Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 70185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Yes, that’s it. I’ll get her back under my thumb and then turn things around back in my favor. I should get started on that right now before things get too out of hand.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing? This is my home.”
“I don’t think so, buddy. Looks like trespassing to me.”
“I think you broke my fucking arm.”
“That’ll teach you to break into people’s house in the middle of the night.”
“Who’s breaking in? Justine, tell this stupid bitch… Ouch, you fucking kicked in.”
“Who are you calling stupid?”
“Let him go, Mo, he’s not worth it. Paul, I’d get out of here if I were you, and if you call the cops, you’ll be the one going to jail. You were served notice that you are no longer allowed here since you abandoned your kids.”
“She broke my fucking arm. Call an ambulance.”
You’ve got two hands; use the other one to dial. Come on, Mo; our show’s about to begin.” The two of them walked inside and locked the door.
What the hell just happened? I just came by to see my kids. I opened the door or tried to, but the locks had been changed. I banged on the door, and the next thing I knew, I was being tossed through the air like a sack of potatoes.
I limped back to the car looking back at the house all the while and feeling like I was caught up in some nightmare where nothing was what it appeared to be.
How is this happening to me? I’m a corporate executive, for fuck’s sake. These kinds of things don’t happen to guys like me. “Ouch!” I think she really did break my arm because it was swelling fast, and the pain was excruciating.
I looked back at the house and saw the two of them sitting on the couch, laughing at the TV. Justine? This is the woman who claimed to love me all these years? I felt blinding rage at being misled.
JUSTINE
“What do you two have to say for yourselves? Monique?”
“We didn’t do anything.” The two of us were standing in front of his desk Monday morning like two whipped puppies who were caught peeing on the carpet.
“What does the phrase ‘keep a low profile’ mean to you?”
“He started it. Didn’t he, Justine?”
“He sure did.” That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
‘Damn straight, and he’s lucky I didn’t get my hands on his ass, or they’d still be picking up pieces of his slimy ass with tweezers.’
Not now, Justice; I have to concentrate before Marcus trips me up. He’s a slippery one.
“Tell me again what happened.”
“I was so scared. If Mo hadn’t been there, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
‘Good, that’s good; now turn on the waterworks.’
Huh?
‘Cry bitch!’
“Whaaaaa!”
‘Bitch you sound like a trapped dingo.’
“Okay-okay, don’t cry, come ‘ere, it’s okay now. Monique, was it really that bad?”
“What do you think? You think we’re lying to you?” I can’t believe that worked. Marcus had even forgotten that we were at work and we weren’t supposed to be touching each other. As soon as I started crying, he bounded out of his chair and rushed to my side to comfort me.
I could get used to this.
‘You and me both bitch, that’s my damn hug you stealing over there. Who was it that told you to cry?’ I ignored Justice’s little meltdown and enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms after such a long time. It felt good to be held by him, and I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it until now.
“I can leave and come back if you two need some time alone.”
“Mo, go away.”
“Fine, I’ma go check on the kiddos.” The daycare was open for the first time today, now that the sick room was operational. Now, we have a waiting list that is a mile long.
I didn’t know there were so many employees here, but as soon as the doors opened and the moms and dads who had already signed up came in and saw what we had done, they’d blabbed to their coworkers, and people had been lining up to sign their kids up.
I felt a little bad that some places were going to be losing their clientele, but Marcus assured me that most of the daycare centers around here had waiting lists, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I just can’t stand the thought of taking food from someone else’s mouth.
I don’t even know how he knew about it. I would’ve given him a watered-down version at some point but saw no reason for him to know that Monique had knocked the stuffing out of my ex and broken his arm just for spite.
That’s not what I told the cops, though, when they showed up. “Of course we were afraid, officer. Two women alone with three young children in the next room. We only heard someone breaking in, and our fight or flight kicked in.”