CHAPTER 33
Ben
It had been almost a decade since I was last in front of a camera, and I had truthfully forgotten how it felt. The lights were always in your face, and no matter how you angled your eyes, it was impossible to not look into the glare of the studio lights. The commotion of people going back and forth behind the cameras was both entertaining and daunting to watch. There was a lot of mental preparation needed in order to do well in front of live television because one mistake could immediately dismantle everything we had worked so hard for. I had gone through Olivia's file a million times, making sure I was ready for anything that Jebediah Olson was going to throw my way. But it worried me slightly not seeing Olivia at all this morning. I wanted one more session with her to discuss any last questions I had in mind, but she was nowhere to be found.
It concerned me, of course, but I knew she wouldn't want me to lose focus. I had to remind myself that this wasn't just for me, this was also for all of my staff—for all their dreams and their stability. Upon glancing around the set, I saw how every single one of my employees worked hard to make sure this one-shot-only attempt would go off without a hitch. Lucy and Janet were in deep discussions with each other about the interview guidelines I had provided for them. Mark and his crew were making sure that all technical aspects of the show would be fully crash-proof, not missing a single second of recording. Even my usually docile board members who probably hadn't done any kind of work in decades milled around in the periphery of the set.
At the very entrance of the set, covered in shadows, stood my father Johnson DuPont, watching me with indifferent eyes. I didn't really bother trying to talk to him ever since he found out about my relationship with Olivia. I had no reason to, fortunately… at least so far. I realized as I sat down on the red interview chairs that Jebediah Olson most likely planned to use that candid photo of ours as a shocking reveal during the middle of the show. The thought of it made me scan the room for Olivia more, now kind of panicking about not knowing her whereabouts.
Eric quickly distracted me from those thoughts, however, as he suddenly was in front of me, kneeling.
"Jebediah Olson is in the building, Ben," he informed me, a mixture of worry, excitement, and confidence in his eyes. Not waiting for a response, Eric left me again to deal with another vital aspect of the show.
My heart beat began to race as my nerves started to build. I had gotten rid of them before, but I was a little rusty—not to mention the massiveness of this responsibility was putting additional pressure on me. But I knew these feelings wouldn't help anyone, so I shook it off. I fixed my suit, immediately calming down upon seeing the hazel color of it. I was reminded that I chose this color specifically because it reminded me of Olivia's eyes. It was one of my favorite parts of her, after all.
"It's your company, Ben. You should be the one to save it."Olivia's voice echoed throughout my head, gathering my strength to take on this challenge head-on. Though I still had no idea where she was, the fact that she believed in me was enough for me to be stronger.
I checked my watch, noting that it was almost time to start. On cue, Mark started silently counting down with his fingers starting at ten, and it was dawning on me that the rest of my life was about to be defined in under those ten seconds. Just ten seconds.
Ten seconds until I faced the man who had been publicly harassing my company and my employees online.
Nine seconds. I only had nine seconds left to confirm if I was truly ready for this challenge.
Eight seconds. Seven seconds. Six seconds. Six seconds until I would fight for my company and all its people.
Five seconds. Four seconds. Four seconds until the beginning of the end started.
Three… two…
Olivia…
One…
As if a switch was toggled within me, I straightened up immediately and faced the camera with a stern but approachable expression to signify that this was a serious show with the Presidential candidate that had been tirelessly tarnishing our name. I wasn't here to play around, and Olson wasn't either.
But now, it was time for the real battle to begin… the battle to end the war.
"Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us over here at OVT Broadcasting Network. My name is Ben Oviatt." My spiel flowed smoothly as I effortlessly read through the teleprompter. It was then when I proved that people never really lost the things that were once second-nature to them, and it both astounded and frightened me at the same time.
"Recently, Presidential candidate Jebediah Olson has been the center of a government scandal that he claims was falsified by OVT and our team of reporters," I continued.
My eyes shifted, but only for a split second as I finally spotted Olivia at the entrance. She carefully walked past my father, then stood right next to Mark, who was my cameraman at the moment. Olivia then shot me a reassuring look, and it gave me even more willpower to snag this victory for the company.
"Shortly after, OVT Broadcasting Network issued an invitation for Mr. Olson because of the need for clarification. Jebediah Olson has been gracious enough to accept." My words kind of stung a bit there. I couldn't believe that I gave Olson a positive description, but I knew it was what I had to do to not be seen as abrasive. "Before proceeding, ladies and gentlemen, please first welcome Presidential candidate Jebediah Olson."
I ended my intro, my hands beckoning towards the other side of the stage where Olson had finally emerged for the first time since this whole crisis arose. The entire crew politely clapped behind the cameras, but it wouldn't take twenty-twenty vision to know that not a single person was thrilled to have Olson in our interview chairs. As the candidate walked into the frame, I could see his entourage behind him, which included his campaign manager, and they all looked smug and satisfied to be here.