Page 72 of Mic Drop

“Yes. Where else would she be?”

“May I speak with her?” I wait a beat. “Please?”

She huffs, “Fine.”

After a minute, I speak with her nurse, explaining the situation. I heave a sigh of relief when she agrees to calm Mom down and give her my excuses. The woman who birthed me is a raving lunatic. I’m not only talking legally.

I drop the phone onto my thigh. How did it come to this? I’m the lead singer of a world-famous band with thousands of adoring fans. Yet, the one woman on earth who promised—mere weeks ago—to love me, is giving me the cold shoulder. Mom’s still living in her own fantasy world. Lissa and Michelle are scheming against me. Where’s the off-ramp?

Jenna. She’s always provided me excellent advice and guidance. Despite not being qualified, I need to do the same for her. Inside the house, I find her sitting on the sofa staring at the blanktelevision.

I take a seat next to her and put my hand on her thigh. “Jenna, you have to let me in. Talk to me. Tell me what I can do to help you.”

She faces me, her big gray eyes luminous. She’s never looked so beautiful. So entranced in her, I’m not prepared for what she says next.

“I want a divorce.”

Chapter 20

Jenna

Ididn’t mean to blurt out my request so bluntly. He asked what he could do, and I told him. The truth—we only rushed down the aisle to make Ma happy. Now that she’s passed, there’s no reason to stay married anymore.

I guess I could’ve let him down in a more gentle manner, but why? Might as well get the process started now.

“Excuse me?”

I heave a huge sigh. “Bennett, we both knew what was going on. Ma was dying and we wanted to make her last days happy. Our wedding day made her more than happy, she was ecstatic.” I picture her smiling face as she hugged us after we walked down the aisle. Pride and bile war within me. “She’s gone now, so there’s no reason to carry on the sham.”

“Sham?” Bennett’s world-famous, gorgeous face tips to one side. The one he favors whenever he’s thinking about something, I observe dispassionately. He jumps up and paces the room. “How was it ashamwhen we stood before friends and family to profess our love?”

There’s so much to unpack here, but I don’t have the energy. For him. For us. For anything. “I don’t have it in me tofight.

He twirls toward me, hands on his trim hips. “I won’t let you leave.”

“I’m not your hostage.” I rise to my feet. Why can’t he see what’s plain as day?

“Don’t you love me?”

I halt mid-stride. Love? What does it even signify? I loved Ma, and all of my meaningless emotion is buried next to her. Beside my grandmother. Joining Darren. All I feel is rage at not being able to control her situation, at listening to Bennett, and at letting her stop pursuing more doctor’s opinions. No room exists inside me for anything else.

My chin rises. Thoughts of my father flit through my mind. “Love is a wasted emotion, Bennett. The only thing that matters is...” I trail off. Whatdoesmatter? “Growing your business and amassing more money.”

He blinks. Several times. “Jenna.”

I turn away from him. I now have my mandate. Build up At Your Service PT to ten—no, twenty clinics. Hire more staff. Make Michelle disappear. Toward that end, I add, “Oh, and getting reporters off my ass so I can go about living my life.” I point my feet in the direction of the front door. I’m not staying at his mansion when I have my own fortune to build. My hand reaches the doorknob. “I’ll get an attorney on the divorce right away.”

The brilliant sunlight is in direct contradiction to my mood, but no matter. I pull out my cell, the only thing of mine I’ll take from Secluded Rest, and order a ride service.

I’m about halfway down the driveway when the front door slams. My soon-to-be ex-husband bellows, “I’m not going to let you do this!”

I don’t veer from my mission, simply keep walking. He can say whatever he wants, but I’m not going to change my mind. Where’s my car?

When I don’t respond, Bennett pounds the pavement until he’s right behind me. “Jenna. You’re grieving. I get it. Let me help you.”

This is the final straw. I turn to him. “I don’t needyour help. I don’t need anyone’s help. Go live your life as the frontman for UC. Travel the world, bang groupies and fans. Do whatever. But leave. Me. Alone. I’ll make sure our divorce is quick and simple since I don’t want any of your money. I want to make it on my own, like I was before you barged into my life. I’m retaking it now, and giving yours back to you. Do with it as you will.”

I have nothing left to say, so I spin on my heel and continue walking toward the street. From the distance, I see a car making its way toward the house. I speed up to meet it.

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