Page 33 of Mic Drop (Passionate Beats #3)

Jenna

I didn’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 a sham when 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 to fight.

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. What does matter? “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 need your 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.

But not fast enough.

Bennett grabs my arm and physically turns me to him. “Jenna, I know you didn’t mean what you just said. I love you. You love me. We can get through this together.” His mouth crashes against mine.

Like always, he molds his lips over mine in what I used to think was the most sensuous manner. A moment of passion overtakes me and I lean into him.

Bennett’s arms encircle my waist and he drags my limp form against his hardening body. He still has the same physique that causes women to drop their panties and throw them onstage. Muscles to die for—or drool over. Like I used to, but see where it got me? Burying Ma.

As his embrace continues, he trails kisses down my neck. At my sides, my fingers on my left hand play with the rings there. My wits assemble. I know what I have to do.

Taking a step backward, I manage to free myself from his overwhelming outpouring of misguided sexual desire.

I grab the rings, take them off my left finger, and place them on my palm.

Hand outstretched, I say, “These are yours. I don’t need them anymore.

” When he doesn’t make a move to take them, I stuff them into his pocket.

At the curb, the car arrives.

My gaze scans his form a final time. This beautiful man will find another woman at the drop of a hat.

He’ll remember me as I think of him, as a brief interlude—a nice way to pass the time while he was healing from a groin pull.

I’ll always be grateful for the money I earned working with him to open clinic number four.

Without another word between us, I spin on my heel, open the car door, and am driven away from all that represents Bennett Hardy.

Soon, we pull up in front of my house, the place I haven’t spent much time in since learning of Ma’s cancer.

While by no means anywhere remotely in the vicinity of Secluded Rest in terms of size or waterfront views or amenities, it’s what I can afford.

It’s comfortable. I glance at the curtains Ma helped me pick out.

At the knickknacks we scored at a craft fair.

I enter the kitchen and see the kettle she gifted me for my birthday.

This is what matters, this is love. Not throwing around money and fame to get what you want. Like a petulant child.

In my mind, Ma’s voice about how she was wrong about Bennett and how much she loved him rings loud. Our vows from our wedding echo. Such sentimentality becomes covered in a black shroud, and I go about getting ready to go to the clinic and taking on Michelle once and for all.

“You’re here?” Court greets me with much less enthusiasm than I expected.

“Of course I am,” I counter, walking into Court’s office. “This is my business, after all.”

“I just thought you’d be doing things for your mother’s, um, clearing up her estate.” She has the grace to look away.

I wave my hand. “That stuff will be there until Kara and I deal with it. My business, however, needs my attention. Have you heard anything more from Michelle?” While I know I need to go on social media again soon, I simply didn’t have the balls to face it yet.

Better to get a distilled version from Court.

My manager adjusts her glasses. “Well, she kicked up about the Black Widow stuff when your mother passed, but there was a big clapback at her about it, so she stopped. No more graffiti or anything.” She pauses. “Michelle’s been pretty quiet, which sort of scares me more.”

This. Strategy I can dive into headfirst. Sink my teeth into. “Bennett mentioned that she and Lissa might be teaming up, so I think we should consider this more of a regrouping than her giving up.”

“Oh.” We sit at the table in her office. “So now we’re going to take down two women rather than only one? We can do it.”

“We sure can. I won’t wait for them to come forward, though.”

Court asks, “What does Bennett think is going to happen? Can Hayden help us again?”

“I’m thinking we should do this on our own.”

Her head bounces backward. “Why? Hayden was a huge help before. I’m sure she will come up with something even better this time. Plus, if Lissa’s in the mix, we’re going to need UC’s help.”

Everything Court says is true. However, she’s missing one essential ingredient.

I shrug. “Bennett and I are getting a divorce. Oh, which attorney do you think I should use?” I search for a piece of paper, finally locating one.

Gripping a pen, I scribble some names down and read them to Court. “Think any of these would be good?”

When she doesn’t respond, my gaze leaves the paper with five names on it to focus on her face. Which looks like I ruined her favorite medicine ball. “Court,” I begin.

“Jenna,” she counters. “What do you mean you’re getting a divorce?”

I rub my arm. “Exactly what I said. The reason for our rushed wedding is no longer in play.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t understand. Speak to me as if I were five.”

I place the paper onto the table with a sigh. “You and I both know we rushed into marriage in order to make Ma happy. We did it. She was happy. She’s gone. No need to keep on pretending.”

“Pretending to be happy? Pretending he didn’t rock your world? Pretending you weren’t in love with the biggest rock star on the planet?”

I wave my hand. “It was only an act to warm the heart of my dying mother. Now it’s over.”

“Jenna, I’ve never heard you talk like this. You sound so...callous.”

“I’m not being callous. Not at all. Merely realistic.

What Bennett and I had was a lovely interlude in an otherwise awful situation.

He agrees.” I hold up my bare left hand.

“He took back his rings and everything. I’m sure he’ll be able to return them and get most of his money back.

” Since I didn’t pay for his wedding ring, I didn’t have to deal with this minor detail, on top of handling all of Ma’s loose ends.

Court grabs my left hand. “Oh my God. You’re not lying?”

“Why would I lie? We gave a dying woman her last wish, and now we’re getting out of it.” I point to the list of attorneys. “Who should I pick?”

Court pulls back. “I don’t agree with what you just said. I was there at the beginning, remember? You fell for him, I know it. You were happy at your wedding. Glowing even. So was your mother. Bennett was beside himself with joy. You can’t mean this.”