“So listen, my friend, Tim, has an extra ticket to see Cedric the Entertainer on February 12th. He asked if I wanted to go and I said yeah.”
Okay, that was what this was all about. My intuition was spot on. I knew he had something up his sleeve. This was all a setup for this shit right here. But it wasn’t about to go down like he may have thought it would. I’d be damned.
“Ty, what kind of fool do you take me for?” I blasted. “I am so tired of your shit! All you do is insult my intelligence and it is way past tiresome! How. The. Hell. Do you think I would be okay with you going to a damn comedy show for Valentine’s Day?! And with a muthafucking homeboy? Not to mention the comedy show is being promoted as a couple’s event!”
“Man, I’m not going on Valentine’s Day though. Hell, if you don’t believe me I can take a pic of Tim and me when we get there.”
Oh my God! I swear he says some of the most stupid shit ever! He was so lucky that I was pregnant because if I weren’t, his ass would have just gotten molly-whopped!
“Muthafucka, please! Ain’t nobody stupid! Unless you and Tim are on the down low, which I doubt, this is a double date. You can take pictures all day long because all you have to do is have your bitches to step back. Shit on the cool, they will probably be the ones to take the picture! So try again!”
Ty paced back and forth in our bedroom. Apparently, he wasn’t prepared for my reaction, which was crazy because he should have been. Every time he came at me with stupid shit, I shut his ass down. So why did he think this time would be any different? I just didn’t understand anymore. How could a man that was all about his family suddenly be so consumed with a bitch that would give it away to the highest bidder?
“Presley, why is it every time I want to do something, you have a problem?” he roared.
“It’s a problem because you think I’m ignorant and naïve to what is going on! First, you wanted to attend a damn New Year’s Eve party where you claim your customer’s wife would not be there. Now you want me to believe that you are going to a comedy show with just you and your homeboy. Nah, patna! Tell that bitch you can’t go to this either and I hope she didn’t pre-order the tickets without getting my approval first!”
“I’m tired of this shit Presley!” he ranted while grabbing his keys. “I’ll be back!”
“Oh, what? You gotta go call her and tell her you can’t come out to play that night? Well, tell her you can come if you can stay with her when it’s over!”
“Oh, don’t challenge me on that because she has BEEN wanting me to move in with her! So, you might not wish to do that,” he boasted.
“Bitch WHAT?!” I screamed. I grabbed a candle from my nightstand and threw it at him. I barely missed his head as he dodged the flailing bottle of wax. I was livid. How dare he throw that shit up in my face? “You got some damn nerve to say that shit to me! Oh, so the bitch been wanting you to move in with her? A’ight! Carry yo’ ass over there then! She can have your ass! I guarantee you that when she gets your ass over there with her full time she will want to send you right back over here!”
By now, I’d made my way into the living room. I noticed a bottle of water on the table. I snatched it up and chucked it at him hitting him in the middle of the back.
“Presley, shit! Stop throwing things at me! I’m sorry; I didn’t mean what I said. I was just mad,” he begged.
“Fuck you! Don’t try to retract that shit now! You said what you meant and you meant what you said! Okay, so now I know she’s been hassling you to leave me! And that is the kind of woman you want? A chick that is fine with you turning your back on your family so that she can have you all to herself? So you cool with the fact that she doesn’t give a damn about you being in your kids’ life! That says a lot about yo’ dumb ass, too!”
“Presley, please! If I wanted to leave you, I could have done that way before now! It’s been almost a year!”
I didn’t even dignify him with a response. I rushed into the kitchen to grab my hammer. Meanwhile, Ty scurried out of the door before I get close enough to hurt him. He was lucky I couldn’t move as fast as I used to with this stomach. Harper had saved his life! Otherwise, I would have beat his ass into mush!
Ty came back to the house a couple of hours later, which was a good thing because I needed time to cool off. By the time he came back home I had gotten in bed. Apparently, he was still feeling some kind of way due the way he threw his keys on the dining table. He slammed them down with such force it woke me out of my slumber. The temptation to get up and start some more shit eluded me as sleep held me captive. I would have to let this battle pass on by. Besides, he could be mad all he wanted. Hell, I preferred it. Why should I be the only upset all of the time?
Harper couldn’t come quick enough for me. Yep, I decided to name my little bundle Harper Tyrone Chambers. He already had such a cute little personality, so now he had a name. However, I was so ready to push him out. I was limited as to what I could and couldn’t do because of my pregnancy. Outside of tonight, I hadn’t acted a fool in a while and I was long overdue.
Anyway, Valentine’s Day came and went. Needless to say, Ty didn’t go to the comedy show. But he didn’t do anything for me on that day either. As a matter of fact, I didn’t receive my diamond earrings I was expecting. He did, however, give me a peck on the cheek followed by a dry Happy V-Day.
A few days later, I noticed he came in the house wearing a brand new watch. This bastard had his nerves! I know damn well he didn’t bring his ass in here sporting a watch when he hadn’t gotten me anything for Valentine’s Day. Ty was obviously in a cheerful mood when he strutted through the door.
“Heeey, whatchu cooking? It smells good up in here!”
“Oxtails, rice and gravy with collard greens and yams,” I replied. “Umm. What’s that?”
“Oh, this? Oh, this my new watch I got on sale,” he answered.
“Oh yeah? On sale for how much?”
“About sixty dollars. Why all the damn questions?” he snapped. “What? You have a problem with me buying myself something nice?”
I heard what he said, but my instincts were telling me he didn’t buy that watch… she did. It baffled me as to how little he thought I paid attention to him. Tyrone never purchased jewelry for himself. I always did that for him. He knew how to pick the most beautiful pieces for me, but when it came to himself, he didn’t have a clue. I had purchased every piece of jewelry for him, including his watches! My gut was telling me Kadeema had bought that cheap shit for him. I positioned myself right in front of him so I could look into his eyes.
“So, you don’t buy me anything for Valentine’s Day, but you go and buy yourself a sixty dollar watch? Please tell me how on earth does this make sense in your mind, Ty?”
“Man, whatever!” he fumed. “I didn’t have enough money to get you what I wanted and you know you have expensive taste. So I was gonna hook you up later. Damn!”
“That is such bullshit!” I popped my lips. “YOUR taste is expensive! I don’t just have to have bank-breaking gifts! But you could have gotten me something! Anything to let me know you care about ME! Instead, you go and buy yourself a damn watch!” I chuckled at the thought of how stupid he looked right now.
“Whatchu laughing at?” he frowned.
“I’m laughing at you because you’re funny!” I shook my head. “Let me tell you how shit really went down. You didn’t buy me anything because you probably bought Kadeema’s hoe-ass a gift. And since you couldn’t afford buy two gifts, she was the chosen one since she bought you that watch, right?”
Ty’s facial expression confirmed my accusations. Silence filled the room as he pondered his next response. He knew I’d figured out the situation exactly as it had taken place. He also knew if he kept talking, he would only dig himself into a deeper hole.
“Man, whatever, Presley!” He waved his hand, walking away from me.
Now that I pretty much knew the reason why he hadn’t gotten me a gift, I was beyond hurt. A
ctually, it felt more like a gut-punch. How dare he put this bitch before me? My tears stung my eyes as I realized I was becoming dangerously closer to losing my husband. It was just a matter of time. The worst part was I had no way to stop it. I could only let it run its course.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I held him down when he had no one else. All I wanted was forever with him. I thought we were on the same page until we weren’t. I wanted to be the only woman in his life, not number one. See, being number one still allowed for more to follow and that wouldn’t work for me. Hell at this point, I wasn’t even number one on his roster….she was!
Chapter Sixteen: Chase
Time was ticking and I was growing more anxious with each passing day. Ty hadn’t called me since he informed me of his affair. I’d tried to call him a few times just to see if anything new had happened, but he always seemed too damn preoccupied to speak with me. There was no doubt in my mind that he was too busy running up in Kadeema’s old bum-ass.
Nevertheless, if I couldn’t get in touch with my brother, I would have to be a little more direct. I’d call Presley and feel her out a bit. She may or may not speak to me about all of this, but all I could do was try. Presley didn’t care for me because she felt I had too much of an influence on my little brother. Yeah, I had these hoes literally coming and going, but I never persuaded Ty to step out on his wife and jeopardize his family. He did that shit all on his own and I was going to reap the benefit of it.
Honestly, Presley was the total package. Far be it for me to understand such a dumb move on Ty’s end. Yeah, the same could be said about me, but the difference was I always knew I could mind-fuck another woman as soon as I fired another one. Ty, on the other hand, would only get this chance once in his life. The funny thing was, Ty actually possessed all of the qualities of a successful playa and he wasn’t even aware of it. My brother had a great sense of humor. He engaged in conversation and actually listened as if he enjoyed it. He was also free with his pocketbook. Now that is where we were different. I didn’t give a shit about making a chick laugh and I wasn’t shelling out no damn money! My regal looks and long dick were enough to make these women lose themselves in me.
In hindsight, if Ty would take the time to assert himself he’d be blocking panties all day, every day. However, the one thing he lacked was self-confidence. Tyrone wasn’t a bad looking dude. After all, he was my brother. But everything about him screamed regular. That’s why he didn’t deserve Presley. She needed to be with someone who complimented her just as much as she did them. I would be that person.
I dialed her number and waited to hear her angelic voice.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sis-in-law. How you doing?”
“Hmph, I could be better all things considered,” she huffed.
“I feel you. Where’s my brother at?” I asked, already knowing the answer to my question. I’d called him moments before I called Presley just so I would know if he was at home or out doing his thang. Like usual, he rushed me off the phone, which worked in my favor. That way I could speak with Presley freely.
“I don’t know where he is,” she fumed. “You tell me! Hell, I’m sure he’s somewhere laid up with that bitch!”
Part of me felt sorry for Presley. Here she was pregnant and dealing with unnecessary bullshit from my brother. Again, he didn’t deserve her at all!
“Aww, c’mon. Don’t say that. You know my brother loves you,” I assured her.
“Really, Chase?! Is this how you treat someone you love?” she sobbed. “This baby can come any minute and all Tyrone can think of is how many times he can get his dick wet before the baby comes! From what I hear, Kadeema will open her legs for anyone who flashes a smile. That’s the kind of chick he wants though.”
By now, Presley was hysterical. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn. I needed to redirect the conversation.
“Presley, please calm down. This isn’t good for you or the baby,” I reminded her. “Besides, I really don’t think you have much to worry about. Ty’s heart is 60 percent with you and only 40 percent with her. You can get your husband back, trust me.”
“So…is that what he told you?! You’ve discussed this shit in that much detail?! I’ve been married to this bastard for nine damn years and all I get is a funky ass sixty percent?? Why the FUCK would you say that to me right now?”
Shit! I should have kept my damn mouth shut! Unintentionally, I had made the situation worse.
“No, no, no! That was just my analogy of how I perceive the situation to be…”
“Well, who gives a damn about how YOU perceive the situation to be?! I’m the one over here going through hell day in and day out! Everyone keeps telling me he’s just going through something. Well, what about… OW!” she blurted.
“Presley? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” I quizzed.
“Oh my God! I’m bleeding! Chaase… it hurts! Oh my God, my baby!”
Shit! Maybe I shouldn’t have called her with this. I was actually excited about her having this baby. Mainly, because I pretended the baby was mine and she and I would raise him together. The last thing I wanted was to be the reason why she lost him. This was no time to think negative. The opportunity had presented itself for me to gain Presley’s trust and that is exactly what I was going to do.
“Presley, sweetheart, just breathe,” I coached. “I’m gonna call Ty. I’ll call you right back.”
“Okay. Okay,” she breathed through her contractions.
Disconnecting the call, I frantically threw on my Nike sweats, matching Nike Elite socks and my slides. I never had any intentions of calling Ty. He wasn’t concerned any damn way. If he were, he wouldn’t have left her alone in the first place. Everything was all good. Uncle C-Low was going to be there for the delivery while his trifling ass daddy lay somewhere getting a nut.
Presley and I arrived at Memorial Hermann in the Medical Center in just enough time to be escorted to a delivery suite. During all of the commotion, Presley never thought to call my brother on her own. That worked in my favor. Otherwise, she may have gotten in touch with him.
My heart sank for her. I knew she was terribly afraid of doing this without Ty. I was vulnerable when it came to her. All I wanted to do was hold her and tell her how much I loved her, but this wasn’t the time for that. I had to play my cards right.
“Presley, I’m gonna give you some privacy and step outside. You don’t need me all up in your business like that,” I joked.
Her eyes filled with terror as she grabbed my hand.
“No! Chase, please don’t leave me. I can’t do this alone,” she pleaded. “I can’t believe he didn’t answer your call. I’m so mad I could scream.”
“Shhh,” I patted her hand. “You can worry about his ass later. Right now, it’s time to tell Harper Happy Birthday.”
Just as Presley was preparing for her first push, Tyrone flew into the room like a bat out of hell.
“Oh my God, Ty!” she whimpered. “What took you so long? Chase tried to call you, I called you, and when you didn’t answer, I left a message.”
My brother’s stare pierced right through me as he realized I had never called him.
“Babe, I told you I had a pressure washing job to do. You know I can’t hear my phone when I’m working,” he reminded her. “But I’m here now. Let’s do this!”
“I’ll be in the waiting room. Don’t worry, I’ll call mom and let her you know what’s going on.”
Not taking the time to lift his head, Ty simply replied, “Yeah, you do that.”
The reddening of Ty’s face, the flaring of his nostrils, and clenched teeth warned me of the storm to come later. He wouldn’t give a damn about the fact that I brought his wife to the hospital before anything tragic could happen; he’d want to know why the hell I lied about calling him. I wasn’t sure of what would happen when he approached me, but I was sure I would worm my way out of it like I did with everything else.
Chapter Seventeen: K
adeema
Ugh, that damn Presley was always interfering with our time together. That bitch had a knack for knowing just when we were getting into something. Something always conveniently came up… always.
This time she left Ty a message alerting him that Chase was rushing to her to the hospital. Apparently, something was wrong with the baby and she was bleeding or some shit. When I heard that, I became excited! I know it was fucked up, but it would be perfect if she lost the baby. Then Ty could move on and I could play mommy to their two sons.
However, things didn’t go as I wanted them to. When I called Ty’s home number that evening, he told me the baby had been underweight, but healthy nonetheless. The ache in my stomach brought tears to my eyes. I was so close to having the perfect life within my reach, yet I couldn’t grab it.
Ty had been MIA since Harper’s arrival. Apparently, Presley had some minor complications that required her to stay in the hospital a few days longer. Whatever! My nerves were all over the place. I desperately needed to be reassured that he would not abandon me now that she’d had the baby. He had better not end our relationship because of that ugly ass brat! Yeah, I called it ugly. So what? It didn’t come from me, so it was ugly!
Since Chase somehow managed to escort Presley to the hospital, I just knew I would be hearing from him. His deceitful ass was always lurking around in the cut. But for some reason, I had not heard from him in over a week. That wasn’t like him to not hassle me every damn week. I made a mental note to catch up with his ass later.
Ty took the remainder of the week off from work to take care of Presley and the baby, which made me feel some kind of way, especially since he claimed not to love her anymore. That particular week at work was hell for me. The men weren’t much of a problem because I’d been involved with all of them at one time or another. The petty-ass women were my problem. All day I had to deal with whispers and disapproving stares.
His Work Wife Page 9