A few days later. At Ostroff.
Dr. Fischer "Flavia, help me understand. Are you upset because of what you did, or because you can't remember it? Both and neither. If you saw a photo of yourself on the Internet doing cocaine what would you think?"
Dr. Fischer "i wouldn't know what to think. I would never do that"
I nodded "Exactly. But with me i can't be so sure. I may not remember kissing Carter and Nate or crossing Blair, but you know, this wouldn't be the firs time that i'e been with two guys in one night or betrayed my best friend. Things had gotten so out of control .. i didn't know how to pull them back anymore. so i left town, alone. I started focusing on my Model career and something visited my sister in Cornwall, Connecticut. My sister actually met there someone. A professor. She told me he was different from anyone else. He was nice to her without having any bad intentions because of who she was. "
Mrs. Fischer "what do you mean with that?"
Me "People have always tried to use me and my siblings because of our names. They thought they could use us for our own benefit. My name does open a lots of doors in this country. She was in love with him but nothing happened between them"
Night. In my room.
Juliet looked at me "thanks to you, my brother is currently serving a five-year sentence"
I shook my head "i sear, i never accused Ben of any crime. I mean, why would i? I would never do that to my sister"
Juliet "I saw the affidavit"
I shook my head "i didn't sign anything. "
Juliet "then who did?"
I shook my head confused but ten it hit me "oh you have got to be kidding me"
At my mom's.
Juliet and i walked inside. Apparently mom had thrown a little party, great. An audience, i love a good audience.
Chuck was holding some speech.
Nate turned to me, shocked "Fla, what is she doing here?"
Me "it's okay. I asked her to come"
He looked at me confused.
I looked at Juliet "Wait here, I'm gonna talk to my mother"
Then i walked to the front where my mother was with Chuck.
she smiled at me surprised "Flavia, what a lovely surprise"
I fake smiled.
Mom asked worried "everything okay?"
Me "i need to talk to you"
She nodded "okay, well, let's just take a few photos. Smile"
Then i fake smiled into the camera.
Dan, Blair and Damien showed up.
I nodded "enough"
Mom "just one more"
I shook my head "i can't do this"
Then i turned to the crowd "I'm Flavia. I'm Lily's daughter. I wasn't gonna be able to make it because i was at the Ostroff Center. If it were up to my mother, she'd have you believe i was at Canyon Ranch. Having a daughter in a mental hospital threatens her carefully protected image. She wants you all to think that she's the perfect host and mother and wife. But the truth is she's a selfish liar who'll destroy anyone who stands in her way. "
then i walked into my old room.
---
Eric, Serena and i were sitting on the couch in my old room. I was leaning against my sister who had an arm around me.
I saw Juliet storm inside but Blair was faster and blocked her way to me "don't take one stop closer to her. How do you feel about prison food and daily strip searches?"
Dan and Nate walked into the room.
Me "B, it's okay. I talked to her. She's not the problem anymore. It's my mother"
Blair "well, she's clearly drugged Flavia again. Dan , write a list of everything Damien said he sold to Juliet. "
she looked at Nate "you look at the list, tell us which drug causes you to trust psychopaths"
Then she looked at Eric "and you call the police"
She looked at Serena "you stay with her"
I stood up "nobody is calling anyone here. I know everything that Juliet did and nothing excuses it. The Van der Woodsens are not putting any more o her family behind bars. Juliet, i'll find a way to get Ben out of prison, i promise. You're free to go"
Blair asked shocked "What? No. This is unacceptable. Juliet tried to hurt you too many times. You can't let her walk away "
Nate "she's right, Fla"
Juliet "i promise i won't do anything to harm Flavia or Serena again. Or anyone else for that matter"
Nate rolled her eyes "Yeah, that's reassuring"
Juliet sighed "I'm sorry"
Then she walked out.
Blair "i just spent a day in a car with Dan Humphrey to try to track her down. You're letting her leave?"
Serena stood up confused "someone tell me what's going on?"
Me "okay, look, i'll explain everything. I just need to talk to my mom first"
Then i looked at Serena "and you should too"
--
In the living room.
Everyone had left except mom and Charles. The others followed me into the living room.
Mom said to Charles "it seems that my biological children don't understand when business is at stake, you need to leave your dirty laundry in the hamper"
Me "is that what Ben Donovan was to you? dirty laundry?"
Rufus asked confused "who's Ben Donovan?"
Serena "he was my boarding-school teacher"
Me "Mom falsely accused of him of statutory rape so now he's serving time for a crime he didn't commit"
Mom "is that what the Ostroff Center calls treatment these days? Public scenes and false accusations?"
Me "Juliet is Ben's sister. She told me everything. so stop with all these lies. What happened?"
Mom looked at Serena "you wanted to come home, and i wanted you here. When Constance saw your records they wouldn't take you back. And it was the same with all the decent schools. And i was worried about your future. So i went to Knightley and talked to the administration"
I rolled my eyes.
Serena said annoyed "of course you did"
Mom "while i was on campus, there were some girls gossiping about you. They aid that you had spent the night at a B&B with one of your teachers"
Serena "that was just gossip"
Mom "Gossip i could use to our advantage. I expressed my concern that one of their teachers was having an inappropriate relationship with my daughter"
Me "so you sent Ben to prison so she could go to Constance?"
Mom shook her head "well, no, of course not. But after i left, the school alerted the authorities. I didn't know what i had set in motion until i was contacted by the DA. By then it was too late"
Me "too late to tell the truth? "
Serena asked confused "so you just destroy a man's life, all so you can keep up appearances?"
Mom "no, i did this for you. For your future. Look, it's not like Mr. Donovan was guilt-free. He shouldn't be having an affair with a student. "
Serena "but he didn't do anything. Nothing ever happened"
Mom "Sweetie, you don't have to protect him"
Serena shook her head "I'm not protecting him. He never touched me, Mom. you sent an innocent man to prison"
Mom's face fell.
Chuck "Look, everyone here has crossed a line to protect someone they care about. Sometimes there's collateral damage. "
Rufus "it's not so easy when you're the collateral damage"
We looked at him confused.
Rufus "Maybe it's time to put everything on the table. Lily, do you have something you need to tell Chuck?"
Mom "Well, if there was something i wanted to tell Charles, i would've told him"
I sighed annoyed "god, mom"
Rufus "Lily's selling Bass Industries."
Chuck's jaw dropped.
Mom "it's all very complicated. I had to talk to the board first. "
Chuck "i trusted you with my father's company. I want it back. I want it back. Immediately. "
Mom "you think the board would give the company to someone who disappeared for three months? Your instability is the reason i ended up in charge"
Chuck shook his head "i won't let you do this, Lily"
Then he left.
Mom turned to Serena "Serena. I'm so sorry. Please believe me. You have to"
Serena "i don't have to do anything for you ever again"
Then she left.
Mom looked at me "Fla. "
Me "should've thought about that before you faked my signature to betray my sister"
then i left.