Episode 778: Riot Act

“I didn't do this,” Lila began. “I mean, I did have an affair with Curran Gable, but that was before, we weren't married yet, that's not something I'd do now.”

“Okay, well I know about that, with Curran. Did Katherine not know? I don't think it's public, and don't make it be, alright? But Katherine had an affair of her own with him, so is she lashing out at you now because she still has feelings for him, maybe?”

“She acts like she hates the guy, at least that's why she says she did what she did, as a favor to us. We went to her for the paternity test, and when she saw that Curran was the other potential dad, she decided a guy like him shouldn't have anything to do with raising a child. She messed with the results somehow, she's given me a few different stories, I'm not sure which details are right, I think that's calculated to give her wiggled room, anyway, my best guess is that she threw Curran's results away, didn't even really test anything, she just matched Nate to Bowie. I don't know who Nate's dad is. She thought she was helping.”

“Or she didn't want Curran having a child with anyone so she helped herself, that's kind of her and Phillip's life philosophy, I mean, you should see how they've manipulated or at least tried to manipulate their kids, and Phillip exposed Xavier's whole life in that magazine and claims he was doing me a favor while ruining someone else's world. That favor thing sound familiar?”

“I don't know why she did it, Ava, all that matters is that she did. It's entirely possible that my family has been living a lie, and how will they react if it's not the truth?”

“How long have you known about this?”

“Um, two years or so, I guess. I know I should have just said something by now, but I couldn't, I've been scared of the fallout. So instead I blackmailed my way into a job as Katherine's assistant, I figured I'd ease my guilt by making things a little easier for my family money-wise. But extra money hasn't made it easier for me to live with it, I've been a wreck all this time, waiting for this moment when it all blew up. Jesse overheard that I had an affair, and that I need to keep my mouth shut. He's such a good kid, there's no way he won't tell Bowie, and honestly I don't want him to have to live with a secret, it sucks. Bowie's either going to think I've cheated again, or I'll have to tell him the secret that Nate isn't his, and it's my fault, I'm the one to hate for it. Now you know how messed up this is, how messed up Bowie, Nate, and Jesse might be because of me, and you're back to hating me right? Just go ahead and read me the self-righteous riot act over what a screw up I am, Ava, I know I deserve it.”

Episode 779: I Hold On