7 years ago:

Mellie stared out the window of the range rover. She smiled at the corn fields and cows. It was good to be home, she hadn't used to mind California, but ever since that night in Santa Barbra when Jerry violated her and crushed her soul California just reminded her of all the pain in her life .Luckily with the campaign in full swing they barely ever went back to California anymore. Anyway, it was good to be back in the south, the one place on earth that truly felt like home. Soon Fitz pulled off the road and onto the long cobblestone drive that led to Hardwick. They stopped at the huge Iron Gate that separated Hardwick from the rest of the world. Beyond that gate lay privilege, wealth and one of the best school south of the Masson Dixon line. Everyone who went there was rich and famous. They were the children of congressmen, senators, diplomats and businessmen. Located about 500 miles from D.C. It was a favorite for the Washington elite who knew it was just far enough for their children's scandals not to reach D.C., but still close enough to fly the kids out when a scandal of their own broke. Mellie had gone there when she was a teenager, the daughter of an old money wealthy Sothern businessman. It had made perfect sense for Jerry and Karen to go there, with the campaign and their parents constant fighting, boarding school was the best option. Now most schools were only for high school, but a select few including Hardwick had middle school programs as well. Jerry had started going here last year when he started 6th grade, and now it was Karen's turn. They drove down the long tree lined drive towards the school. They parked in a parking lot , while Fitz unloaded the bags Mellie headed to the check in. they walked to a long table labeled check in. Mellie walked towards a woman with red hair

"Hi here to check in?" the lady asked

"Yes, um... Grant Karen Grant" Mellie said

"Okay yes… here you are, so you're not checking in your son today?" the lady asked

"No… he has lacrosse camp this week so were bringing him next week"

"Okay great, are you excited Karen?" the lady asked

"I guess" she said with a shrug

"I told her she's lucky she has her brother, when he started he didn't have anyone"

"That's true, and I promise you will have lots of fun, this place is awesome, it's like a sleepover that never ends" the lady said enthusiastically

"I don't like sleepovers" Karen said teens running down her face

"I promise, you're going to have lots fun, and if you feel home sick, you have your brother, and you can always call your parents"

"I guess"

"So how about I show you to your new room, it's totally awesome "

"Okay" Karen said reluctantly

The lady guided them through the campus which was like something out of a movie, huge brick buildings lining a green quad dotted with kids in the school uniform (plaid ties white shirts and black jeans) finally they arrived at Karen's dorm. It was a fairly large room with two twin beds, desks a TV and some beanbag chairs .There was already a lady there with her daughter moving In to one side of the room.

"Okay here we are room 203, Karen this is Lannie, Lannie Karen" the guide said as she left.

"Hi" Lannie said

"Hi"

"Have you seen the common room yet? Lannie asked, Karen just shook her head

"It's so cool, theirs a slushy machine and like a million computers!Can I show her mom? Lannie asked

"Yeah sure sweetheart" she said as he 2 girls left the room

"Hi I'm Terry Cohen" the lady said introducing herself

"Hi I'm Mellie Grant"

"Oh of course, your husbands the one running for president"

"Yes, he is, were hoping it will be easier for the kids to be here instead of on the campaign trail"

"Oh I'm exactly the same way my husband runs the U.N information center in Moscow and I don't think that Russia is the best place for my kids"

"Oh it's so great to meet someone who agrees, so many people are giving me grief about sending them here so young, but I really think it's for the best"

"I know, I'm a bit worried about how they will adjust but they seem to have a very good support system here"

"Yea, my son already goes here and he was so much less emotional about saying goodbye to mommy and Daddy but Karen was crying the whole way here"

"Well at least you're not going to be worrying half a world away" she said

"That's true"

Soon Fitz arrived with the bags, they unpacked her stuff, showed her where to put her laundry, where to go if she needed to find her dorm parent. They entered their numbers on speed dial on her new phone. After that they showed her around campus, the movie theater the gym the infirmary the planetarium, the theater, the cafeteria and the principal's office. Once they returned to her Dorm Lannie and her mom were still gone, it was getting late and they had to get back to Charleston, Fitz had a big campaign rally tomorrow.

"Okay sweetie, mommy and Daddy need to go, but were going to be back in a few days when we drop off Jerry and we will spend the whole day with you."Mellie said giving Karen a hug

"Why do you have to go?" Karen asked tears streaming down her face

Fitz glanced at Mellie "Cause you need to go to bed soon and daddy has a campaign rally"

"I miss you already Daddy" Karen said

"I miss you to princess, but we have to go now, so I want you to promise something I want you to try school for one week and if you don't like it you can come home, but you have to give it a week okay"

"Okay" Karen said between sniffles

"Bye sweetie we love you" Mellie said as they left, Fitz walked ahead of Mellie down the hallways, but she stayed for a second, watching the door close, suddenly she caught a glimpse of Karen sitting at the window bench with her face pressed against the glass with tears running down her face. Never had Mellie seen someone who looked so alone.

Present day:

Mellie sat on the bed of her motel room. She had been here for 2 days and luckily nobody had recognized her, the last thing she needed was the world to know she and Fitz were on the rocks. She had tried in vain to get in contact with Karen. Mellie knew that she needed to give her time, but Mellie needed to be in D.C. for budget negotiations in 4 days, some was off the essence. She knew that Karen was hurt, broken beyond repair. She was so busy worrying about her daughter she hadn't thought about herself, she too was broken. She and Fitz had been doing so well, and then suddenly Olivia reappears and everything they had worked for in the past 2 years was gone. She felt silent tears run down her face, she felt so utterly and hopelessly alone. Suddenly her phone rang, it was a text from Karen "Golden star dinner 10 minutes". Mellie quickly wiped the tears from her eyes , the last thing she wanted was Karen seeing her cry.

She headed to the lobby and hailed a cab, she arrived at the dinner, hesitated a second and then entered. She quickly headed in and spotted her. She looked nothing like the cashmere sweater loving Karen that Mellie knew. Instead she was wearing black jeans a dark hoodie, and thick black eyeliner. As Mellie got closer she noticed something else, a small diamond stud in her nose

"I hope to god that's fake" Mellie said as she slid into the booth

"It's not" she scoffed

"Why would you get that? Piercings are so tacky, you won't fit in at Yale with that"

"I'm not going to Yale"

"What why not?"

"Fitz wants me to go to Yale, and so to prove I'm nothing like that perv I'm not going"

"You can't can't actually be stupid enough on pass on this huge opportunity"

"YOU DO NOT GET TO LECTURE ME ABOUT MY CHOICES WHEN YOU'RE HUSBAND HAD A LOVE CHILD WITH HIS MISTRESS" Karen barked

"Keep your voice down…" Mellie whispered

"Why? You can't seriously still defend that prick" Karen scoffed

"I'm not it's just I don't want people to hear?"

"Why'd you care, it's not like you're staying with him"

"Haven't made my decision yet" Mellie admitted

"There's nothing to decide! He cheated on you with is mistress"

"That was a long time ago, he changed after Jerry died"

"He admitted kissing his mistress 2 days ago!"

"I know that, but we have been so much, I just need some time to figure things out"

"Well you have about 14 hours so think fast"

"What are you talking about?" Mellie asked

"In fourteen hours you will have the pleasure of watching me on national TV reveling that my father is a philandering pig who had a child out of wedlock with his whore"

"You wouldn't" Mellie gasped

"Watch me" she said as she stormed out