by B. M. Hardin
I felt like I was going to be sick! I was wrapped in so much anger that I’d started to sweat and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.
“Close your mouth and breathe through your nose. Focus on breathing. You can never trust a man. I learned that a long time ago. I’d let your father lie to me for years, knowing that he was lying about his wife and kids. Still, I convinced myself that he was telling the truth. I convinced myself that he was dealing with me because he loved me. I loved him. But I was just something, someone for him to use. Once I got pregnant, I saw who he really was.”
Hell I didn’t know what to say. All I knew was that I’d kidnapped the wrong person. It should have been Elroy in those chains. I swear had I known all of this, I would have tortured him to death by now!
And I’d married him? How stupid was I?
“I’m being completely honest with you. I have no reason to lie. Do you have my phone? Has it had a call from an Emily? That’s the fake name that I have in my phone for your father, just in case Elroy went through my phone. I always erase my messages, so that Elroy can’t see them, but your father calls me from his other phone. The one that I have saved as Emily. Anytime I needed to reach him, he would say to call that phone and not the other one.”
Her phone was outside in my purse, so I left her there to go get it. I just wanted to check her story. Before going back in, I checked her phone. Emily had called a few times since I’d had her locked away but of course I never answered. I just assumed that it was one of her friends calling for her. I called the number.
I waited for someone to answer it, but they didn’t.
I headed to the messages. There were only two, from recently, and they simply asked if she’d gotten rid of the baby yet because his wife couldn’t find out.
No! She was telling the truth!
My father was a liar! And a cheat!
And oh you just wait until I get a hold of Elroy! Ohhhh! Both of them were going to get it!
Just as I headed back in, my phone started to ring.
Speaking of my lying as husband now!
“Baby where you at? I just woke up looking for you.”
“I went to the store. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Hurry up. I miss you. Love you.”
Through clinched teeth I mumbled, “I love you too.”
This was exactly what I get! I should have left him alone, but oh no, I just had to have Elroy! I would do anything to have Elroy! Kidnap a pregnant lady to have Elroy! He was the love of my life and no one would ever treat me better and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! He was a lying scumbag that’s what he was! And now look at all of this mess I’ve created!
I had my father’s pregnant mistress, locked in a basement, telling me all of the things that I didn’t want to hear about two of the most important men in my life. The one man that was my hero, turned out to be a huge disappointment. And the man that I was in love with, well, he ain’t shit!
Now this is what you called karma! For all of the evil, grimy things that I have done, I guess one would say that I deserved this. I deserved to have found out that I really had been played. And now what? What was I supposed to do about Kera? She knew exactly who I was. What was I supposed to do? And where in the hell is Nate!
I texted him before heading back down to the basement. Kera was waiting for me. She just sat there and stared at me.
I guess I could find a way to get out of this. If she really wasn’t a singer and if my father really cut her off, she didn’t have a job, and eventually would need money. Maybe writing her a check could make all of this go away. This whole kidnapping mess never happened. Folks could say what they wanted to say, but money talks. And when money was involved, folks were liable to do and accept anything. I hoped that she would.
“You did this because Elroy wanted me didn’t you?”
I nodded. I might as well be honest.
“You really love him don’t you?”
I didn’t move or bother to answer her question.
“To be completely honest, I don’t want him. I just didn’t want to raise my baby alone. I do have love for him, but it isn’t what it should be. Not what it used to be. After all, he married you. You should have him. Just let me go.”
“But you said that there was probably something behind it. Behind him marrying me.”
“Only because I know Elroy. And I know what he told me. But he could have been lying. He always lies. Maybe he really does love you. Maybe he doesn’t. You’ll never know. That slick talking snake can get a person to believe anything. I know him and still fall for his lies from time to time. Just keep your eye on him is all that I can say.”
I had a headache. I didn’t really know what to say to her. I didn’t really know what to do.
“So you knew who I was at the sandwich shop too?”
“Of course. I just played along. I didn’t think you were going to kidnap me. I knew that you were just probing for truth and answers. I’d done the same thing with your mother once.”
“What?”
“Yep. I approached her at a store after following your father home one day. She was sweet. I saw her leave their house and go to a store. I started a casual conversation and complimented her on her ring. She then told me about her happy marriage and wonderful husband of thirty years. I wanted to tell her. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t tell her the truth. That was around the time that I started back dealing with Elroy after that. I should have never dealt with your father again. He begged and I fell for it. And now I’m pregnant and he doesn’t have a care in the world. He certainly doesn’t care about me.”
I didn’t comment. Well, she couldn’t tell her. But I’m telling!
“So are you going to ask me?”
I looked at her confused.
“Are you going to ask me what it’s going to take to keep me quiet about all of this? Are you going to ask me how all of this goes away? If you were going to kill me, you would have done it a long time ago. The way I see it is, if you write a big enough check, this never even happened. Me and my baby will be out of your way and trust me, you, Elroy, or your father will never see me again,” she said and I could tell in her eyes that she meant exactly what she’d said.
Well, at least we were on the same page.
~***~
I flinched as Elroy touched me.
“Baby, what’s wrong with you?”
What’s wrong with me? I’m disgusted with you, you bastard! That’s what’s wrong! But I didn’t say it aloud.
“Nothing, I’m just not feeling too good,” I said to him which was partly the truth. The other part was that I was tired of pretending that I wanted him around me. I didn’t.
It had been a while, weeks, since I’d written Kera that hundred thousand dollar check, and set her free from the basement. Nate pulled up to us both getting into my car to head to the bank. He looked confused and played as though he didn’t know what was going on. I pretended as though he was the maintenance man and as we pulled off, I told him that I needed him to clear out some stuff in the basement. He called me later that day and I filled him in.
And guess what? The mysterious calls completely stopped. They called a few times that same day, but since that night, since Kera had been back home, I hadn't had one private phone call. But oh well, that part of my misplaced revenge was over. I was on to something new.
I knew that Kera wasn’t going to go to the police. Once she took that check out of my hand, I knew that she was just glad that she’d made it out of the situation alive. She’d said that it could have been worse. I really could have been his revengeful wife, and because of their transgressions, she could have been dead by now.
She told me that her first stop was to get to the doctor to check on the baby. She was actually showing now and I was just amazed that the baby hadn't died.
She’d said that she had no plans on contacting Elroy. I could tell that the fact that he’d married me, in spite of, bothered her. She
’d said that it didn’t, but I was sure that it did. And once she saw the messages that I’d sent him, all she said was that she would continue to let him believe that she was gone. She’d said that she’d spent enough years fooling with a married man already, and now that Elroy was married to me, she definitely wasn’t going through that again.
Kera said that she never wanted to see or hear from my father again. But I damn sure wasn’t going to let him just get away with what he’d done to my mama!
She didn’t deserve it. Any woman that had ten of a man’s kids, cooked and washed his drawers for over thirty years, deserved the world and I’ll be damned if I let him continue to do her wrong. He was going to pay and so was Elroy.
“Okay, I’ll run out and get you something,” he said and I didn’t bother to respond. I wouldn’t care if he’d left and never came back. I wasn’t just going to let this go. I’d forgiven him for the things that I’d known about, but I hadn't known that he was lying about everything. I didn’t know that he’d become a part of my family just to be spiteful and keep tabs on my father for his lover. It was just sickening if you asked me! And he’d been married before, twice! Everything about him was just one big lie.
Thinking about it, I called Dion.
“Did you know that Elroy was married to your wife?” I asked him passing all of the causalities.
He breathed heavily.
“Yes.”
Wow! And he didn’t tell me?
“You could have told me Dion! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I promised my wife that I wouldn’t. I promised that I would stay out of it.”
I just felt deceived. And by everyone around me. Everyone that I loved.
“I didn’t know at first either. I only found out because…”
I waited for him to finish.
“Because I’d caught them at a hotel, Serenity.”
“What? Who? Your wife and Elroy?”
The betrayal just never ends!
“Yes. I’d followed her and knocked on the door. She thought that I was him and opened up, asking him if he’d brought a condom. I started going insane and Elroy pulled up but when he saw me, he sped off.”
Why wouldn’t he tell me about this?
“I asked how long it had been going on and she told me that it would have been the first time if they’d had sex, since they’d gotten a divorce. She explained that they were married before and why they divorced. I’d known that she’d been married before but she never told me his name. She had been married to Elroy. We fussed. We fought. We talked about it and she’d said that she hadn't known what she was thinking. She’d said at your house, that barbeque that he’d thrown that time for your birthday; she’d said that they’d had words and slightly reminisced. They’d decided to meet. She’d said that she wasn’t sure how he’d gotten her to agree to it, but before she knew it, they were making plans to meet up at the hotel. But luckily I’d gotten there when I did.”
Oh, Elroy was a slick-talking little something, so I could only imagine what magic he’d whispered in her ear to get her panties wet and miss old times! And on my birthday! That disrespectful, no good, two-timing waste of human flesh! And he was going to get what was coming to him! I could promise you that!
Hell wasn’t anywhere near as hot as I was at that moment! I was mad at everybody. I was even mad at myself.
“Long story short, I forgave her. And she asked me to leave well enough alone. She asked me not to tell you. I love her. Call me a fool, but I love her. And I wanted my marriage to work. She’s the mother of my kids. I forgave her and I gave her my word that I wouldn’t tell you what had happened between them. But that’s when I started to tell you that your boy wasn’t any good for you. He didn’t deserve you. He and I even came to blows one day while you were at work, but I told him out of respect for my wife, you would have to find out that he was scum all on your own.”
Dion talked for a few more minutes and then I hung up on him without even saying goodbye. No matter what the excuse was. He could’ve told me. He allowed me to be Elroy’s fool and stood by and said nothing. Just like Elroy stood by and let my father have an affair and said nothing. He never dropped any hints. But then again why would he? He was in love with the woman that my father had been sleeping with on the side.
Crying, I had to get out of the house. I hadn't been back to work and my vacation was over. I’d told my father that I’d needed to take a leave of absence from work for a little while. It damn near killed me to even speak to him without calling him out on his wrong. But I was still going to make it to court for Nate’s son though. For him I had to keep my word. And besides, I’d found something that might help the case, which meant I might really walk away with a win.
I hadn't even told anyone that Elroy and I had gotten married. Well, except for Kera. I didn’t really want to either. I didn’t want to claim him as my husband. I just wanted his lying ass to go away! Funny, I’d gotten just what I’d wanted, only to find that I wished that I could take my hand in marriage back.
Knowing that my father was at work, I got up, got dressed and headed to my parent’s house. I left my phone at home on purpose because I didn’t want Elroy to call and ask where I was. I didn’t want him to call me at all!
“Knock knock,” I said walking in.
“Long time, no see stranger,” my mother said and gave me a hug. I kissed my grandma on the forehead and then took a seat.
“You two the only ones here?” I asked, looking around.
“Yes why?”
My grandmother stared at me.
“Well, it’s something I should share. Elroy and I got married,” I said in a tone that didn’t sound as enthusiastic as it should have.
“What!” My mama screamed and jumped to her feet. Surprisingly, my grandmother just sat there. I thought that of all people, she would be the most excited.
“When? Where? Is that why you’ve been hiding?”
“We flew to Mexico, and just did it.”
My mother squealed over the ring and the fact that I was now also wearing a band.
“Congratulations baby!” she said and kissed my cheek.
“Yes, congratulations are in order…twice,” my grandmother said. I looked at her confused.
“You my dear are pregnant,” she said.
Oh, I sure hope…not! But I had the feeling that I was too. This should have been the happiest moments of my life and yet I felt like jumping off a bridge; or pushing someone off of one. Elroy in particularly.
I started to cry and at first they thought they were tears of joy, but soon they figured out that they weren’t.
“What is it Serenity?”
I tried to figure out if it was best for me to tell them the truth about Elroy and about my father. Or maybe I should just keep my mouth shut.
“I made a mistake,” I sobbed. Neither of them asked questions. They waited for me to continue.
“Mama there’s something that I have to tell you,” I said, hoping that if nothing else, she would believe me. She deserved to know, and I was going to tell her.
“Daddy has been having an affair. And she’s pregnant…too,” I confessed. She looked at me and so did my grandmother.
“I know,” she said.
What? Huh?
“I’ve known for a while, that he was having an affair but there’s nothing I can do about it. But she’s pregnant? Really? I didn’t know that she was pregnant,” Mama said ashamed.
“Yes there is. There is something that you can do about it. I can help you take his ass for everything that he has,” I said. My father was definitely a better lawyer than I was, but for my mother, I would fight him with everything in me. I had always been a Daddy’s girl, but since I’d found out that he had been lying and cheating on my mama, I’d switched sides. For good.
“It’s not just about the money Serenity. It’s about the shame. I’ve always bent over backwards to keep your father happy. I’ve given him all of me, everything,
for over thirty years. And still he was unfaithful. And let’s not forget that I’m older. What am I going to do out there? I surely can’t start over, dating and all of that. It’s just too much. He’s all that I know. Your father was my first, and my only,” she said sadly.
Men make me sick!
They could have everything. Everything! A woman that loved them. A woman that cooked for them and cleaned for them and bent over backwards for them. A woman who didn’t mind spitting out their babies and still it wouldn’t be enough. It was never enough to keep their friendly dicks in their pants! My mother’s situation just fueled my burning fire of anger. And when you’re playing with fire, you are sure to get burned!
“So you’re just going to roll over and take it?”
My grandmother waited for her answer as well.
“He’s my husband Serenity. I took those vows. Until death do us part.”
Death. Now I liked the sound of that!
~***~
Of course I wasn’t going to try to kill my father, no matter how much I hated him for his infidelity. But Elroy, now, he was a different story. He was my husband and I could kill him if I wanted to.
I shook my head as I pulled up at Kera’s house. She was going to be surprised that I was the one knocking on her front door, but yet again, I’d found myself in a desperate situation.
And this time, I had a feeling that she could help.
The last week or so had been horrible for me in so many ways. I was pregnant, and not exactly happy about it. I wanted to be pregnant; but I no longer wanted to be pregnant by Elroy. I hadn't told him yet, and I didn’t plan to. He wouldn’t be around to see the baby anyway. Every time he spoke to me, I had to keep from rolling my eyes. And every time he touched me, I wanted to vomit. Especially since he had mentioned a life insurance policy. Kera was right. I couldn’t believe it but she was right on the money. She knew him as well as she’d thought that she did and she knew that he was up to something and she was right. Elroy had said that since we were married now, we needed to get a policy together and become each other’s beneficiaries. Bullshit! I could only assume, with what Kera had said, that maybe Elroy really did need money and maybe he had plans on getting rid of me. So I had beat him to the punch. And I wasn’t sad, not even a little bit about getting rid of him indefinitely. Hell, he didn’t love me the way that I loved him anyway. I already knew that Kera was the one that really had his heart. I was just his back-up plan. And he’d played me and was trying to play me again. But the joke was on him. I wasn’t signing a damn thing! Except for a check to pay for his coffin!