Chapter 36 - My Son's Psycho Girlfriend

It had been over a month since Nelle had last visited the All Our Children office, as she had been preoccupied with making sure that Esme was okay following her overdose and overseeing the renovation of Wyndemere. However, she had been contacted by a young man who was interested in their services. Upon seeing his name, Nelle knew that she had to meet him, so she headed to the office.

*Nelle walks into the office and is enthusiastically greeted by the receptionist*

Receptionist: JAN!

Nelle: Hi Grace!

*They hug*

Grace: I thought we weren't going to see you again!

Nelle: Aww, I would never do that to you guys. I've missed you. I've just been really preoccupied with helping Esme recover and get settled in at Wyndemere.

Grace: How's she doing?

Nelle: All things considered, I think she's doing okay. She's been through a lot of ordeals, but she's strong.

Grace: She sure is.

Nelle: So, have our guests arrived yet?

Grace: They should be here any minute now.

*The door opens and a young man and his visibly pregnant girlfriend enter*

Nelle: Hi! Are you Oliver?

Young man: Yes, Oliver Castillo. And this is Brianna.

Brianna: Hi.

Nelle: Nice to meet you both! I'm Jan Clayton. Please come on back.

Oliver: Okay.

*They follow Nelle into her office, inside of which were a sofa, two armchairs, and a recliner*

Nelle: Come on in, have a seat, anywhere you'd like.

*Oliver and Brianna sit down on the sofa*

Nelle: Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?

Oliver: I'm good thanks.

Nelle: Brianna, how about you?

Brianna: Water would be great.

*Nelle fills a paper cup with water from the water cooler in the corner of the room, and hands it to Brianna*

Brianna: Thank you.

Nelle: Of course. Are you comfortable?

Brianna: Yes.

Nelle: Okay. If you need anything else please let me know.

Brianna: Thank you.

Nelle: Of course! So, how can we help you?

Oliver: Well, I know your organization typically is for parents who are struggling to care for their young children, whereas our child hasn't been born yet.

Nelle: We offer a whole bunch of services, and many of our clients are pregnant are pregnant with their first child. Do you mind me asking how far along you are?

Brianna: Seven months.

Nelle: Okay, yeah. You guys definitely have come to the right place. We can help get you prepared for when the baby comes, and if anything, coming here now will ensure you have everything ready so that once the baby is born, you can focus on caring for the baby, as opposed to worrying about where you're going to live.

Oliver: Great!

Nelle: So, I understand that you guys aren't from around here?

Oliver: We're not. We're from Pine Valley, Pennsylvania.

Nelle: Wow! What a coincidence! We were there a few weeks ago for an event.

Oliver: That's actually how we heard about your organization. We were going to go to your event at Wildwind to get more information, but when we saw that you were based in Port Charles, we figured it was too far away.

Nelle: I see. Well, just because we're in Port Charles doesn't mean that we wouldn't be able to help you find somewhere safe to stay in Pine Valley, and would assist with paying for living expenses-

Oliver: Oh, no! We need to get out of Pine Valley ASAP! We actually have been considering moving to Port Charles for a while now, but in recent weeks it's become increasingly urgent.

Nelle: Okay. Is there anything in particular that happened? Anyone you're perhaps needing to get away from?

Oliver: Yes. My ex-girlfriend.

*He hands Nelle a picture of a young woman. Nelle stares at it in disbelief. The young woman's face looks exactly like Esme's!*

Anna Devane waited nervously at her table in a small side area of the Metro Court Restaurant. Earlier in the day, she had received an email from a woman claiming to want to interview her about something that had happened twenty years earlier. Anna was a little suspicious as at the time, she was not residing in Port Charles, and the woman didn't go into detail about what it was that she was wanting to know, but nonetheless agreed to meet her.

*Anna hears footsteps approaching and looks up from her phone to see a young woman in a grey blazer and matching skirt, and very high heels. Her brown hair is bunched up into a tight bun at the top of her head. The smell of her perfume is very strong. Anna thinks her face looks very familiar and had seen this woman in person very recently*

Woman: Hi. Chief Devane?

Anna: Chief Devane?

Woman: Well, that's who you are right? Chief Anna Devane?

Anna: Yes, that's my name. But where are you getting "Chief" from?

Woman: Isn't that your job title?

Anna: No it isn't.

Woman: Aren't you Chief of Police?

Anna: No.

Woman: But you used to be the Chief of Police of the Pine Valley Police Department.

Anna: I'm sorry, do I know you? You look very familiar.

Woman: Oh, my apologies for not properly introducing myself earlier.

*She holds out her hand*

Woman: Terri Kirk. It's a pleasure to meet you.

*Terri's smooth tone of voice somehow makes Anna uncomfortable, but nonetheless takes her hand. They slowly shake*

Terri: May I please sit down?

Anna: I suppose.

*Terri sits down at the table. Anna wishes that she had reserved one of the outdoor tables, as the smell of Terri's perfume is so strong that her head begins hurting*

*Nelle looks at the picture of Oliver's ex-girlfriend and is stunned by how much she resembles Esme*

Nelle: Do you mind me asking what your ex-girlfriend's name is?

Oliver: Theresa, though lately she's been wanting to be known as Terri. She's a psycho! Keep the picture so you'll know what she looks like, in case she's followed us here.

Nelle: I shall. Do you mind me asking what happened with her?

Oliver: Well, we started dating when we were in our sophomore year of high school. Everything was going good for the first year or so. We bonded over the fact that we grew up not knowing who our parents were.

Nelle gets an uneasy feeling*

Oliver: I grew up in Puerto Rico with my grandmother. I knew who my mom was but I had no clue who my dad was. My mom just told me when I was a kid that she sent me to live with my grandmother to keep me safe, and that my dad was a "bad man" who had been in and out of jail many times but never seemed to learn his lesson. She didn't think he would have been a good influence in my life.

Nelle: I see. What about Theresa?

Oliver: Theresa didn't know who either of her parents were, and grew up in foster care. When we were together, she told me that the only thing she knew about her mother was that she had her at a very young age, named her after her own mother, then gave her up for adoption to protect her from her father, who also was a bad person. My father at least came from a good place of wanting to save people's lives even if it meant using treatment practices that hadn't been approved. Her father on the other hand did some really horrible things that I don't even feel comfortable talking about.

*Nelle is reminded further of Esme's situation. She had searched desperately for her biological parents only to find out that her father was a notorious serial killer. The only thing about Theresa's situation that was different was that Esme's mother, Heather, was in her 40s when she had her, which was the age where a lot of women hit menopause, and pregnancy at that age was often high risk. She knew that Esme had occasionally questioned whether Heather was actually her biological mother, as Heather had tried to pass another baby off as her own child once before. Did Esme perhaps have a twin whom she was unaware of?*

Oliver: A couple of years later when we were seniors, I found out who my father was. It turned out he was a well-known doctor in Pine Valley and I had actually seen him before. He was the doctor who treated me after I had a seizure when I was a kid. But he also had a lengthy criminal record and is somewhat known for…I don't know what the right word is…unorthodox treatment methods, among other things, which is why my mom kept me away from him. To be honest, I kind of had suspected he might have been my father, but it wasn't until I turned 18 and was in the final few weeks of my senior year before I graduated high school that Mom finally told me. She figured that since I was now an adult, she no longer felt like she needed to keep me away from him and wanted us to bond.

Nelle: I see. You seem to be referring to him in the past tense.

Oliver: Yeah. It's because he died right around the time I found out he was my father. We never got the chance to bond.

Nelle: And you said this was also around the time you graduated high school?

Oliver: Yeah.

Nelle: That's so sad! I'm really sorry to hear about that.

Oliver: Thank you.

Nelle: If you don't mind me asking, how long ago was this?

Oliver: May of 2019. I can't believe it was already almost half a decade ago.

Nelle: I'm so sorry.

Oliver: Thanks.

Nelle: Do you mind me asking more about Theresa?

Oliver: No I don't mind.

*He turns to Brianna*

Oliver: Is that okay with you?

Brianna: Of course.

Nelle: You said she was in foster care?

Oliver: Yeah.

Nelle: And do you know if she ever met her biological parents?

Oliver: She said she has, but I'm not sure if I believe her. She's tried to pass herself off as other people's relatives before in order to take advantage of them. She's a con-artist. And this time she's insisting that she's related to a prominent journalist in Pine Valley, not by blood, but by adoption. I don't know who or what she's talking about, but it's really weird and creepy. It's as if some random person unknowingly adopted her. And it's gotten more intense now that Brianna and I are having a baby, so maybe she is telling the truth this time. It could be jealousy, or it could be a con, but either way, we're trying to go somewhere where she can't find us.

Nelle: I don't blame you for that.

Anna: Why are you so interested in Proteus? Are you an investigator?

Terri: No.

Anna: A reporter?

Terri: No. I'm a student at Pine Valley University and am studying to become a criminologist. I have to write an essay on a criminal in order to understand what was going through their minds when they committed their crime. That's part of being a criminologist. Understanding criminal behavior.

Anna: And you chose Proteus?

Terri: Yes.

Anna: Why?

Terri: Well, it was a high-profile case. I of course could write my essay on a petty criminal whose actions could easily have been motivated by them simply being desperate for money to pay for basic necessities, but I'm trying to graduate top of my class. And in order for me to do that, I need to make sure that my essay stands out from everyone else's.

Anna: I see. Well, there's plenty of information that you can find on the internet.

Terri: Oh I've already looked on the internet. I'm using what I've been able to find as references for my essay.

Anna: I see. Well then, in that case I'm not sure why you found it necessary to come all the way to Port Charles in order to talk to the former chief of police in Pine Valley.

Terri: Because I'm studying to become a criminologist. I was hoping that I could get some additional information from someone…close to the source.

Anna: I'm sorry, but unless you're an investigator who is looking to uncover new evidence, there is very little that I am at liberty to tell you. And if that is your chosen career path, then you're pursuing the wrong degree.

Terri: What do you mean?

Anna: If you're looking to pursue a career as an investigator, then you should be majoring in criminal justice, not criminology.

Terri: Oh really? Why is that?

*The woman's tone suggests that she somehow already knew the answer, but Anna decides to see if she's correct in this assumption by answering her question*

Anna: Because investigators are the ones who collect evidence. Criminologists on the other hand specialize in understanding criminal behavior in order to prevent crime before it happens.

Terri: Well I never said that I am looking for evidence, and I already knew that Criminology and Criminal Justice are two different fields, and am interested in pursuing a career in the former.

Anna: So you want to be somebody who prevents crime, as opposed to solving it.

Terri: That's right. But I know that there's a little more to criminology than simply preventing crime. After all, we can make increasingly strict laws aimed at "preventing" crime when in fact it sometimes makes people deliberately break said laws for the purpose of rebellion. And while some rebels go down in history as heroes, it nonetheless carries considerable risk to one's reputation, as unless the laws that they're protesting are abolished, all its doing is adding to their rap sheet, which makes things like finding a safe place to live and a good-paying job increasingly difficult. But in order to truly prevent crime, one needs to think like a criminal.

Anna: I see. Well, I definitely have dealt with my fair share of criminals over the years, and not just during my tenure as Pine Valley Chief of Police.

Terri: Oh I know. You also were at one point an agent with the W.S.B.

*Anna feels increasingly uncomfortable by this woman's persistent questioning*

Anna: Why did you feel the need to talk to me specifically? There are a bunch of places where you can find information about Proteus. There's a great book by an author named Agnes Nixon who lived in Pine Valley for over forty years, and it details the lives of the various citizens of Pine Valley.

Terri: I don't think I'd be able to find much about Proteus in there, and if there is, it's likely stuff I already know. Like I said, I am looking to talk to someone close to the source. I understand that you had once been married to Proteus?

*Anna looks at the woman for several seconds. Either she genuinely didn't have her information correct, or was looking to lure Anna into a trap. She carefully considers this, then decides to answer the woman's questions. Her own reputation wasn't stellar, especially lately as she was still dealing with the aftermath of shooting Charlotte Cassadine who, while she seemed to be turning out just like her evil grandmother Helena, was nonetheless still a child, and had recently been fired by the W.S.B. due to her prior involvement with their rivals, the D.W.X., so she figured she didn't have much to lose. At the very least, the young woman was incorrect about a very crucial detail, so Anna felt safe about answering this particular question*

Anna: No, I was never married to Proteus.

Terri: But from what I've heard, you were closely associated with him at one point. Is this correct?

Nelle: So you don't think Thresa is being honest with you about who her parents are?

Oliver: I don't know anymore. She likes to claim to have connections to notable people, both for clout and for whatever benefits she may have as a result of these connections, and since she doesn't know for sure who her family is, I've believed her, only to discover very solid evidence that she's not related to these people. But, either she's getting better at trying to fool people, or she actually is telling the truth for once.

Nelle: So what makes you think this situation is different?

Oliver: She heard about a woman named Terri Kirk who lived in New York, who died in an apartment fire back in the mid-90s. The one thing that Thresa has been consistent about regarding the few details she knows about her biological family is that she was named after her maternal grandmother. My ex learned that this woman, Terri Kirk, had a teenage daughter who, after Terri had died in the fire, was adopted by a well-known journalist in Pine Valley. So, Thresa somehow has it in her head that Terri Kirk is her biological grandmother, and the journalist in Pine Valley is the woman who adopted Terri's teenage daughter, and therefore Thresa is this journalist's adoptive granddaughter. But there's a big gaping hole in that there's no record of Terri's daughter having any children.

Nelle: So, your girlfriend, Thresa, was given up for adoption when she was born, and, by doing her family research, discovered that she has an adoptive grandmother, who is unaware of the adoption.

Oliver: Yes. As far as we know, the woman she claims is her grandmother doesn't have any grandchildren, adoptive or otherwise.

Nelle: Wow, that's a pretty big stretch.

Oliver: Yeah. I think maybe she feels that by her "discovering" that she's related to a well-known resident of Pine Valley will not only raise her social status but will also put her in a similar situation to mine. She probably is hoping that by doing this…

*He looks over at Brianna briefly before turning back to Nelle*

Oliver: *Sigh* She's hoping that I'll break up with Brianna and get back together with her, but there's no way that's happening!

Terri: So, Proteus was a woman?

Anna: Yes. Her real name was Vanessa Bennett. She was my former mother-in-law. She was using a device to disguise her voice so no one would know it was her.

Terri: I see. Was there anything about her behavior that you think is especially noteworthy?

Anna: She tried to fool us by claiming to have multiple personalities. One time she was at the hospital and went into a coma. Her heart stopped and she was pronounced dead. But then she woke up claiming to be "Nessa" and was all sweet and nice, but that didn't last very long. She soon reverted to her old ways, kidnapped David's brother Leo's wife and held her at gunpoint at Miller Falls. Leo came to rescue her but both he and Vanessa fell off the observation deck and into the water. Their bodies weren't recovered, but it's safe to say that they didn't survive.

Terri: I see. And what happened to the diamonds?

Anna: *Hesitates* I…don't think I said anything about diamonds.

Terri: But you obviously know about them, so now that we're on the subject, what happened to them?

Anna: I think this conversation has gone on long enough, and you have plenty of information for your essay. Good luck.

*She gets up from the table and hurries away before Terri can ask her any more questions. She has an uneasy feeling that Terri isn't studying criminology and instead is a gold-digger*

Nelle: Do you feel like Theresa is a danger to you?

Oliver: Definitely. She's been stalking both of us, and harassed and made death threats towards Brianna. She's been doing this more since she found out that we're having a baby, which is why we have to do something now.

Nelle: Well, don't worry. I'll protect you. I'll gladly pay for you to get a hotel here while we figure out a more permanent living situation for you. And of course, should you guys need it, we can provide childcare services too.

Oliver: Thank you so much!

Nelle: My pleasure!

*They smile and leave the room. Once they're gone, Nelle opens a drawer in her filing cabinet and takes out a folder marked "Leann Harris." She flips through the documents in the file until she finds a one that reads "Family Tree of Leora Devane Hayward" and looks through all the branches. She sees David Hayward's name, along with the names of his children and their mothers.*

· Children of David Hayward and Krystal Carey: Arabella "Babe" Carey, Marissa Tasker

· Children of David Hayward and Anna Devane: Leora Devane Hayward

· Children of David Hayward and Carolyn Castillo: Oliver Castillo

Nelle: Well, this family of ours just keeps on growing!

*She puts a green checkmark next to Oliver's name, puts the picture of Terri inside the folder, and puts the folder back in the filing cabinet*

LATER

Nelle was relaxing at Wyndemere when the doorbell rang. She had a feeling that she knew who it was, and came prepared.

Nelle opens the door to see a young woman who looks very much like Esme, save for the fact that Esme's nose was still bruised*

Nelle: Hello. Theresa, right?

Terri: *Hesitates* I don't go by that name anymore. My name is-

Nelle: Terri Kirk. I've been expecting you. Follow me.

*She leads a confused-looking Terri up to the sitting room near the parapet. As they're climbing upstairs, Nelle takes in the overwhelmingly strong scent of Terri's perfume*

Nelle: Go ahead and have a seat. I need to let in some fresh air.

*She opens the door leading out onto the parapet*

Terri: Why does everybody do that when I walk into the room? Do I really smell that bad?

Nelle: I wouldn't know, as the smell of your perfume makes it difficult to breathe. Now, how can I help you?

Terri: I'm sorry, but how come you were expecting me?

Nelle: Because I met with your ex-boyfriend Oliver earlier today, and he told me all about you and said it was likely that you were going to follow him here.

Terri: I see. And what did he say about me?

Nelle: He said that you're a con-artist and that you've tried to pass yourself off as various people's relatives in order to take advantage of them.

Terri: I see.

Nelle: He also told me that you're a psycho who's been harassing and sending death threats to his pregnant girlfriend.

Terri: And what, you're taking his word over mine? You can't possibly believe that I would do that! He's lying!

*Unbeknownst to both of them, Esme, who had just put Ace to bed, is standing outside the door listening. The woman's voice sounded very much like her own (at least from the recordings she'd heard of herself), and her overly-dramatic tone while trying to defend her obvious lies sounded familiar too. Was this how "Old Esme" sounded?*

Nelle: Oh I think somebody definitely is lying, but I don't think it's Oliver. He seems like a very honest guy. Same thing with his girlfriend.

Terri: Yeah, who he cheated on me with and got pregnant!

Nelle: Is that so?

Terri: He and I were so happy together! We'd been together since high school, and were going to spend the rest of our lives together. But then I found out that he cheated on me with that bitch Brianna, then left me for her!

Nelle: That's not what he told me at all. He actually said that you've been broken up for several years now and have been stalking and sending death threats to Brianna, that they had came to Port Charles to get away from you, and you'd likely try to follow them here. He even showed me your picture so I'd know what you look like.

Terri: I see.

Nelle: Now, normally when people stalk and harass our members-

Terri: Which he isn't.

Nelle: He's not a Trusted Member but he doesn't need to become one simply to get away from his toxic ex. And I intend to make sure you stay away. Now, I'm feeling generous today. I will pay you to leave Port Charles and never come back.

Terri: Oh really, how much?

Nelle: $10,000.

Terri: Oh that's not nearly enough to get me to leave town.

Nelle: $25,000.

Terri: That's still not nearly enough.

Nelle: $50.000.

Terri: Nope!

Nelle: 75 grand!

Terri: Still not enough.

Nelle: *Sigh* 100 grand. That's the highest I will go.

Terri: Sorry, but that's still not nearly enough.

*Nelle was used to resorting to the tactics her enemies in the past used. The Quartermaines once tried to pay her to leave town, while Sonny used a different tactic*

Nelle: Look, we can do this one of two ways. Either I pay…

*Nelle pulls out a gun and points it at Terri's face, which Esme doesn't see since she's not in the room*

Nelle: Or you pay! Karma can be a real bitch. So, what's it going to be? *She says this in a hushed voice*

Terri: *Gulp* Fine, I'll take the 100 grand.

*Nelle writes a check and hands it to her*

Nelle: Here you go. Now, kindly leave Port Charles. You're not welcome here, or anywhere.

Terri: Okay. I'll leave.

Nelle: Thanks. You can start by leaving my house now, and close the door on your way out.

Terri: Okie dokie!

*She takes the check, leaves the room, and closes the door, a smug smile creeping across her face*

Terri (to herself): I was on my way out anyway. At least this makes it worthwhile!

*She puts the check in her purse, then looks to the side and sees Esme standing there, her nose still bruised. They stare at each other for several seconds before Terri leaves. Esme felt as if she were looking in the mirror at the person she used to be*