From “Clingy” to Gone My Independence Was His Biggest Regret novel Chapter 77

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I call him with shaking hands.

Takes forever to pick up.

Background noise, camera flashes, voices.

I hear myself trying not to sound terrified:

“What the hell are you gonna do to my grandma?”

Long silence. Then quietly:

“Brenna, I’m desperate here. You won’t clear my name, so I need Grandma to do it.”

“Besides, SHE’S the one who posted everything.”

I’m shaking with rage. “Grandma would never agree to this. What did you DO to her?”

Even longer silence.

“I told Grandma that when you were starting out, some producer… took pictures of you. And somehow I ended up with copies.”

My blood turns to ice.

That nightmare I’ve tried to forget comes flooding back.

“Sorry, Brenna. Once this press conference is over, I’ll bring Grandma back safe.”

With that, he hangs up.

I can’t even process my feelings–just call my Hollywood contacts and speed to the venue.

My friend’s waiting outside with press

“Hurry! It already started!”

credentials.

By the time I get there, Scarlett’s helping my shaky grandma walk toward the mic in the center of the stage.

“GRANDMA!” I scream.

She looks up, meets my eyes.

Hers immediately fill with tears–pain, fear, love–but she looks away fast.

I try pushing forward but someone grabs my arm.

Jaxon again.

He looks panicked for once. “Who the hell let you in?”

When he signals security, I struggle like crazy but can’t break free.

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Scarlett’s already started:

“This is Brenna Walsh’s grandmother.”

“When Jaxon publicly proposed to me that night, it really messed with this elderly woman who has a brain tumor and gets confused sometimes, but loves her granddaughter like crazy.”

“So she made up this whole story about Jaxon cheating while he was dating her granddaughter, got someone to photoshop pictures of me and Jaxon making out in Hawaii, and posted that whole thread.”

“Grandma just had surgery and her head’s finally clear now. She feels awful about everything she did, so she came here today to set the record straight for everyone.”

Seeing Grandma up there looking scared and lost, I kick Jaxon hard and use his pain to break away.

But then the spotlight above Scarlett and Grandma starts swaying, coming loose.

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