Double Trouble: Sixteen; The cross-examination from hades!
by Cariad
 

Double Trouble
~Sixteen~
Holly rolled over as her sister bounced on her bed. It couldn’t be more than an hour and a half since she had curled back up, and Julia was less of a morning person than she was! “What?” Holly demanded in a grumpy tone.

“It’s the cross-examination from hell, Hollis,” Julia said in an excited whisper. “Ethan’s confronting Theresa in my room!” Holly jumped up, immediately alert at the magic words. The sisters tiptoed over to the adjoining door and opened it a crack.

“For the last time Theresa,” Ethan was yelling, “where did you get the money for my practice?”

“I t-told you, Ethan,” Theresa whimpered. “It was a loan from the bank.”

“Theresa, I know,” Ethan replied. “You got the money from Julian Crane, didn’t you?” He demanded. Theresa stammered something, but Ethan halted her. “Tell me the truth, Theresa.”

“Yes,” she said finally. “But Ethan, I. Love. You,” she said, emphasizing each word. “I did it for you. I-I-I thought if I could give you a practice, you would forgive me for everything that happened before.”

“I had forgiven you, Theresa. All I wanted out of you was honesty, and you have given me nothing but a bunch of lies since Bermuda,” he spat. “Tell me Theresa, the terms of your loan. I know Julian Crane and how he works. Did you prostitute yourself, Theresa?”

“No!” she cried. “Nothing like that.”

“Then why was he so eager to give you one hundred thousand dollars,” Ethan countered. Before she had a chance to answer, he continued, “Was it because you are his wife?” he shouted.

“Ethan, I love YOU!” she wailed. Holly and Julia could only imagine the tears streaming down her face.

“If you loved me, Theresa, why did you marry Julian?”

“It. Wasn’t. Like. That,” she said. “That was a mistake. I-I-I didn’t mean to…”

“How can you not mean to get married!” He stormed.

Holly nudged Julia. “I made him think of that one the first time.” Julia only grinned and turned back to the show. She should feel guilt about eavesdropping, but for all the misery Theresa put their family through, it was good to see the little troll get her comeuppance.

“I was drunk. He got me drunk!” Theresa shouted.

“Then why did you lie and cover it up for so long?” Ethan demanded. “I could have forgiven you if you had explained in Bermuda what happened. If you had told me that then, I could have forgiven you because you were being honest with me, Theresa.”

“I c-couldn’t loose you, Ethan,” she stammered. “I can’t live without you. I’d die without you! I. Love. You!” she shouted.

“I thought I loved you too, Theresa, but everything I loved about you was a lie, like everything that comes out of your mouth! It just didn’t happen, did it Theresa. I forgave you for stalking me. I wouldn’t believe Gwen when she insisted you were after me. You had us all fooled Theresa. The night when I was supposed to marry Gwen—the night when I made the worst mistake of my life, Gwen told me. She showed me your diary and collages. Foolish me once again thought the best of you. You’re not fooling me anymore, Theresa,” he said. I wouldn’t be surprised if you never even dated Chuck.”

Julia winced at the sounds of things falling to the ground—some of them breaking. She was very glad she hid her favorites. “You can’t listen to Gwen!” Theresa screamed. “Gwen is out to destroy US! Gwen hates US! I swear to you, Ethan, you choose Gwen and I will kill myself right here!”

There was a long silence where the girls could hear Theresa’s labored breathing. “Theresa,” Ethan said in a calm voice. “If anyone destroyed what was between us, it was you…”

“NO!” Theresa screeched, accompanied by the sound of glass breaking.

“Theresa, don’t,” Ethan called.

“Say you love me, Ethan,” came Theresa’s faint reply, “and I will not hurl myself out the window.”

“Theresa, get back in here.”

“No Ethan,” she said. “If you don’t love me, I have nothing worth living for.”

“God damn it, Theresa,” Ethan swore. “You can’t use me like this!”

Holly and Julia heard a struggle and a screech followed by a muffled thump as Theresa was deposited on Julia’s bed.

“You saved me!” Theresa exulted, “You love me! It proves it!”

Ethan’s steps crunched shattered glass between his shoes and the carpet. “Theresa,” Ethan began again, “I’m not the type of person to watch anyone fall to their death—you, Mother, Julian, it doesn’t matter. Theresa, I once loved you. Or I loved the person I thought was you. But that was all a façade, wasn’t it? You’ve hidden things and lied to me from day one. And I cannot spend my life with someone who has lied so often and so smoothly. I have to be able to trust what comes out of your mouth,” he said.

“But you can, Ethan. I love you,” She replied almost immediately.

“I don’t think so,” he said sadly. “I never realized how young you were, Theresa. I should have thought before I got involved with you. You’re still very much a teenager.”

“No Ethan,” Theresa protested. “You’re my soulmate. We belong together. You’ve always loved me, even from that picture when you gave me that doll!”

“I don’t even remember that photograph being taken. It sparked no memories for me,” he said. “But you are distracting me, Theresa. How long I’ve supposedly known you is not the point. The point is that you lied to me. And you continued to lie to me after you promised not to. I cannot trust anything you say anymore. I won’t know what’s the truth and what’s a lie.”

“I would never lie to you, Ethan!” Theresa wailed.

“You already have!” Ethan shouted back. “Is the baby mine?” he demanded.

“Would you stay with me if it was?” Theresa asked in a small voice.

“No, Mrs. Crane,” Ethan responded coldly. “If it was my child, I would not want Julian to raise it. And I’m sure if it was mine, your husband, Theresa. Your husband would not want to raise my child. I want a paternity test.”

“It’s yours, Ethan,” she said. “It couldn’t be Julian’s.”

“Then why is he still married to you?” Ethan countered. “Keep the Crane name and power that you’ve always wanted, Theresa,” he said. “But if in six months or so, that child is not Julian’s, you will be divorced just like my mother.” Theresa was crying uncontrollably now, her sobs nearly overpowering Ethan’s voice. “I’ve talked to Gwen, and she’s agreed to buy out the loan. I do not want your money, Mrs. Crane,” he spat. “And I will not be a kept man. You’ve fooled me long enough, Theresa. I will not have an affair with a married woman.”

The girls heard Ethan’s angry footsteps and Julia’s door slamming. “Ethan! Wait! Don’t leave me!” Theresa screamed and her lighter steps were also heard going into the hallway.

Holly ran to her door and put on a grumpy morning face. She opened it to chaos in the hall. “What’s going on here?” she asked.

Julian also had stumbled into the hall, wearing his silk pajamas and a silk eye mask raised on his forehead. “Yes,” he drawled. “What’s going on here.”

Ethan pushed past the man he once thought of as his father. “I wish you well with your young wife,” Ethan said. “I’m washing my hands of her! Just warning you, Julian, not to believe a word out of her lying mouth.” Holly stuck her arm through the door and gave her sister the thumbs up sign. Ethan turned at the top of the stairs and continued, “I’m just wondering, Julian... Why did you marry her?”

Julian shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea when she suggested it,” he said causing Theresa’s face to pale.

Ethan nodded and stormed down the stairs and out of the house.
 

* * * * *

Holly and Julia stood in their father’s study, waiting for his instructions. Theresa sat like a crumpled overstuffed rag doll on one of the leather couches. Julian had sent Rebecca out on a shopping trip so he felt safe to speak candidly. “I’ve decided to take my marriage to Theresa public,” Julian said, standing behind Theresa and putting his hands on her shoulders. “After all, she is carrying my child—conceived in wedlock and so will be born in wedlock.” His voice dropped as he grated in Theresa’s ear, “Try anything, dearest and you will regret it, I promise.” Theresa’s face twisted in a feral mask of fury, but Juilan ignored it.
“My lovely daughters,” he continued, “I am entrusting you to train my wife so she will be acceptable and won’t make some terrible faux pas the night she debuts. Remember that you all share the Crane name, so this all reflects on you.”

Holly crossed her arms and glared at her father. “You never should have divorced Mama,” she said.

“You will not mention that adulterous slut in this house again!” Julian erupted. “I gave that bitch everything,” he muttered, “and she betrayed me on my own wedding night with…” He shuddered. “At least I know where you were on our wedding night, my little delectable Theresa,” he whispered in his wife’s ear.

Holly and Julia looked at each other. Julia lifted a shoulder and cocked her head, saying in their silent language, “What can you do, it’s Daddy?”

“Do you understand your task?” Julian asked. Both girls nodded in unison. “And you understand, Theresa, that Holly and Julia have been attending society parties since they’ve been born. They will not lead you wrong,” he said as a warning.

“Daddy?” Julia asked. “What about Rebecca?”

Julian laughed nervously. “I’ll take care of Rebecca,” he muttered. “But she can’t find out until the New Years Ball when everyone else does.”

“Speaking of the Ball,” Holly said. “It is essentially our eighteenth birthday party, and we would like to have some people our age there—besides Theresa, of course. I think it would be nice if we invited some of the kids from around here, and their parents.”

Julian grabbed his eyes as if he had a terrible headache. “What is it with you and your mother and the locals,” he groaned.

“Please, Father?” Holly asked, putting a hand lightly on his arm. “It would mean so much to both of us if we could have some people our own age at the Ball rather than having to spend our special night talking to someone’s great-aunt.”

Julia knew what was on Holly’s mind, and knew their father would murder his eldest daughter if he knew she was thinking about a local boy—as hard-bodied and spectacularly sculpted as she was. “I’m sure Theresa would feel more comfortable with people she knows there as well, Daddy,” Julia piped up.

“All right!” Julian snapped. “But I’m warning you, parties always turn into a disaster when the locals come!”

“And of course Mama will be there too,” Holly added. “Amicable divorce,” she said as a reminder.

Julian groaned and moved to the wet bar, frantically fishing for something to drink though it was far before noon. Theresa tried to make a quiet get-away, yet Holly caught her sleeve. “Don’t worry, stepmother,” she said formally, “Jules and I will teach you everything you need to know within the week.” Theresa nodded nervously. She did not like the way Holly looked at her.

Before Julian could down his drink, the doorbell chimed and the front door flew open in a blast of shocking cold wind. Julian, his wife and daughters all filed out of the study into the foyer. As the door shut behind the muffled figure, Julian’s drink dropped to the floor and shattered in a pool of alcohol and glass.

“You’re alive!” Julian stammered.

“It’s a bit early for a Christmas Miracle,” Julia said, “but it is good you’re home—I think.”

Holly just closed her eyes and fought from crumpling in a pile of nerves.

“What, no joyful greetings for the prodigal son?” the familiar figure asked in a cruel voice. Aidan Crane had returned home.