Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“You’re . . . you’re dating him!” her father said. “I’ll need to speak to Kent about that. It seems extremely unethical.”
“We’re both adults,” she pointed out. “And he quit his job as my bodyguard, which you’d know if you had bothered to answer any of Kent’s calls.”
“I’ve had no calls from anyone!” her father said. “There has to be something wrong with my phone.”
“I left messages with your assistant too,” she told him.
“Did you?” His face grew stern. “I’ll talk to her.”
Sure. Right.
Bebe wasn’t expecting much.
“Is this your news that you’re going to release?” her mother asked. “That you’re dating your bodyguard? Really, Bluebelle, if you’re after publicity, Melanie can help.”
“No, like I said. The news is about my stalker. We think it might be a good idea to go public with the fact that not only have I had a stalker, but that we now know who it is.”
Did her mother flinch slightly?
“Is that a good idea?” her father said. “Isn’t it better to let the police deal with this? They won’t like it if you go public with the stalker’s identity.”
“Oh, but it will make for good publicity. For me, seeing as apparently, I’m going to be a part of The Benner Life.”
That was definitely anger in her mother’s face.
“What do you mean?” her father asked. “Your mother has recently decided to start filming again, but I know you won’t want to be a part of it.”
“That’s not what the television ads are saying. Haven’t you seen them, father? Oh, but they were pulled quickly, weren’t they?”
“They weren’t supposed to be released yet,” her mother said tightly.
“What? Were you going to release them after I came home to hide from my stalker? Was that it? Were there going to be more cameras in the guest house, Mother? Is that why you invented a stalker for me? To scare me into moving home?”
“You have no idea the things I do for you, you ungrateful girl!” her mother yelled.
“Why do you want me in that show so badly?” she asked.
“Because that’s the only way the network would consider the show again! They called it washed up and tired without you. Apparently, you brought the drama and the viewers!”
“So you told them I would be a part of it. And then you created a stalker for me. Who did you hire to attack me, Mother? Or did you just put out an ad for a knife-wielding psycho to attack me?”
“I never hired anyone to attack you! That wasn’t meant to happen until after the bodyguards left!”
Holy. Crap.
“What?” her father whispered. “Barb, what did you do?”
“I . . . I didn’t do anything, dear,” her mother simpered.
“She wrote those threatening messages to Bebe,” Corbin said, coming around to sit next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders for support. But she didn’t lean into him.
Not yet.
Later, she’d fall apart.
“I don’t understand,” her father said. “You’re accusing Barb of being Bebe’s stalker?”
“She made up the stalker and sent the messages to me in the hopes that I’d move home. To create drama for the show. And God knows what other reasons. I’m guessing they released the information about the show too early, or at least my part in it.”
“I’d also guess she’s been shielding all of that from you, Benton,” Corbin added. “Erasing messages and paying off or threatening your personal assistant.”
“You can’t believe this, Benton!” Barb said.
“There were a few comments from reporters about Bebe’s return to the screen, but I ignored them. I thought they were trying to get a rise from me. But it’s true, isn’t it? You really thought to get Bebe back in the show by threatening her? And you hired someone to attack her?” her father demanded.
Benton moved away from Barb, and she could see the panic in her mother’s face. But, honestly, Bebe couldn’t feel any sympathy for her.
“Fine! I did it. I sent the messages. And I also used your assistant to redirect calls from her and Corbin. All of her calls and texts came to my phone. My ratings are down the tube, the network is threatening to drop them all and will only consider The Benner Life with Bebe back. She won’t do it because I’m her mother, so I thought I’d force her home. And add some drama because that’s what people want. What I did not factor in was you hiring bodyguards or her falling for one of them! But the person I hired to attack you was supposed to do it after the bodyguards left! On camera! He won’t get paid.”
They were all silent.
Her mother, obviously realizing what she’d just revealed, turned ghostly pale and spun to her father. “Benton—”
“Save it,” he said in the coldest voice Bebe had ever heard from him. “Get out. Now.”
“Benton—” she said hastily.