3X24 “In The Air Tonight”
Written by: Chris Coleman, Kristi Clark and Kelly Zollo
Warning: Episode may contain graphic violence, language and sexual content
Theme Song: In The Air Tonight- Daughtry ft. Brad Arnold of Three Doors Dow
Gloria felt the tension in the room rising so much that she knew it was time. “You know Dani honey since you got all the mouths of Walter and none of Lauren’s brain. You husband is fucking the nanny. We all know but you didn’t. So let me prove it to you.” Pressing the remote for the projector. As the white screen slowly lowered down. She connected her phone to the computer in the room. Nodding her head at Jeremiah he turned off the lights and a projector lowered. As the first part of the footage began to play she could feel Dani’s dread rising. There it was now it was all out in the open. He couldn’t man up and tell her so she showed her. Jackson and Dru walking through the hotel kissing on Dru. They looked close to her. Gloria saw no satisfaction in breaking another woman but this little girl was insufferable. So since she thought she could play with the big dogs she’d annihilate her image of Jackson. Pierre got the footage it wasn’t her concern how it was enough to get Natasha on their side. Now they could make a move to finally attack DGI enough for everyone to get what they wanted. Gloria didn’t come back for just her children but finally to have her time in the sun. Pausing the tape she looked at Dani. “So today you learned a valuable lesson Dani you fucked around and found out.” Stepping to the trembling woman. “Your husband ain’t shit just like his motherfucking daddy. Thought you had the crown and could have a mistress too. I mean Tess is a scallywag but she cleaned up enough to be CEO quite nicely because with all the dirt on Jackson he couldn’t carry the title.” Gloria said as she turned to Jackson “Now shall we go to the next part?”
Jackson stood frozen watching a haunting portrait of himself on screen. Clearly under the influence and his eyes began to well with tears. He watched as Dru led him through the halls. She had to know he wasn’t himself. This wasn’t him and as he watched it he felt violated and sick. He wouldn’t have done whatever was on the tape if he wasn’t under the influence. He jilted watching his body slam into the wall. He heard Dani exhaling in sadness next to him. When Gloria walked into his wife’s face he couldn’t even bare to look at Dani. He couldn’t even say he was sorry because he felt sick. As he gripped the table he lost the breath in his body. Jackson felt Chauncey hand on his back as looked back at his brother. Tears began building in his eyes as he reached out to Dani but couldn’t do it. He couldn’t touch her because he betrayed her. He ruined it. He ruined her trust in him and that felt so disgusting. “Stop it, you’ve proved your damn point you don’t have to subject her to this.” Jackson reached for the remote or phone Gloria was using.
Gloria backhanded Jackson so fast and stepped to him. “Boy you done lost your damn mind. No, this girl deserves to see exactly what type of man you are. You see Dani you can love a man but honestly you can never trust a Devonshire. You just so happened to do both. Boy pick your feelings you over here sniveling when you done fucked up. Embarrassing this woman what you don’t got anything to say now huh Jackson? Speak up boy? Cat got your tongue? Dani, wake up, you were used.” She said as it looked like Dru was riding Jackson like an equestrian in the Olympic games. “He had to beat the golden boy. Oh you didn’t think your love was special honey? Tricks and games I play them all too well but one thing I always knew and this to you as well Selina and you to you Mason. You’re not one of them! You were groomed to be the perfect wife Dani. Down to earth, salt of the earth, classy but not a pushover, and would even fight her own family for him. Oh you were the perfect tool to steer him away from Chauncey the smart pick. Jackson might be a junkie but he ain’t dumb. He was smart enough to pick you. Then when Lowell died alone with that one. It made him nostalgic to see a love like his own. Too bad he didn’t know how much alike it would be.” The lights flicked on and Dani’s devastated expression actually haunted Gloria. “You are a Fraiser, we are black we aren’t supposed to be in these rooms. But yet here we are and Dani, if you have any backbone you’d destroy him. Now as Natasha said it’s time for us to do business with SandStar solo DGI.”
Dani stood there looking at Gloria not sure what was happening until the screen finally dropped and she had pressed play on the phone she was holding and immediately she knew her face had given whatever facade she had been holding in over the evening crack. Watching Jackson with Dru cozy at the hotel, kissing her at the hotel, hanging on her at the hotel. The hotel that he had told her the night before that he was alone at because he had drunk too much, with Grant another lie. She watched as Gloria came right up to her, listened to Jackson protesting against whatever Gloria was going to do next and saw him try to reach out shooting him the coldest look she could. She saw Gloria backhand him and she jumped debating if she even wanted to comfort him or not instead she stared ahead watching the trainwreck on the screen. Maybe this was her reality check that she needed to watch her husband on the tape kissing on Dru in the elevator and let out an exhale she didn’t know she had been holding. When it showed them both on the bed Dru and him clearly fucking she simply just let the tears stream down her face in silence. It was worse than what Lex had done, way worse because she actually loved Jackson.
She looked over at Jackson for a moment, his tears or maybe they were fake ones who knew anymore. She fully backed up from him bumping right into Mason. She brushed Mason’s hand off her shoulder, her body shaking. She felt sick like she was going to throw up or scream, and then looked at everyone staring at her like they pitied her and she hated it. She would not be that girl that stayed like her mother had with her father, like Jackie did with Lowell she wouldn’t. She had believed in Jackson with everything she had, hell she loved him that much even when Lex was coming onto her she rebuffed him over and over again, yet he felt the need to have an affair with the woman in their house that watched their children? She had stood up to her entire family for the man in front of her the man that could barely look at her and for what to be made a fucking fool out of. Between what she had just seen playing out before her and the coke she found at their house it was too much. “Congratulations I guess you did get everything you really wanted, the company.” She finally managed to get out her voice cracking at Jackson before she simply grabbed her purse and walked out of the room gasping as she did. She let the tears fall down her face pretty sure she heard someone chasing after her.
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