CHAPTER 3:

"And in these difficult times, which challenge us and test the strength of our character…" Wilhelmina read the letter from the editor out loud to the staff. "…I'm reminded that Mode is a family. And like all great families…" Betty reached over to the refreshments table and her clumsiness gets the best of her and the next thing there's food flying all over the room. The entire commotion interrupts Wilhelmina, angering her slightly.

"Don't worry. No one noticed." Marc whispered assuring Betty sarcastically

"And as I was saying…" Wilhelmina continued "Like all great families, we will pull through this together. So that is my letter from the editor commenting on the recent Meade family misfortunes." Betty lifted up her hand

"Betty?"

"I'm sorry, but shouldn't the letter from the editor be written by the editor? Daniel?"

"Betty. Dear pie-eyed, pie-eating Betty. His sister has lost her memory, he's still in a wheelchair. Now I know he pays you for your south-of-the-border spirit, but let's give Daniel break."

"But he's fine. He could totally do…"

"Okay, people, we close the issue tonight. Let's get to work."

A few moments later Betty walked in Wilhelmina's office completely taken aback by the tall handsome man in a dark suit.

"Do you need something, Betty?"

"Uh…I…"

"While you're still thinking let me tell you that I don't appreciate being told off by little workers. Let alone question my judgment in front t of the staff."

"I'm sorry, I just thought…"

"If you have a problem with the way I do things, try in a respectful manner to talk to me about it in the privacy of my office. Are we clear?"

"Y-…Yes."

"Good. You may leave now."

"But…"

"Goodbye Betty"

"But Daniel needs to…"

"Bye, Betty"

"But…'

"Dwayne?" The tall man advanced towards her and she backed away and left immediately.

Wilhelmina spend her lunch break with Daniel at the hospital, having some coffee.

"And why can't you go home, again?"

"I have to stay by Alexis' side. She remembers nothing from the past two years. She doesn't remember faking her death or becoming a woman. She doesn't even know that you and dad are engaged." She chose to ignore the last statement, not really knowing how to answer.

"But you've got to go home, even if it's for a little while…you'll go crazy. By the way I've brought the book."

"Oh yeah? Wow"

"What?"

"You did listen to Betty after all."

"I didn't listen to Betty. I listened to my inner voice after I spoke with her."

"Well I'm glad you did. By the way Wilhelmina you didn't have to be so mean to her."

"Your little assistant came crying to you, huh?"

"Not really but in the future just try to be a little…"

"In the future inform your assistant to never speak to me like that in front of the staff."

"You do it all the time to everybody else." He argued

"I have the power."

"Oh come on, Wils. Betty was just looking out for me."

"I don't care, Daniel. I just don't appreciate being called out like that by the little people."

"Betty is my friend she was just…"

"Yeah, your friend, not mine. She should know her place."

"Okay you've made your point. Will you take off that mask for second? It's just you and me."

"Just because we've been working together at your father's request doesn't make us friends."

"Then why are you here?"

"I was…uh…bringing the book…and to visit Alexis."

"Liar"

"Okay have it your way." He just smiled at her and she softened just a little bit "Stop that!"

"What?"

"That stupid grin. Daniel let's be serious for a sec. You're totally okay with me writing the letter from the editor?"

"Yeah it's a lot better than what I was thinking of writing anyway."

"Okay then. How's the physical therapy going?"

"I'm taking it one day a time. I'm in such pain."

"You'll survive, Danny. Are you gonna be able to make it to the ball?"

"I hope so." She noticed Betty approaching and Daniel followed her gaze

"There's your faithful worker. Let me take this as my cue to leave." She got up to leave

"Willie"

"Huh?" Daniel grabbed her hand and Willie's eyes travelled to his hand and back to his face. But Daniel didn't see anything strange with it so he continued

"Don't be too hard on Betty, she's going through a lot. Her father is stuck in Mexico…some immigration problems and stuff." She snatched her hand away from his grasp while looking at him with total confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry…God I wish there was something I could do about it." Daniel continued. Finally Betty reached them and they had a little awkward moment

"Daniel, Wil-…Wilhelmina." Betty stuttered the woman's name and starred at the floor

"Betty." After that little encounter she sashayed away from them and disappeared from sight. As soon as she got to her town car she took out her Blackberry and made a phone call.

"Hi, Daddy…Fine, fine, fine. I need your help with something, actually someone"

That evening in the bedroom Bradford just rolled off of her and she was breathing heavily silently cursing the man who invented Viagra. She kept on staring at the ceiling thinking yet again, she seemed to be doing a lot of that lately- not getting enough sleep and spends hours thinking.

Wilhelmina's POV:

'Wow…Is this what my life has become and is going to be for years to come? Screwing a man I don't love even if I'm tired to the bone? Let him hover on top of me every time he pleases just to keep him happy? And for what, power?...And not to mention this man was in love with my former boss and friend, who was like a mother to me. I wonder what she'll do if she rises from the dead and witnesses this. Will she be proud that she taught me well or disappointed that I screwed her over? I might not have approved of the affair but I know how much she loved him. I was there when she schemed her way into his heart, flaunting the affair in Claire's face. I was the one who told her to stop making those phone calls to Claire playing the music from that box, poor woman that must have been hell.

Wait, isn't that what I'm doing right now? Have I become the bitch Fey Sommers was grooming me to become? Scheming and screwing people over to get what I want?. Sometimes I wish I were still me- the real me, God do I still remember that girl? I spent years burying every ounce of nice Willie's existence and spent years pretending that she's dead. The only thing that reminds me of her is Daniel's frumpy assistant, Betty- not the looks and fucked up fashion sense of course. People think I hate the girl because she doesn't belong at Mode. Truth is Betty has my old personality, her spirit of wanting to do the right thing all the fucking time. I tried it the other way round and being nice doesn't work at all in the business world. Lord knows I've been taken advantage of far too many times, I've been hurt and played with far too many times to ever become the same person ever again. Every person I've ever trusted had found a way to destroy a part of me, well a part of who I used to be. I don't have a heart anymore.'