I Just Can't Stop Loving You

Chapter 30. The Undisputed Queen

The entire Jackson family were sitting in the wings backstage, watching the performance. When Tatiana emerged onstage from the other side, unbeknownst to Michael or anyone else performing, the entire Jackson family had to basically sit on top of Beth so that she wouldn't jump onstage and make pop music history.

"I'm gonna kill her!" she screamed, as about ten people held her back. "How dare she? HOW DARE SHE???"

"C'mon now, 'Lizabeth, don't be makin' no scenes like this in public," said her father-in-law, shaking his head at her as if he wasn't infamous for his nasty temper. "They get her offstage soon as the song finish..."

"Damn the song, Joseph!" she snapped. "I'll tear that witch offstage myself, PIECE BY PIECE!"

Her eyes were filling with tears. Not tears of weakness, though. Tears because she never thought she could dislike another person so much. And dislike was becoming too weak of a word. She hated Tatiana. Hated her!

The second the kiss happened, Beth almost broke free of the Jacksons. But the entire clan, alongn with their spouses and girlfriends, and Beth's sister Denise were in those wings, and they knew better than to let her get onstage. Beth's feet flew up in the air as Jackie and Tito handed her off to Bill Bray, who was ushering her from backstage and out into the private arena hallway behind the stage. That's when she let him have it.

Bill waited for her to finish her tirade. Then he made a simple observation.

"You know, Beth, you lettin' that girl have more power over you than she deserve."

"Bill, she's trying to steal Michael away from me!"

"Girl, you know how ridiculous you soundin'? Steal him away? Look to me like he don't wanna be stolen!!!" The older man, who'd come out of retirement to help out with 'one mo' tour', chuckled at the woman who'd almost become another daughter, just like her husband was another son. "You know Michael don't want none of that."

"But the papers..."

"Since when you started carin' 'bout them papers? Not since I been knowin' ya! You never woulda even looked twice at Michael had you been thinkin' about what the press say."

Beth wiped her face. Her eyes were streaming.

"Bill, you don't understand!"

"I understand it just fine. How many women you seen walk straight up to Michael and act like you invisible? They was doin' that even when y'all first started goin' out! Beth, that woman ain't in love with Michael. She in love with the fairy tale, with the idea of bein' Mrs. Michael Jackson. But you livin' the reality... and the reality is somethin' only you know about, ain't it?"

"Stop making sense," said Beth dryly. Yet the tears were now gone.

"And don't be takin' it out on Michael. From the way he look, he ain't have no idea she was gonna be in the show. Look like she used them good looks and charm to convince the tour people to let her through. You saw what he did when she kissed him... he signaled for the boys to come get her..."

"I wish he'd done that in the beginning," said Beth, "but I know how he is. He's too much of a professional to let one monkey stop his show. So no, I'm not mad at him at all. I'm mad at her. She ruined the show for me!"

"Aw," said Bill, hugging her and patting her shoulder as she cried. "Well, whatever they say about it tomorrow, it'll die down. It always does. And I'll go and file that restraining order tomorrow. The thing is that they go by jurisidiction, so that heffa done gave security yet another thang to do in each city we goin' to."