What's His Is Mine

  Then Wendell came bamming on the door. When I let him in, he asked, “What’s going on with you, Zakiya?”

  “Nothing.”

  “What are you doing? Do not call my nephew, upsetting him. He has to stay focused.”

  “I didn’t call him, Wendell.”

  “Yes, you did. Please don’t call him with dumb shit. He is on the road and needs to concentrate. He don’t need no bullshit going on.”

  As soon as he walked out of the room, I called Jabril again. “Why did you tell Wendell on me? You have him cussing at me, Jabril. I’m really leaving now. You think you are going to take pictures with all these girls and then your uncle is going to yell at me like I’m his child? I’m not staying here.”

  “Kiya, just stay until tomorrow. I’ll be back tomorrow and we can talk.”

  “No, I’m packing, and when I have the baby I will call you.” I hung up the phone.

  A few moments later, Wendell came in the room and apologized to me.

  Claudette came in, too, and looked on the computer. “Girl, let me tell you something. Jabril loves you. You and this baby are all he talks about. Don’t get me wrong, men do what they do. But you don’t have anything to worry about. If Jabril cheated on you, I would kick his ass. Zakiya, forget these little stupid computer whores. Do you think if he was really dating them they would really have enough time to get on the computer and talk shit? He is on the road, and when he is not on the road he is here with you.”

  Chapter 60

  Adrienne

  My young protegé, she was losing her little mind over blogs and Web sites. I was trying to make this girl roll with the punches. She was carrying a golden ticket in her stomach, but did she care? No. She was worrying about what people were saying on the Internet. She was driving me crazy trying to let people know he was with her. I didn’t know how to explain to her that she was the main girl chick, the main woman, and all the sideline pieces didn’t matter. She was number one. As the quarterback she ran the team, and all those other bitches didn’t matter.

  “Does he come home every night?”

  “Yes.”

  After I soothed Zakiya, it was time to call DeCarious because he cut me off and sent me paperwork saying he wanted full custody of Asia. Our joint account had five dollars in it. I hated him. I was back home again, no job, and with almost no money. Of course I had ninety-five hundred on the side, but how long was that going to last?

  It had only been a week and I already knew I wanted to stay with DeCarious. I wanted my married-woman life back. This single mom shit was scaring me. I tried being mean to him, so I was going to try being nice again and call him and see if he wanted to talk. I dialed his number. He picked up on the second ring.

  “What do you want, Adrienne?”

  “I don’t want a divorce, DeCarious. I want to be with you and I want our family. Please, let’s give it another try,” I begged. I clutched my phone against my face, hoping to hear a yes.

  “No, I’m done. I gave it a try.”

  “Let’s try again.”

  “No! Are you crazy? Why would I want to stay married to you? You spend money like it’s nothing and my family hates you. Why would I come back to you? Tell me, why? You got me by acting like you were pregnant, and I was dumb enough to fall for it and marry you.”

  “DeCarious, I thought I was pregnant. I didn’t act like I was pregnant. You saw the pregnancy test. I went to my doctor and he said that you can have a false pregnancy. Some women have their period and don’t know they are pregnant.”

  “You are a liar, but it doesn’t even matter. This is the second time you got me. There will not be a third. It doesn’t matter, we are over. I’m getting this marriage annulled.”

  “I didn’t get you. I love you, DeCarious. I’m sorry, baby. I want to be with you. I’m sorry. DeCarious, Asia needs us to be together, to be good parents. She needs to grow up with a family.”

  “I’m done. Your sorrys don’t mean anything, Adrienne. We can love our daughter and be good parents. We can come up with some type of arrangement. I’m hanging up.”

  I hated him. I was steaming mad. I didn’t want a divorce. I knew I had made a mistake, told some untruths, but this was not the way I wanted everything to end. I wanted to remain Mrs. DeCarious Simmons. I wanted to live in Atlanta, have my family and my good life.

  I called him back six times before he answered. I’d show him the thug gangster in me.

  “What do you want, Adrienne? Didn’t I tell you, if it’s not about my daughter, don’t call me.”

  “DeCarious, all I want to tell you is that you are stuck with me. You want to get rid of me, then pay half.”

  “Half? I’m getting an annulment, and I’m going to be done with your ass.”

  “Not if I don’t sign. Whatever, nigga, please. Get the fuck out of here. Okay, go jump off a bridge somewhere.”

  “Damn, I should have listened to my mom. She told me not to marry your ass.”

  “Maybe you should have. But if you really think you’re going to get a restraining order on me, kick me out of the house, and I’m going to take that shit lying down, you must be crazy.”

  “No, you are crazy, Adrienne!”

  “DeCarious, shut up. I think you just punched me in the eye and I need millions to keep quiet before I go to the media.”

  “So you would lie on me?”

  “Why not? What do I have to lose? It is not a lie—you pushed me the other night.”

  “I pushed you off me as you attacked me.”

  “A push is a push. I’m going to need hush money.”

  “I should have known better. You are the dumbest bitch I know.”

  “I don’t care. You’re not going to see your daughter until you get that paperwork right.”

  “I’m gonna see my daughter. Watch. I’m gonna see her.”

  “I bet you won’t, DeCarious. Fuck you. Pay me, bitch. That house is mine. So are those cars. Everything you own is mine. I’m taking half, bitch! I am not playing. I will make shit up and get the media and say you beat me,” I said as I hung up the phone. He kept calling back and I didn’t answer. I had four voice mails. They were all hang-ups. The last one he must have been talking to Rock in the background because I heard him say, “She is going to make me kill her. I swear on my mama and daddy. She is playing with my life.”

  I called him back. “DeCarious, dumb ass, make sure the phone is off before you start running your mouth. I just got your message that you just left about killing me.”

  Chapter 61

  Zakiya

  Jabril invited me out to the Kyle Davis Jr. celebrity charity weekend in LA. If I’m with him then I can’t accuse him of cheating. He was making up for all the rumors, and dumb blogs. Bril bought me a new Mercedes-Benz and took me to Hawaii. He is just doing everything right. He loves me.

  It was so much pressure being with him. I loved Jabril, but I was getting tired of people telling me how lucky I was that he was so good to me. I was good to him. Or how lucky I was that he was rich, or how my baby was going to have everything and I would never have anything to worry about in my life. Which was not really true. I was not going to live off Jabril. I was going to do something with myself as soon as I had the baby. I could at least take online classes. I couldn’t just be Jabril’s girlfriend or baby mom the rest of my life.

  I didn’t really think he was cheating on me. I knew he loved me, but it was just hard. Adrienne explained to me that those women didn’t matter, and if they did, they would be where I’m at. She said I had to be confident and know that Jabril loved me, and I knew that. Plus she told me to stay off the Internet, and I tried my best.

  “Zakiya, you packed yet?” Claudette yelled down the hall. I texted Bril and told him I couldn’t wait to see him. He texted me back that he missed me, too. He was flying straight from Phoenix where they had played the Suns.

  “No.”

  “The car will be here in a few minutes. Hurry up.”

  The
black Lincoln Town Car drove us to the airport. The driver took our luggage and handed it to the skycap and checked us in at the curb. We had plenty of time before our flight so we went to eat at Chili’s.

  “So, you excited to go to LA?” Claudette asked.

  “I used to live there.”

  “Yeah, I did think Bril mentioned that to me.” I liked Claudette. She treated me like a daughter.

  It was nice coming back to Los Angeles. It was a different experience this time. Our limo met us at the airport and whisked us right away to the hotel. Jabril had already arrived and had flowers waiting for me and Claudette.

  I called Elena immediately.

  “Elena, I’m in town.”

  “You should come up to the store,” she said, and we headed out.

  When we walked in the store, I said, “See, I told you I’d be back,” as I gave Elena a hug.

  Claudette said hi. She was mad because the mall didn’t have any high-end stores. “How long before she gets off, because they don’t have a Saks in this mall.”

  “She is almost off.”

  We all went shopping on Rodeo Drive. It was one of the best times—I was happy I had money and I could buy whatever I wanted.

  After our shopping trip, Jabril took me to a party. It was good to relax and I was meeting all these celebrities. They were excited to meet Jabril, and then he would introduce them to me. Everyone touched my stomach and wished us luck and said that we made a beautiful couple.

  Jabril was back on the road. Claudette was going back to New Jersey and I was going back to Okalahoma to be all alone again. I came in and Wendell brought my bags up. I called Adrienne and she said she would call me back. So then I checked in on Lisa, Miles, and Kyle.

  “How are things going?”

  “Good.”

  “Where are the boys?”

  “Asleep. You know it’s late and they have school tomorrow. They kept me on as permanent at my job, so I’m no longer a temp. I have benefits and I got a raise.”

  “That is so good.”

  “Yup, I’m so happy. So I can’t talk long. I have to get ready for work.”

  “Well, tell my nephews I love them.”

  “I will, and Aunt Tina said call her.”

  “Just give her my number.”

  After talking to Lisa I was tired. I turned on the television to see what was on. Not much. I turned my computer on. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be looking at pictures but I couldn’t help it. I went to Skirts on the Scene. I went on a few pages but I didn’t see pictures of us. And then on the fourth page, I clicked on the picture to make it bigger and couldn’t believe what I was viewing on my screen.

  The pictures they had of us online looked awful. I looked huge. My eyes looked like they had dark rings under them. My eyes didn’t look crazy like these pictures, and my nose wasn’t that big. They took the pictures from the worst possible angles. I looked so ugly. Pictures lie, I thought. All weekend everyone said how cute I looked. I logged on to the Web site. I scrolled down. The first comment was in large caps and read,

  Ballerchick202

  HATED IT HATED IT HATED IT. She need to go . . . .

  Stevebaby288

  What does he see in her . . . she is going to have a monster baby.

  There were all these comments dogging us. They had a zoom-in of my feet and said I had a corn. What the hell? Every comment was about how I didn’t deserve to be with him because I was so ugly. I had to go look at myself in the mirror. Did I really look that bad? I held a second mirror up. I didn’t look like that picture. Then I turned my face to the side. My nose was bigger. But I was still cute. Fuck it, I had to go online and defend myself. It was like cyber mean girls. They kept picking on me and I didn’t even know them. First comment I wrote: They are a real cute couple. All y’all must be haters. Then the second comment: I think she is the bomb. Her hair and makeup are the bomb. Look at her bag—it costs at least $2,500. Where’s yours?

  Chapter 62

  Cherise

  There had to be a fire in the building. That was the only explanation for why someone would be knocking on my door in the morning. I put on my slippers and robe and ran to the door. I looked through the peephole and saw DeCarious. What the hell? I opened the door. “Yes?”

  “Can I come in?”

  “No, it is four in the morning. What are you doing, knocking on my door this time of the night? You can’t just come around here. It’s been two months—you don’t know if I have company.” I stepped outside the door.

  “Do you have company?” I detected a little bit of jealousy.

  “No, I don’t, but you can’t just show up at my house whenever you feel like it.”

  “I just came to tell you you were right, Cherise. I was wrong. I was so wrong. I love you. I handled us wrong. I should have come to you like a man and told you how I was feeling. You are my soul mate, my best friend, the only woman I should have married. I never met anyone like you. You handle your own business. You are just perfect. I used to tell you that all the time. You are so beautiful and smart. I love you. I need you, Cherise. I want to be with you.” I smelled alcohol and I was not impressed with DeCarious’s drunken rant.

  “DeCarious, are you drunk?” I asked, looking at him intently.

  “No . . . well, all I had was two drinks. That’s all. But that doesn’t matter. Did you hear me, Cherise? I love you. I want you. I need you. I’m sorry about all of this. I want to make it up to you.” DeCarious then pulled me to him.

  “Tell me you love me. Look at me, Cherise. Tell me you love me, too, Cherise.” I wanted to tell him that I loved him. I wanted to, but I just couldn’t. I was too hurt and facing too many emotions at once. I knew he would be back and I loved him. I prayed for this. I hoped and wished for him to come back. I wanted him to come back unmarried and ready to commit to me, but I didn’t like the way he left. He left me hurt, alone, confused, ashamed. He lied to me and left without thinking about how I would feel.

  “DeCarious, I can’t do this right now. Maybe we can get together and talk at another time.” I went back inside and closed the door. He knocked on the door and I told him to go away. Why was he doing this? Why now?

  “Please open up this door, Cherise. I need you. I’m sorry,” he said, whimpering. I walked away from the door. I was not going to let him in. I couldn’t believe what was going on. And then he began to knock hard on my door. Each knock made my heart hurt. First it was a pat that turned into a boom boom boom. I couldn’t ignore the knocks.

  I walked back to the door and screamed, “DeCarious, I need you to leave! I’m not opening the door for you.”

  The knocking stopped and then I heard footsteps trailing down the hall and then the fire escape door open.

  I sighed. As much as I wanted to pick up the telephone and call him and tell him to come back, I wouldn’t and I couldn’t. Instead I dialed Toni.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “DeCarious just came to my house drunk.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I wouldn’t let him in.” As soon as I completed my sentence, I heard another call coming in. “That’s him calling. What should I do?”

  “Just hear what he has to say and tell me what he said in the morning.”

  I answered the call. “Yes.”

  “Please hear me out, Cherise.” I wanted to hang up, but I listened.

  “I know you think I’ve been drinking, but I know what I’m talking about right now. Cherise, I am so in love with you. I know I messed up with you. But I will do whatever it takes to be with you. There hasn’t been one day that went by that I haven’t thought about you. Cherise, there is no other woman for me. I know I messed up. I know I fucked up. I love you.”

  “You love me? If you loved me you wouldn’t have married another woman. If you loved me you would have been there for me. You left me, DeCarious. You left me. You made that decision and now we have to live with what you did.”

  “Can I come to you, Cherise
? Please? I need you, Cherise.”

  “No, you don’t need me. Stop lying. Go wherever you’ve been all these months. You left me. You left me. I had to go all this time wondering what I did wrong.”

  “I know you are hurting. I hurt you when you loved me. I wasn’t used to someone loving me without wanting something in return. I don’t want to be with her. I just thought she was pregnant.”

  “DeCarious, it’s too late. I don’t want to ever hear from you in life. Your daughter’s mom ruined you. You don’t know what love is,” I said as I hung up the phone and began crying uncontrollably the rest of the night.

  I had a hard time concentrating at work the next day. DeCarious had been calling nonstop. It wasn’t flattering. Instead of having a forgiving heart I was angry. I was so very mad. Now that I was strong and I could look the other way, he wanted to come back.

  Chapter 63

  Adrienne

  If me, Asia, and DeCarious weren’t going to be a family, then he wasn’t going to see his daughter. And I was going to take all his money and destroy him. He was going to regret the day he ever met me. Angelique gave me this real good attorney’s number. Her name was Holly Byrne.

  I took the elevator up to the ninth floor. Ms. Byrne greeted me herself. She had a decent size office, but said she was short-staffed today. She invited me back to her junky office. It was a mess—boxes and stacks of paper in every direction.

  “So, what’s going on?” she said as she sat down and began to look in a small compact and layer her outer eye with black eyeliner. Something about her was very masculine and hard, and I couldn’t believe she was applying makeup, but I began speaking anyway.

  “Well, my husband is trying to get our marriage annulled as well as take custody of our daughter, and doesn’t want to pay me any alimony or spousal support.”