Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Are you happy with your life?

Liberty reads the question over and over again and each time it takes her by surprise exactly the same. I mean, happiness is so subjective – and Liberty is one to always think of the objective first and foremost. In the traditional sense, Liberty is very happy. She has an amazing job, a great, caring fiancé, and a well-established rapport within the community. Life couldn’t get much better than that, could it?

Liberty sighs as she circles ‘yes’. It seemed to be the answer that made the most sense, yet it felt... jarring. A question like that only stirs up feelings of longing – typical.

This is a mental health questionnaire. Maybe I should be honest.

Liberty quickly turns the pencil upside down and erases the circle. Back at square one.

Some more time passes and Liberty feels herself growing anxious. She couldn’t even answer a simple yes or no question without overthinking it. Of course, it’s yes. She reinstates the circle and shakes her head as she moves on, forgetting the struggle even existed.

Soon enough, she’s done with the questionnaire and back in her car, driving downtown for a nice, relaxing cup of coffee at her favorite spot. It’s a hip little place right in the heart of downtown Toronto, the cozy atmosphere of the place drawing in customers around the clock.

Liberty opens the door to the shop, a bell overhead of her dinging to signify her presence. She takes off her jacket before she takes a seat at the bar, her jacket previously protecting her from the cold November air.

“Hey there, lawyer,” a lady, Marlene, cheerfully greets. She smiles as Liberty sits down, an obvious contrast to Liberty’s frowning.

Liberty gives her a short smile before her mouth returns back to its tight line.

“What’s got you in a low mood?” Marlene asks, her tattooed sleeve making its brief appearance as she wipes down the counter.

“It’s nothing. Just a long day at the office.” Liberty readjusts her posture to try and appear happier than she actually is, but soon fails as it feels so unnatural.

Marlene slowly nods, deciding to not push Liberty any further. “Well, will your regular help lift your spirits?”

“I’m sure it’ll fare well in doing so. We won’t know until we try, though.” Liberty looks up from her hands and offers Marlene a warm smile, trying to shift her negative energy into something more positive.

Marlene smiles back at Liberty. “Now, we’re talking.”

It doesn’t take long for her usual order to be in her hands, Marlene respecting Liberty’s space and not making small talk until she’s in a better mood.

“You know we should call this thing the ‘Lawyer Liberty Special’ or something,” Marlene jests, handing Liberty the cup.

“That’s sweet, but I think I’d rather it be called the ‘Van Zandt Special’. Makes it sound more official.”

“You know, you have a point, but I think I like ‘Lawyer Liberty’ more. It has a ring to it.”

Liberty immediately feels her spirits lifting as she takes a sip of the drink, her cloud of sadness rolling away as the exotic taste dances upon her tongue.

“How’s that fiancé of yours doing? Still the same fine specimen from a few months ago?”

“Marlene.” Liberty rolls her eyes.

“What? Can’t a girl call out what she sees without being judged?”

“To answer your question, he’s doing great actually. He just got promoted not too long ago.”

Marlene nods in amazement. “Wow. He’s really making a wave in the tech industry, huh? Damn.”

Liberty takes another long sip as she begins to become lost in thought. Marlene soon catches on to being the only present one and snaps her fingers in front of Liberty’s face, bringing her back to reality.

“Sorry,” Liberty says, rubbing her temples.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been acting weird today.”

Liberty licks her lips as she contemplates whether or not she should tell the truth as to what’s bothering her. After much inner questioning, she finally decides to talk about it.

“I took this questionnaire today and one of the questions was ‘are you happy with your life’. And ever since then, I've just been in my head a lot about it. I-I don’t know, I mean...I’m never in my head about things – ever.”

Marlene slowly nods, taking in the information. “Well, are you happy?”

“That’s the thing. In a traditional sense, yes, I’m very happy, but something just feels... wrong, out of place, amiss.”

“Who gives a fuck about traditional? The only thing that matters is if you’re happy on a personal level.”

Liberty tenses up as that question passes through her mind once again, the same feelings from earlier returning.

“What do you think is making you unhappy?”

The question slightly catches Liberty off guard, causing her to twitch a little bit. “That’s the thing. Nothing that I can think of is making me unhappy, but it’s not making me super happy, either.”

“Is it your job? Victor? I swear if that Silicon Valley bigshot is hurting you -”

Liberty laughs at the threat. “No, no, no. Both of those are great. It’s just... I don’t know, maybe I’m just stressed.”

“Which is why you should come to the party on the rooftop tonight. Perfect opportunity for some destressing.” Marlene clasps her hands together, hoping Liberty will agree to come.

“Oh, I don’t know. My hair’s a mess and I haven’t got a single thing to wear that’s not out of the drycleaners.”

Marlene juts out her bottom lip as she pouts. “Pretty please? For me?”

Liberty loudly sighs. She won’t hear the end of this unless she agrees to go. Finally, she gives in. “Alright. I’ll go. But I can’t stay out too late. I have work tomorrow.”

Marlene squeals. “Yay! You won’t regret it. Trust me.”

I hope not.

Chapter Text

Liberty gets home sometime later and is greeted with the smell of lunch meat and cheese in the air. She wanders into the kitchen of her shared apartment and finds her fiancé, Victor, standing at the counter in his underwear, the ingredients to make a sandwich splayed all over the counter.

“Hey,” she greets, leaning against the doorframe for leverage as she removes her boots.

“Hey,” he replies, not bothering to whip his head around to make eye contact.

“I was thinking of going to a party this evening. Would you like to join me?”

Victor chuckles, the news humorous to him. “You? Going to a party? Jesus must be coming back.”

“Just answer the question, hot shot.”

“To answer your question, I can’t. I have some work to do tonight. Sorry, babe.”

Liberty figured he wouldn’t be able to go, but the rejection still stung.

She walks to their bedroom and removes her beanie, her curly hair cascading around her shoulders. She continues the undressing process by removing all of her clothes and changing into something more comfortable, the party in question not until much later in the evening.

She walks back into the living room to find Victor on the couch in front of the TV, his legs propped up on the coffee table.

Maybe I’m just low on some physical affection.

Without another thought, Liberty quietly walks over to the couch and sits down, immediately cuddling up to Victor. She deeply breathes in his scent from his bare chest as she cuddles into him, his warmth warming up her face.

“Someone’s needy,” he quips, biting into his sandwich.

“It’s just been a long day,” Liberty answers, her voice muffled as the side of her mouth is squashed up against his chest.

Victor hums in response, continuing to noisily eat his sandwich. “There’s always tomorrow.”

Liberty says nothing in return, content with just lying there. The warmth nearly lulls her to sleep, but Victor’s loud chewing keeps her awake, unfortunately.

After his plate is empty, he simply gets up, leaving Liberty to faceplant into the couch. She frowns, sad at the removal of warmth. Right when she needs some tender loving care, he leaves. She can’t say she’s surprised, but she’s also just as disappointed. She understands that Victor has come to know her as not a very affectionate person, but she thought he’d appreciate the times when she was feeling clingier. However, she seems to be wrong.

She sighs as she hears the office door shut and lock, leaving her alone with the TV mindlessly playing in the background.

This series of events, however, gives her a brand-new determination to have fun tonight, something she knew she deserved.

Without another thought, she goes back to her bedroom and decides to get in a tiny nap before she has to start getting ready for the party. Surely, she could use the extra energy.

She lies down on the bed and shuts her eyes, her sleepiness taking her captive not long afterward. Soon, she’s off to a land of peace.

~~~

Liberty looks around as the music loudly thumps in the atmosphere, not a single face familiar to her. She nearly contemplates leaving, but Marlene’s presence stops that from happening.

“Liberty! I’m so glad you could make it!” Marlene hugs Liberty, her beer bottle in hand.

Liberty looks from Marlene to the girl standing next to her, hoping Marlene introduces her.

“Oh, this is Carly, my girlfriend.”

Carly and Liberty shake hands as they become acquainted with one another’s presence. Silence passes between both parties after they introduce each other, causing Marlene to break the silence.

“Where’s Victor?” Marlene asks, taking a swig from her beer bottle.

“He had some work to do. You know the tech industry – it never sleeps,” Liberty laughs, trying to clear some of her nervous energy.

Marlene and Carly both nod, as confirmation that they’re listening.

After some more small talk, Marlene and Carly both disperse into the crowd, leaving Liberty alone. Although she was offered a place as their third wheel essentially, she turned it down, feeling awkward crashing their date.

Liberty finds herself alone at a table in the corner, viewing the night sky. She finds the corner to be quite tranquil as she stares up at the full moon, the drink in her hand being forgotten.

Her peace is soon interrupted as a male in the corner of her vision approaches closer to the table, his long legs allowing him to move closer and closer in at an alarming rate.

“Need a familiar face?”

Liberty turns her head to see Craig Manning of all people talking to her, his smile a bit awkward to fit with the rest of his awkward frame.

“Craig! I haven’t seen you in... gosh, it has to have been over ten years by this point,” Liberty says, rising from her seat to hug him.

He takes a seat and takes a swig from his own beer bottle before talking once again. “You looked lonely, so I... thought I should give you some company, even though we never talked much in school. Only really heard about you through the grapevine – literally and metaphorically.”

Liberty nods. “Same here. You led quite a life there, my fellow rockstar.”

“Yeah, a stupid one that only hurt everyone I loved. But hindsight is 20/20 and I’ve learned my lesson for several lifetimes.”

“Well, that’s what matters – is that you learned and owned up to your mistakes.”

A slightly uncomfortable silence falls in between them before Craig speaks again.

“So, how’s your life? I hear you’re a lawyer now.”

“Indeed, I am.”

“Do you like it? Is it everything you cracked it up to be?”

Liberty pauses, the answer obvious in her mind but taking a little time to escape from her lips. “Yes, I love it. It’s very fulfilling work.”

“That’s good, that’s good. I always knew you’d make something great of yourself. I’m pretty sure everyone did.”

Liberty sheepishly smiles, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink. “You’re too kind.”

“It’s the truth.”

Silence threatens to fall in between them again, but Liberty prevents that from happening.

“So, how’d you find out about this party? I thought you’d be off on tour or something.”

Craig’s eyes light up as he hears the question. “Oh, a friend of a friend. I’m actually recording my next album right now. So, no tour for me at the moment.”

“Let me know when you’re touring again. I’d really like to see you play.”

Craig laughs, straightening himself up. “Of course, of course! In fact, I think some backstage passes are underway.” He playfully bumps his shoulder against Liberty’s, emphasizing the fact. “Well, I’ll leave you to sulk in the corner. It was nice catching up with you!”

“Likewise.”

And just as fast he was by Liberty’s side, he’s gone into the crowd, a draft blowing across her shoulders. She never in a million years to ever see Craig Manning again, considering the career path he had chosen, but yet there he was – standing in front of her in living color.

She closes her eyes as she remembers what Craig looked like. He looked... healthy and happy, arguably the two most important things for a person to be in any stage of life. Although Liberty may have looked healthy, she wasn’t so sure she looked happy.

She opens her eyes again as to not dwell on that thought for too long. It would’ve only made her hair start to turn gray at a premature rate had she continued to think about it. Although the dance floor looked enticing, Liberty knew how pesky her alarm sounded when she hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. It doesn’t take long for her to get up from the table and exit the rooftop, the loud atmosphere of the party long behind her.

Chapter Text

Liberty opens her apartment door to find it quiet – almost eerily quiet.

“Victor?” she calls out, slowly stepping in. “You still here?”

She does some more looking around and finds a lone note on the table with a bouquet of roses. She opens the note to find her fiancé's sloppy writing. She sighs as she reads it. Yet another lonely night due to ‘work commitments’.

Liberty has never been one to be the jealous type – even after the countless nights she’s spent alone in her king size bed, waiting for her partner to hopefully walk through the door and spend the night with her instead of spending it in front of a computer screen. Unfortunately, that was rarely the case – and on the rare occasion it was, he’d opt to sleep on the couch, his frustration not allowing him to be his normal, lovable self.

The blur of getting ready for bed overtakes her as the few swigs of beer she had previously start to kick in, making the whole process a lot more difficult than it already was. Somehow, she makes it safely under the covers, her head spinning as it ultimately comes back to the one thing she had been avoiding all day long.

Are you happy with your life?

Her stomach starts to turn as she thinks of it over and over and over again. It’s such a simple question, yet she couldn’t be honest. Why was that? What was stopping her from stating the obvious and just admitting she led a very happy life by definition? The only thing missing is perhaps a furry friend, but that could be fixed by tomorrow. No – this hole is... deeper.

Something just isn’t right.

~~~

“Thanks again for taking on this case, Liberty. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Liberty offers a cordial smile to Manny as she begins to tear up again.

“Who knew such a beautiful angel could come from such a demon? I sure as hell didn’t,” Manny says, swatting at the stray tears that come from her eyes. “I feel like such a dumbass for ever taking him back.”

“Please don’t beat yourself up, Manny,” Liberty soothes, handing Manny the tissue box.

Manny gladly accepts a tissue and begins to vigorously rub her eyes and nose as she continues to talk. “I mean, I dated a cokehead once – shouldn't that have been a sign for me to never date a drug addict again?!”

Liberty stays silent as she allows for Manny to talk, letting her get it all out.

“I just don’t want him to take my baby back in that environment again. It’s not good for her – and as a decent human being I thought he’d know that, too.”

“I’ll do my absolute best for your daughter, Manny. Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.” Liberty smiles, putting her hand over Manny’s. This causes Manny to break down even more, her shoulders heaving with every sob she made. She can’t even get the words out to profusely thank Liberty once more, her sobs instead having to do all the talking for her.

After a lot of coaxing and soothing, Liberty finally gets Manny out of her office in a composed manner, although she couldn’t do much to control the puffiness around her eyes.

Once she’s out of the building, Liberty calls home, considering she hadn’t seen Victor since last afternoon. She taps her pen against her mahogany desk as the phone rings, her eyes wandering all across the room for something to focus on while the dial tone beeps.

Just as she opens her mouth to speak, the dial tone transitions straight to voicemail. She sighs as she places the phone back on the hook, opting not to try his cell phone as that would probably yield the same results.

She perks up as she hears a knock at the door, her posture automatically becoming straighter as the door swings open to reveal her supervisor.

“Do you have a second to talk, Ms. Van Zandt?”

“Uh, yes. I have time.”

Liberty’s heart begins to pick up speed as her supervisor shuts the door behind her, with papers in hand. Her supervisor then takes a seat in the seat Manny previously sat in and takes a deep breath in.

“Well, Ms. Van Zandt, after reviewing your questionnaire from yesterday, we’re recommending you to a therapist,” she says, her mouth in a tight line.

“B-But that’s preposterous. None of my answers even indicated I need one.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Your answers indicate some things we do not have the tools to help you with, hence the referral to an outside therapist.”

Liberty rubs her temples as she soaks all of this information in.

“It’s just a recommendation. We’re not forcing you to go or anything. We just want to be of service to you.”

Liberty thickly swallows as she struggles to make eye contact with her supervisor. This is so embarrassing.

“I know you don’t like to receive help, but this could be good for you. It’s just an offer on the table. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Liberty says nothing in return as her eyes remain glued to the pen on her desk.

“Here’s the paperwork you need if you happen to change your mind.” Her supervisor places the paperwork on her desk before getting up from her chair. Without another word, she exits, leaving Liberty alone with her thoughts.

After some time, Liberty finally gets the courage to look over the paperwork. As soon as she does look at it, she feels her head spin and her eyes cross, prompting her to neatly tuck the paperwork away in her briefcase.

To get her mind off things, she immediately throws herself back into work.

“I’m going to help you, Manny. I’ve got it all under control.”

Chapter Text

“Hey babe,” Victor calls out, once again in the kitchen.

Liberty sets her things down and joins him in the kitchen, once again smelling condiments in the air. She slumps against the door frame and sighs, not really in the mood for playfulness.

“Rough day at work?”

“You could say that,” Liberty mumbles, frowning.

Victor sets down his knife and makes his way over to her, his arms instinctively wrapping around her as he approaches her from the back.

“I’m sorry. Is there any way I could be of service?”

Liberty’s demeanor lights up as she hears this, the possibilities immediately wrapping around her mind. “Movie night tonight?”

Victor sharply inhales as he unhooks his arms from around Liberty’s waist. “No can do. I’ve got some things to take care of at the office tonight.”

“Then what was the point of asking?” Liberty doesn’t expect for the question to come out as harshly as it did, but it just...did. This obviously throws Victor for a loop as he walks back over to his unfinished sandwich.

“I thought you’d say something I could do right now, not later –”

“What is it with you and leaving every night? What’s so important that you have to leave me alone every single night? Last time I checked your shift ends before mine and I know there’s no way in hell you’d work for free.”

Victor leans against the countertop with his hands as Liberty’s words harshly attack him. “I already told you. There’s a new project about to come out and they need all of us around the clock. That’s just what the job entails.”

“How come you didn’t answer my call earlier? Huh? Where the hell were you?” Liberty feels her anger rise as the clock on the wall ticks further and further.

“What are you talking about? I was here,” Victor defends, raising his eyebrows.

“Then why didn’t you answer?”

“I must’ve been in the shower. You know how hard it is to hear in there.”

Liberty crosses her arms, still not buying it. “And I’m supposed to believe you because...”

“Because I wouldn’t lie to you? Liberty, what’s your problem? This has been our arrangement for almost a month now.”

“I thought it’d be over by now.”

“Well, it’s not,” Victor snaps back.

Tired from the day’s events and from the argument, Liberty throws her hands up in surrender and retreats to the bedroom – not without loudly slamming the door, of course.

She immediately face plants on the bed and screams into the comforter, all while violently kicking her legs and flailing her arms. It isn’t until after she’s done screaming does she know exactly who to call for moments like these.

“Meet me at the bar in twenty?”

~~~

“And then they had the audacity to tell me I need a therapist,” Liberty explains, throwing her head back as she drinks another shot.

“Sounds like you’ve had a long, rough day,” Marlene quips.

“Tell me about it. And then there’s Victor sneaking off every night and doing God knows what with God knows who. He says it’s work and I want to believe him, but I just... can’t.”

“Well, do you have reason to not trust him?” Marlene asks, taking a swig from her beer bottle.

“No... not really. But don’t you think it’s suspicious? I mean, who spends that much time witling away at their job?”

“People in the tech industry?” Marlene says, questioning her own self at the end. “Look, I don’t want you to be paranoid over a man, Liberty. It’s just not worth it. Take it from a lesbian – men are shit.”

Liberty chuckles as she downs another shot. “We’re supposed to be getting married, Mar. How can I marry someone I don’t even trust?”

“Then maybe he isn’t the one.”

“But he has to be!” Liberty cries, the shots starting to take effect. “I’ve put my all into these past five years. I don’t want all that to just go down the drain just because of my own insecurities.”

“I’m sure the universe will show you he’s the one sooner or later. You just have to be patient.” Marlene rubs Liberty’s back as Liberty looks down at her hands, sadness starting to take over the atmosphere.

“I just... I just want to be happy. That’s all I want.”

Marlene stays silent as she rubs continues rubbing her back, her tattooed sleeve on excellent display.

“You know what? Let’s have some fun tonight,” Marlene suggests, rising from her barstool. She then starts dancing and drags Liberty up on her feet to join with her. At first Liberty is hesitant, but she soon lets the alcohol do its magic.

The two women are soon jamming out to the raucous indie music that blasted throughout the whole bar, not a care in the world. Even as a change of tempo occurs, they keep on dancing, their own inner music keeping them energized and on their feet.

Their high spirits soon come crashing down hours later as they have to say goodbye to one another.

“I don’t want to leave you. You just... so get me,” Liberty slurs, stumbling out of the bar.

“You sound like a teenager again,” Marlene laughs, walking noticeably straighter than Liberty. She could obviously hold her liquor way better than Liberty ever could.

“My life is an anomaly. I shouldn’t have survived high school.”

Marlene turns toward Liberty, confused. “What do you mean?”

Liberty nearly falls to the concrete below but Marlene catches her before she can. “If I talk about it, I’ll get all itchy and uncomfortable.”

“Let’s get you a ride home,” Marlene says, deciding to change the subject altogether.

After some time, Marlene is finally able to successfully wave down a taxi cab. She delicately helps Liberty into the cab and tells the driver her address, also giving the driver the money in advance considering Liberty’s inebriated state.

“Don’t worry, Lib. Things will get better. I promise.”

Liberty doesn’t respond, the sleepy nature of the alcohol starting to take over. Marlene gently shuts the cab door and sees them off, watching the driver book it down the street. She then walks off in the opposite direction to her own home, the alcohol not nearly having the same effect on her. She still very much felt the somberness Liberty carried on the way in, and wasn’t quite sure she could easily shake that off.

Until next time...

Chapter Text

Liberty awakens the next morning with a pounding headache, memories of last night flooding through her mind as she straightens up in her bed. She holds her aching head as she just sits there for a while, letting the pain run its course before doing anything. When she realizes it’s not letting up, she goes to the medicine cabinet in her bathroom and pulls out the aspirin bottle. She sighs as she realizes that there’s not many pills left, the many days she reached for the bottle adding up. She makes a note to buy some more when she goes out again, whenever that may be. For the meantime, she is more concerned with defeating this headache.

Liberty peers her head into the office to see if Victor had possibly gotten back earlier. She sighs when she sees what she expected to see: an empty office with the lights off. She isn’t sure why she expected to see anything other than that, but it still stung.

Just when she is about to put Victor on her hit list for the rest of the day, the door swings open, revealing Victor himself.

“Hey,” Liberty greets, her face instantly lighting up.

“I just came here to get something,” he replies, not even looking at her.

Liberty takes a better look at him as he zooms past her to the office. His entire appearance is disheveled, with his hair a mess and his clothes ruffled.

Maybe he just woke up...

Victor rummages through all of his drawers with urgency as he can’t seem to find what he’s looking for.

A pang of guilt runs through Liberty as she remembers their last conversation.

“Listen, I just wanted to apologize for last night. I was completely out of line,” she starts, leaning against the door frame. “I know how hard you’ve been working for us. I have no reason not to trust you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Apology accepted,” he brushes off, now shaking out books to find what he’s looking for.

“What are you looking for? I can help you find it, maybe,” she offers, stepping into the office.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Victor curses, trashing his entire office in the process.

“Let me help you. It’s the least I can do.” Liberty places her hands on Victor’s shoulders, causing him to immediately shrug them off and turn around to face her.

“Just...” he closes his eyes and breathes in, as to not explode on her. “Please, let me find this on my own. You probably won’t even be able to see it. It’s small.”

Liberty steps back, her heart beating out of her chest. Fear is quickly replaced by anger, however, as she slowly turns around to leave the office. On her way out, she says, “Oh, and if you’re looking for a flash drive, I found it on the floor the other day. It’s on the counter. Asshole.”

Liberty loudly shuts the door to their bedroom once again, the sound adding to her nagging headache. She didn’t care though. She’s pissed.

“Last time I ever apologize,” she mumbles, throwing herself onto the bed.

It takes a true asshole to get on Liberty Van Zandt’s bad side twice in a twenty-four-hour time frame. There’s only been one other man to do that, and yet... she could never truly hate him. Ever.

Chapter Text

As the days grow colder, so does Victor and Liberty’s tumultuous relationship. The fights soon turn into periods of long-term silence, with either party going days without speaking to one another. It was hell – and yet, Liberty still wouldn’t take up the offer to see the therapist. Talking to someone about her problems seemed like a cop out to her, and she hated cop outs.

“I’m losing him and I don’t know how to stop it,” Liberty had said one day, the snow silently falling outside.

“Go to therapy. I swear it’ll change your fucking life,” Marlene responded, handing her her usual drink.

Liberty said nothing back, the revelation that she might need therapy scaring the living daylights out of her.

In the present, she sat on her couch as she waited for Victor to walk through that door. She hopes that by doing so, it’ll change the entire narrative on the situation. But alas, he never walks through the door that night, leaving Liberty to eventually fall asleep on the couch from waiting up all night.

As she went to work the next day, that’s all that would preoccupy her mind when she had a second to herself.

He never walked through that door.

She’s lucky that today she’s supposed to work late, as it gives her some time to be away from the mess that is her life.

Her heart is warmed as she sees Manny walk through her office door, her face much brighter than it had been when they previously met for an appointment. It’s good that she’s happy, considering Liberty had even happier news to relay to her.

“I have some great news, Ms. Santos,” Liberty speaks, clasping her hands together.

“Really? Gosh, I really need some good news right now,” Manny says, taking her seat.

“The hearing got moved up!”

Manny quickly covers her mouth as happy tears begin to prick at her eyes. “R-Really? Oh my God, I could murder you with a hug, right now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Manny rises from her seat and tightly hugs Liberty, her tears staining Liberty’s blazer.

“It’s the least I could do for my client and longtime friend.”

Liberty smiles as Manny sits back down, the rest of their meeting going smoothly.

Liberty looks down at her watch as the sun begins to set, her last client of the day supposed to be walking through the door any minute now. However, over half an hour passes and there is still no sign of her client.

Just as she begins to grow antsy, her supervisor walks through the door.

“Didn’t anyone tell you, Ms. Van Zandt? Your last client of the day canceled. You can go home now.”

Liberty, although a bit sad as she now has nothing to take her mind off of things, didn’t need to be told twice as she frantically packs up her things to go home, a nice, relaxing marathon of ‘Doctor Who’ calling her name.

She has to carefully drive home as the roads are forever being piled on with fresh sludge from the snow and ice. This causes her to get home a little slower than usual, but she keeps cool about it – knowing that despite everything she would still get to relax tonight.

She cocks an eyebrow as she hears the faint playing of music from outside her door. Shrugging it off as just being a long day, she continues to unlock the door.

What she sees behind the door, makes her wish she never opened it.

She sees Victor on the couch on top of a blonde woman, the woman passionately kissing Victor back as her hands roam his back, whimpers escaping from her full lips.

Liberty can’t even scream. She’s living in a true nightmare.

The woman notices Liberty’s frozen presence first, immediately pushing Victor off of her. Victor can only blink at Liberty as he waits for her to say something, anything.

“I should go...” the woman trails, scurrying to her feet and past Liberty.

Liberty waits for the door to shut before she begins to speak. “How long?”

“Liberty, I can explain I -”

“How. Long.” Liberty repeats, her icy tone freaking Victor out.

Victor breathes out, thickly swallowing. “As long as... our arrangement.”

Liberty closes her eyes, trying to calm herself down. “Get. Out.”

“Liberty, I’m so sorry. It’s just I’ve been working away and she was there and you weren’t and I just -”

“You have the audacity to blame this on me?! Get out! Right now!” she shouts, pointing toward the door. “I never want to see your face ever again for as long as I live!”

When Victor only stands and doesn’t move any further, she gets in his face, tears threatening to escape from her eyes.

“Get the fuck out of my house! Get out!” she screams, banging on his chest.

Victor gets the hint and slowly starts to walk out, not even daring to bring up what he’s supposed to do without his stuff.

She follows him to the door and slams it shut as soon as his frame exits the door way. It doesn’t take long for the tears to start coming and for her body to start shaking. She is so angry. She can’t believe she let herself get blind sighted so terribly, and yet, she stood up for that loser even when it wasn’t really her fault.

She felt like an idiot. She is known for her wits when it comes to academics, but apparently is not one for smarts on romantic partners – or so she now believes.

She screams as she bangs her fists on the coffee table, her anger pouring out. She shuts her eyes as she does this, not wanting to see any of the possible repercussions that could occur from banging on the glass so hard. In that moment, she could care less for material things, as the one thing that truly mattered to her is now destroyed.

Soon, her voice grows fatigued and her hands start to hurt as her anger quickly is replaced by extreme sadness. Worn out, she slumps over on the couch and stares at the ceiling in silence, not having the energy to do much else. She doesn’t know when sleep comes to her, but what she does know is that the tears never stopped flowing.