Chapter Two

Bridget stopped the tape. Tears filled her eyes.

"She set you up to die in her place?" Andrew whispered horrified.

His wife was alive and as cold-blooded as ever, it seemed. The rage he felt for Bridget split down the middle and half asserted itself to Siobhan.

Bridget nodded. "She wanted me dead. She orchestrated everything so I would take her place. I haven't figured it all out, but she wanted me to put on her ring and pretend to be your wife." Slowly she reached into the oversized pocket of her sundress. She held her closed fist out to him.

"Speaking of," she trailed off as she reached for his hand. "These belong to you."

She opened her fist and the wedding ring and band fell into his open palm. The diamonds sparkled with an internal fire that used to symbolize his love for her, and still did though he tried to stomp it out.

Tears streamed down her face and vivid pain radiated from her eyes. Andrew winced. The entire situation was surreal. Siobhan was alive and hated her own twin so much that she set her up to die. Why would she do that to Bridget? Why would she do that to any of them? He knew their marriage was in a bad place but to fake a suicide and who knows what else, it was insane. Why? Suddenly a name from the recording popped into his head, and he spoke harshly.

"Who is Sean?"

Tears seeped unchecked from Bridget's tightly shut eyes. His gut told him they were not a tool she was using to garner compassion from him, they were very real. The confusion and pain on Bridget's face made Andrew's heart ache, and he felt his anger abate. Almost against his will his voice softened

"Who is Sean?" he asked again, gently.

Bridget took a shuddering breath before speaking. "Sean was Siobhan's son."

Andrew blinked in shock. "Siobhan had a son?"

"Yes." She wiped her eyes. "He was the light of her life."

A memory from his wedding night to Siobhan leapt into his mind. He held her in his arms and asked her about the boy in the picture he found in her jewelry case. He had found the photo while searching for a ring to use as a model to buy her engagement ring. She had not wanted to talk about it and he never brought it up again.

"What happened to him?"

Bridget stepped away and walked to the windows. She gazed out over the ocean and spoke hauntingly, "Sean's biological father, Dylan, broke up with Siobhan when he found out she was pregnant, but later he wanted to see his son only she wouldn't let him. Siob worked a lot of nights, so I was with Sean a lot, more than her even. So, it wasn't a big surprise when Dylan approached me. He begged me to let him take Sean to the county fair. I said no, but I thought he deserved a second chance, because he was Sean's dad. I agreed after he told me I was welcome to come along. He promised we would be back before Siobhan got home from work. That night a storm hit, and when the rain started we had to cut the evening short. On our way back from the fair he asked if I would testify on his behalf when he petitioned the court for partial custody of Sean, and that is the last thing I remember. I woke up hours later and found out that the man who hit our car, had fallen asleep at the wheel." She stopped as a sob closed her throat. "Sean died."

He had to strain to hear the last of her sentence.

"I killed him."

Bridget turned back to face him while hugging her middle as if she was trying to keep herself from literally falling apart.

The grief in her gaze punched him in the gut and stole his breath. He tried to steel himself against it, only he couldn't. Unable to help himself he walked toward her and pulled her into his arms. "It was an accident," he said.

"It doesn't matter. He died because of me." She stepped out of his embrace and took a deep breath. "I've forgiven Dylan hoping that forgiveness would lend itself to me, but it didn't. It's my fault. I don't blame Siobhan for wanting me dead. I wanted to die. I should have died, and he should have lived. If there was in fairness in the world I would be in the ground, and you would be Sean's step-dad. He deserved to have a father like you. He was a wonderful little boy. It should have been me."

Her words tore at him. Underneath all of the anger he felt for Bridget's deceit, his entire being rebelled at the thought of her death. Even though he didn't trust her, maybe never would, he felt physically ill at the thought of her dying.

"Don't say that," he growled.

"Why?"

"Just don't. It was an accident, no one's fault. The end."

"Yes." She smiled, with no humor. "Yes, it was the end. It was the end of everything that meant anything to me."

It suddenly dawned on him that Siobhan never would have allowed someone with a drug problem to care for her son.

"Is that when you started doing drugs?"

Bridget shrugged. "I was a party girl who stayed till last call before Sean was born, made some dumb choices but it never consumed me. After the accident I felt alone, so alone." She took a deep breath. "I think a part of me wanted to die but I was too much of a coward to end it myself. I just wanted to forget, and so I did, for brief stretches, I forgot, and I could breathe, but soon it took more and more to forget, and I did whatever I needed to get the next high. I did anything to numb the pain. I…I…I…" her voice faded away.

Andrew didn't want to think about the things she did.

"I became a stranger to myself. I didn't recognize or like the person I became. After I watched Bodaway murder Shaylene I realized that I didn't want to die. I wanted to live, so I ran. Of course I didn't get far before Agent Machado caught up with me. He is the one who convinced me to testify and get clean. It worked. Through Narcotics Anonymous I found the woman I wanted to be. Working the N.A. steps was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and in doing it I found that I could be proud of myself again." She hugged her arms around her middle. "The night before I was to testify the man who was supposed to be protecting me told me I wasn't safe, that Bodaway had some of the FBI in his pocket, and that I needed to leave. He put his gun in my bag, and I ran to Siobhan. The next day she killed herself. I didn't know what to do. I only knew I didn't want to die, and it was only a matter of time before they caught up with me, so I slipped into Siobhan's life. I felt like it was my only option." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I turned your life upside down. I know you can't believe it, but that was never my intention. I only wanted to live." She paused. "Later I needed to be there for you and Juliet. I wanted to be the woman you deserved. It's stupid to think that I could have been that for you, but I desperately wanted to be."

Desire to believe her words filled his heart, and though he may have softened to give her sympathy during her pain, he wasn't willing to open himself to her, so he shut the desire down. He could believe that she never wanted to hurt them but the fact remained their world was shattered, and their hearts broken because of her.

"So, Siobhan is alive?" Andrew said.

Bridget nodded.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. Henry kicked her out and swore he had no idea."

Andrew shuddered. What a giant mess. He couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around the immensity of the chaos that was his relationship with his wife and her twin sister. It was too much.

"I don't care." He closed his eyes and held his hands palms out. "Truly, I don't care. Siobhan can rot, and I want nothing to do with you. This will all have to be handled eventually but not right now."

Bridget nodded. "I understand, and I don't blame you, but there is something else you need to know, and I'm afraid it will make you change your mind."

"There is nothing you can say to make me change my mind. I want absolutely nothing to do with Siobhan…or you."

She closed her eyes at his words before holding the tape recorder aloft and pressing the button. Sorrowfully, she watched him as Henry's and her recorded voices filled the large room.

"Yes. Siobhan wanted you dead," Henry said.

"I have…I have to go," Bridget's voice trembled.

"There is something else you need to know. Siobhan gave birth to twin girls a few weeks ago and they aren't mine."

"What?"

"I thought you should know since you're in love with Andrew. I saw your face the night he was shot, and the doctor came out to tell you he was going to be okay. I could see the love in your eyes. So, I thought you should know that the babies weren't mine. I had a paternity test done and I'm definitely not their father, and though your sister is devious and was unfaithful to her husband, I don't think she was sleeping around. There is a very real possibility that the girls are Andrew's."

A long pause filled the recording.

"I have to go," Bridget whispered, as the sound of her heels echoed in the entry hall.

Bridget stopped the recorder and stood quietly, waiting.

The blood drained from Andrew's face as he fell back against the couch. Twins? He was the possible father of twin girls? He couldn't wrap his head around the news. He remembered when Bridget, posing as Siobhan, let it slip that she was pregnant, he hadn't been happy about the complication in their already un-happy marriage. Though once things between them seemed to improve he realized the baby was a blessing, and the baby had meant everything to him. When the doctor said they lost the baby, his heart broke, and now to find out that not only was the baby alive, but there were two, and they might not even be his, his mind struggled to process the news.

"I know you want nothing to do with her, or I, and I will respect that. I came here, because I thought you should know that Siobhan was alive and that you might be the father of twin girls. I'm going to go now and try to find my sister. I will let you know through your attorney if I can track her down," she turned and walked out but paused on the brick step that led out of the living room. Turning back to Andrew, she spoke, "I'm still wanted by the FBI and police, so I'm going to continue my charade as Siobhan until I can locate her. Once that is done, and I get the answers I think we both need, I will turn myself in and become Bridget again. Until then I hope you can keep my identity a secret, but if you can't, I'll understand. You don't owe me anything, but if you could call me and let me know before calling the authorities I would appreciate it. I promise I won't run." She smiled, ruefully. "I'm done running. I would just like a heads up."

Her voice continued as she stared at the bricks. "Thank you for giving me the time to show you and explain," she paused and turned her haunted green eyes to his. "I will always cherish the time I had with you. Thank you for that. I'm sorry I couldn't be who you needed me to be." She smiled sadly and made her way out of the house.

The front door clicked shut while Andrew sat stunned. He couldn't move and was incapable of speech. His mind spun wildly. Siobhan was alive. He might have twin daughters. Bridget was going to find them. Siobhan was alive, twin daughters, Bridget, the words filled his mind, his heart, and his being. His heart shouted at him to get up and stop Bridget. He needed more information but his mind was frozen in shock. The only coherent thought he could form made his head hurt and his heart bleed.

What in bloody hell was he going to do now?

"Dad?"

He jumped at the sound of Juliet's voice. He looked at her but couldn't find words.

"Was that Siobh…uh…Bridget I just saw leave?"

Andrew nodded.

"What did she want?"Andrew expected her to be filled with resentment but her voice only held curiosity.

Once upon a time, he would have come up with an excuse for Bridget's visit but he was so sick of lies, and he couldn't stomach telling one to his daughter. "She came to tell me that Siobhan is alive."

"What?!" Juliet's eyes narrowed. "That bitch is alive. I thought she killed herself?"

"Apparently, she set it up for Bridget to take her place because she knew that someone was trying to kill her."

"Wait a minute." Juliet held her hand up. "So she set it up so her twin sister would die in her place?"

Andrew nodded. It was insane.

"Wow, I didn't think my opinion of Siobhan could slip any further. I was wrong. Poor Bridget."

Andrew's head whipped around. "Poor Bridget? Did you forget that she spent months lying to us, pretending to be someone she wasn't? How can you feel sorry for her?"

Chagrinned, Juliet bowed her head but not for long. Determined eyes met his. "Yeah, it sucks that she lied, and I was seriously pissed at her, but the more I think about it the more I believe that she was more honest then we gave her credit for."

"What do you mean? She lied about the very essence of herself."

"No, she lied about her name and some other crazy details, like pretending to be her pregnant twin," Juliet said wryly. "Which is totally messed up, but then again so is what I did."

"What you did?"

"Mr. Carpenter." Juliet reminded him.

Andrew nodded slowly. He didn't like thinking about that time. It was one of the hardest times in their lives. Juliet said her teacher Mr. Carpenter raped her, but he didn't. It turned out that they, Juliet, Mr. Carpenter, a girl from Juliet's school, Tessa, and Juliet's mother, Catherine, planned it to get ten million dollars out of Andrew as revenge for taking away Juliet's trust fund. It was Bridget who got Juliet to tell him the truth.

"It's not like we all haven't done crazy things to be ashamed of." She smiled sadly. "Well, except maybe you, daddy."

Andrew knew that was far from true. He ran a Ponzi scheme for heaven's sake. Granted he hadn't set out to do it, but he fell into it. He was no angel.

"All I know is she never lied in the way she behaved; from the first she was different, she actually cared. I admit, I didn't trust her new behavior, I thought she had an ulterior motive, but I couldn't see anything bogus about it, and believe me I tried." She sat next to her dad and spoke earnestly. "Even when mom tried to kill her she shielded us, begging mom to take her. Remember, she said it was the only way she could be sure that we would be safe. She was kind and put us before everything. I never felt that from Siobhan, not once. Siobhan made me feel like the unwanted daughter who she couldn't wait to send to boarding school. If I ran away to the Hamptons when Siobhan was around she wouldn't have cared. Bridget, on the other hand, figured it out and came to get me and convinced me to talk to you about the mess with mom and Mr. Carpenter. Siobhan would have used that to her own advantage. Bridget didn't."

"She still lied, Juliet."

She nodded, "I was so angry after she told me who she really was. I thought she ruined everything. We were finally a family, and it wasn't real. I called her sick, sicker than mom even. I'm still pissed that she lied, but the more I think about it, the more I understand why she did it. She was all alone, scared, and she didn't want to die. I get that."

Andrew didn't know what to say.

"And think about the mess Siobhan left her to clean up. Siobhan slept with Mr. Butler, her best friend's husband, she was an awful wife and step-mom, and if that wasn't enough, she let Bridget take her place while someone tried to kill her. I'm not saying taking over Siobhan's life was right, and I'm not saying she shouldn't have to earn our trust, but I get why she did it. Besides," she paused. "I miss her. I miss our family. e were better with her," she said.

Andrew didn't know what to say and tried to ignore what was in his heart.

Juliet's phone rang.

"Hello?"

Andrew could hear hysterics coming from the phone.

"Holland, calm down. What happened? Hold on a sec." She looked at him. "Sorry, dad, I've got to take this. Holland is going through some stuff. We'll talk more later, okay?"

He nodded and smiled gently as his daughter left the room while consoling her friend.

Andrew was completely bowled over. Juliet, usually an unforgiving sort, was willing to give Bridget a second chance and thought he should do the same. It was amazing and only made Andrew want to be more cautious where Bridget was concerned. He didn't want his daughter opening her heart further only to have it ripped apart again.

That also meant he needed to keep the possibility that she had twin half sisters to himself. He assured himself that it wasn't a lie of omission because he had no way of knowing if the girls were indeed his. There was no reason to put Juliet through that uncertainty until he knew for sure. Once he found the truth of their paternity he would tell her. Until then he would shield her from any more disappointment and pain.