Gwen Hotchkiss:  The Best Revenge
A Passions Fan Fic
By Sharonsamc2
 
 

                                    Prologue

    Gwen Hotchkiss glanced out the window of her brand new office.  A few hours ago, her father, Johnathan Hotchkiss, presented her to the business world as the new president/second in command, of Hotchkiss & Hotchkiss Incorporated.  Who would of thought that she, would be sitting on top of the world?  It wasn’t that long ago that she feared for her very sanity.

    When did she come back to reality?  Was it when she discovered that Theresa Lopez Fitzgerald had actually done her a favor?  Or was it when she met the rough but charming Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald?  She chuckled as she began to think back to nearly two years ago when her life was a total and complete mess, everything changed for her.  She wasn’t sure if she can trust her instincts any more.  Her self-esteem and self worth was in a downward spiral, her self-confidence was shaken to its very core. And all because of a man.  That pompous jerk, the former Ethan crane.

    It was bad enough when he called off their engagement on the eve of their wedding because he had feelings for that high school educated ho, Theresa lopez-Fitzgerald.  Theresa of all people!  She knew that she was right about the little skank all along, even when she had proof that the backstabber had feelings for her fiancée, Ethan just laughed it off and chastised her.  So for the sake of their relationship, she put her instinct aside and befriended the little hoochie mama. And to prove that she really trusted her, she hired Theresa as her wedding planner while she was out of town on important Hotchkiss company business.  Ha! That was her second mistake.  Her first mistake was not listening to her instincts.

    She knew that she should have put that little witch in the hospital when she had the chance, a sly smile wickedly spread across her face, Going after the twit with her Louisville slugger was one of her shiniest moments.  She could very well be in jail right now for attempted murder instead of sitting in her brand new office, but then again maybe not, she could have plead temporary insanity and gotten away with it.

"Temporary insanity was right."  She said to herself.  "But it would have been worth it."  She glance at the antique silver desk clock it was a little after three, everyone should have gone home by now, her father gave their employees the rest of the day off to get a head start on the weekend.  Doing little things like that endeared her father to the employees, Gwen hope that she could be half the employer her father is if so, she would be all right.

    As she looked out the window, she felt her cheeks grew hot as she remember how she degraded herself when Ethan dated both her and Theresa to figure out who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. If she was in her right mind she should have said no and got on with her life, but she went along with it hoping that Ethan will remember all the love and fun that the two of them shared over the past ten years of their lives.  Gosh how desperate women get when they are trying to hang on to a man.

    It didn’t take the creep long to chose the barely literate high school girl over her and their ten plus years together.  She was totally humiliated and utterly broken when he proposed to the little manipulating, backstabbing, scheming skank in front of her and ‘the whole town’ on Christmas day!  She wanted to be buried into the family plot right then and there.

    Why did everyone think that she was going to just bounce back as if nothing major had happen to her?  Were they that callous?  When she lost Ethan she lost more than the love of her life, she lost her family as well.  Ivy, the woman she thought of as more of a mother to her than her own mother, and then there was Sheridan, her best friend, how they had planned and dreamed how their children was going to be raised together, now that dream was dashed, Sheridan completely turned her back on her, because of her involvement with Luis. Theresa's older brother must have had a lot to do with it.  They were gone.

    Her mother Rebecca tried to console her in her own way by talking her into not giving up and she will become ‘Mrs. Ethan Crane’ she will come up with a plan and boy was it some plan.  Rebecca got it into her head that Ivy was hiding something major from Julian, something that could destroy her.  Gwen wanted to know how that could that help her get Ethan back?  Ivy was a woman of impeccable taste, the wronged wife of the skirt chasing, alcoholic Julian.  As far as she was concerned Ivy was a ‘saint’.

    Finding out that Ethan was not a Crane, but a Bennett was explosive and for her mother to find the information on Theresa's laptop was an extra bonus.  How can she keep something like that from Ethan?  Gwen knew that Ethan could never marry Theresa if he found out that she knew and didn’t tell him so when her mother sent the information to the tabloid she was all for it.  She even went along with throwing their engagement party to show Ethan that she supported his relationship.  Ha!  Men are so dense sometimes.  Needless to say the engagement was a bust!  Ivy finally told the truth in front of the guests while Sam and Julian looked on in horror.  She regretted it then, she didn’t want to hurt Ethan, only Theresa.  Julian was crushed and Ivy was tainted.  Rebecca had accomplished her goal.

    Her mother told her to be patient; that Ethan will find out in time that his child bride-to-be knew the truth about his paternity.  But she was anxious she wanted Ethan to find out now before the wedding.

    Ah the wedding.  Sheridan had asked her to be her maid of honor for the double wedding of Ethan/Theresa and Sheridan/Luis.  Of course she said yes, she still loved Sheridan as a sister but she didn’t want to ruin her wedding day.  She wanted Sheridan to have her own day. After all, she finally found someone who loved her for her and not for what she can offer him.  Luis was something special. Despite his sister, he was a decent man that made Sheridan happy.  She began calling the tabloid with the information that it was Theresa, Ethan’s bride to be that spilled the beans, and she wanted to know when the news would come out.  As she was talking on the phone, her mom unplugged it telling her to be patient.

    The wedding started off okay but she was getting nervous, the paper was not out.  While they were waiting for ivy to show up, her mother called her and told her that the paper had arrived and Ivy was furious.  Gwen smiled.  "Good."  She thought "Ivy to the rescue."  She gasped when Ivy crashed into the church and got out of the car waving the paper in her hand.  She would have killed Theresa if it weren’t for Ethan.  The wedding was ruined and she made sure that Ethan knew her thoughts about Theresa.  The twit ran out of the church crying.  Gwen felt good but that was short-lived when Ethan ran after her.  After all of that he STILL wanted to marry the Ho.  Feeling dejected she went home.