Three years ago…

Two lovers in bed, holding one another in post-coital bliss, discussing their lives, love and fears.

"What are you worried about?"

"If someone finds out about us. I don't know how I could face my family."

"Do you think they would disown you?"

"No, but they'd be shocked. I've caused enough trouble with my Gran over the years. I don't want to cause any more."

"Hadley, if she loves you, there's nothing you can do to change the way she feels."

"I know you're right but I just…"

"SOPHIE! Sophie darling, where are you?"

"Oh shit! I didn't think my parents would be home yet."

"What should we do?"

The door to Sophie's bedroom crashes open before she or her lover can decide what to do. The look on her mother's face says more than any words can.

"Sophie! What? Who is this woman in your bed?"

"Mother, listen, I can explain…"

"Oh, can you? How will you explain this away? She sure as hell doesn't look like your husband. You do remember Eric, don't you?"

"Mother, you don't understand."

"Then help me, Sophie. Tell me what I need to know to not reveal this indiscretion to your father and your husband's parents. Tell me something, darling. Or I'll tell you something you know you won't want to hear."

Sophie Ann feared what her mother would do so she laid out the whole sordid tale, in detail. She kept the annulment portion to herself. She's not stupid, but telling her mother that Eric doesn't mind her having lovers is still a hard pill for her mother to swallow. Once she's heard everything about Sophie Ann's affair with Hadley, she decides not to mention it to Sophie's father. It would kill him to know his daughter wasn't sticking with her end of the bargain, and if the Northmans ever found out, well, goodbye partnership.

Present day…

"I told her everything then. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it sooner. Your mother didn't tell you?"

I shake my head before I realize she can't see me. "No. Why would she have? It's not like my parents wouldn't want to hold something else over my head."

"Well, my mum got drunk one night and decided to spill her guts to your mother. I thought for sure we would be ruined, but apparently she's kept quiet. Eric, I don't think your father has any idea."

"Oh, I'm sure he does. You don't know my mother. Drunk or not, she wouldn't be able to keep something like that secret from him. Not for long, anyway. I am surprised she hasn't said anything to me, though. She lives to keep me at her beck and call. This… this would definitely be great ammunition for her."

"I'm really sorry about all of this. But there is something else."

"What more could there be?" The phone goes so quiet I think we've been disconnected. "Sophie! Soph? What else?"

"I think, they may know about the annulment."

I'm stunned into silence. I almost drop the phone my hands are shaking so fiercely. I'm angry now because if they know about our marriage being dissolved, then they could have told me and saved me the trouble of breaking Sookie's heart.

"How?" I bite out through gritted teeth.

"I don't know. It's possible they got to Hadley. I haven't seen her since my mother caught us in bed together. I wouldn't put it past her if she paid her off."

My voice drops to a whisper. "I think I need to come home."

"Are you sure that's something you should do? I can handle things from here if you want."

"Yeah 'cause you're doing such a bang up fucking job now! No. I need to handle this myself. I only called to warn you but it seems I didn't need to. I should be pissed at you. Why didn't you call me and tell me what was going on sooner?"

"I tried to get in touch with you but I was persuaded not to."

"Persuaded?" I'm sure my eyebrows have hit the roof.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Persuaded by whom, Sophie?" I run my hands through my hair, waiting for her reply.

"You should know, if there was something more I could have done, I would have. I feel completely to blame for not telling my parents to shove it earlier on. You wouldn't have been put in this situation to begin with."

I notice she doesn't answer my question but don't call her on it. I'm sure I know who "persuaded" her not to call me. "You can't say that. It's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this. The business deal between our parents was always in the works. It was just a matter of time."

She sighs. "I will take your word for it, but I don't agree with you."

"You don't agree with me? Are you out of your fucking mind? Sophie, our parents use us as pawns in their business shit and we have to deal with the fallout. And you don't think they had this planned all along? You're not naïve. Don't pretend to be now."

She's quiet for a long while. I'm ready to apologize for losing my temper when she speaks up.

"When should I expect you?"

"I don't know yet. I have to book my flight. I'll try to get a flight out tomorrow morning so that I can get there sometime tomorrow evening. I need to find Sookie before I leave. Maybe I can talk her into coming with me." I chuckle at the thought. That's a fucking long-shot if ever there were one.

"You know, I can talk to her for you—tell her about the bind we've been put in. I think talking to the other woman might help. If there are questions she has, I can answer them. Unless of course you think it's a bad idea."

"I don't know, Sophie. She's pretty pissed at me right now and I'd be worried talking to you would just set her off."

"If I were in her shoes, I'd want to talk to me. At least to get the whole story. She may not trust you right now, but I have no reason to lie to her. Let me try, and see what happens. I'll be sure she knows it was me who suggested calling if she's really upset."

I don't know what to tell Sophie, but she is a woman. I would think she'd know a bit more about how the female mind works, right?

I laugh. "I guess it can't hurt. I'll give you her number before we hang up. I'll let you know when I have my flight and what time it gets in."

"Great, great. I'll pick you up at the airport. It's the least I can do."

"No. I don't want to put you out. Besides, my parents will probably send a car for me anyway. I'll have to let them know I'm on my way."

"You don't owe them anything, Eric. I wouldn't tell them I was coming."

"That's where you're wrong. I need to tell them because if they find out I'm there and didn't let them know, it'll be worse for me. And on the off chance Sookie decides to come with me, I wouldn't want to put her in a more uncomfortable position."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. It'll give me time to talk to them before we step into the Thunderdome."

She laughs. "Okay. I'll begin damage control. Hey, I want tickets to that event."

I laugh but rattle off Sookie's number to her. Once we've said our goodbyes and hang up, I book the earliest flight I can for Stockholm. I'm not looking forward to going home, especially if it's alone. I purchase an extra ticket. Just in case.

The sound of my phone ringing pulls me from my sleep. I thought I'd shut the damn thing off but I guess I forgot after I finished talking to Gran.

"Hello."

"Hi, is this Sookie?"

"Yes. Who may I ask is calling?"

"You don't know me, but my name is Sophie Ann LeClerq. I'm Eric's um—"

"Wife?"

She chuckles. "No. Look, please don't hang up! I wanted a chance to talk to you, to explain things."

"You've got thirty seconds to say what you want before I do."

"Well, I might need at least a few minutes. Things are a lot more complicated than that and that's why I'm calling. I hear that the news has been broken to you about our… arrangement? I wanted to explain and answer any questions you had so that you would give Eric a chance to explain things to you."

"Did he put you up to this?"

"No. I volunteered. I know you don't know this, but I know your cousin Hadley. Intimately."

I take a moment before asking my next question. "What exactly do you mean?"

"We were lovers. I know you may not have known of her affinity for women, but we were together for quite some time. We were together before Eric and I were pressed into marriage with one another, and after we'd gotten the annulment. She took off once my mother found out about us and that's about the last time I heard from her. You haven't kept in touch with her, have you? I'm a bit worried. I just want to know that she's okay and if my parents had anything to do with her leaving. I want to remedy that as well."

"I haven't talked to her in years. I had no idea. I… I don't know what to say. And I'll be honest, it sounds like you feel a bit guilty about my cousin and want to try to smooth things over with her. I don't understand how I fit into the equation but whatever. That is what you all do, isn't? You think you can take your money and throw it at your problems and that will fix them? I'm not a problem to be fixed and neither is my cousin!"

"He loves you. Probably more than anyone he's ever… Just know that he loves you. What we had was merely an arrangement to make our parents happy. There were no romantic feelings between us at all. Well, now you know why, but I thought if you heard it from me—"

"I'd forgive him and not hold a grudge? He lied to me Sophie Ann. He kept a huge part of his life hidden from me and I'm just supposed to accept it now. He didn't trust me enough to let me in. He didn't trust me with his heart. That's what upset me more than anything. I can't forgive that."

"I understand, but you have to understand the position he's put in. He's an only child. He's the heir to his parents' fortune and he isn't at all what they expect him to be. He literally jumps through hoops to keep them happy—and I'm sure you know how tall he is—so think of how difficult that is for him. But he does it. It's why he agreed to marry me."

I'm not sure if she's trying to be funny or not, but something else she says grabs my attention. "Wait… why does he need to keep them happy?"

"They are not the most—how to put this delicately—stable people. They're almost like sociopaths. They have so much control over him that he's nothing more than a puppet. He doesn't want to be, which is why he distances himself from them as much as possible, but they can tug on his strings and pull him right back. In fact, he's planning to come here to talk to them. He wants to settle things once and for all. I'm not sure how it will all play out for him, but he's willing to break all ties with them. For you."

Well, whoop-dee-doo! "What does that mean?"

"He'll be ostracized. They won't acknowledge him anymore and they will do everything in their power to rid him of his rightful inheritance. I know that may not mean much to you, but with the shit they've put him through all these years, he deserves more than what's coming to him. It may be better if he explains it to you."

"I think I've heard enough. Thank you for calling me."

"Do you know when he's leaving? He said he was going to call you to see if you would go with him. Has he?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I've been so upset that I didn't bother answering my phone until now."

"I can let you know when he's leaving if you want to catch him, which I hope you do."

I could hear the smile in her voice. "I'll think about it."

"It's the least I can hope for. I love Eric like a brother. I know him and I know he's madly in love with you. He told me so himself. He's so beaten up over what happened between you two. I'm not telling you to forgive him, but I do hope you'll hear him out. If you can't find it in your heart to trust him, then he's officially ruined the best thing he's ever had."

"Did he say that too?"

"Oh, you need to ask him that. I think I've said too much as it is. Anyway, think about what I've said, and go from there. I wish you the best of luck. And I hope you can work things out. He needs you, Sookie. I'll send you his flight information as soon as I get it. I hope you use it."

"Thanks, Sophie. Goodbye."

She's given me a lot to think about.