Gwen's Journey – Chapter One
 

It was a few days after Sarah's disastrous funeral. Gwen sat in her and Ethan's room at the Crane mansion looking at the baby gifts her friends had sent her.

She picked up a beautiful hand woven silk baby blanket from China that her sorority sister Squeaky had sent.

"Oh Squeaky," she said holding the blanket to her chest, "if only you could have seen my little girl. Now Sarah will never have the chance to join the Alpha Alpha Alpha society."

Suddenly Gwen's call phone rang.

"Hello?" she said answering.

"Gwen," said a male voice full of sadness and compassion.

"Daddy," said Gwen's her face lighting up for the first time in days.

"How are you sweetheart?" Jonathon Hotchkiss asked.

""Oh Daddy, I'm doing as well as can be expected, it's so hard. It doesn't help that Theresa interrupted my funeral!"

"What?! What has this Theresa done now?"

Gwen told her father about how Theresa burst in and interrupted the proceedings when Child Protective Services has taken her son.

"That young woman sounds like she has no class," Jonathon said.

"Well Daddy, Theresa defiantly has issues, but I don't have to worry about her anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I made Ethan promise to say away from Theresa, and not to help her out in any way-"

"That's all well and good Gwen but what say do you have over what Ethan does anymore?"

"Oh Daddy didn't I tell you? We're back together. As long as Ethan keeps his promise we're back together."

"What?!" Jonathon yelled again.

"Daddy what's wrong?" Gwen asked.

"You took that low-life scum Ethan back that's what!"

"Daddy," said Gwen trying to keep her composure. "I thought you always supported Ethan and me, even when he chose Theresa over me more than once-"

"This time is different," said Jonathon. "This time I have a granddaughter who I'll never get to meet because of him."

"Daddy-"

"Gwen," Jonathon sighed. "I think the world of you. A father couldn’t ask for a more beautiful daughter, inside and out But I guess because I haven't been around enough…Gwen, you listen to your mother too much. Her influence on you is obvious and it will destroy you if you don't resist it."

"What are you talking about?" Gwen asked.

"You're mother has always pushed you to fight for Ethan. Gwen I'm going to tell you something, and it breaks my heart to say this but it must be said. Gwen, I wanted you to be finished with Ethan the day he broke your engagement. He dumped you for Theresa the night before your wedding for God's sake-"

"Daddy he didn't dump me, he decided-"

"Let me finish," said Jonathon. "Because I've always thought Ethan was a good man, I supported you giving him chance after chance after chance. I thought he would do what I couldn’t and be strong enough to resist temptation."

"What are you talking about?" Gwen asked again.

"Gwen, the day you were born was the happiest of my life. But the fact remains that I gave in to Rebecca's advances and allowed her to destroy with I had with Clarissa Morton."

"Daddy are you saying you rather be married to Clarissa? If so I never would have been born."

"No Gwen. I'm saying that hindsight in 20/20. I am thankful you're my life, that something beautiful came from me marrying Rebecca. But don't let her destroy that beauty. Gwen my fear is that you will become as callous and uncaring as she is. Don't listen to what your mother Gwen, that is my advice to you."

With that Jonathon hung up, leaving Gwen staring at her phone..