“You?” he sputters. “But you… you don’t have the liquid assets! How are you paying for it?” He narrows his eyes. “So help me, if I find out you’re using my alimony payments to finance this, I will sue you so fast that your head will spin.”
I put a hand on his forearm. “Calm down, Rocky. I’d hate for you to work yourself into one of your stress rashes. I know how uncomfortable they are in sensitive areas.”
Rocky’s face turns to stone.
“I’m not playing around, Rissa,” he says through gritted teeth.
“It’sMarissa,” I reply calmly, settling back into my chair. “And neither am I. You’re right: I didn’t think I had the assets either. But then I realized how much of my money was tied up in real estate. So, I sold a rather valuable piece of property.”
Rocky’s serpentine grin returns. “Aha. You sold the lake house. Smart move. I’m so glad you finally came to your senses about leaving that trash town behind.”
I return his smile with one of my own. “You know, I thought about it. My grandmother would be happy if I used her gift to support myself in whatever way I needed. But then it occurred to me that I didn’t need to sell the lake house. I don’t need to give up anything else that matters to me. Especially when there’s a more valuable, less beloved property that I’m all too happy to part ways with.”
Rocky’s eyes go wide as he stares over my shoulder at the house behind me. Realization dawns on his handsome features.
“Absolutely not. I won’t allow it. Have you forgotten that both of our names are on the deed?”
“Well, theywere,” I remind him. “It seemsyou’veforgotten that I won sole ownership of the house as part of the property settlement. And since there are no written stipulations against selling it, I have the right to do whatever I want with it.”
I’ve been in this house for almost a decade now, and after the divorce, I hesitated to make additional changes to my children’s lives. This house was their stability, something that wouldn’t change even when their father no longer lived there. But now, I’ve realized that no matter how much I tried to keep things the same, we have all changed. It’s time to let go of the past and start a new chapter together. To rebuild on my terms.
“The three of us don’t need a six-bedroom house,” I say. “So, we’re going to downsize. I’ve already signed a lease on a smaller property not far from here, which means the kids can stay in their school district. And I’m using the money from the sale to invest in myself. Pooja and I are going to make projects that matter to us. Starting with this one.”
Rocky looks like someone just hitched a boot onto his precious BMW.
“You can’t do this,” he spits. “I’ll go to the press. Tell them how you stole this project out from under me.”
I purse my lips. “I suppose you could,” I say. “Although I have just hired a new publicity team that specializes in protecting women from smear campaigns. And given your well-documented history of infidelity, I don’t think I need to explain how little credibility you already have.”
A few days after we got back to LA, I called Riley, my publicist, and filled her in on my plans to start a production company with Pooja. I also voiced my concerns about backlash from Rocky.
“I know exactly who you need to bring onto the team,” Rileyhad told me. “Chloe has a reputation for dealing with… shall we say, difficult celebrities? She’s kept even the most waywardBachelorcontestants in line, and she’s incredible at helping people grow their personal brand on social media. If you’re going to do this, you’re going to need to reintroduce yourself to the public, show them your authentic self. And there’s no one better to help you with that than Chloe.” She’d paused and I could practically hear her blush over the phone. “She’s also my girlfriend, which I hope isn’t a conflict of interest. I promise you; she really is the best of the best.”
I hired Chloe that day and haven’t looked back. After a brainstorming phone call, she encouraged me to start sharing my favorite books on social media, with the goal of starting my own virtual book club. The perfect lead-in to our end goal of adapting more novels into film. So far, the public response has been overwhelming. And I know it’s just the beginning.
I level my gaze at him. “The bottom line is, I don’t need to threaten you. I know I can trust you to do the right thing. Because you may have been a shit husband, but you love our kids. And the last thing you want to do is hurt them by dragging their mother across the internet. We both prioritize our children’s happiness, and I know you’d never do anything to jeopardize it. But from here on out, things are going to change.”
Rocky raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Change how?”
I hold up one finger. “First, you are going to respect me. Not just as a caretaker, but as an equal. And that means communication. Any important decisions involving our kids need to be made with me. From here on out, I refuse to be the last to know something important. Which brings me to two.”
I hold up another finger. “No more surprises. We might not be romantic partners, but we are partners in parenting and that means keeping me in the loop. Got it?”
Rocky looks slightly stunned but manages to nod.
“And three. I’m going back to work, and that means the kids will be spending more time with you than usual. It might also mean that you’re going to have to make the occasional professional sacrifice so that we are both able to pursue opportunities that matter to us.”
Rocky is quiet for a long moment before he responds. When he finally speaks, the fight has gone out of his voice and now he just sounds tired.
“Look, I want you to do this movie. But why does it matter so much to you if I direct it? Is the idea of working together that offensive?”
“Because this is my time,” I reply. “This movie is important to me. Telling this story and uplifting this underrepresented voice is important to me. I can’t allow it to be overshadowed by tabloid drama. You know perfectly well how much chaos working together would bring. The way the press would spin it into some kind of love triangle between you, me, and Rayna. It would completely overshadow everything we are trying to accomplish.”
Rocky stares at me but doesn’t argue. Whether he’s willing to admit it out loud or not, he knows that I’m right.
“I care about autism representation too,” he says after a beat. “I know that I screwed up in the past with that wholePeoplemagazine thing. But I got to spend a lot of time with Levi on our trip, and I gained a new appreciation for the way he navigates the world. I know I wasn’t around a lot when the kids were younger, but I want to change that. I want to be more present. And I want to be a better advocate for him. I want to facilitate more education and representation.”
I give him a tiny smile, and this time, it’s genuine. “I know. I want that too. And that’s why the best thing you can do for this movie is to walk away.”
