by Elbie Dee
Once Upon A Liar
Elbie Dee
Praise for Elbie Dee
Once Upon A Liar
By Elbie Dee
* * *
Loyalty in any relationship is mandatory, or at least that’s how most of us feel. Trial and tribulations often arrive in life, but how far is too far? What measures are you willing to take to when it comes to a world of dishonesty, betrayal and infidelities?
Are friendships worth breaking?
Do you take it upon yourself to serve justice?
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Part one to the two part, Once Upon a Liar series will serve you with all of the answers to the questions listed above.
Brilese, Bradson, Merrisah, Alynn, Matt and Dezire are all ready to share their story with you.
By Elbie Dee
Copyright 2020 Elbie Dee
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All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner with the exception for use of quotation as to be used in a review.
1
Brilese
"How the fuck can he do this to me! I’ve put up with his bullshit for over four years and this is how I’m repaid?” Alynn sat on the couch with her folded hands resting under her chin, as her elbows laid on top of her knees. With a closed mouth and open ears, she allowed me to vent while I paced around my living room and started to let out every drop of anger I had boiling within my bloodstream.
"Brilese, if you don’t stop beating yourself up over his bullshit then I’m gonna have to remind you again on who the fuck you are!” I froze from pacing on the hardwood floor, to snap my head toward Alynn who caught me off guard with her raised tone.
“And where the fuck did that come from?” I asked after I was finished picking my mouth up from the floor. She's always been the type to keep emotions inside and keep the good girl persona at its highest. It was the first time I got to witness her speaking from her chest.
“You’re a bomb ass mother and person and you’re letting him take control over that!” she dropped her hands and began to beat her fist into the other palm, and completely ignored the question I just asked.
“Again. Where the fuck did that shit come from too?” I repeated my question. My heart was still going a million miles an hour from Bradson’s bullshit, but I was curious to know how long Alynn had that side to her. I hadn’t known her a year yet so as far as I know, it could have been in her all along.
“As your friend, that’s my job. When you turn off your bad bitch switch, I have to be the one to help you turn it back on. This emotional shit is not like you,” she lowered her tone and replied honestly. She was right. With me being almost a decade older than her, I kept the stronger mind in the friendship since I had more time to experience shit in life.
“Well, you should do that more often… but not with me,” that same switch she reminded me of turned on for a brief moment.
“I’m sorry Bri,” she apologized for raising her voice at me. “But if I don’t get you back into your normal self, then no one can,” she continued. The only people that were closer to me than her were my children, and I couldn’t talk to them about the trials in my relationship. Besides, I never allowed them to see me weaken.
“Yeah, but it hurts. I’ve been through hell and back with him and he is still disrespecting me after I forgave him for his past fuck ups? And to make things worse, it’s with the same bitch!” I tried explaining the betrayal I felt.
“I know it hurts, but you can’t let what he has with her keep you from being who you are,” I calmed down just enough to be able to sit down on my couch beside her. I leaned over and covered her shoulder with my mid-length, brown hair. She lifted her left arm from her thigh, and wrapped her arm over my shoulder. Her hand gripped my left shoulder before she squeezed to hug me. I instantly started bawling hysterically, releasing the pain I felt within. Through my soft cries, I vaguely heard her freshly manicured tips collide when she joined her hands together. She held me as she sat quietly… allowing my emotions to run its course.
* * *
I was working in a small town restaurant when Bradson and I met about an inch over four years ago. I got up that morning and put on my white George’s button down shirt, a pair of black slacks I had purchased from Goodwill, and my all black Tredsafe slip-resistant shoes after getting out of my early morning wake-up shower. After three cups of freshly brewed Columbian coffee, I walked out of the door to my house and started my emerald colored Dodge Journey, and drove twenty-five minutes down the Interstate and before I arrived at my workplace.
It was a busy, but normal day waiting tables. Answering phone calls, taking orders, and filling my apron with ones, fives and tens all day long. I received the normal amount of phone numbers from the dirty old men who never had a chance with me. Thanks to my pear shaped ass, tight waist and a smile that lit up my hazel colored eyes, I had a waitress book filled with phone numbers I’d never use. I only took them for the love of the tip amount I’d receive from each, in an attempt for them to buy the love they were never gonna get from me.
I was anxious to leave after working for almost eight hours. The lunch rush was over, so the hundred and fifty dollars in the side pocket to my black half apron was the most I’d make for the day. All of the other waitresses were gone, and I was left alone with a cook. Usually, not a single customer walked in during the last hours of my shift. I was shocked to hear the bell of the entrance door ring, and alerted my focus until I noticed a customer walk in.
“How may I help you?” I asked as a five-foot eleven, dark skinned man approached the front register. I instantly smelled the freshly shaven metal coming from his dirty uniform, and noticed his pearl white teeth after he stretched his full lips to smile. The sign of a hard working man had always made the pulse of my pussy walls flare, but I was faced with confusion when this one had my heart thumping instead.
“I’d like to get a take out order,” the way he said order forced me into hesitation mode while I stared into his midnight black, almond shaped eyes.
“If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?” I asked when I started to feel the sexual tension rising between the both of us.
“I’m from here,” he replied, while slightly turning his attention away from my eyes in an attempt to hide his wide smile. At that moment, I knew we were feeling the same way.
“Never would have guessed,” I said honestly. South Carolinians normally carried a stronger southern drawl then the one he held, but it wasn’t strong enough to be classified as a northern accent. Whatever it was, it made my hormones flutter uncontrollably.
“What would you like to order today?” I quickly changed the subject to hold my composure in a professional manner.
Without hesitation, he continued with his order. I could feel him gaze at me when my attention was toward the point of sale system, but I tried to shake it off. Every word he said was already causing roses to form upon my olive colored cheeks, and I’d be lying if I said he didn’t notice. Being shy was unlike me, but his deep tone and smooth words caused my body to shiver… and my mind to wander in my own little fairytale.
“Is that going to be all?” I asked after he completed his order. Butterflies quivered in the pit of my stomach once I had to take my attention from the order, and look back at him again.
“Yeah, that’s all,” he chuckled, which confirmed to me that he noticed what was on my mind. It was the first time body language and emotions were hard for me to hide.
“Twenty-four, eight five,” I replied. He handed me his card while biting his bottom lip, after he unraveled his folded arms that were resting on the counter.
I quickly accepted the Visa from his hand, and made s
ure to look at the name on the card as I swiped. If he didn’t make a pass at me, I could use the name to add him on Facebook once I got enough courage to do so, I figured. In less than thirty seconds, the merchant’s receipt was printed which confirmed that the card was accepted. After cutting the paper from the cutter built inside of the machine, I grabbed a pen from my apron. I placed both the pen and receipt on the counter for him to sign.
“Give it about fifteen minutes,” I said as I handed his card back to him.
“Thanks,” he replied, giving me sensual admiration before he walked to take a seat at the counter. I decided it would be best for me to wait at the food window, with all eyes into the kitchen while pulling myself together.
Based on the ticket time, the order only took twelve minutes before it was boxed and ready for bagging in the window. I grabbed both of the boxes as a wave of nervousness took over my body. I already had my back turned toward him, but I didn’t want to make a wrong move as I packed his order. Two minutes later and with careful movement, I walked over to his seat on the counter and placed the bag in front of him.
“Have a good da-,” I attempted to allow the whole sentence release from my oval shaped, light pink lips. My sentence was cut short when he slid a piece of ripped register paper across toward me, after standing up with the bag in his hand.
“You too,” he replied before he made his way through the exit door of the restaurant, and left me standing alone with the paper in front of me. Once he was out of sight, I snapped the piece of paper from on top of the counter. I smiled from ear to ear when I noticed his phone number was written for me, and began to get excited. Without wanting to raise questions from the cook, I placed the phone number in my apron, and was eager to finish the last thirty minutes of my shift.
The slowest thirty minutes of my life ended when five o’clock rolled around and I finally got a chance to clock out from my shift. I rushed out of the restaurant’s back door as I waved goodbye to the relieving waitress. After a few steps along the paved parking lot, I opened the driver’s door to my Journey, reached my hand to the steering wheel, and pulled myself onto my seat.
Hey! It’s Brilese!
Anxiousness made my heart throb when I pulled my phone from the middle console and shot him the text. I started my vehicle and put the gear shift into drive after I put my phone back in its previous place, being sure it was still on silent mode. I had twenty-five minutes to drive until I got home, and couldn’t reply too soon. I didn’t want to push him away by thinking I was a clingy bitch.
The second I pulled into my driveway and put my gear shift into park, I grabbed my phone to see if I had gotten a text back from him. I was appalled to see that he texted back within five minutes of me sending the first text. That evening, we communicated with each other until I passed out at one in the morning. We talked about so much, and had more in common than I would have imagined.
Soon after talking, and a lot of laughs later, we decided to make things between us official. It had only been a month since we met, but the compatibility between us made things feel like they had been in place for a lifetime. Feeling something I never felt before helped trigger the thought of him being the one God chose for me. I would have never guessed that the glistening bright light we shared… would lead four years later into a dark, gloomy tunnel.
* * *
“Do you need me to stay with you tonight?” Alynn whispered into my ear as she hugged me tightly and as close as she could.
“No. I’ll be okay,” I lied as I pushed my head from her shoulders, causing her arms to release from around me. I sat straight up on my burgundy, microfiber Briarwood sofa. I wanted her to stay, but I knew her support would only push me further into the depression I was beginning to face.
“Okay, baby girl. But I’m only one call, and ten minutes away if you need me,” she reminded me as she walked out of the metal front door to my two-bedroom, garden style house I had started renting two years ago.
It was Friday night, so my five year old son and seven year old daughter were visiting their grandma on their father’s side, as they did every weekend. After Aynn left and the house remained silent, I was tempted to drive forty minutes to White Oak to pick them up so they could distract me from the thoughts that were racing through my brain. After laying with my back flat on the soft couch for about five minutes while I stared at the popcorn ceiling, I decided to leave them be and turn on my forty-three inch, Samsung TV I had mounted to the living room wall instead.
I leaned over on my right side, and pulled the small remote from where it was tucked under the cushion that was closest to where my head laid. I pressed the power button to turn the black, empty screen on, and surfed through the channels hoping to find a station that wasn’t playing romance movies.
“Fuck!” I threw the remote across my large living room after I couldn’t find anything to watch but romance shows, causing it to smash against the beige colored wall.
I quickly grew from sad and depressed, to angry and outraged. Nine o’clock at night was approaching, and I hadn’t spoken to Bradson since earlier in the morning! I watched the room spin from the dizziness I caused from jumping up from the couch too quickly, and rushing into the kitchen to grab a full bottle of Taylor Port wine from the china.
Pop!
I opened the seven hundred and fifty milliliter bottle of red wine, and left it sitting on the granite countertop. I walked across the kitchen to get a wine glass from the rack on the wall, under the wooden cabinet that held all of my dinnerware. After I had the glass and the wine in my hands, I took a seat at my mahogany wooden kitchen table and began to pour the wine down my throat, glass after glass.
Only two hours later, the entire bottle was soaking in the pit of my stomach with alcohol running my bloodstream. With my emotions bottling inside of me and my drunken mind couraging, I decided to text Bradson and sarcastically congratulate him.
Alynn and I saw him carrying a newborn’s car seat into Portrait Innovations when we were visiting Charlotte around noon that day. Of course, his two year old son, and the bitch he cheated on me with were walking before him through the entrance door of the studio. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the four of them introducing themselves to the public like they were a family, when all she had been was someone to fuck when him and I were on bad terms.
Unfortunately, he had gotten her pregnant and had to take care of his responsibilities. When I found out about his son a couple of years ago, I wanted to leave him, but he had a charming ass way of wooing me back into his arms. After the betrayal, our relationship had been damaged so much that we couldn’t even wake up without it being an argument! I finally convinced him to let us at least live apart until we could peacefully communicate again, and he agreed. It wasn’t healthy for us, but more importantly, it wasn’t healthy for my children to witness the arguments and physical fights.
With us living separately for a year and a half, we had time to build the trust, love and communication within our relationship. Finally, I was able to smile when he called, instead of rolling my eyes in annoyance. I looked forward to the Saturday date nights instead of ignoring his offers because I didn’t have the desire to see him. After a long road of endless negative emotions between the two of us, our bond started to become strong again. The butterflies we once felt in the pit of our stomachs began to flutter, and our love regained its importance. We were beginning to conversate about buying a home together and start a family of our own. It felt like our relationship was reborn! I would have never imagined him bullshitting me once again, although I should have kept one eye open.
2
Bradson
“Ohhh shittt,” I moaned. I stretched my arms and legs on my queen sized, gel memory foam mattress after the alarm started buzzing like a mother fucker! I rolled to the right of the bed, placed my size eleven feet on the beige carpet, and rushed across the room to my black gentleman’s chest to turn the switch to the off position. Six o’clock in the morning w
asn’t Kash’s favorite time to wake up, and I never wanted to deal with his early morning tantrums. Kayo had just been born so I didn’t know if the loud sound would affect him… but I damn sure wasn’t trying to find out.
After the alarm was off, I walked to the right side of the bed to make sure Kayo was still asleep in his bassinet. He was, but it directed me toward the right side of the bed where Merrisah was normally asleep when I woke up to get ready for work in the early morning time. I didn’t see her curly black hair poking out from the top of our red, brown and white comforter, so I walked into the hall from our bedroom. I glanced into Kash’s room in an attempt to find her since she often comforted him anytime tears drew from his eyes from the nightmares he had. Kash was in his bed with his Batman covers beneath his legs, and his mouth wide open… with Merrisah nowhere around.
“Why are you up? Is it that postpartum shit again?” I asked Merrisah after I found her at our espresso based, glass top dining room table drinking a glass of Barefoot Pink Moscato early as hell in the morning!
“Why’s Brilese still texting you?” she asked softly, as she picked my iPhone 6S plus from where she placed it on the table next to the bottle of wine. I stood on the hardwood floor in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room as my heart fell to my knees.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked angrily, and made my way toward her to snatch my phone from under her manicured hands.
“Don’t touch my fucking shit! I thought I already told you this!” I yelled, without giving a fuck if the kids woke up.
Instead of looking at the screen on my phone to see what the fuck she was talking about, I rushed back down the hall and into the bedroom. I threw on my grey Nike sweatpants I placed on the floor beside the bed the night before, and quickly put my iPhone in the right pocket after the pants were pulled over my briefs. I rushed toward the closet to throw on my red, white and blue Converse Shoreline’s. I pulled my navy blue, Champion windbreaker from the plastic hanger before shutting the metal french doors, and reaching my arms into the jacket until it covered the white tee I had slept in.
