Chapter 37

Beth copies the link to clipboard and then texts the link to Jon.  After that she texts SHE BETTER BE OFF THE PROPERTY BEFORE I GET HOME.

She drops her cell phone into her pocketbook and takes a deep breath.  She knows who the source is.  She has no doubt.  Her thoughts go a mile a minute and what upsets her the most is that she's so far from home and can't do anything regarding Dorothea.  She's not surprised that this is happening.  Dorothea took advantage of her leaving, even relishing in the fact that she ran Beth from her home.  But what Dorothea doesn't know is that she didn't leave because Dot was there, she left because she didn't want to be there with Dot.  Big difference.

Beth's phone vibrates from her pocketbook.  She takes it out and sees a text from Jon.  Angry face emoji starts the you can bet your ass she'll be gone before you get here text.

Beth taps her reply thank you.  I love you.  Her cell phone goes back into her purse.

When she arrives at the airport, she instructs the driver to take her out onto the tarmac.  He's never done that before.  "Are you sure I can do that?"  the young man smiles.

"Yep, follow the yellow line.  You'll be fine."  Beth takes her sunglasses from her bag and slides them on.  When they get to the plane, she tips the driver $100 and makes her way onto her chartered jet.

Beth settles in for her trip, unknowing any of the staff.  The flight attendant gets Beth a bottle of water, per her request and then they all prepare for take off.

Once in the air, Beth gets her laptop out of her bag and gets online.  She checks emails before doing anything.  There wasn't anything too pressing that she needed to tend to.  So, to kill time she Google searches her own name, something she has never done.  First she looks at Google images of herself.  Most of them are from events that she's been at or things relating to Bon Jovi.  As she scrolls down farther, there are images of her in the hospital, images of a bruised and beaten Beth and images of them graveside with family.  She is shocked.  The images of her in the hospital and her bruises are part of police files.  The pics were never released to the public.  She scrolls and keeps scrolling.  She comes upon images of her and Brian.  Images of her and Dalton.  Images of her and Melissa.  Images of her and Dorothea.  When she sees an image of her and Dorothea, her anger starts to boil to the top.  Here she is, on a plane to go home to a house that currently houses the woman that she hates most.  

Beth clicks on a picture of her and Dorothea.  It takes her to the TMZ website.  The picture is from a time in life that Beth has a hard time remembering.  The image is of Beth upclose, laying on a beach.  In the distance there is Dorothea talking to a man that looks like Jon, but his back is to the camera.  The photographer's intent was Beth on a beach.  But it's Beth on the beach not paying attention to the photographer.  That tells her it's either paparazzi or a Jon fan.  There is no story linked to the picture, just more pictures.  Up and down she scrolls.   She goes back to the main page for her images and scrolls through them for a few more minutes.  When she's had enough, she closes the laptop and turns her attention out the window.  She thinks to herself, 'rest up Beth Ann, you have one hell of a fight on your hands once you land.'

Beth's mind starts to calm and as they climb to altitude she's able to drift off to sleep.

Chapter 38

Beth is startled by hands touching her arm.  The flight attendant gently touches Beth to wake her.  "I'm sorry Mrs. Bongiovi, we are preparing to land." 

After a few seconds the fog clears from her head.  Beth puts her seat to the upright position and fastens her seatbelt.  Beth is a little hazy, she can't believe she slept the entire flight.  She looks at her Apple Watch.  It's 5:45pm.  As they ready to land, she digs out the cell phone again and texts Jon that she's about to land.  She knows if she does that he'll have just enough time to shoot up to Teterboro and grab her.

Beth's pilot had to circle the airport for several minutes, waiting for the go ahead to land.  When they were finally on the ground, she deplaned to find her husband standing just inside the hanger door.  He meets her and takes her bags, leans in and kisses her, "Hi babe."  His smile touches his eyes, he missed her.  She leans into his kiss.

"Hi." She whispers back.  "Have you been here long?"

His arm goes over her shoulder and they walk inside, "Maybe 5 minutes if that."

"That's not bad.  We had to wait to land."  

They tossed her bags in the backseat of the Chevelle.  "Do you want me to put the top up?"  he's polite and asks her, hoping she would say no because it's a beautiful evening.

"No.  I could use some wind in my hair.  How are the kids?"  she fastens the lap belt, dropping her pocketbook between her feet.

"Kids are good.  Excited to see you."  he turns the engine over, starting the beast that had a low and sexy growl.

"Where's Dorothea?"  Beth didn't wait, wouldn't wait.  There is no time like the present.  She takes a deep breath, "I hope she's gone."  her tone lacked affect and that was the effect that she was hoping for.

"She's at Molly's."  Jon answered her.  Molly's was a local Red Bank hotel called the Molly Pritcher Inn.  A small but upscale hotel that can provide all that Dorothea needs. "I dropped her off on the way here."  he looks over at her and winks.  He can see her face go from stone cold to pleasantly pleased.  She's in shock, honestly.

"Did you talk to her about that TMZ report?"

He shook his head, "Nope, wasn't going to have the conversation twice.  When you're ready to confront her, we'll do it together."  he puts his hand on her knee.  "Did you eat?"

Beth slides her hand to Jon's, taking it from her knee.  She locked her fingers with his, "No, I slept the entire flight.  Did you feed the kids?"

"They were eating when I left."

"I'll find something at home, unless you're hungry." she squeezes his fingers.  

They worked their way down the turnpike toward home.  It's a cool but beautiful summer night.  Beth doesn't want to give Dorothea the better part of the night so she just gets it out of the way.  "What are we going to do about that story?"  She slides sideways to get a better look at him. 

He can sense that she's upset, but he can also tell that she's not fuming like she normally would be.  "I think we should do nothing."

"Nothing?"  Beth is surprised by that.  "Why nothing?"

He pulls her hand to his mouth, kissing the top of her hand, "I think that if we acknowledge it, it will give her some validity, it will give her pleasure in someway."

"How was she when I was gone?"  That's not a question that she needs to ask, she knows how she was.  She really wanted to know how Jon handled her, while Beth was gone.

He looks over the top of his aviator glasses, "She was fine.  She didn't give me any trouble, except when she wanted to have visitors."

"What do you mean?"

"She had Claire and Cynthia come over to see her and when I didn't let them in, she threw a fit."

"You didn't let them in?"  Beth found that curious.  

"They buzzed the gate and I wouldn't let them in."

"Why not?" Beth laughs.  "Why didn't you let them in?"

"For one, they were bitches when we were married, they went Team Dot when all the shit hit the fan.  And then after that, they have just been miserable bitches."  Jon was getting a little irked telling Beth the story.  "They don't need to be on my property.  If she wanted to hang out, she should have gone to their houses."

Beth laughs.  She can see Jon standing firm and holding a grudge, "You did good.  They are bitches and they don't need to be at our house."

"No good would have come from it."

Chapter 36

Cell phone chimes

Beth grabs her phone and sees it's a text from Jon.  "When are you coming home?"  She looks at it for a few moments and thinks he must miss me or the kids are too much for him.

She hurriedly taps back her reply "later today, why?"

"I miss you and so do the kids."

"Later this afternoon.  My flight leaves at 2.  Can you pick me up?" she tosses her phone on the bed and looks around her hotel room, knowing that she needs to get ready and pack.


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When Dorothea moved into the guest house a few days prior Beth thought that she would be able to handle her being so close.  She quickly learned that she wouldn't be able to handle it.  Hell, she couldn't even stomach it, it made her so mad.  When she and Jon had their pow wow about it in the Walmart parking lot, they made the decision that she would go away for a couple of days.  Not to get away from Dorothea per say, but more less to make the visit pleasant for the kids.

The kids, the younger ones really, aren't up to speed on how the adults feel about one another.  Jake and Romeo are happy that their mom is there, not totally understanding why and even they are confused by it.  Stephanie loves the fact that all of her parents are in the same place, even if it's just for a short period of time.  Jesse has yet to come home.  He disappears frequently and through the aid of modern technology, he didn't need to check in.  Everyone in the family can see where he is.  GPS tracking is God sent to today's parents. 

Beth had argued her point and displayed her contempt for the split second decision that Jon made regarding Dorothea.   They decided together, Jon and Beth, that she would check into a hotel for a couple of days and just let the Dorothea mess run its course.  As Beth packed her bags, she decided that she would go to Los Angeles and see friends.  She spent two nights with Tony and Nina and then she drove upstate and stayed at the vineyard that she started and has since sold.  It was cathartic for her, not only to replace the bad memories with better ones, but she always always always loved spending time with Tony.  He was one of her few genuine friends.  

Her stay at the vineyard was great.  She wasn't sure how she'd feel going back to it after all that happened.  She wasn't looking for it to heal her or to help her deal with how insane their lives had become, she was just looking for her heart and head to be healed, even if only the scabs were very thin.  She learned as she entered her rented room that she has recovered from the trauma that she experienced at the vineyard.  As she tossed her room key on the dresser she looked around the room, still decorated as she had left it, she realized that she is on the road to recovery and that anything that has happened since her days here can only help her more.

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It only takes Beth a few minutes to pack, considering she didn't bother to really unpack.  Once she's finished with gathering her things, she calls down for car service to the airport.  When they arrive, they ring her and she makes her way down to the ride share car that's waiting for her.  

"Good Afternoon" the driver says to Beth as he takes her luggage, "You're going to the airport right?"

"I'm going to Sacramento Executive Airport."  she confirms with him so he doesn't take her to the cities metropolitan airport.  "I'm flying privately."

"Very well."  the young driver says, punching that information into his G.P.S.  "What time does your plane take off?"

Beth kind of chuckles, "My personal pilot leaves when I get there." 

The driver looks over his shoulder at her and asks, "I assume you're famous, but I'm sorry, I have no idea who you are."  His face turns a few shades of red, his embarrassment couldn't be hidden.

"I'm married to Jon Bon Jovi." she says to him, looking at him over the top of her sunglasses.  "So, I'm not famous, my husband is."

"Oh my." he softly says, "I know who you are."  Beth can see a concerned look wash over his face, "you're the one that's been in the news lately."

Beth is shocked.  "In the news, what do you mean?"  She hasn't a clue what he's referring to.  It's been weeks since she and Jon talked with Savannah.  It's been weeks and she shouldn't be the topic of anything news related.  

"You're all over the news out here."

"For what?"  she's in disbelief.  She takes her phone out of her pocketbook, opens a web browser and types in her name.  

Beth Adams Bongiovi files for divorce from rocker husband Jon Bon Jovi was the first story that popped up in her Google search.  Beth taps the link and reads the story that was posted yesterday.  

Beth Adams Bongiovi is rumored to have filed for divorce from rocker husband Jon Bon Jovi.  Sources close to the family say that after several years of turmoil  and insurmountable loss, Beth can no longer stay with rocker, JBJ.  She states that they have irreconcilable differences.  Beth and her rocker husband have 2 children together.  Beth was seen this week with longtime friend and confidant Tony Bongiovi in Los Angeles, while JBJ was at home in New Jersey with his ex wife Dorothea Hurley Bongiovi.  We reached out to the rocker and his wife for comment, but our requests went unanswered.  TMZ

Chapter 39

"Why wouldn't you let them in?"  Beth HAD to know.  "surely they were here to see Dorothea and not you."

"Doesn't matter.  They can see her when she's not here.  That's bullshit.  Stay in my guest house and then have guests over.  Nope."  he rattles his head like he's a crazy person.  "They can see her off my property."

"Are they really that bad?" Beth can only claim to know Dot, the others are strangers to her.

Jon shoots her an are you kidding me look.  "When you get the 3 of them together, it's like toxins ooze from their pores.  All are independently evil, but you get them together and it's madness."

"What do they do?"

"I remember a long time ago, when Romeo was a baby, Dot and I were having problems.  She cheated and they kept her secret, even lied for her.  When I finally discovered her affair, not her only one, mind you - but when I discovered it, I learned that Claire and Cindy helped her with cover stories.  They all supposedly went to Vegas and L.A. for a girls trip and in all reality, it was Dot and her trainer."

"No shit."

"Oh yeah, they lie just as much as Dot ever did.  But what was funny about it is, both ladies tried to sleep with me on many occasions and Dorothea never believed me when I would tell her about it."

"Seriously?  You never told me about that."  Beth is starting to feel a little giddy, finally a distraction from the shit storm they were just handed.  "Tell me."  She smiles her crooked smile, in anticipation.

Jon thinks for a minute and tries to figure out why he's never told her about Claire and Cindy.  "There were a few times, but the one that comes through the most is one Christmas in St. Bart's.  We all were shit faced drunk, Don and Claire had the bungalow next to Dot and me.  I knew I had had enough, so I excused myself and went to bed."  He's now starting to feel uneasy about the story, realizing why he never mentioned this to Beth.  "I woke to someone going down on me."  He ended it right there.  He didn't need to say anymore, Beth's jaw drop was all he needed to see.

"You have got to be kidding me!"  She exclaims.  "For real?"

He shakes his head yes.

"Do I know Claire?"  Beth isn't sure who Claire is, she needs a little clarification.  

"She's on the Polyprep Parents Committee with you."  he can't look at her now.  He knows she's going to figure out who she is.

Beth is silent for a moment.  Her eyes squinting with her thoughts.  "Claire Carpenter?"  She's blown away, "Miss everything has to go my way, Claire?"  Jon can see that the thoughts are making sense to her.  "Oh my God, what did you do?"

"I punched her in the head." he says as a matter of fact.  "And that was just reflex."

"You hit her?" Beth is amazed.  

Jon gives a playful laugh, "it was on accident.  I didn't even know what was going on.  I woke up drunk with someone's mouth on me.  Reflex."  

Beth ponders that for a moment, knowing how he is when he's drunk and sleeping and even when he's sober sleeping.  She can't help but laugh.  "What did Claire do?"  Beth now has to know the entire story.  

"She gathered her things and went to where she belonged, I assume.  It wasn't too long after that and Dot came to bed."

"Did you tell Dot?" Beth loves a story that could possibly hurt or embarrass Dorothea, loves it.  "Did you tell her husband?"

Jon smiles, as her smile was what he needs in his life, "I did tell Dot.  She called me a liar."

"She did not!"  Beth is in disbelief.  "Did she really?"

Jon nods his head yes.

"Did you tell her husband?"

"No.  I figured my rejection would serve as a bad enough punishment"

"Did Dot ever come to believe you?"

Again, he shakes his head no.

Beth absorbs the conversation that she's participating in, wondering what she would have done.  "You told her about it, she didn't believe you and she remained friends with her?"  She asks, rather confused.  "That is pretty messed up."

"That was my life with Dorothea." he gives her a quick wink, "that's mild compared to what Cindy did."

Beth was ready for more trash talk, especially if it was about Dot.  "What did she do?  Don't tell me she took advantage of you too?"

"Oh no, wasn't me."

Beth is engaged and leaning on his every word, "I've met Cindy a few times.  She never acted like she cared much for me, but I never let it bother me.  What did she do and to who?"

She sees a look come over Jon's face that is rare to her.  She thinks it's almost a look of fun sarcasm, something that she doesn't get to see often.  He shifts in his seat a bit, "It was right after I met you.  She was at a show and came backstage with Dot."  He clears his throat and pretends to have issues remembering the details.  "I don't even remember why Dorothea was even there, but they were backstage and Cindy managed to get Richie's attention."

"And."  Beth is on the edge of her proverbial seat, "What did she do to Richie?"  Beth can hear herself sounding a little protective.  "What happened?"

He pauses before he confesses a little unknown secret that the band had, "She claimed to have gotten pregnant."  He zips his lips and waits for the reaction that he knows is coming.

Beth sits silently for a moment.  Jon looks at her from the corner of his eye.  She quints, thinking.  He can see that she's bouncing around the timeline in her head and there it was, "Why have you never told me about this?"  He's sensing a bit of anger.

"It really wasn't talked about."

"But you're not saying that Richie didn't sleep with her.  Richie slept with Cindy?"  The amount of disgust that she felt couldn't be expressed adequately  with sound, she had to animate what she was saying.  "Richie slept with Cindy?"  She shakes her hands in disgust.

"He did."  Jon turns on the turn signal to exit the highway.  As he looks over his right shoulder he can see that Beth is still processing what she's just heard.  "They had quite the affair.  It was hot and heavy for a while."

"You guys never told me about her."  Beth is in disbelief. 

Jon drops his hand on her leg, "There really wasn't anything to talk about."

Stay: Chapter 35

Stay: Chapter 35: The day ended up being quite peaceful.  The guest house is far enough away from the main house and it's on the other side of the garage...

Stay: Chapter 34

Stay: Chapter 34: Modern advances in technology let both Jon and Beth know when the gate to the driveway has been activated.  In unison their phones alerted ...

Stay: Chapter 33

Stay: Chapter 33: Healing truly comes from within and the sooner that Jon and Beth let that happen, the sooner that their lives can get better.  Neither of t...