Mellie Grant quotes from Scandal

Mellie

What do you think? What do you want? If you could have anything...

I want a divorce.

Cyrus

I'm asking you to be an adult. Stop holding your breath. Quit stomping your feet. It's time to pick up your toys like a good girl and act like the First Lady of the United States of America.

Mellie

Tell Fitz he has 36 hours to convince me in person that he regrets the unfortunate choices he's made and truly wants to recommit himself to his wife and children. If he doesn't, he will have the pleasure of seeing the First Lady of the United States call her husband a whore-loving bastard on national television.

Mellie

They want to go public.

Cyrus

Aren't you part of they now? One-third of some secret, unholy political trinity.

Mellie

I just don't understand why I have to apologize for his affair.

Cyrus

Because that's how it works.

Cyrus

You're worried about James cheating on me? That's...oddly sweet.

Mellie

Once you open that door, Cyrus, you cannot close it again. It changes you. Changes everything.

Cyrus

My husband's not your husband, Mellie.

Mellie

I came up with a list of men. Eligible bachelors. Prominent, smart. Pick one.

Olivia

Pick one?

Mellie

Any one of them, it's an equal opportunity list. Tall, short, black, white, Republican, Democrat. I don't care who, just pick one and start dating him. Publicly. So the everyone can stop thinking that you're screwing my husband. Smile, Olivia. The world is watching.

Mellie

It's not the same. My child. Your husband. It's not the same.

Cyrus

I keep hearing that. The loss of a child is greater. I resent that, never having lost a child. I resent having to feel like losing the love of my life, the only someone who ever made me feel like I was truly me, is less of a loss, is smaller than your loss. I am now broken. I'm not me. I'm forever changed. I'm undone. A broken heart is a broken heart. To take a measure is cruelty.

Mellie

The irony is he chose you because he thought you would be loyal.

Andrew

Probably the same reason he chose you.

Mellie

I'm running for Senator of Virginia.

Abby

Well, that's...history making. Good for you. Good for Virginia, ma'am.

Cyrus

You think so, Red?

Mellie

A story broke about a young naval officer who had been raped. And now the only thing people want to ask me about is whether or not my husband is going to intervene on her behalf. Can I assume, because we're not monsters, that the answer is yes? Fitz?

I can't intervene. It would send the wrong message.

Mellie

It would tell the world that we don't condone rape.

Mellie

I want to destroy Olivia Pope. I want her to suffer like I have suffered. I want to make them bleed. I want their every breath to reek of poison.

Cyrus

Mellie, this is a very important moment. Don't waste it being human. Your answer will define your future. Think like a champion. Think like a warrior.

Mellie

I want the Oval.

Cyrus

They want to impeach a man for having an affair?

Mellie

They want to impeach a man for having an affair that everyone just shrugs about because a man having an affair is a daily occurrence. They want to impeach a man because all we ever hear is how women are controlled by their hormones but what is more hormonal than a man who can't keep it in his damn pants? They want to impeach a man because he broke his vows and disturbed the office of the Presidency and distracted the country with his libido and the only person who gets raked over the coals is the woman he screwed. That's why.

Mellie

I can't do this. I just I can't. I don't even know why I'm doing this. I'm a republican. I just didn't like Gibson telling me what I can't do.

Olivia

You're the biggest bitch I know. Don't tell me you can't do this.

Olivia

You were mean.

Mellie

Of course I was. You were my husband's mistress. Was I supposed to be friendly?

Olivia

You were really awful. I'm telling you, you were nasty, and I took it.

Mellie

Why? I wanted to fight and you never fought.

Olivia

I was your husband's mistress. I was in the wrong.

Mellie

Truth is, I was glad you were there. You were a good mistress. Probably a great one. You know what I mean?

Olivia

Well, I am an overachiever. Once I put my mind to something, I commit.

Mellie

It was working.

Olivia

I'm sorry?

Mellie

It was working. That's why I stayed. It was working. Fitz and I and you. It was working. You know what I mean?

Olivia

I'm not sure I do what you ...

Mellie

Hold on a minute. (takes a sip from her jar of booze) I used to wonder if it was all men or just Fitz that sucked the life out of you. Now, I think it's all the powerful men. They've been told their whole lives they deserve everything, that they should have everything, and it makes them so weak. They think that everything belongs to them by default, and if they don't get it, they just fall apart. Fitz didn't have any fight in him. He didn't know how to stand on his own two feet. I mean, I saw the potential. We all saw it. But I had to work at it. I held his hand, I fluffed, I bled, and I got nothing in return. Except for you. You showed up. I wasn't devastated, Olivia, or numb or empty. I was deserving. I deserved you. I was a 37-year-old governor's wife with two kids, and that was all. I was somebody's wife and somebody's mother. Not my own anything. I deserved you. I warranted you. I justified you. I had lost myself, and in return, I got you. You are my retribution. And it was humiliating. I couldn't even hate you. I couldn't even pretend to. I hated myself. But then I turned a corner. It was quick. Effortless, really. You had become the beautiful kept thing he lusted after. Where you went, he went. Which meant that I ... I suddenly had space. I had air of my own that I could breathe, time to think and plan, and I started liking myself again because I was alone and I was relieved. And I was free. Freedom, baby. I stayed because it was working. I stood by and I allowed the affair to continue because it was working for all of us. He was occupied, thanks to you. He was happy. You lit his fire. We made it all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And one day, it was gonna be my turn. Fitz would make me President of the United States because he owed me at least that much. And so I stayed. Because the three of us, ugh. We worked! So, what do you say, Olivia? That deep enough for you? Is that honest enough?

Olivia

Mellie, you can't actually write that anywhere. If you want to be President, you can never, ever tell anyone any of that.

Mellie

Oh yeah, I know. I know I can't. That's the problem.