Part 26

Much to his chagrin, it doesn't take long before Fitz leads Eli right to Liv.

He literally has to fight the urge to storm in on them and break Fitz's neck. But he knows that if he does that, he will lose his daughter for good; so for the time being he must refrain from doing so. Even if the thought of them up there together, alone, and doing god knows what with each other curdles the blood in his veins. Therefore, wisely he chooses to remain in his car, waiting for the right time to make his move.

Two whole hours pass before Fitz finally leaves and drives off.

This was his chance. Although, mindful that Fitz could turn back at any time, Eli waits for a couple of minutes; making sure that the coast is clear before leaving his car and making his way towards the flat.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Liv gets up… What is he like, he'd lose his head if it wasn't attached to his body? She muses, before buzzing him in...

But when she opens the door, and finds her father standing on the other side and not Fitz, she almost passes out.

"What… what are you doing here?" she stammers; trembling in his presence, as a million thoughts race through her head. How on earth did he find her? Why was he here? Had he seen Fitz leave?

"I'm here because I need to hear you say it…"

She looks at him perplexed. "Say what? I don't understand?"

He thrust the infamous brown envelope into her hands. "I need to hear it from you, and only you... IS. IT. TRUE!?"

Her heart misses a beat... "Oh my god…" she gasps; a mixture of fear and recognition setting in; she didn't even have to look inside the envelope to figure out what was going on. He knows.

Yes he knows. Sarcastically... "The honourable Fitzgerald Grant- soon to run for state governor Grant- tell me Liv, is he the married man that you've been messing around with?" He asks, his voice laced with venom and disdain.

She is so thrown by her father's insight and knowledge that words seem to escape her. However, her lack of response only serves to rile him up, and with all his patience spent from waiting on Fitz to leave, he's even quicker to react…

"ANSWER ME!"

His raised voice causes her to jump leaving her on edge, and now she's too scared to say anything… Instinctively she starts to move away from him, however she doesn't get very far, because he reaches for her, grabbing her by the arm and shaking her like a rag doll… "I said answer me!"

"Let go! You're hurting me!" she grimaces, as he continues to shake her; demanding that she talk… "Are. You. Fucking. Him?!"

"Get your hands off of me!" She now screams at the top of her voice, twisting and squirming until she manages to break free from his grasp… He goes for her again, but this time he misses as she runs to the fireplace, arming herself with the iron poker. She waves it at him frantically…. "Don't you touch me, EVER again, do you hear me?!"

Realising that things are quickly getting out of hand, he attempts to calm down the situation by lowering his tone and taming his aggression. "Fine… All I want is the truth Liv, and then I'll leave…"

"Why? Why do you want to know- what difference will it make?" she laments, still griping onto the poker with all her might- not willing to let her guard down. "After the way you've treated me, you have NO right coming here and demanding anything from me!"

"The way I've treated you?!" He's incensed, "How about the way you've treated this family, or the way you've dishonoured your mother's memory by lying down and spreading your legs for a man, who is no different from the men that killed her!"

"No that is not true! Fitz is nothing like those men, and you know it!"

He doesn't miss a beat. "So it is true!?"

All the lies, having to hide how she's really feels in fear of the repercussions; she's sick of it all! But there was no point in denying it now, because her father wouldn't believe her even if she tried... Besides, she suspects that the envelope that now lies abandoned on the floor contains all the proof Eli would need; but the sadist in him would rather watch her squirm under interrogation, making her say it instead… So why put up a fight? So, "Yes…" she tells him boldly. "You're right, I am sleeping with Fitz, and just so you know, I love him!"

It was the words he was waiting to hear, but also the very same words that now destroyed everything he held dear… Outraged, disappointed and wild with grief Eli callously turns over a coffee table with all its contents onto the floor in a blinding rage... "How could you do this?" He exclaims, "Do you have any idea of what you've done?!" He's lost it, she can tell, and dangerously she notes that he's edging closer and closer towards her; his pupils now constricted and his expression unforgiving…

"Stay away from me!" She warns, ready to swing at him, ready to defend herself and the tiny life she's now carries inside her…

"I could kill you for this…" he threatens her menacingly.

"I'm not afraid of you…" She dares to answer back, although belying the truth, because she is terrified.

"Well maybe you should be little girl, because the moment I get your precious Fitz alone- I promise you this… I'm going to kill him… Do you hear me! I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"You can't!" She protests fiercely.

"Oh, but I can Liv… And I will… If that's the only way to stop you from being with him, then I will not hesitate to rid him from this world! You have no idea of what I'm capable of, I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family!"

"You're a fool if you think killing him will protect us, if anything you will bring this family down to it's knees- because killing Fitz, would be as good as killing me!"

"Nonsense! By killing him, I'll be saving you! Saving you from a lifetime of being his whore!"

"Whore, you say? Wow, you have no idea do you?! Well let me spell it out for you Dad… If being with Fitz makes me his whore, then guess what, I'd rather be his whore any day, than be called any daughter of yours!"

"You disgust me!"

"And I hate you!" She spits back… "You're nothing but a hypocrite, you've spent your entire life fighting for equality, but yet deep down you still see us as different from them! Which makes you no better than the racists that killed my mother! Because like it or not, they see the world through the very same eyes as you! A world where you are solely judged by the colour of your skin. Those men killed mum because she was black, and it's no different from you wanting to Fitz because he is white! Or are you too blinded by prejudice and hate to see that?"

"You're wrong, the fact that he's white, has no bearing on the fact that he's using you!"

"He loves me!" She counters.

"He's married, or have you forgotten that?"

"Not that I need to explain anything to you, but he's going to divorce his wife, and when he does we WILL be together!"

"And then what?" He starts to mock her... "You'll find a State that will marry you, and then have a bunch of half breed babies, who will grow up not knowing who they are or where they fit in? Over my dead body!"

"Be careful what wish for dad..." She retorts, which a catch in her voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means whatever you want for it to mean... But understand this, I don't need your validation on how best to live my life... And those half breed babies that you referred to, your future grandchildren; they will not grow up confused, or unsure of their heritage, because Fitz and I will teach them about who they are, and through our love and our guidance we will provide them with the tools they need to face this poisonous world and the people in it- including you!"

"You're delusional if you think any of this will come to pass... Because once this world finds out about you and Fitz, it will chew you up and spit you out- It will break you! And you'll be left with nothing but heartache and pain... And that's if I don't get my hands on Fitz first!"

"You harm one hair on his head, and I swear to you, you'll spend the rest of your life in chains!"

"If it means he's dead- I don't really care, because prison will be a small price to pay to keep him from destroying you!"

"Get out!"

"Gladly, but you'll see soon enough, I'm doing this because I know what's best for you, whether you wish to acknowledge it now or later!" With that said, he then points to the envelope of the floor and adds forebodingly. "By the way, you should know that the contents of that envelope was not my doing, they were delivered to me by an anonymous source two days ago… It seems as though I'm not the only person you need to worry about; not that I care about what happens to Fitz; he deserves everything that comes his way, but you're my daughter and despite what you might think I don't want to see you get hurt or worse…"

She scoffs, "Well, you have a funny way of showing it!"

"That's down to you Liv- Leave Fitz and then I won't have to hurt him. But if you choose to pursue this ridiculous affair, then you leave me with no option but to carry out my intent, as will others I fear; and in that case you better watch your back!"