanted you to be happy. I could've never given you the life you have now."
She
shook her head. "I'd rather had you"
He pulled her away and
looked into her face. "What?"
She grabbed his face and kissed
him passionately. She kissed him with all the desire she contained
over the past four years for a love she let go do to her own lack of
faith in what she had with him.
Pulling her close Antonio kissed her back and felt her melt into him. He'd wanted to touch her for so long. Having her in his arms again like this was more than enough. Finally breaking free she smiled at him. "Can I stay with you tonight?"
He kissed her forehead and smiled "Of course you can."
Taking the horse by the reigns in one hand and holding her hand in the other he walked back to the stables to put Charlotte up. Then he went to his quarters to put his life with her back together.
