5. THE POWER OF THE BLACKWELL NAME

(Jennifer’s POV)

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The steady, annoying sound roused me from my slumber, and my eyes opened to the walls of a hospital room. The memories came rushing back almost instantly, making me ring up the bell beside the bed in alarm.

Mr. Blackwell!

I could only hope that he was okay. If anything happened to him on my behalf, I did not think I could ever forgive myself.

“Oh… you’re awake,” A nurse popped her head into my room, a cheerful smile on her face as she walked in, “You had us all worried for a second.”

“Who brought me here?” I got straight to the point, tearing the cannula away from my nose. I reached for the IV line, tugging at it in annoyance, and the kind nurse quickly rushed to help me out. “You can’t take that out just yet, Mrs. Summers…” She fixed it back in place. “I believe Mr. Adonis Blackwell brought you,” There was this breathless lull in her voice as she said his name, but all I could think about in that moment was the fact that he was alright.

Thank goodness.

“Could you… uh, could you please send him in?” I asked. “I really need to speak to him.” She hesitated for a moment, “Only family members are allowed in, as it isn’t visiting hours yet, but I’ll see what I can do.” Adjusting the covers around me with utmost attention, she smiled and stepped out.

Where was Matt?

I needed to know desperately.

It’s really crazy, but you know how they always say that sometimes it takes a near death experience for one to know they’d had enough of something?

That was me right now, and I wanted to tell it to his face.  

I’d had enough… the beatings, the abuse… I was done, and while I was under the protection of the hospital, I was going to establish some terms and conditions. Hopefully, I could get out of this in one piece. It wasn’t going to be easy, I knew that… but I was going to fight to the death if that was what it would take.

The door burst open in my moment of contemplation and a relieved Mr. Blackwell stepped in. His coat had long been discarded, his tie gone along with it, a few buttons were undone and his cuffs were folded to his elbow, exposing tattoed arms.

Holy Mary, mother of God…

“Jen,” He breathed out as he neared my bed, my stomach fluttering at the simple nickname he had started to call me. I shot him an ashamed smile, “Mr. Blackwell,” but then I quickly noticed something,

His left hand was bandaged.

“Oh my God, you’re hurt!” I reached for his hand, but he quickly pulled it away as though he had been burnt.

Why was I so stupid?

It probably hurt. “I’m so sorry,”

“It’s fine,” He brushed my apology off, “How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly not in pain,” I replied, trying to sit up. The boss was quick to come to my aid, making me almost jump at the current that shot through my body at his touch, a confused look on my face as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

What the fuck was that?

I took a look at him, he did not seem to have been affected by whatever that was, so maybe it was all in my head then.

Mr. Blackwell straightened to his full height, the small smile he had on vanishing from his face, “I take it that the man I met earlier was your husband?”

I nodded slowly.

“And how long has this been going on? This isn’t the first time he has struck you, right?”

I don’t know why, but all of a sudden, I started to feel angry. At him. “What? You think that just because you saved me this one time, I have to open up to you like we’re in some kind of therapy session?” My voice was cold and numb when I said this, so cold that even I barely recognised it as mine.

“I won’t answer that—”

“Good, don’t. Where is my husband?”

He looked down at me, his dark, captivating eyes shining with accomplishment, “He’s rotting in jail like he deserves, and I assure you that I’m going to do everything I can to ensure that he’s in there for a long time.”

I chuckled, “Do you know who my husband is, Mr. Blackwell? Trust me, I’ll be very surprised if he isn’t released first thing in the morning.”

“Oh I know who he is alright, Jen… I think it is you who is forgetting who I am.” He corrected arrogantly. I watched him reach for a chair nearby and pull it to himself, adjusting it and sitting comfortably by my bedside, his tattooed arms resting on his knees. He suddenly looked serious. “Do you want to leave this man, Mrs. Summers?”

I sighed, a little guilt already seeping in at how rude I had been towards him earlier, “It’s not that easy, Mr. Blackwell…”

“But do you?”

“Yes.” I answered, “Yes, I do, I want nothing more than to be done with him.” I admitted.

“Good. I’m happy I didn’t have to force you, because believe me, I was prepared to.”

Force me?

What was he going on about?

A knock sounded on the door in that moment, “Perfect timing,” He smirked, shooting me a wink, and I blushed. “Come in,” He called out. I shot him a look of disbelief mixed with irritation,

The self entitled bastard!

Didn’t he have to ask me if I was okay with letting someone in first?

I did not have the time to process that line of thought though… for a short, big headed, spectacled man in a dark grey suit waltzed in, carrying a briefcase, “Mr. Blackwell,”

“Ah, Mr. Aldridge… you’re here. We’re in luck, she wants to leave the bastard.”

“That is wonderful sir, ma’am,” I watched in fascination as he grabbed another chair and sat on it, placing his briefcase on his laps and opening it, he reached out for a bunch of papers and handed them to me, “What is that?” I asked as I reached for them, looking to Mr. Blackwell for answers.

“Go on, read them,” He urged.

My heart stopped as I read the heading on the first page,

DIVORCE PAPERS.

I looked at my boss in disbelief and amusement, “You think I haven’t tried to get out of this? He won’t sign them.”

“He already has, ma’am,” The man who I’m assuming was a lawyer pitched in, even as my boss gave me a smug smile.

What?

“This is not the time for jokes, sir…”

“If you think he’s lying you can have a look and see for yourself,” Mr. Blackwell challenged. I did, and ladies and gentlemen… there it was, Matt’s intricate signature… staring me right in the face. I flipped through the pages. It was there… every where it was needed… all twenty five pages of it!

“This isn’t real,” I murmured, shaking my head over and over, “No, this isn’t real.”

“It’s as real as it gets, Jen… once you sign this, you’re a free, single woman.”

“B—But how?”

“Let’s just call it a Consensual arrangement. I must say, the fact that you two have no children together made things more easy.”

See, I heard him alright, but nothing was registering in my head in that moment. All I could think about was the fact that Matt had signed the papers. What had they possibly done to him to make him give in that easily and in such a short period of time?

How had they managed to do all of that without my presence?

It didn’t matter to me much though, for as I took the pen from Mr. Aldridge’s waiting hands and signed my part of the document, a sense of relief so overpowering hit me.

It was over, all of it.

I only wished that they hadn’t made us split everything equally, because even though I had contributed just as much as he had in getting us where we were today, I didn’t want anything to do with him… I didn’t want anything from him.

I made Mr. Blackwell aware of this.

“What are you talking about, Jen?” He growled, his eyes shining with anger, “After everything he has done to you, you want him to have everything? Fuck no. Left to me alone, he gets nothing, but Aldridge here said that wouldn’t work.”

I nodded, soaking it all in.

He was right.

It was the least Matt owed me for everything I had been through under him.

Tears started to well up in my eyes as I planted my signature on the last page where it was needed, dropping as I lifted my head up to hand the documents back to the lawyer. Mr. Blackwell was staring at me, an unreadable expression on his face, as I sat there, bawling my eyes out. “Thank you,” I managed to whisper despite how overwhelmed I was.

“We may have taken a giant step, but we’re far from done, Mrs. Sum—sorry, Jen. You’re going to have to show your face in court right after you’re discharged from the hospital, among other requirements. Things could turn ugly, real quick, but just know that I’m going to be with you every step of the way.” He promised solemnly as he stood up, the lawyer doing same. “You can take the lead, Aldridge, I’ll catch up.” The lawyer nodded, bowing slightly at me, and then he left.

“Thank you once again, Mr. Blackwell… I really don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Jen… I’m sure anyone in my shoes would have done the same thing,” He smiled at me. I shot him one right back as we stayed there looking into each other’s eyes. Time seemed to stand still as we stared at each other, and then the door opened and the kind nurse walked in, ruining the moment.

“Mr. Blackwell,” There was that breathlessness in her voice again, and this time, as much as I wanted to deny it, I could feel some irritation rising within me. “It’s alright, Kate… I’m leaving,”

He already knew her on first name basis.

Yes, yes… he moved fast, like the playboy he was.

How the fuck could I forget?

He threw that mesmerizing smirk of his her way, and I swear, she melted right in front of me. I cleared my throat to break the moment, “Uhm, could you help me lie back down?”

“Of course, Mrs. Summers—”

“She’s Jen now, and don’t worry, I’ll do it,” He corrected, the smile vanishing from his face as he neared me and helped me get back into sleeping position. I shivered under his touch, but then again it was probably because I was cold, not because I could feel his hands against my skin, and then he was done. He stepped back to shoot me one last look,

A very intense, satisfied look that said everything and nothing all at once.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jen.” He murmured softly. “Yes, Mr. Blackwell.” I whispered right back, watching him leave.

It was a promise…

That much I knew.