by Anna Black
Leslie took a sip and then said, “So, swabbing Rayshon’s son when he broke his little arm, stealing Versed, drugging him, inseminating yourself with another man’s sperm, lying to him about being Shon’s dad, and submitting li’l Ray’s DNA to get a matching result all paid off, huh?” She smiled, extending her arm to toast, and crazy Karen toasted to that.
“Yep, I guess you can say that. I did what I had to do,” she said and clanked Leslie’s glass. “I know it was crazy and extreme, but I set out to get my man, and what can I say? Mission accomplished,” she said, and Leslie smiled with her crazy ass. Karen had no idea she just got taped admitting that she stole the Versed and not Leslie, and Leslie was feeling relieved. If Karen even attempted to accuse her, she now had proof. All she would say is Karen used her code to take it.
“So, how do you feel?” Leslie asked, now smiling with Karen’s demented ass.
“Like I just won the lottery,” Karen said, and Leslie knew come Saturday night, that smile would be erased from her crazy face. After Karen left, she called Leila and Rayshon and met them at the gym to give them the recorder. They hooked it up to Rayshon’s laptop and took a look. They knew they had all they needed to burst Karen’s game wide open.
Chapter Forty-three
Karen opened the door to her king. She was super excited about her night. “Hey, beautiful, you look stunning,” Ray said, and Karen smiled.
“Thank you, handsome,” she said, and he gave her a soft peck.
“Are you ready?” he asked. “I can’t wait to get you to the club and show you the night of your life, beautiful,” he smiled.
She blushed. “Am I?” she said and took his hand. She knew Jay’s was one of their hangouts, and she couldn’t wait to walk in on Rayshon’s arm. They got into his truck, and she was beaming the entire ride. She looked and noticed that there was no ring on Ray’s finger, and she wanted to dance a jig.
When they arrived, the lot was full, and Karen couldn’t wait to get inside. He opened her door and helped her out. She walked to the door with her head held high, and when they got inside, everyone yelled, “Surprise!” and she wondered what the occasion was.
“Oh my God, Ray, what’s going on?” she said when she noticed her mom, coworkers, and friends. She thought her mom was watching their son. She smiled because she figured Rayshon had taken care of everything to make her night special.
“It’s a party for you. I just wanted to celebrate the mother of my son. After everything I put you through and all the pain I caused you not believing Shon was my son, I just wanted to do something nice for you,” he said, and she was outdone.
“Oh, Rayshon, this is so unexpected. Thank you, baby,” she said, bursting with joy.
“I know, baby, now enjoy yourself,” he said, and they mingled and had a good time. Karen was smiling and having the time of her life . . . until she spotted Leila at the bar sipping on a glass of something, maybe white wine. What in the hell was Leila doing there, she wondered, and her smile faded. She knew if Rayshon saw her, it would probably ruin her night. When she saw Leila approaching, she grabbed Rayshon’s arm and smiled.
“Karen, Rayshon,” Leila said.
“Leila,” Karen returned with a bright smile on her face. “Ray and I are surprised to see you here.”
“Well, I heard about your little party through the grapevine, and I wanted to come out and say congratulations on your victory. You saw what you wanted and went for it, and seeing that you’re holding on to my man like he’s your new bracelet, I’d say your scheme worked,” Leila said with a smile and walked away.
“Why did she come?” she asked Rayshon.
“I don’t know, babe, but just relax. She won’t spoil anything. It’s your night,” he said, and she looked up and smiled at him. After a few moments, she made her way over to Leila to confront her. She had a feeling she was up to no good, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.
“Why are you really here, Leila?” she barked.
“It’s a free country, Karen. I can go where I want. Why are you in my face?”
“I just wanted to tell you to stay out of my man’s face. You had your chance, and you threw him out. Now, he’s with me,” she said, and Leila laughed in her face.
“You are truly pathetic, Karen,” Leila continued to giggle and walked away.
* * *
Leila went to find Kennedy to see if everything was in place, and Kennedy told her yes. Then Leila walked over to the stage, and when she stood in front of the mic, Johnson, a longtime DJ for Julian and Kennedy, killed the music. When Karen saw her on stage, Leila could see the scowl on her face, but she continued with their plans.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” she said, and everyone turned their attention to the stage. Karen stood still, and her fists were balled up at her side. Leila could see she was furious. “My name is Leila, and I am the woman of the hour man’s wife,” she said, and people began to whisper.
“Yes, you heard me correctly. Rayshon is my husband,” she said, pointing in his direction, and all eyes turned to him and Karen because she was standing at his side. “That handsome guy right over there, standing next to Karen, his baby momma,” she said, and everyone continued to whisper, but she continued. “Now, I’m sure most of you know the story. I know there were plenty of rumors and gossip that went around about us and how she took my man and blah blah blah, but I’m here tonight to set the record straight and let everybody in on a little secret,” she said. Immediately, Cher came up to the bottom of the stage and handed her a few sheets of paper which Leila held up.
“What I am holding in my left hand here is a copy of the DNA test that was given to my husband and me at South Suburban that states that Karen’s son is a match, and he is my husband’s son. In my right hand, I am holding a copy of the DNA test results that my husband and I got from our private doctor that states that Karen’s son is not a match,” she said, and everyone gasped. Karen’s vanilla face went pale, and Leila thought she’d pass out, but she kept going.
Infuriated, Karen yelled, “You lying bitch! Rayshon, she’s lying. Don’t believe her, baby,” she pleaded, and he just nodded at Leila to proceed.
“Well, I knew Karen would deny it, so if you all would just take a look at the closest monitor to you, you’ll hear it for yourselves,” she said. The recorded conversation Karen had with Leslie popped on the screen, and there she was, in rare form. Karen looked at Leila with a look so evil, but Leila just smiled.
Then Karen turned to Rayshon. “You knew all along, didn’t you?” she barked at him, and he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wedding ring. He slid it on his finger and told Karen his true feelings about her.
“Yes, I knew, and you repulse me,” he spat. Karen’s eyes welled up with tears.
“I did it all for you,” she cried.
“No, you did it all for you,” he said, and then he turned to his wife. Leila stood on the stage with the biggest smile on her face.
“I love you,” she cried, and Rayshon just nodded his head.
He turned back to Karen. “You are crazy, you know that, and for Shon’s sake, you need to get some help. Now, stay the fuck away from my family and me,” he bellowed and walked away.
“Looks like I got the last laugh,” Leila chuckled and left the stage.
Karen watched Rayshon grab his wife by the hand while she descended the stage steps. She wanted to rip Leila’s head off. The widest smile graced Leila’s face as Rayshon pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Karen was seething, and she stood there as her friends and family walked by her with looks of disgust. When her mother approached, Karen wanted to punch her too, because she’d bet she also was in on it. “You knew about this?” she asked.
“Of course, I didn’t. Do you think I would have just left you to the wolves?”
“Please, you’ve never tried to protect me,” she said.
“Yes, I have, and since I see nothing has changed, I’ll be keeping Sho
n for a while,” her mom declared and walked away.
Karen was mortified. She needed to get out of there. She walked out and remembered she didn’t drive. “Fuck!” she said. And when she turned and saw Leslie exit the club, she charged her, and security instantly broke them up.
“How could you betray me?” she yelled.
Leslie eyed her. “Karen, you are crazy, and you got everything you deserved. I don’t care if I lose my license because what I did was so wrong and wasn’t worth hurting Rayshon and Leila. I advise you to stay the fuck away from me, and if you ever run up on me like that again, I’m going to whip your ass,” she said for the first time standing up to Karen. “I’m not afraid of your crazy ass anymore.” She picked up her purse from the ground and walked away. Karen stood there, breathing hard, thinking she was going to get her ass too after she got Leila. Then she hailed a cab and rode home with revenge on her mind.
Meanwhile, back inside . . .
“We did it, baby,” Leila said, and they kissed.
“You were amazing,” Rayshon said, and they continued to sway to the music.
“I can’t wait to get home.”
He grabbed her hand. “I can’t either,” he said with a smile. They went over to Kennedy to let her know they were leaving and thanked her and Julian for helping with their master plan. They told Kennedy they’d come back to pick up their laptop and tape later. When they got home, they sent Tabitha home and made crazy love.
Chapter Forty-four
When Karen got home, she was not happy to see her mother’s car parked in front of her building. She climbed the stairs wondering why she just didn’t go home. When she walked into her place, her momma was sitting on the sofa, smoking a cigarette. The sight of Karen made her shake her head.
“Ma, why are you here?”
“Because I need to talk to you, and I have a barrel of questions running through my mind. I don’t know why you turned out this way. I don’t know where I went wrong with you.”
“Yeah, you don’t know why, right?”
“No, I don’t, Karen, I honestly don’t. This is the fourth time, baby. The last time this happened, I thought you were over it. I thought you got help, but I see you live to destroy lives,” her mom said. “You always fall for the wrong man. You still manage to go after someone that you know you can’t have. You were 15, Karen, when you had your first affair with Mr. Milton, a married man. That man lost everything behind you and all the damage you did, stalking him and harassing his wife. You drove him out of the state to get away from you.
“Then senior year, Mr. Yates, and then college. Episode three when you got kicked out for sleeping with Professor Cannon, another married man. You act as if you can’t see that what you are doing is wrong. And now, Ray. Karen, you are like poison, baby, and I want to help you. You need help,” she said, and Karen just stood there as if she were lost in space.
“Oh, so I need help? Now, you are saying I need help? Why didn’t you get me help after you found out your damn husband was raping me every damn night when you were working nights at Mercy?” she cried. Her mom’s mouth opened, but no words came out.
“Come on, Mother, let’s just be real while you’re trying to get inside of my head and tell me I need help. Your nasty-ass husband thought it was okay to fuck me every time you were gone—a married man with a wife, who wasn’t satisfied with the woman he had. Instead of his dirty ass going out in the streets to find a mistress, he made me his mistress, Momma. I was 13 when that pig started touching me. I begged you not to work at night, Momma, but you left me there with him!” she yelled.
“Karen, you know I didn’t know, and you never said a word, Karen, and as soon as I found out, I put his ass behind bars. We went and sought help, Karen, and I did all I knew how. I asked you over and over and over again if you were okay, and you always said yes. You know damn well that I didn’t let him hurt you, baby. Where I went wrong, Karen, was not making sure you were really okay. I want to help you now, but you gotta be willing, Karen. You are a grown woman, and you have to want to get help.”
“You know what, Mother? You don’t have to fight me for custody of Shon because I need a moment, okay? My life is gone to shit, and I can’t deal with him right now anyway,” she said. She went into the kitchen to pour herself a drink, and her mom came in.
“Karen, I’m worried about you, baby. Please talk to someone. Get some help. I’ll go with you every day, Karen,” her mother said, but Karen wasn’t trying to hear her.
“Mother, I’m fine. I’m not crazy, and I don’t need help. You can pick Shon’s things up tomorrow, and whatever papers you need to draw up, get them, and I’ll sign them,” she said, then took a swallow of her drink.
“Karen, baby, what are you planning to do? Are you going to get some help, baby? You really should talk to someone,” she pleaded, but Karen didn’t want to hear her.
“Good night, Mother,” she said, then walked past her and went into her room and slammed the door. She sat on the bed and finished her drink with thoughts of getting into her car and going over to Rayshon’s house and killing them both played in her head. “It’s okay, Karen, you’re going to be okay,” she told herself out loud. “You are going to be just fine, and you’re going to pay them back for what they did to you,” she said, and her eyes burned. She waited to hear the front door close before she opened her bedroom door.
Chapter Forty-five
What went down at the club was the talk of the town. Karen quit South Suburban because she couldn’t show her face. Her mom did what she said she would do to get custody of her baby, and Karen didn’t fight her because she needed to be alone. Besides, she was in no shape to care for him, so she signed him over without any dispute.
After two months of crying and feeling sorry for herself, she decided she was ready to go through with it. She was going to kill Leila. That was the only way she could make Ray feel some of her pain. Leila was his everything, and she wasn’t going rest until she got revenge. For a month, she’d sit outside and watch her house and her routine so that she could catch Leila off guard. She was ready that morning when she sat and watched Leila put her kids on the school bus. After she watched Rayshon leave for work, she got out. She approached the house slowly, opened the gate, and went into their backyard.
She walked over to the back door, turned the knob, and was happy to find the door was unlocked. The sound of the door chime was unexpected, but she crept inside anyway to find their first floor empty. Karen walked around and checked out their home. She gripped the knife handle tighter when she examined their family photos. She stood still when she heard Leila’s voice singing to the baby. Soon, Leila walked into the kitchen, holding little Rayven—and froze when she saw Karen standing in her family room.
“Oh my God, Karen,” she said, startled. “What are you doing in my house?” she yelled, trembling with her daughter in her arms.
“What do you think I’m doing here?” Karen asked with a crazy look in her eyes. “I’m here to make you pay for what you did to me, bitch,” she barked.
“Karen, whatever you came to do has nothing to do with my baby. Please don’t touch my baby,” Leila cried.
“What, you think I would hurt your baby?” she said like she wasn’t crazy. “Put her down,” she instructed, and Leila moved slowly over to Rayven’s playpen. She put her down, then stood and eyed Karen.
“Okay, Karen, why are you here in my home?”
“Why am I here?” Karen laughed. “Why am I here? I’m here because the life you are living is the life I’m supposed to be living. Get your ass over here and sit down,” she yelled, and Leila did.
“Let me take you back to the night I met Rayshon. He was tall, fine, and the most decent brother that I had ever met. After he fucked me right, he got up and made me breakfast the next morning and treated me like I was a queen. He did things to my body that no man had ever done, and just that one night I spent with him, I fell for him.
“Do you know he strun
g me along and lied to me, Leila, making me think that he was interested, and then I find out the reason he stops taking my calls was because of you. If he knew I didn’t have a chance and he was interested in you, he should have never hooked up with me. He should have never done that to me,” she said, crying.
“Karen, I understand how you must have felt, but that was so long ago, and I’m sure Ray never meant to hurt you,” she said.
“But he did!” she yelled, and Leila jumped. “And killing you will be the only way I can hurt him the way he hurt me,” she said, and tears formed in Leila’s eyes.
“Please, Karen, you don’t want to do this. Killing me won’t take away your pain.”
“Shut up, bitch. You don’t know me, okay? You can’t figure me out, bitch, so don’t try,” she yelled and pulled out the knife. It was a surgical instrument, and Leila looked terrified.
“Please, Karen, don’t do this. Not in front of my baby,” Leila begged, and Karen looked at Rayven in her playpen playing with her toys.
“Get up,” Karen demanded, and Leila did what she said. “Get Rayven and let’s go upstairs,” she said. Leila got her baby from her playpen and was shaking like a leaf. Karen walked close to her with the blade and followed her to Rayven’s nursery, where Leila put her down. “Where’s your bedroom?” Karen asked, and Leila pointed. She shoved her toward her room, and Leila walked slowly.
“Look at this shit,” Karen said. “This is going to be my bedroom when I’m done with you,” she stated and made Leila sit on the chaise. She was standing over her when they heard the door chime, and a female’s voice called out Leila’s name. Karen jumped, and Leila charged her. They began to roll around on the floor.
Leila used all of her strength to keep Karen from stabbing her, but the blade sliced her shoulder, and Leila screamed in pain.
“Leila!” she heard Tabitha’s voice again, and she knew she had come upstairs.
“Tab, get Rayven and get out of the house and call the police,” Leila yelled.