Page 30 of The Billionaire Benefactor

“You better believe that I’m going to sue to get everything Hank promised me.”

Jenny felt her stomach tightening. This was not an added stress that she needed. And she didn’t want to be dealing with this while Roman sat on her couch. Jenny sank down in the loveseat, feeling his gaze on her. She looked down at her feet, unable to look at his face.

“I’m so sorry, but that’s simply not how things are. I wish I could tell you something different.”

“You’re holding out. I’ve got his words in writing that he planned to change the will. We’ll just see what the lawyers think. Of course, that will mean public records, which means that this won’t be hidden. Everyone will know. I can make it hard and ugly.”

“No,” Jenny breathed. “Please don’t do that.”

How could Hank have left her for someone that was so cruel and thoughtless? When she found out about the affair, it changed how Jenny saw Hank. Now this felt like a second betrayal.

“Aw, you don’t want people to know that you couldn’t satisfy your man?”

The words stung. Jenny had that same thought when Hank had finally come clean. But this situation wasn’t about her reputation. “I don’t care about me. My children don’t know about this. It would crush them. Especially right now.”

“That’s a good reason to give me what Hank promised. I’ll be in contact again soon and hope to hear something different. You’ll have some time to think.” The phone went dead.

Jenny realized she still held Roman’s water bottle in her hand. He sat on the edge of the couch, looking concerned. She wondered what he put together from the side of the conversation he heard.

“I’m sorry,” she said. She leaned forward and handed him the water bottle. Her hand was trembling and she couldn’t hide it as she reached out.

Roman took the water bottle, but to her surprise, he didn’t let go of her hand. “Are you okay, Jenny?”

She looked up at him, embarrassed. It made her heart flutter to see his handsome face etched with compassion. “It’s nothing.”

He squeezed her hand gently. The touch was so kind that it brought tears to her eyes. Jenny looked down at her lap, hoping that if she couldn’t keep the tears from falling, at least Roman might not see.

“Didn’t sound like nothing. I don’t want to pry, but I’ve got some great lawyers if you need them.”

She nodded but didn’t speak.

“I know we’re just getting to know each other, but if you need to talk… I’m here. I can listen. Maybe offer an outside perspective?”

An outside perspective. That’s exactly what Jenny didn’t want: anyone outside knowing what Hank had been doing, knowing what her life had been like the last year, knowing the truth she had so carefully kept hidden. But it was exhausting carrying all of this by herself. Hearing him say “getting to know each other” had softened her heart even more. He made it sound like their relationship was ongoing.

Roman didn’t let go of her hand and moved to sit beside her. Having him so close to her threw her off. She could feel the thickness of his bicep against her arm. The smell of his cologne stirred the longing to be held. Being near him was a constant reminder that she was starved for affection.

“Do you really want to know?” she asked.

He blinked in surprised. “I asked, didn’t I?”

“It’s just…messy.” She looked down again, unable to look at his face without her heart beating out of her chest.

Roman let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulder, drawing her into his body. Despite the hardness of the muscles that she knew were under his shirt, he felt soft and comfortable as her cheek rested on his chest. She sighed.

“My husband wasn’t…faithful.” She felt him stiffen but kept on. She’d already taken the first and hardest step to start talking. “He started having an affair about a year ago. I didn’t know until maybe six months ago. I should have, but I didn’t. He had moved out and we were actually drawing up divorce papers when he died.”

“I’m so sorry,” Roman said. “I can’t imagine how hard it was to go through that.”

“Thank you. It was very difficult. And now dealing with all this—it’s been just more complicated. Obviously, I’m still so sad that he’s gone. I didn’t want him to die. But in a lot of ways, he was already gone, at least from the place he held in my heart and in my life. The kids don’t know. They knew he was gone more and had gotten used to that, but we were just about to tell them about the divorce. Only my best friend Denise knows any of this.”

Jenny paused, trying to find the words for the conversation she just had with Amanda. Hank’s…fiancée. Would he really have gotten engaged while still married or was that wishful thinking on Amanda’s part?

Roman squeezed her, urging her to continue. “Who was on the phone?”

“That was his—it was the woman he—”

To her horror, Jenny broke down sobbing. She covered her face with her hands and tried to pull away from Roman, but he held her firmly, drawing his other arm around her so that she was held fully in his arms.

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