Page 106 of The Trouble With Her (The Forbidden Love 4)

“Listen here, you’re not responsible for this woman’s health issues, especially since she had a heart condition to begin with. As for destroying people, you couldn’t be further from the truth. If anyone had tried to take any of my kids away from me, I’d have done the same.”

“Bentley can’t go to boarding school,” I sob. “I won’t let it happen.”

Kate sighs over the phone. “Jessa, no one will take Bentley away from you. Now, I’m calling Dad and telling him to go be with you.”

“Dad’s here?”

“He’s in Madrid…” Kate trails off. “With, um… Andy.”

“Oh.”

“Just making sure he’s okay. You know…”

“I’m glad Dad is making sure he’s okay.” I draw in a breath, wishing to God Andy will somehow persevere with me during this time. “I can’t stand the thought of him hurting too.”

The double doors open as Benedict appears.

“Kate, I’ll speak to you later. Benedict is here.”

“Of course, I love you, Jessa.”

“Love you more,” I respond before hanging up the call.

I stand up, but Benedict motions for me to take a seat. He sits down beside me, looking worn out as the shirt he wears looks crumpled with his sleeves rolled up. With a pained expression, he stares at the wall in silence.

“What did the doctors say?”

Benedict releases a breath. “She’ll need surgery. Her heart is a lot worse than we thought. Apparently, she’s had a heart condition since she was a child but thought she was invincible.”

“I don’t understand. I thought you went to her cardiologist appointment with her?”

He shakes his head. “She lied, said the appointment was canceled. And well, here we are.”

“Here we are,” I repeat in a low voice. “I’m sorry.”

“What’s there to be sorry about? This is typical Rosemarie Banks. She controls everything and everyone around her,” he states, staring wide-eyed at the wall still. “She’s my mother, for all intents and purpose, but I don’t know the woman inside that room begging me to be by her side.”

“Sometimes, we don’t know what we have until it’s too late.”

“For the longest of times, I just wanted a mother to show unconditional love. The kind of love you show to Bentley…” he trails off, his voice quivering.

I’m stunned by his admissions, given this man always chose her over me. My opinion meant nothing. Then I remember the boarding school.

“I don’t want Bentley going to boarding school,” I tell him firmly.

With his shoulders slumped, he buries his face into his hands. Moments later, he lifts his head to speak. “I only agreed because I was angry at you. I knew it would hurt you.”

A tear falls down my cheek. “I might deserve your anger but not Bentley. Please don’t make him suffer because our marriage didn’t work out.”

Benedict falls into a digestive silence, toying with the ring on his finger.

“Divorce is not an option in my family.”

“And staying in an unhappy marriage is not an option in mine.”

“I don’t want to discuss this right now,” he says with finality.

Staring down at his hands, then mine, my voice begins to break each time I open my mouth to speak.

---