Chapter 2
As the door shut, Jed erupted into anger. "How dare he? How could he do such a thing? I'm going to fix this right now."
Abbey tried to calm him down. "Jed, calm down. We have to think about this logically."
"LOGIC? How can we discuss this logically? It's OUR daughter he screwed. And OUR grandchildren. Abbey, don't you care about what's he done to OUR family? I sure as hell do."
He walked quickly to his desk and hit the intercom button. "Debbie, get my daughter Liz in here right now. She's somewhere in the building and I want to talk with her RIGHT NOW!"
"Yes, sir."
"Jed, of course I CARE but screaming about it won't help. We need to talk with Liz and then make up our minds what to do. This won't hurt us near as much as it will drag those we love into the limelight where all kinds of slime will probably be thrown at them. We need to worry about them right now."
"I never liked the guy. He was always trouble. I just hoped that when he fell he wouldn't bring OUR family down with him."
"Dad…"
Jed and Abbey had not heard Liz open the door. They both looked up to see her as she stepped into the office and shut the door.
Abbey ran over to her daughter and hugged her. "Oh, Liz, I'm so sorry. How are you doing?"
Liz broke away from her mother and sat down on the sofa. She looked at her parents, hoping not to see disappointment in their eyes. Disappointment that she couldn't keep her husband at home, keep him from straying.
Her parents sat on either side of her, trying to give her the emotional support she obviously needed.
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry about this."
"Why didn't you tell us earlier? We could have been there to help you. To help Annie and Gus."
"Liz," said Jed softly. "Do the children know?"
"No, Dad. They don't. Well at least they won't until this article is published. Then everybody will know. It's going to devastate them."
Jed wanted to hug Liz. Wanted to make everything okay. But he also knew this kind of hurt would never go away.
"Liz?"
"Yes, Dad?"
"How could he? I thought he loved you. I thought he loved the kids and would never do anything to hurt them."
"I don't know Dad. We've had our problems for the last few months, but this affair was ongoing for a period of time before that. I only found out about it two weeks ago myself."
"How did you find out sweetheart?" Abbey took Liz's hands into hers.
"A guy Doug works with got drunk at our house one night two weeks ago and started razzing Doug about his sexual prowess. How he could screw his wife and then screw his nanny in the same night. At first, Doug denied it. Told me the guy didn't know what he was talking about. But after the guests left, I confronted him again and the little weasel didn't have the willpower to deny it then. I threw him out of the bedroom that night and we haven't slept together since. We wait until the kids go to sleep and then he goes to the guest bedroom. That is, when he's in town and not campaigning."
"Oh God, what about the campaign?"
"Mom, I don't know. I think I want him to win but this affair will be public knowledge tomorrow and I doubt the voters will want him after that. We've made a couple of joint campaign appearances since it came out and I've really tried to smile and be happy but I'm dying inside."
"Of course you are."
"Well, I want to talk with the slime ball myself. I want to confront him with everything he's done to my family. I want to…"
"Mr. President…."
Jed stood up, angry at the interruption. "I don't want to be disturbed, Kate."
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. But there's an emergency…" Kate looked at the faces of the people she had just disturbed. It was obvious it was a serious family conversation.
"Okay. How long will I be?"
Abbey stood, pulling Liz up with her. "That's okay Jed. I'll take Liz upstairs and we'll talk later. You stay here and do your job."
"Abbey…" Jed was dismayed that he had been unable to finish the conversation with Liz. "Okay. I'll be up as quick as I can."
Jed walked over his daughter and gave her a kiss. "I love you, Liz. And we'll deal with Doug as a family. We won't let this pass."
Liz nodded as tears threatened to fall. "Thanks Dad. Come up when you can."
Jed nodded, trying to hide his overwhelming emotions as well.
As Abbey and Liz left the Oval for the Residence, he then turned his attention to Kate.
"What's next?"