New chapter
This scene is inspired from the scene at Lindsey office, between her and Peyton. When she gave Lucas's book to Peyton. From OTH.
xx
It was tuesday morning. The last days had been intense. The meeting of last friday had been success for Nate and Serena was spending all the free time she had with him. She wanted gim to win, she got so emotional when she heard his speech on friday, how brave he was. She was so proud of him.
Unfortunately today she had classes to attend at Columbia, classes that she could not miss, it was tuesday, october was in the corner, her favorite season was coming, fall.
She was having breakfast at home as she had classes to attend this morning so she would go to work on the afternoon. She had not seen Dan, he was gone already when she woke up and it was better like that, they still slept in the same bed but pretty much that was all. She knew that this situation and marriage had to end but she still wanted a proof.
She was in her inner world when Blair walked into her apartment, Blair was apparently really angry and Serena did not know why.
Blair started to yell at Serena asking her why she was waiting for a proof when she had dozens already. She asked what was taking so long, she asked Serena if she was waiting to divorce because Dan had not ruin their all lives yet. Blair was really mad and Serena had no idea what she was talking about.
Blair threw at Serena's face the new issue of vanity fair, opened at page 25. Serena looked at her best friend before to look at the page of the magazine. She knew what was this page for, it was for Dan's article. She read the title of the article and the first lines, it's a Bass world, as they said it neve falls far from the tree. For thos who wonders Charles Bass, Chuck, could be worst than his father. This is what happened when you dressed up you 3 years old biy with a suit. Upcoming projects of the king of Manhattan, thruth and myths about his methods...
Serena stopped reading after that line, she understood why Blair was so mad at Dan but not why she was mad at her and this is what she asked Blair
« because it is all your fault. If you would not have let dumbo came into our lives, exposing our secrets to him, trusted him he would not have so much info. Serena, nobody knows about this. Dan did not get the info on the social media and don't tell that you did not say a word because you did not, I know that but you live with him. He is your husband, you know that he reads your mails, listen to all our phone calls etc. This is why I am mad at you because you expose all of us and when you said that you need a proof I can't get it because you have so many. I love you S but as long as you will be Dan's wife you are not welcome into our house or our lives. I am not doing this to pressure you, I am doing this for the own good of my family. »
« Blair, I am sorry, I had no idea, I swear but you just can't kick me out of your lives because of Dan's actions. You can't blame and punish for what he does. » replied a broken Serena
« I can and I have to. His perverse mind created gossip girl because of you, all of this happened because of you and you can't even see it. Do something Serena, open your eyes, it is about time but I swear this is the last time that I am seeing my husband and myself as the subject of Dan's work. » and she left letting Serena alone.
...
Serena cried for a long time, she had to go to Columbia but she could not. She needed to find Dan and talk to him. She took the magazine and read the all article, it was horrible, letting Chuck in such awful position. She took her purse, the magazine and left her apartment. She called Dan until he finally picked the phone.
« I have to see you right now. » she said trying to be calm as possible
« Serena. I can't now, I am in a meeting with my editors. Sarah came from LA for this meeting and Peter from Chicago, you have to wait. »
« so you are there. » she asked
« yes, I see you later. » and he hanged out
Serena stopped a taxi and gave the address of the house of editions which was in midtown.
...
Once she arrived there, she asked for her husband at reception. She said that it was urgent and she did not care if he was in a meeting, she had to see him. The receptionist said that she understood but she could not do much as they left the office to have a meeting at a coffee and she had no idea where.
« Could you please try to call Peter or Sarah or even Francis, please. » insisted Serena
As the receptionist got that Serena would not give up, she sighed and called Francis but he did not pick the phone, neither did Peter or Sarah.
« I am sorry, it looks like you have to wait for them to come back. »
And this is what Serena did. It was almost 11am when Sarah came back at the office alone. When Serena saw her in her white suite, her blonde short haircut and her precious smile she felt so jealous and insignificant. Sarah was a powerful and smart woman and she got everything she had with work, not like her who got everythigpng she had because of who she was..
Serena was also mad Sarah because she let Dan published that sh**
Sarah was not Dan but she did come days ago and Serena knew that it was to talk with Dan about his article which means that she approved that article. Chuck was Nate's best friend, how could she accept this article, it was like betraying Nate.
She stopped her while Sarah was waiting for the elevator.
« Serena what are you doing here. » she asked surprised
« Looking for my future ex husband but I am glad that I am seeing you. How could you let him publish that. »
They stepped in the elevator.
Sarah looked at Serena in the eyes and said that she believed that Serena knew, at the end Dan was her husband and she did not approve anything, she was against this article but Chuck did give his ok
« Wait Chuck knows about this, it doesn't make sense because Blair came to my house this morning and she was furious. »
« Well may be Chuck did not say anything to her because he knew that she would not approve but I would have never let Dan and Vanity Fair published this without his ok and don't talk to me about Nate because Chuck did it to save Nate's ass. Believe me Serena the article that Dan wanted to publish was worst than this one, I came to NYC 2 weeks ago because I was in shock when I got his first article. » said Sarah while walking towards her office.
She opened the door of her office and invited Serena to come inside.
Serena followed Sarah in her office and took the chair that Sarah offered her. She asked what Sarah meant by the other article
« I mean how could it be worst than this one. »
« because it is about you Serena, you Nate and Dan himself. » revealed Sarah
Sarah was not Serena's friend, she had no reason to protect her or tell what she wanted and Sarah always believed what Serena needed was a good dosis of reality.
Serena was not understanding anything, Sarah took a paper from a dossier and gave it to Serena.
« This was the real article that Dan first sent me and the article that he wanted to publish. I did not let him because contrary to what you want to think I still care a lot about Nate and I knew that this would affect him and his campaign, career, life everything and he doesn't deserve that. »
« Locked in a love triangle, how my wife locked me in a love triangle, by Daniel Humphrey . » read out load Serena before made a pause
« I can't belive it, why. » she said in tears because this is what she never understood why was Dan doing this.
Sarah was confused, she did not know what to do or say. It is not that she wanted to comfort Serena, she lost Nate because of her and she could never be friend with Serena but seeing her so weak touched her.
« I am sorry Serena but isn't Dan right about the situation. I know that the way he paint it in his articles, the words he used are too strong but if you just look at the global picture I think that he is right. »
« This is not what I am talking about Sarah. » interrupted Serena
« What I do not understand is why he needs to write those things. After his book publication approval in january, he promised me that he would not write anything like this about me and he did. » she complained
« Last january, Serena, Dan's got the approval almost one year ago, last november. I remember it perfectly because I had to sign all the papers before Thanksgiving. The book came out in spring, we need months to have everything ready. January doesn't make sense. »
« this is what he told me. » replied Serena who did not like the tone of reproaches of Sarah.
« may be you misunderstood him. He said coming out and you thought it was the approval. »
« I am not crazy, I know what he said and I was actually really surprised when he added that the book would come out in spring as it seemed such a short period of time for me too. Blair was right as always, she told me that Dan proposed to me when he already knew that the book was going to be published. He proposed first to be sure that I would not break up with him. He played the role of the it is the last time Serena, I promised. My last book about my point of view of the UES. »
« don't do that to yourself Serena, you believed him because you had nothing to prove you that he lied to you and I am sorry to say that but Serena, there is a compilation of his books coming out next year. We bought the right to publish the first version of inside. That version of inside with the chapters that Vanity Fair published years ago. » explained Sarah
« I did not even know that there was a full book of this. When is it coming out. » asked Serena between two sobs
« we don't know yet, I am trying to delay everything so it won't affect Nate and his campaign but my boss and the owner of the house want to have it for Christmas. They think that the coffret it might be a best seller, good gift for Christmas. »
This achieved Serena. She felt her heart coming out of her body for so many reasons. She felt guilty...
...
Serena cried and said that she felt so bad, that Blair was right that it was all her fault, everything was her fault. She said that she was stupid and deserved to be exposed but not her friends, not Nate. She was the only one to blame.
Sarah was listening with attention, she noticed that Serena was insisting a lot on the fact that Nate was too good to be exposed in any of Dan's book, that he had got enough in his life and he did not need that. She insisted on the fact that Nate deserved to be happy and he could not because of her.
« Serena, please this is not your fault and Nate will never blame you, you know that. He cares too much about you to even think about it. »
« doesn't mean I am not right. »
« it is true but by thinking like this you aren't going anywhere. » pushed Sarah
« I have to go Sarah but before I leave, I have two questions, do you have Dan's first version of inside. »
Sarah nodded and looked into her dossier. She gave a block of paper to Serena.
« Thanks a lot. And the second one is, did Nate almost loose the Spectator because of me and why. »
Serena needed to know and if there was someone on earth who would tell her the truth it was Sarah. Sarah was surprised, she did not expect this question.
« that's make 3 questions but if you asked I guess that it means that you know he did so let's jump to the why part. Serena when you left 7years ago, to start a new life as Sabrina even if you think that nobody was looking for you it is not true. Nate is as usual the one who wanted to find you more than the rest of the group. » she started but Serena interrupted her
« may be but why he did not try to get in touch with me over the all summer. That's the part that I don't understand. »
« Serena, Nate was mad at you, not at you as a person but he was mad at his feelings for you. Charlie broke up with hm because of you. Because he was always protecting you too much and Charlie is a smart girl she understood that he was still in love with you and you know I am right. Nate never stopped loving you, he still is, we broke up because of you but this is not what you are asking me so let's focus on this. » said Sarah confused but she wanted to yell at Serena so much. She had the right to be mad at the pretty blonde.
« Sarah. » said Serena with her eyes wide opened. Serena felt that her body was getting cold and her head was about to explode. This could not be true, Nate was her best friend, she was his best friend. Sarah's read confusion and fears in Serena's eyes.
« No, no just forget what I just said. The point is that at the end of the summer they started to look for you and it did not matter that Nate was not the richest one at the moment or the most powerful of the group, he is the one who put in danger everything he had in that moment, which was his company to find you. He had a video to threaten gossip girl and he wrote to gossip girl, your husband who knew where you were and did not care about it but again I am going to another territory. So Nate said that he would delete this video if gossip girl would tell him where Serena was and he did, he did not even question that or think about it because for Nate you will always be a priority. This video was the chance for Nate to save the Spectator as it was in a bad situation even before Diana left. He then changed numbers to save his company but he had to save you first, end of the story. »
« thank you Sarah for telling me truth. I have to go and find Dan. » replied a very lost Serena.
« Serena before you go, I want to tell you something because it is important for me. I don't know what you feel for Nate but I know what he feels for you and I ask to please think before to jump. You don't have the right to believe that you love him, you have to be sure that you do and you should end up things with Dan first. Nate deserved to be loved and happy as you said and you broke his heart too many times to jump in a relationship that you haven't been able to accept before. Don't use him please. »
Serena took the book and stood up. At the door she said
« I loved him too, I never used him, I don't know why it is so hard for people to see it but I get your point. » she opened the door
« Good bye Sarah. »
« Goodbye Serena. »