You're My Little Secret 3

by Chenell Parker

  After a few minutes, it got quiet again, and I was happy that they left. I turned over to my side to get more comfortable when I heard a loud crash coming from downstairs. I jumped up and grabbed my phone right before I ran into my closet. My heart was beating out of my chest as I tried to dial the police on my phone.

  “Kennedi where are you?” I heard my mother yell.

  I couldn’t believe her crazy ass. She threatened to break my door down, but I didn’t think she would actually do it. I came out of the closet and headed downstairs. I ran to my front door and saw it barely hanging from the hinges.

  “Are you crazy?” I yelled at my mother. She was standing there texting on her phone like she didn’t do anything wrong.

  “I warned you, you should have let us in,” she shrugged.

  “So you break down my fucking door because I wouldn’t let you in?” I roared.

  “You watch your mouth. The maintenance man is about to repair it. After all, he’s the one who broke it down.”

  “I can’t believe you,” I fussed with my hand on my hips.

  “And just look at you. When was the last time you combed your hair or took a shower for that matter? Have you even eaten anything lately Kennedi?”

  “No, and I don’t plan to do anything until I’m good and ready,” I flippantly replied.

  “You’re pregnant Kennedi or did you forget. I know you don’t want another miscarriage now do you?”

  “At this point, I really don’t care if I have this baby or not. I’ll be raising it by myself anyway.”

  “Don’t be stupid. This baby is a guaranteed check every month and Dominic is definitely going to pay. You’ll probably never have to work again when we’re done with his ass,” Tiffany and I both looked at her like she was crazy. Money is really all that matters to her. She can’t even be here for me during my time of need without trying to benefit financially.

  “You need to fix yourself up and get out of this house. I can put a few curls in your hair if you want me to,” Tiffany offered.

  “I don’t want to leave out of here. I’m fine,” I said trying hard to convince them.

  “You are not fine, but you were a few days ago. What happened to put you in such a bad place all of a sudden?” My mother asked.

  I wanted to answer, but the lump in my throat wouldn’t allow me to. I broke down crying before I could utter a word. Tiffany rushed to my side while my mother stood there with her usual cold blank stare.

  “It’s okay Kennedi. What happened?” Tiffany asked me. I wiped my tears and walked over to the island in my kitchen. I picked up the big brown envelope and handed it to my cousin. My mother snatched it from her grip before she even had a chance to look at it.

  “That bastard,” my mother yelled angrily when she read over everything. “So he filed for divorce and he’s the one that cheated on you?”

  “I can’t believe he’s treating you like this,” Tiffany said with a look of pity on her face.

  “I hope he’s prepared to sign away half of his company because that’s the only way you’ll be signing anything,” my mother swore.

  “I don’t want half of his company or his money, I want my husband,” I sobbed.

  “You sound like a damn fool. You are not about to beg him to be with you. He’s the one who went fishing in the gutter and came up with a rat. Let that hood rat bitch have him. All you need is for him to take care of you financially,” my mama fussed.

  “And what about my baby? He or she deserves to have a father.”

  “He’ll come around to see his baby and you know he will. You’ll have the upper hand, so you make him dance to your music,” she replied.

  “You know how much Dominic loves kids. He’ll take care of his baby, and you know that,” Tiffany reassured me.

  “Clean yourself up and let’s get out of here. We’ll continue this discussion over lunch,” my mother instructed.

  “Come on Kennedi, I’ll help you,” Tiffany offered again.

  This time, I let her lead me upstairs. We fished around in my closet until I found something suitable to wear. After taking a shower and getting dressed, Tiffany used my wand to put some loose curls in my hair. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and was satisfied with the end result.

  “I’m spending the night with you so we can give this house a good cleaning. This is really not like you Kennedi,” Tiffany said.

  I didn’t reply because she was right. My house was filthy and in need of a good cleaning. Dirty clothes are everywhere because I haven’t washed them or taken them to the cleaners. I’ve been too miserable to really do much of anything lately. When we got back downstairs, the maintenance man was done repairing my door. He probably would have been gone if my mother would have stopped flirting with him so hard. He doesn’t seem like he’s interested, but that didn’t stop her. If she loves money, so much she’s surely barking up the wrong tree with him. I know for a fact that he doesn’t even own a car.

  “I’m ready,” I announced after watching her make a damn fool out of herself.

  “How about we get us a good shrimp salad?” Tiffany suggested. We all agreed right before walking out the door and getting into my mother’s truck. I noticed that she was still holding the divorce papers that Dominic sent to me, but I didn’t say anything. We ended up going on the Lakefront to New Orleans Food and Sprits where they sell some of the best seafood salads in town.

  “I hope we don’t have to wait, I’m starving,” I complained as we pulled up. Sometimes the wait to be seated is an hour or more, and I just wasn’t for it. I’ve been starving myself for the last few days, and it’s starting to get to me. When we got out of the truck, I almost ran to the entrance I was so hungry. I quickly slowed my pace and looked on in disgust when I saw Brooklyn and her two cousins walking out along with Taylor.

  “Look at these ghetto bitches,” Tiffany mumbled when she saw them.

  “Don’t you two dare embarrass me out here,” my mother warned us as she looked up from her phone.

  They were all talking and smiling until they saw us headed in their direction. My eyes instantly traveled to Brooklyn’s stomach area, but just like me, she really isn’t showing very much. I looked in her face and instantly became angry. I just didn’t understand what was so special about her that made my husband leave our marriage for her. Taylor looked at Tiffany and smirked while Brooklyn’s cousins flat out laughed in our faces. I was about to let it go, but I just couldn’t hold my anger or my tongue any longer.

  “Is something funny?” I question with a scowl on my face.

  “Well, since you mentioned it, that weave is a hot ass mess. Take my card and hit me up. I’ll even give you the family discount if money is an issue,” Brooklyn’s cousin said as he handed me his card.

  “As if I would ever let you touch my hair,” I scoffed as I slapped it out of his hand and watched it fall to the ground.

  “Girl, you better be happy that you’re pregnant. That’s the only thing keeping me from knocking you on your ass right now. You need to let somebody touch that hair and that makeup up. Walking around here looking two-toned in the face. Bitch blend it or don’t wear it at all,” he advised referring to the foundation that I had on.

  “Let’s go Co-Co, it’s not even that serious,” Brooklyn said. Just the sound of her voice was enough to send me over the edge.

  “Bitch shut up and go tend to that ugly ass little boy of yours!” I yelled angrily. I knew right then and there that I made a huge mistake by talking about her son. As if on cue, Brooklyn rushed over to me and grabbed me by my hair. She started pummeling my face with her fist like we were in a boxing ring, and the bell sounded. I’m not a fighter, but I tried my best to keep up with her wild ass. She delivered blows to my face that would make a grown man cry. It felt like I was swinging at the wind because none of my licks landed.

  “I wish you would put your hands on her,” Taylor said when Tiffany tried to step in.

  “This doesn’t have anything
to do with you Taylor,” Tiffany yelled.

  “Anything that involves my sister-in-law has everything to do with me. And like I just said, I wish you would put your hands on her,” Taylor repeated.

  “Get your hands off of my daughter!” My mother screamed while walking over to us.

  “Don’t make me put my hands on you out here lady. Please don’t make me do it,” Candace warned, stopping my mother from intervening.

  I swung like crazy trying to get one of my licks to land anywhere on Brooklyn’s body, but it never happened. She punched me in my face and pulled my hair, all at the same time. My tracks are sewn in, but it felt like she was ripping the stitches right from my scalp.

  Against Taylor’s warning, Tiffany stepped in and tried to pull Brooklyn off of me. It only took a second for Taylor to grab her shirt and sling her to the ground. Before my cousin could get up, she pounced on her and started swinging.

  “Kennedi stop this. You are pregnant or do you even care about that,” my mother screamed frantically. It’s like a light bulb clicked in Candace’s head, and she quickly moved in and broke us apart.

  “Let her go Brooklyn. Dominic will kill us if something happens to you and his baby,” she said pissing me off.

  Taylor was still beating Tiffany half to death until Co-Co pulled her off of my cousin. Tiffany laid on the ground with blood dripping from various parts of her face. I knew that I had to have scratches because my face was burning and stinging like crazy. I could taste the blood in my mouth, but I needed a mirror to see the full extent of the damage that she done.

  “I owe you much more than that, and best believe we’re going to finish this,” Taylor promised Tiffany.

  “That’s all you low life tricks know how to do is fight. I bet you can barely read and write, but you know how to throw a punch,” my mother said.

  “Bitch, if you don’t go sit down somewhere with that outdated lace front on. Looking like Al Sharpton,” Co-Co roared.

  “Let’s go Kennedi,” my mother said as we helped Tiffany up from the ground. I watched as all four of them piled into the Audi truck that my husband paid for with Brooklyn getting behind the wheel.

  “That was so embarrassing. I hope and pray that nobody in that restaurant knows me,” my mother complained.

  “Is that all you’re worried about? We just got our asses handed to us by my husband’s mistress and her family. I don’t give a damn if somebody saw you or not,” I cried. Tiffany poured some bottled water on some paper towels and handed them to me. We both nursed our wounds as my mother continuously fussed and worried about being seen.

  “Look at my face,” Tiffany said when she looked at herself in the mirror.

  “They’re a bunch of wild animals. It looks like a cat got a hold of you rather than a human being,” my mother observed.

  “Let me see your mirror Tiffany,” I requested. She handed it to me, and I gasped when I saw the deep cuts and bruises in my face. Brooklyn’s nails dug into my flesh so deep that the skin was completely gone in some places.

  This is not supposed to be my life right now. Dominic and I are supposed to be happily married newlyweds enjoying our new house. Instead, I was out in the streets fighting with his other woman while we’re both expecting his children.

  “I can’t believe that this is happening to me,” I wailed in the back of my mother’s truck.

  “Dominic is wrong for this shit. Karma is going to bite him in the ass for the way he’s treating you,” Tiffany said.

  “Well, my name is not karma, but I’m damn sure about to do some biting. Fix yourself up Kennedi. We’re about to pay your no good ass husband a visit,” my mother replied angrily.

  I wanted to protest, but the look in her eyes told me to leave it alone. I took my brush from my purse and fixed my hair as best as I could. I’m not looking forward to seeing Dominic, but right now I really don’t have a choice.

  DOMINIC

  “Brooklyn calm down, I can’t even understand what you’re saying,” I told her for the second time. We’ve been on the phone for about five minutes, and I still didn’t know what she was trying to say. I know she’s upset about something, but it’s hard for me to hear her with everybody yelling in the background. She’s trying to talk, along with Candace, Co-Co, and Taylor, making it impossible for me to understand.

  “Baby, you need to tell them to be quiet so I can understand what you’re saying,” I requested.

  “Y’all be quiet for a minute. He can’t even hear me,” Brooklyn yelled.

  “Okay, now what were you saying?” I asked once it got quiet.

  “I said that Taylor and I just beat the breaks off of your wife and her cousin.”

  “What!” I yelled. “Why the hell are you always fighting while you’re pregnant Brooklyn?”

  “They started it…”

  “I don’t give a fuck who started it,” I yelled cutting her off mid-sentence. “You shouldn’t be out here fighting period.”

  “You getting mad with me, but I didn’t even do shit,” she yelled.

  “You should have walked away Brooklyn. You put both of my unborn kids in danger with that bullshit.”

  “You know what? Fuck you and that bitch. I’m trying to tell you what happened, and you’re taking her side. You need to move back home with her ass then,” she said going off on me.

  Brooklyn has really been in her feelings with this pregnancy. My mama said it was her hormones, and I hope she’s right. She’s always ready to pop off for every little thing. I’m really not use to her being like this because usually she’s always so sweet and calm. I didn’t even get a chance to respond before Kennedi and her mama burst through the door with Tiffany trailing behind them.

  “What the hell is going on around here?” David inquired. He and Scott were sitting in the office with me when everybody came in.

  “You need to keep your dog on a leash Dominic,” Kennedi yelled as soon as she saw me.

  “I know that hoe did not just call me a dog,” Brooklyn yelled. “Tell that bitch that I’m on my way over there.”

  “Baby no, just let me handle this,” I begged, but it was too late. Brooklyn had already hung up on me.

  “Baby?” Kennedi repeated with her face screwed up.

  “First of all, don’t call my girl a dog,” I told Kennedi.

  “And don’t come busting y’all asses up in here like y’all own the place either,” David chimed in while walking over to me.

  “That little ghetto bitch and her friends just attacked my daughter and niece. This is all your fault Dominic. If you had kept your dick in your pants none of this would be happening,” Karen said.

  “You mind your business with your lonely pathetic ass. And get the fuck out of my place of business with all this bullshit,” I shouted.

  “Don’t talk to my mama like that,” Kennedi yelled in her mother’s defense.

  “Well, you get the hell out with her old funny built ass then,” David replied.

  “Fuck you David!” Kennedi retorted.

  “You couldn’t fuck me even if you wanted to. That’s why my brother left your dried up boring ass.”

  “Really Dominic? So you’re talking outside of our bedroom now?” Kennedi asked me.

  “Shit, there wasn’t all that much to discuss. Lying flat on your back is nothing to brag about.”

  “I guess that’s why you ran to that slut.”

  “That’s exactly why I ran to her,” I said honestly with no hesitation.

  “You are even more pitiful than I thought, but you can get ready to pay up if you want a divorce from her,” Karen said.

  “It’s all about a dollar with y’all. I’m taking care of my baby, and that’s all. Your daughter ain’t getting shit from me other than that. That’s the whole problem now. Kennedi is too stupid to think for herself, so she lets you do all the thinking for her,” I snapped.

  “Does she really deserve this kind of treatment Dominic? She is still your wife, and she’s carrying your c
hild,” Tiffany spoke up. It wasn’t until I looked at her that I saw how fucked up both of them were. Taylor did a number on Tiffany, but Kennedi was even worse. Her weave was barely hanging in there, and her face was all scratched and bruised up.

  “Look, whatever is going on with me and Kennedi is nobody’s business. But since she put y’all in it she needs to tell y’all the truth. We’ve been having problems long before I even met Brooklyn. I dealt with her bullshit for as long as I could, but I got tired of it,” I confessed.

  “That’s a lie! That’s just your excuse for cheating on me. What problems did we have Dominic?” Kennedi yelled.

  “You can’t be serious right now. Just leave it alone Kennedi.”

  “I’m very serious. I want to know what problems we had before you met Brooklyn. She’s been our only issue.”

  “So you gon’ make me say it in front of everybody?”

  “Yeah, go ahead and say it,” she urged.

  “Okay. Your sex is whack and boring as hell. I have to fake like I’m cumming just to get it over with. You don’t suck dick and when you do it’s just as bad as the sex if not worse. If it wasn’t for my mama and Brooklyn, I would probably starve to death because your ass can’t cook. You’re too damn money hungry, and you can’t even take a piss without your mama’s permission. I can keep going if you want me to, but I think you get my point,” I rambled. I hated to put her on blast like that, but she asked for it. She should have left it alone like I asked her to.

  “Well damn,” David said as he fell out laughing. Scott just shook his head like he felt sorry for her.

  “So why did you marry me Dominic?” She asked with watery eyes.

  “I’ve been asking myself that question ever since I said “I do,” I replied.

  Right, when I finished talking Brooklyn swung the door open and rushed over to Kennedi. Taylor, Co-Co, and Candace were right behind her.

  “Who are you calling a dog you money hungry bitch?” Brooklyn yelled. I grabbed her before she could get to Kennedi.

  “Baby calm down and stop stressing yourself out,” I begged.

  “Let me go! I don’t have shit to say to you,” she said trying to push me away.