Duplicity

Chapter 40

“Mom, I don’t know what happened” Mellie said pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor as her parents sat at their kitchen table.

            She had promised her parents she would spend Christmas with them not because she actually cared to spend time with them but because it was preferable to being stuck in the house with Fitz and the kids. Now she realized that Christmas with her parents would probably be more torturous than Christmas in the Governor’s mansion.

“Mellie, I don’t know who you’ve pissed off but your charades are ruining your poor father’s business” her mother said sipping her tea, “I don’t know what we’ll do if the lawyer doesn’t get this sorted out.”

“Daddy, you understand” Mellie sounded like a whiny ten year old, “You set up this marriage, you understand how important it is for Fitz and I to stay married.”

“Pumpkin, I know you’re upset but you had to know that you couldn’t cross powerful people and cheat on your husband if you wanted to be First Lady,” her father returned, “I told you that I would find you the man to marry and it was your job to keep him. Frankly, I’m disappointed.”

“But Daddy,” Mellie whined, “he ignores me and he has a mistress, did you know that, a mistress, Daddy.”

“A lot powerful men cheat, Mellie” her father’s look became stern, “Your job was to stand by his side and protect and support him.”

“He fell in love with her” she looked down as though she might cry.

“So that’s when you decided you would get pregnant again?” her mother asked.

“It’s not even his baby” Mellie spat, not looking in her parents’ direction, “And he had his lawyer demand a paternity test. Can you believe it? I used to be able to control him but now she has her claws in him.”

“Who is the baby’s father then?” her mother looked shocked.

“Someone else” she admitted still not looking at either of her parents.

“The senator?” her father asked.

“No” she took a deep breath, “I had an investigator follow Fitz and I found out he was spending a lot of time with Olivia, his mistress…”

“His mistress is Olivia Pope?” her father almost yelled.

“The investigator told me that he was spending a lot of time with Olivia so I decided I needed to get his attention” Mellie prattled.

“So you had an affair with the senator?” her father asked again.

“No” Mellie replied.

“Then, I’m confused who is the baby’s father?” her mother asked.