#74 Wednesday, July 9th

Lynette walks in her and Jim's bedroom, holding the papers. Jim is sitting

on the bed.

Lynette: Papers to start divorce proceedings?

Jim: It's what you want isn't it?

Lynette: I don't know what to say.

Jim: There's nothing to say. You're in love with someone else, there was no other choice.

Lynette: How on earth did we get here?

Jim: I guess we're both to blame, one of us more than the other though.

Lynette: I never even thought about this, although I knew it was coming.

Jim: And I never thought I'd find myself getting a divorce lawyer and filing papers, but

here I am.

Lynette: It's not that I don't love you--

Jim: It's just that you love him more.

Lynette: It's not an issue of who I love more.

Jim: You love me enough to stay married though.

Lynette: It's complicated. Doesn't mean I don't love you.

Jim: I've never told you this before, but you're the only woman I've ever really loved.

There's been nobody else.

Lynette: How come you never told me that?

Jim: I'm not one to speak what I feel, which probably causes me a lot of problems.

Lynette: I know I've said it a thousand times, but I really am sorry.

Jim: Hey, it's me that should be sorry. If I hadn't been such an ass to you in the first place we wouldn't

be in this predicament. I guess I'm angry at myself a whole lot too.

Lynette: We're still parents, we've got to figure out a way to at least stay united in that aspect.

Jim: No argument from me there, we'll figure something.

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At M.I. headquarters, George, Cassandra, Carol, Anna, Estelle and Stephen are all waiting for John to arrive. John enters the boardroom and sits down.

Anna: What is all this about?

George: It's a disclosure meeting, to settle for once and for all the legality of this takeover.

Stephen: We need more time to determine that.

John: Yes, I've just started my inquiry.

Carol: These stalling tactics will not work, you can't avoid the inevitable.

Stephen: Come on, Carol, everyone here knows that this takeover was highly unusual.

Cassandra: Only to the people who don't want to accept defeat.

Anna: We prospered in the last quarter, it makes no sense why the shareholders are so upset.

George: They saw the potential for mismanagement in the future.

John: Speaking of mismanagement, that study you provided me with was completely made up of speculation, no

real evidence of future loss.

Estelle: Especially sense Carter Enterprises was handling part of the expansion project, the budget balanced out because of that.

George: Apparently the shareholders had another opinion.

Stephen: It's very bizarre that the shareholder leading this has been accused in the past of making shady deals

against the companies he holds stock in.

Cassandra: If that were true, which it isn't, Sterling has never been convicted of anything. If it were true, wouldn't it mean the board was incompetent anyway for letting someone like Sterling hold stock with the company?

Anna: Now you know that is bogus.

Cassandra: It's a simple query.

Estelle: Don't try to turn this conversation around.

John: Until there is a full inquiry into this, one from me and one from the SEC, there should be no change in management.

Carol: That's not fair.

Stephen: It is and we've filed an injunction with the court.

Carol: The judge will take one look at it and throw it out.

Anna: Don't be so sure.

George: I've submitted every document on this takeover and I assure you it's all legal. They are all here, for your review. In the meantime, I propose appointing interim board members just for the transition.

Anna: Out of the question.

George: At this point, you have no say, because legally I own the majority of the stock in this company.

Anna: Stephen, John, can he do this?

Stephen: Unfortunately, yes. Until we can file the injunction, he can legally make changes.

John: That's right.

Anna: How long before the injunction is filed and decided on?

John: A couple of days.

Anna rubs her forehead in grief.

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Back at the clinic, Andrew and Aaron are still talking.

Aaron: I still think this is ridiculous, not to mention unfair to your family. Anna needs to know you're alive.

Andrew: How can I just re-enter their lives like this? They believe I died 12 years ago.

Aaron: By just coming back and saying "here I am". I'm sure they held out some hope anyway, you

were only presumed deceased in that plane crash. You've made full recovery, there's no reason for you to stay hidden.

Andrew: I'm only trying to help my family get the company back, not make some big return.

Aaron: How do you expect me to do the work for you and not tell your family you are alive?

Andrew: It's very simple, you just get the job done and nothing else.

Aaron: You're just afraid you won't be forgiven for the whole bigamy thing.

Andrew: I shouldn't be forgiven, I don't expect to be. I just don't want to put myself out there like that.

Aaron: Not everyone gets a second chance, you were lucky enough to have one, man.

Andrew: Things are different now, it's not going to be the same as it was before.

Aaron: That's not an excuse for hiding out. It's time to face the truth.

Andrew: I wish I could, but I can't. I was married to another woman and had a son and I hid it from her, how is she

supposed to forgive that?

Aaron: Maybe she would or maybe she wouldn't, but I do know she'd be glad to know you are alive.

Andrew: I wish I could face it, but I can't.

Aaron: One thing I learned from you is to not run away from anything. I think it's time you started following your own advice.

Andrew: Like I said, I'm only helping them get the company back. You are helping me do that by being my proxy.

Aaron: I have no problem acting as the proxy, but you aren't going to be able to hide this forever.

Aaron leaves. Andrew takes out a picture of Anna and their children and looks at it.

Andrew: How do I fix this mess?

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