Hi.
Hope you all haven't forgot this story. I can't speak for anyone else but I am glad to have scandal back, and I hope you are glad to have this story back. Cheers.
X
It's 5 am.
Through the darkness of the night, light somehow managed to pierce through the blinds and rouse him from slumber.
He stretches and quickly puts on his glasses to see the time; typically he would curse at the time but today was different. He felt the transcendent aura fly through him, he looks at his bottles of whiskey and pills scattered on his nightstand and doesn't find the urge to consume them.
He walks to the bathroom to begin his new day.
/
His fingers dance along the table with anticipated nerves and jitters. He's waited for this moment for so long.
Thick saliva almost manages to come up, he couldn't eat today. The idea of eating made him throw up but he somehow he kept it together in order for her to see.
She agreed.
At a moment, he was worried about her rejecting his offer to meet, and on more occasions than once did he think about Fitz showing up with her but he knows Olivia.
He supposes that is an advantage he has over Fitz, he knows how she thinks and everything that comes to mind in that perfectly distorted brain of hers.
Olivia is predictably unpredictable.
As on cue she enters the restaurant alone, late and positively stunning. He wonders if she got dressed up on purpose just to twist the dagger in his heart more.
Immediately he pulls out the chair and she graciously sits.
The chess match has begun.
/
She was late though unintentionally. Morning sickness knocked her to her knees this morning. Of course the idea of meeting Adam and hiding it from Fitz most certainly added to her nausea, God was most certainly punishing her for acts of deceit though with good intentions.
Fortunately Fitz left early for work so she wouldn't have to look in his eyes and lie to him because she knows she wouldn't be able to.
But he's waiting for her at the restaurant, and they make knowing eye contact seconds after she walks in, and before she knows it she's sitting across from him and can't deny the nostalgic feeling coming over her.
It's as though she never left.
They make small talk both being polite discussing politics, their jobs, until it finally came to ahead.
"Adam, I need you to sign the divorce papers."
"No"
"Excuse me."
His mouth was becoming dry, his hands becoming clammy- God he could use a drink right now.
"You were my wife-"
"And now I want to be his." Olivia quips back coldly
Adam shakes his head "marriage is a game to you."
"No" Olivia shouts "marriage is not a game, I respect the values of marriage."
Adam laughs loudly causing Olivia to curse at him. "Fuck you."
"You respect marriages." Adam repeats taking another sip of his water.
"I respected ours."
"You respected it, when you fucked my best friend."
"He wasn't your best friend, and I didn't know."
"So that makes it better."
Olivia clenches her jaw tightly, telling herself not to curse and tell Adam everything that Fitz does right.
"I didn't walk into a coffee shop thinking 'this will be the place where I meet a man and begin having an affair.'
"It sounds like that." Adam said "you know what I think Olivia…I think you wanted to sabotage this marriage because you knew we are the real deal and you got scared because of everything that has happe-"
"Don't go there." Olivia cuts him off
"Olivia, you didn't have a childhood."
"I said enough." Olivia says coldly
"I was your family." Adam says softly "I told you, you would never be alone again, and I meant it."
Olivia cannot speak; her throat is clogged with tears that still refuse to be shed. She nods her head. He was innocent. Olivia looks away from Adam, fiddling with her hands, and then she reaches out and touches Adam's hand, just briefly.
"I know." Olivia whispers.
Minutes go bye with neither speaking, time moves on around them but for them, time stopped. They reached the point of no return, wanting to savor this moment of stillness they remained silent until Olivia spoke.
"You'll always be part of my family." Olivia says softly hoping to appease Adam and their bond that nobody knows about.
He shakes his head, cutting his food that he was struggling not to throw up. "That's not good enough."
"That's all you'll have."
"I was your family. I was your everything."
Olivia sighs loudly. "You should have never been my everything."
"Why is that?" Adam asked curiously
"I depended on you too much."
"What about, Fitz?"
"This isn't about him."
"This is all about him" Adam responds coldly
"He is why we are here in the first place."
"This conversation is going nowhere."
"Then why show up?"
"Because I thought we could be mature adults and get an agreement so we can both move on." Olivia says
Dropping his silverware he eyes Olivia keenly "I don't believe that; I think you wanted to see me because you miss me."
"I miss you Adam but I love Fitz. I am in love with Fitz. I want to build my life with him."
"Just like that. You are quick to make marriages and end them at your convenience."
Olivia doesn't say anything because how can she respond to such statement. What does it say about her character?
"Let me go, Adam." Olivia pleads needing Adam to remove his chain he has around her.
"Do you go down on him?"
"Excuse me?" Olivia asked quietly hoping she was hearing this statement wrong.
"Do you ever use those perfect lips of yours to give him pleasure?"
"You are being disgusting!" Olivia hisses getting up.
"I need to know" Adam pleads
"Why?" Olivia asked
"It will help me move on."
"No it won't."
"It will because then it will tell me, that you never loved me in the first place."
Her guard is up, her arms are folded tightly around her chest to keep some distance between them.
"Yes." After several minutes of silence.
"You told me, you never done it before…was it your first time?"
"Yes."
"Did you like it?"
She turns her head coldly to stare at Adam. " I loved it."
He nods his "you like the taste?"
"I love the way he taste." Olivia exclaims "Then he went down on me and I came several times…" Olivia pauses "are you happy?"
"Far from it."
"You asked."
"I did." Adam agrees "thank you for answering."
"Where did our marriage go wrong?"
Olivia brushes her hair back "it never went wrong, affairs are not clichés- I wasn't mistreated or used and abused. You were the perfect husband."
"You have a sex problem?" Adam asked trying to gain some perspective as to how they ended up here.
"No, Fitz and I just understand each other on a different level that we never thought was possible. It's different. It's intense and painful but I love him."
"Do you still love me?"
"You need help Adam."
"Then help me."
"What do you think, I'm trying to do" Olivia exclaims "but you have to help yourself. I can't fix you."
"You won't be able to fix him either." Adam vows "You'll fuck him up the way you fucked me. At least save him the trouble of getting his heart broken."
"Screw you." Olivia says coldly grabbing her pursue and walking out the restaurant.
She refuses to cry. Olivia did her best to amend their broken friendship.
"Olivia!" Adam shouts out running after her.
"What!" Olivia yells already seated in her car.
"I'm sorry." He pauses struggling with catching his breath.
"You don't look good, Adam."
"I'm detoxing." He whispers feeling his stomach turn, and his head throbbing from the pain.
"Adam, I'll take you to a facility that can help you."
"No. they won't help me."
"Adam."
"I need you, to check on me."
"No."
"Early stages of detoxing is where most deaths occur, I just need you to make sure I haven't had a heart attack or drowned in my own vomit."
"Adam…" Olivia reaches in her purse "sign the papers. I'm not going down this road with you."
"I need you." Adam begs
/
Olivia stares up at the tall building, taking note of the many people coming and going from it. Her hands were clammy as she eyed the room numbers, until finally settling on the one she had been looking for. She's never done this before, part of her is screaming inside to turn around and walk away but she can't.
She has to see this.
She has to see him.
Nausea begins to form as she makes her way.
"Can I help you?"
She lifts her head surprised by the voice. She smiles softly moving towards the desk "I'm here to see Fitzgerald Grant."
Her once happy mood was quickly dissolving at the receptionist judgmental stare.
"Do you have an appointment?"
Olivia eyes the blonde woman coldly sensing the tone. "No" Olivia says shortly "and I don't need one, I'm his girlfriend."
"Unfortunately you do." The young woman retorted, looking at Olivia for a final time before typing back on her computer.
"Excuse me!" Olivia shouted "you do not dismiss me, I'm his girlfriend and he would gladly let me in his office."
"If you knew Fitzgerald Grant then you would know that he only meets with people by appointments or if you are on the approved list, and you are on neither."
Olivia bites her lip trying desperately to remain poised but she took a finale look at condescending women and chose otherwise.
"Let me tell you something, women like you are why we are enemies. Don't ever underestimate a black woman, again." Olivia said walking past her towards Fitz's office.
"Ma'am get back here!" The assistant yell running after Olivia. "I am calling security!" She threatens.
Olivia turns around and walks back to the women "Of course because a black women in an establishment that you feel is beneath her is a risk; I am considered a 'threat' right?" Olivia asked "you don't scare me. Call security." Olivia demands walking into Fitz's office without as much as a knock.
He jumps at the sudden opening of his door.
"What the hell is going on!" Fitz yelled jumping up from his desk.
"Mr. Grant, I'm sorry but this person is demanding to see you and claiming to be your girlfriend. I've already called security, sir."
Olivia walks up to the women "say my fucking name, you grotesque scum of the universe. I have a name! We have a name because we do not fit into your cookie cutter lifestyle does not negate from the fact that I am a person with a name."
"Get. Out." Fitz hisses to his assistance coldly causing her blue eyes to grow in size at the horror of being yelled at by her boss who she's always gotten along with.
He gives her space and time to sort out her feelings. She paces inside his spacious office, until she finally grew tired and stared at the window, absorbing all the information she has gathered in one day.
"I can't believe this happened" Olivia whispers to herself.
"What happened?" he ask softly
"I've never been here and I wanted to see you and possibly grab lunch before our appointment." She smiles sadly trying not cry as she remembers the looks she got coming to this floor. The look of disdain, and discontent.
"My entire ride up here, was met with looks and displeasure because of my presences." Olivia wipes the tear quickly "I ignored it because I was seeing you." She smiles at the thought "but then I met your assistant and she just disregarded me as being your girlfriend better yet a person" Olivia's voice begins to crack "I told her to let me see you but she wouldn't." tears form in her eyes as she looks at him and sees his sadness and anger at what he has heard.
"Am I so different from your world that you can't see color, is my dark presences a catalyst to your perfect white world!" Olivia shouts with tears falling down from her face.
He didn't say anything. But silently his heart was breaking.
He storms out of his office without a word, with Olivia following closely behind.
She looks at him with fear as she watches him rotate between clenching his fist and his mouth. She's sees it on his face.
"Rebecca, what. Did. You . do ?"
"Sir, I did what you asked. She wasn't on the list and I've never known you to have a girlfriend."
He crosses his arms. "Did you think to call me, and ask if I know this young lady?"
"N-"
"Part of me is angry with myself for never trying to look at the people who work for me because if I had looked and better yet cared then I would have seen you for who you truly are. You've insulted my fiancé" Olivia lifts her head up and somehow can't take her eyes off him. The future has always been an uncertainty to her for many reasons but to hear and witness him claim their future- it surprisingly doesn't seem so scary after all.
"I'm sorry Mr. Grant."
"No" he yells "you do not apologize to me! You apologize to the women standing in front of you."
She nods her head sheepishly "I'm sorry."
"That is not good enough" Fitz yells moving closer towards the desk, "address her in the manor she deserves, in the manor every person deserves."
"I am sorry, ma'am."
"Ms. Pope."
"Excuse me?"
"The name you refused to ask for or hear- that is my name."
"I'm sorry, Ms. Pope- I should have never treated you like that."
"Or any person for that matter." Olivia says coolly
"I'm sorry Mr. Grant- you've never had a fiancé before and you are strict with your list…"
"I have a personal life for a reason."
She bows her head in shame.
"Rebecca."
"Yes?"
"Send a mass email, to everyone that I will be cleaning up shop and that if I see anyone profiling or discriminating a person in my business they will be terminated just like you."
She lifts her head from the computer completely and totally shocked.
"Make sure you tell everyone on the way out, that I am going to personally find whoever treated my fiancé or anyone with disrespect."
"Yes, sir."
/
He closes the door to his office. A comfortable silence fills the room. He doesn't speak, he can't honestly. So much anger and shame was filling his soul, he's the boss and yet he allowed his workers to treat humans with such indignity including Olivia.
"Thank you." She hushes out from the door.
He turns and walks to her. "You don't need to thank me; I'm the last person you should thank. If I was doing my job then this wouldn't have gotten to this point."
Olivia reaches for Fitz placing her arms around his waist "no one has ever stood up for me the way you have and did. I love you." She kisses him desperately on his lips, knowing she would never get enough of his taste.
"I love you too" he kisses her back equally desperate "but I'm just ashamed and angry."
"You can change that though. Now, you are aware and I know you will stand by me." She whispers with tears in her eyes.
"I'll always fight for you."
She kisses the palm of his hand "My parents died in a car crash when I was ten, by that time nobody really wanted me so I became an orphan. I have distant aunts but nobody to call my home…" she places his hand on her cheek "I met Adam and he became my family."
Fitz begins to move his hand from Olivia's but she doesn't let him. "He became my everything and he promised to be my family."
Fitz doesn't say anything.
"The truth is that when it comes to Adam it's hard for me to let him go when he's been all the family I have ever had."
He sighs heavily. "I can't compete with him."
"I'm not asking you too." Olivia looks up at Fitz hoping and praying that he sees the sincerity in her heart. "I met him today and we talked and I saw that Adam and I are two vastly different people. He's not the same and to be fair- neither am I."
"You went behind my back."
"I'm sorry for that but I needed to talk to him and for both of us to move on with our lives; he signed the papers. Fitz, believe and trust in me that I am completely and totally done with Adam and this marriage." She shakes her head "I want to start a family with you and I didn't want to lie or keep any secrets. Please stay with me." Olivia begs.
Fitz stares at her, he sees her tears and her cries but part of him wonders how much more can a person take of this. "What do you want me to do, Olivia? You are sabotaging this relationship."
"I know that" Olivia cries "I am destroying the one good thing in my life because Fitz I don't deserve you but I am trying to. I am really trying to be the person and partner you deserve and I am done fucking up! Okay. I am done playing games. I mean it."
There is a part of him that wants to fight with her, that wants to end it all and just walk away but he can't. He can't leave her. Olivia is more like him than he ever thought, perhaps in their abandonment they found one another and made a home for themselves.
He walks over to his refrigerator "I had Rebecca get me a sub, soup and salad. We could share that and then go over to doctors."
"Okay." Olivia whispers overjoyed.
They ate in silence "I'll just eat the salad."
"No." Fitz said "you need carbs, stop worrying about your weight."
"I don't want to get out of shape."
"You won't."
"Would you still love me if I did?"
Fitz lifted his head from his part of the sub "absolutely, in fact that would be perfect; that way I don't have to worry about Adam or someone else trying to take you."
"They won't take me. I promise." Olivia vows reaching for Fitz's hand in hers.
"Are you excited?"
"To be honest. I am." Fitz said happily "I would really like to see him or her."
"Me too." Olivia said softly "do you have a preference?"
"No, just healthy." Fitz said "you?"
"Same."
They smile at one another. Fitz feels closer to Olivia now than ever before. Her past makes him understand her in ways he never thought possible. But it's comforting to look at someone and find your kindred soul.
"Liv?"
"Yeah?"
"How did you make him sign the papers?"
Time freezes. Her heart drops to her stomach, she knew he would ask that question and she knew she would have to answer. Counting to five, she slowly lifts her head and begins to speak.
/
Adam was lying crumpled on the bed shivering in the throes of withdrawal. In fetal position his body was convulsing, his head throbbing. He turns over and moans at the coolness of the sheets felt against his burning skin. Drowsily his eyes flicker open and catch sight of her sitting on a chair next to him.
