Insatiable Revenge

by Cynthia Freeman Gibbs

  “Don’t you get smart with me, missy. You’re nothing except a selfish wench who believes the world revolves around you.”

  “Like mother, like daughter. I see I didn’t fall far from the tree.”

  “Excuse me? There is nothing to compare between me and you. I wish you were more like your sister.”

  “Oh boy. When will you get it into your thick head, I am not Sheree?” Olivia controlled her anger the best she could. She took in a deep breath before beginning again. “I have no desire to be like her or you. I’ll never understand why you resent who I am. It doesn’t make sense since I’m your daughter, too.”

  “There you go playing the victim again. You should wish you were like Sheree. She never would’ve set a house on fire.”

  “Hmm. Maybe she didn’t due to the fact her husband left her for a man after two months of marriage. You ever think about her mess?” Olivia asked with spite. “Perhaps if he stuck around, she would’ve set their house on fire too.”

  “Don’t you talk about Sheree with disrespect. She’s the woman you’ll never be.”

  “Thank God. I’ll talk about her any way I want to. I’m tired of you insulting me. All of my life, you’ve had nothing good to say about me.” The reality of their relationship bubbled up Olivia’s emotions into a full outright rage.

  “Olivia. Stop being dramatic.”

  “No. You will not tell me how to act. My dark skin makes you hate me. Say it. Say it,” Olivia screamed into the phone.

  “Shut up, Olivia,” her mother screeched.

  “I will not shut up. You’re the reason I hated myself and became bulimic. You called me fat, black, and ugly. I never believed I deserved love because I wasn’t good enough in your eyes.” Olivia couldn’t stop the words tumbling from her mouth. “I learned from having my children to appreciate their beauty regardless of skin color. You made me suffer because I have a dark skin tone. Why are you so evil?”

  “I am not going to allow you to speak to me this way. You should be grateful for the life I allowed you to have. Things could’ve been different for you if I had followed my first instinct to get rid of you.”

  “What in the hell do you mean?” Her mother’s words caught Olivia off guard.

  “You are ungrateful and stupid. People like you think you know everything because you have a few college degrees. Humph. You ain’t so smart after all.” Her mother spoke in riddles and it drove Olivia crazy.

  “Mother. What are you talking about?”

  “I’m done speaking to you.”

  “Good. Next time, don’t bother dialing my number. If I don’t speak to you for a hundred years, it would be too soon.” Olivia ended the call and threw her phone across the room.

  The memory of their final conversation made her shiver. Goosebumps emerged on her arms. Olivia gazed out the window lost in the moment. She put her hands on her elbows and rocked in the chair.

  “Olivia?” Startled, she noticed Durbin standing above her

  with a strange look on his face. He glistened with sweat from his work.

  “Olivia? Are you okay?” Durbin’s forehead crinkled in concern.

  “How long have you been standing there?” Olivia's cheeks warmed from embarrassment.

  “Long enough to repeat your name twice. You were totally gone.”

  “I’m sorry, Durbin. I remembered something that wasn’t a pleasant thought. You must have paws like a cat. I didn’t hear a sound. There’s a creaky floorboard where I should’ve heard you in the hallway. Maybe my ears need to be checked.”

  “It’s no problem,” Durbin responded with understanding. “Well. I’m done with the installation. Let me show you everything and how to use it.”

  “Um. Yeah. Sure.” Olivia shook the memory away and followed Durbin.

  “I’ve already installed the application on your desktop. Once I add it to your cellphone, everything will be ready to go.”

  “Wow. I didn’t even see you pass by me.”

  Durbin added the application to her phone and showed Olivia the three cameras. Afterward, they headed into her bedroom for the training on the desktop computer.

  A strange sensation arose in her senses from having Durbin in her bedroom. In only one week, she had two men in this space after not having had anyone of the opposite sex in her home. Olivia hesitated before sitting at the desk. Durbin leaned above her shoulder to show what he installed.

  “Dolce & Gabbana?” Durbin asked out of the blue.

  “Excuse me?” Confused by his comment, Olivia turned to glance up at him.

  “Your perfume. Is what you are wearing ‘Light Blue’ by Dolce & Gabbana?”

  “You have quite the nose. Yes, it is,” Olivia laughed. “I hope I didn’t put on too much.”

  “Not at all. It smells nice on you,” Durbin said with a lowered voice. His eyes lingered on hers before she rotated back to the computer.

  “Thank you. It’s one of my favorites. Now, where were we?” Olivia blinked her eyes several times to shake the uncomfortable exchange from her mind.

  “Sorry. We were in this last section.” Durbin pointed at the computer screen.

  After finishing with the review of the application, Olivia wrote him a check. She walked him to the door and opened it.

  “Thank you, Durbin. I appreciate how efficient you were with getting this job done for me.”

  “No problem. It’s an easy setup to do.” Durbin paused. “Um, Olivia. I’m wondering, perhaps you’d like to go out to dinner with me next week.”

  Olivia did not anticipate the offer of a date. She assumed the rejection to play racquetball would be a big enough hint. She wasn’t interested in going out with him, especially after her escapade with Malcolm. “Oh, Durbin. I appreciate the invitation. Um, I must decline. I’m sorry.”

  “Do you mind telling me why? I hope I’m not being too forward. I’m shy when it comes to asking women out.” Durbin’s eyebrows drew together in a perplexed expression. “We connected and I figured it would be okay to invite you to dinner. Or drinks if you prefer.”

  “Um. Well. The reason is, I have a complicated relationship

  with my soon-to-be ex-husband. I’m getting my life in order. The kids are moving away soon and I need to give them one hundred percent of my time,” Olivia said.

  “It’s nothing against me? You don’t think I’m too nerdy?”

  “No, Durbin. It has nothing to do with you. This is not a good time. Thank you for asking me out.” Olivia mustered up what she hoped appeared to be a polite smile. She placed her hand on the opened door to signal she wanted him to leave.

  “Okay. I think you’re pretty. Maybe next time.” Durbin exited, turned around, and stared at Olivia square in the eyes. “I’m certain, I’ll see you again sooner than you think. Have a nice day.”

  “Bye, Durbin. Thanks again.” Olivia closed the door and leaned against it. She had no idea what he meant about seeing her sooner than she thinks. His visit convinced her, no doubt, Durbin is weird.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Olivia

  The coffee in her mug rippled as the air from Olivia’s lips blew to cool the beverage. “Ow.” Olivia cried out after burning her tongue on the steaming liquid. Several drops fell from her lips and landed on her t-shirt. “Shoot.” She sat the cup on the table and grabbed a napkin to dab the spot spreading below her neckline. At the same time, the doorbell chimed two times.

  Olivia headed from the kitchen to the front door. She peeked out the sunlit window and didn’t see anyone on the porch.

  She opened the door and squinted to adjust her eyes. No one stood on the porch or the sidewalk. She glanced around before looking downward where a decorative vase filled with a beautiful display of orange roses, red miniature carnations, daisies, and chrysanthemums sat on her doormat.

  “Flowers?” Olivia questioned. “From who?”

  Puzzled, she jogged down the steps toward the curb. She surveyed both en
ds of the street to spot anyone walking or driving away. Nothing except the rustle of live oak tree leaves stirred in the morning air. The street remained quiet following the bustle of neighbors headed to work and kids who caught the school bus.

  She took her time walking back to the porch, searching for anyone hanging around. After picking up the vase, she headed inside and closed the door.

  Olivia examined the flowers and found a tiny, white envelope attached to a clear, plastic pitchfork holder. The aroma from the bouquet filled her nostrils as she took the time to smell each one. She set the vase on the kitchen table and removed a card, which had her name written on the front.

  “Roses are red, violets are blue, these flowers are from…you’ll never guess who.” Olivia flipped the card to check for additional writing on the back. Nothing. She wondered who would send flowers without identifying themselves. The bouquet didn’t have the name of the floral shop either.

  Olivia smacked her forehead with her palm, remembering she could check the new cameras to determine if Malcolm left the flowers.

  Olivia strolled to her desktop in the bedroom and woke the computer from sleep mode by moving the wireless mouse. The easy to use security camera app tracked the footage to show when someone approached the porch.

  The video showed a kid wearing a sweatshirt with a hood covering his face, which made it difficult to identify him. He placed the vase on the doormat, rang the doorbell twice, and ran to the street.

  A black car was parked in front of her house. The kid reached in and received something from the driver before running off. The car drove away from the curb and out of

  Olivia’s view. She squinted to view the person behind the wheel. The make and model of the vehicle couldn’t be made out due to grainy and dark footage.

  Olivia backed up the recording to replay it multiple times. The view still didn’t appear clear enough to identify who delivered the flowers. She groaned in frustration about the bad footage considering how much she paid Durbin for a new system. She figured she would give him a call and a piece of her mind.

  The cellphone pinged and a calendar reminder popped up about an appointment with Dr. Fluellen. Determined to not be late, she grabbed her purse and keys and darted from the house.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Savvy

  A line of people in vehicles waited to exit the parking ramp of Savvy’s office building. She waved at her boss and co-workers as they all got into their cars. “I’m heading to the restaurant now. I’ll see you all there in a few.” The long day of meetings had gone without a hitch. Her stomach growled in anticipation of the delicious dinner they were about to have on the east side of San Antonio.

  As she merged onto Interstate 35, her phone rang through the car speakers. Kolby’s name displayed on the radio dashboard. She groaned before answering. “Hello.”

  “Ahh. The lady answers,” Kolby purred through the speaker. “I was worried that something happened to you. How are you doing, Sweetie?”

  Savvy cringed at his pet name for her. “I’m fine. I’ve been busy.”

  “I’m glad you’re okay. I called some hospitals there to find out if you were admitted or something.”

  “What? Are you serious?” Savvy crinkled her nose in annoyance.

  “Hey. Don’t sound offended. I’m a gentleman and this is what I do,” Kolby explained.

  “Okay. I think.” Savvy wasn’t impressed.

  “Since I have you on the phone, I better get on your calendar right now,” Kolby chuckled. “I’m about an hour away from San Antonio. I’d like to make up for not having any cash on me when we had breakfast. What are you doing later tonight?”

  Kolby caught Savvy off guard. “Tonight? In an hour? I have plans.”

  “Oh. You have plans, huh?” Kolby snorted. “Hangin’ in the streets with your college friends again?”

  “You make it sound bad.” Savvy shook her head to dismiss his question.

  “No, sweetie. I’m only asking you a question.” Kolby softened his tone. “Why are you so busy tonight? I’m wondering what I must do to get a piece of your time. You never have time to talk on the phone or see me. I assumed we hit it off when we met.”

  Savvy hesitated to respond. Giving Kolby her number proved to be a big mistake. He grated on her nerves with his insecurities about her. Against her better instincts, she continued the conversation. “I have dinner plans with my boss and coworkers.”

  “Your boss is taking you out?” Kolby’s voice had an edge to it. “Ha. I see he has a thing for you.”

  Taken aback, Savvy snapped. “No. It’s not even like that. This is a professional outing with him and the people I work with. Why are you trying to make this into something it isn’t?”

  “Well, it sounds to me like he’s coming on to you. What kind of boss goes out to dinner with his employee if he ain’t tryin’ to hit up on you? Huh?” Kolby said. “See, you young girls don’t know nothin’ about how men think.”

  “You young girls?”

  “Yeah. My ex-wife tried to make me believe there wasn’t anything goin’ on with the man she worked for. Unh-huh. I followed her one day and they walked into a hotel together. I straight up busted them and beat him until he knew without a doubt, she had a husband.” Kolby talked without taking a breath.

  Savvy interrupted. “Um. Kolby. Slow down. I don’t know what happened with your ex-wife and her boss. This isn’t anything like what may have been going on with them.” She couldn’t understand why she had to explain anything to him. He didn’t act like he heard anything she said.

  “I know how women are. My ex tried to play like he was her brother. What’s a woman doin’ in a hotel room with her brother? Huh? He ‘bout had his clothes off when I busted through the door. Gonna try to make it seem like they weren’t about to get it on.” Kolby continued his rant. “I knocked out his teeth and left him with a broken nose. Gonna try to be on and in my lady. He’s lucky I didn’t kill him.”

  “Kolby. Kolby,” Savvy yelled.

  “What?” Kolby snapped.

  Savvy reeled back and stared at the dashboard as if Kolby could see her. “You know what? It sounds like you have some unresolved issues with your ex-wife. I suggest you handle this with her and not me.”

  “Aww, sweetie. I’m sorry I brought up my past. I hope I didn’t scare you away.” Kolby’s voice lowered in what seemed

  to be his way of calming down. “I only had to spend a small amount of time locked up. A simple assault and battery case. It’s all good.”

  “Is this the reason you said you were in jail before?”

  “Naw, sweetie. Different situation.”

  “Oh,” Savvy said. “How many times have you been arrested?”

  “Ain’t nobody countin’. It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m a changed man. Nothing for you to worry your pretty head about,” Kolby said.

  “I remember you said you get into fights. You seem to have a lot of anger issues. Have you ever considered seeing a therapist to help you?”

  “A head doctor? Now you’re acting like a white girl. Black people don’t need to be tellin’ their business and paying money to a whacko. That’s the problem these days. You think you can’t handle your own situations and run to a doctor to fix you up with drugs.” Kolby’s voice began to get louder. “I can’t believe you’re asking me if I get help for anger issues. You think you’re Dr. Phil or somethin’?”

  “Kolby. The need for therapy has nothing to do with being Black, white, or any race. I’m making a suggestion based on what you’ve shared with me when we met. Don’t you get tired of getting into fights and landing in jail?”

  “Oh. You think since you have a college education, you can analyze me? I opened my heart to you and now you’re judging me?” Kolby launched into another rant.

  Savvy exited off on Walters and headed toward St. Philips College to get to the restaurant. She exhaled in exasperation.

  “Not at all. I don�
��t know how our conversation even got to this point. Look. You’re upset and everything makes you mad.

  I’m going to end this call and suggest we not talk anymore.”

  “Oh? It’s like that? You gonna end this call and you don’t want to speak to me anymore?” Kolby’s anger elevated with each word. “I should’ve known you ain’t any different from the rest of them.”

  Savvy wasn’t in the mood for an argument. It took everything in her to stay calm. Kolby launched into a warpath against women. She drove in front of the restaurant and parked the car. “If you would like to be the one to end this conversation, you are welcome to do so. Either way, I must go. What is your pleasure?”

  “See. A man works hard and tries to treat a woman out to dinner. I don’t know why you are disrespecting me. Is this how you should treat your man?”

  Savvy whipped her head in shock. “My man? Kolby, I don’t even know you. Why would you think you’re my man?”

  “Ha. Now you want to play games. I’m gonna let you go and hang out with your boss. I’ll call you later and you better answer your phone,” Kolby snapped.

  “Kolby. Don’t ca…” The phone died before Savvy could finish her sentence. She leaned her head on her steering wheel in frustration, kicking herself for leaving the gate open for the wrong man. Again.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Olivia

  “Dr. Fluellen, I mean, Blair. Something is still wrong with me,” Olivia blurted once he entered the office.

  Blair settled into the chair next to the sofa before picking up a file folder from the top of his desk. “Let me review the notes I took from the message you left for me the other day.” He read through several pages before making eye contact with her.

  “I’m a hot mess. Believe me.” Olivia sat on the edge of the sofa. She bounced her right leg in nervousness and pinched her right index finger from the base to the tip again. “My fuse is short twenty-four hours a day and I can’t filter my emotions. Give me another day or two and I’ll be able to add a slew of other issues to the list. Am I losing my mind?”