Moving Forward

Topping it All Off

"Jennifer, why are you still wearing your wedding rings?" A paparazzi asks, completely throwing me off "You already announced the divorce, why try to hide it?"

I walk past her quickly, not understanding what she's talking about, and find Sherry in the cafe.

"Hey, sorry some paparazzi stopped me." I sit down across from her, noticing she looks confused as well "Something wrong?"

"Are you okay? Why didn't you guys tell us? How are the girls doing?"

"Tell you what?" I try to think of anything Brad and I could be hiding "I didn't think there was anything to tell you."

"Look at this." She hands me her phone, which I immediately notice has a picture of Brad and I with a tear down the middle.

I read the article under it, which states that we are announcing our separation. Unlike other articles, this one has an actual "statement" from Brad and I about it. The whole thing makes absolutely no sense to me, but it is on a legit website and says my publicist submitted it.

"Sherry this isn't true. I was literally just talking to Brad 5 minutes ago. We're fine. He's home with the girls so I could get out alone for once."

"Well it's all over. You need to look into it because someone obviously made it up if you guys didn't."

"This is so stupid." I get my phone out to call Brad "Who would do something like this?"

"Jen I think you know who did it. It's sad, but you know who did it. There's a small chance it wasn't her, but let's be real."

I cancel the call, looking over at her about to cry.

"You really think she would do that? Even with the girls? I was hoping she's over this petty bullshit."

"I'm sorry honey, you just know her. You know what she's capable of, and you did say she's been upset about you guys being around Jane and I more than her." Sherry gets up, walking over to sit next to me "I just wish she was here for the girls. It's not fair for them."

"I know. I wish she was too, but they have you. You're so much more of a grandma to them than she ever will be."

I sit there for a few minutes, thinking about how not only the publicist I have had for years, but also my mother could work together behind my back to make up something like this.

"Sherry what do we do? I mean we've been having arguments more often but we're nowhere near divorce. We haven't ever considered that."

"You need to go home. Talk to Brad about this. Find out if it was really who we think, because there is an off chance it was someone else." She hands me my purse along with my keys "You two need to figure this out together. Anything you do separately is just going to make it seem more true, and pull you guys apart."

"Wait, Jen." She calls for me quickly "I shouldn't have blamed her right away, I know that was wrong, but I want you to know that it had to be more than just your publicist."

"Sherry, don't worry. You just confirmed what I was thinking was true. I'll be shocked if it wasn't her."

I take her advise, running out to my car, keeping my left hand out hoping that seeing my rings will help show we are fine. A few paparazzi yell out questions, trying to force me to answer them.

I sit in the car for a while once I'm in the garage, thinking about the chance that Brad could really want to leave. We haven't ever talked about it, but with all our arguments recently I'm not sure how much of a surprise it would be. All I do know, is that it would kill me to have my children live through divorce like I did.