“Tiffany called looking for you again,” my mother announced when she walked into the room. My cousin has been calling me for the past few days, but I’m too ashamed to take her calls. I’ve been holed up in one of my mother’s spare bedrooms since Dominic, and I fell out.
“I’ll call her back later,” I replied just like I always did.
“You keep saying that, but you never call. It’s time for you to stop this self-pity party and get on with your life. Clean yourself up and go back home to your fiancé,” my mother said.
“You mean my ex-fiancé.”
“You sound like a damn fool. You are getting married, so you can get that ex shit right out of your head,” she snapped.
“Mama, he is having a baby with another woman,” I yelled in anger.
“Lower your voice when you’re talking to me. I don’t care what’s going on. You are walking down that aisle. You find me a man that makes in a year what he makes in a month and then we can talk. You’ve been gone for a week, so you’re practically giving him to another woman.”
“My heart is broken and all you can talk about is money. I don’t give a damn about that. The man that I love is having a baby with someone else, and it’s killing me,” I cried.
“That’s your problem. You’re marrying for love instead of financial gain. Who gives a damn about that bastard child he’s having? Use it to your advantage Kennedi. Do you think your father never cheated on me? You’re twenty-four, and he has a twenty-three-year-old son with that bitch he married. I didn’t give a damn because I was still the wife, and I still had access to all of his finances.”
“But at what cost mama? He still left you and married her.”
“Not before making me two million dollars richer,” she smirked while sipping from her mimosa.
“Well, I’m not you. I really love Dominic, and I wanted to be the mother of his first child.”
“Whatever Kennedi, but your time here is up. It’s time for you and Dominic to kiss and make up. We have a wedding to finish planning. The next time he calls, you need to answer that phone and tell him you’re coming back home,” she said with finality.
“I can’t do that. Nothing has changed,” I replied.
“You can do it and you will. I’m not asking you to accept the baby. Demand a blood test and take it from there. If it’s his, then you have a trump card to use for when you need it.”
“I can’t see me dealing with his side bitch and her baby for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to see that hoe so I can slap her right in her face.”
“You’re a lady and don’t you ever forget that. She might be his baby’s mama, but that’s all she’ll ever be. She’ll never be his wife because that title is reserved for you. Get up and make yourself pretty so you can go and talk to your fiancé,” my mother told me before she left out of the room.
I got up and took a shower, preparing to go talk to Dominic. After making sure I was picture perfect, I grabbed my phone and purse and headed for the door. As soon as I got in my car my phone starting ringing, and Tiffany’s number flashed across the screen.
“Hey Tiff,” I said dryly.
“Where are you Kennedi? I really need to talk to somebody,” she sniffled into the phone.
“I’m just leaving from my mama’s house. What’s wrong with you?” I asked concerned.
“That punk ass nigga left me. Can you believe he got back with that bitch Taylor and left me?” She cried.
“Bryce left you?”
“Yeah, he took all of his clothes and told me that I can have everything else that’s in the house. After everything I’ve done for his ass he treated me like a fucking nobody. I’m not letting this shit ride. I got something for both of their asses.”
“What happened to make him leave you?”
“Nothing happened. He didn’t come home for two days after finding out that Brooklyn was pregnant. I assumed he was still at his mama’s house, but he wasn’t there when I checked. I still had his car, and he had the nerve to have her bring him here to get it. I went crazy on his ass, and that’s when he packed up all of his shit and left,” she sobbed.
“Well, how do you know he’s getting back with Taylor?”
“Because he told me Kennedi. He tried to feed me some bullshit about wanting his family back. I swear I hate his ass.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but you’re never going to believe my drama even when I tell it to you. I left Dominic’s lying, cheating ass last week.”
“Why, what happened?” She asked instantly perking up.
“Let’s go get something to eat so we can talk. How about we meet at Drago’s?” I asked her. Drago’s is a very nice restaurant in the heart of the central business district in New Orleans. They sell some of the best charbroiled oysters in the city.
“Say no more, I’m on my way,” Tiffany said before we disconnected.
I made a detour and headed in the direction of the restaurant. Dominic could wait a little bit longer. The ball is in my court anyway, so he had to work on my time. Tiffany must have sped all the way to the restaurant because she was already there when I arrived. We both exited our cars and walked into the restaurant and got seated.
“I need a stiff drink,” Tiffany said as soon as our waitress approached our table. Once she took our food and drink orders she disappeared just as quickly as she came.
“So what happened with you and Dominic?” Tiffany asked the minute we were alone.
“I don’t even know where to start. He’s been cheating on me, but that’s not the worst part,” I said feeling slightly emotional.
“Well, tell me what’s up. You got me on the edge of my seat.”
“Brooklyn’s baby is his,” I said trying hard not to cry.
“Oh my God! Please tell me that you are lying. Dominic was fucking Brooklyn?” Tiffany yelled out in shock. A few people looked our way at her sudden outburst, but I really didn’t care.
“Yep, all this time I thought it was David, and it ended up being my man that she was screwing instead. Crazy thing is, if you wouldn’t have told me about her being pregnant, I probably would have never found out. They were messing around the whole time and I never even knew it. I feel so stupid.”
“You don’t have anything to feel stupid about. Her sneaky ass probably threw the pussy at him. You should whip her ass just like I plan to do to Taylor. Her and Bryce must have been messing around too. I know he didn’t just up and decide to move out overnight. Now, I know why he was avoiding me whenever I talked about us renewing our lease,” Tiffany said angrily.
“Well, when I leave here I’m going to talk to him. I left home as soon as I found out, so we never had a chance to discuss anything. I don’t even know if the bitch is having the baby or not.”
“Girl, you know she’s going to have that baby. Dominic is paid, so she’s going to use that baby to milk his ass dry. You better not leave your man over that dumb shit. Make it hard for both of their asses,” Tiffany said.
“I’m not leaving him, but I’m not accepting his outside child either. He can give her money for the bastard, but that’s all. That baby is not stepping one foot inside of my house. As far as I’m concerned Dominic doesn’t even have any kids unless they’re coming from me.”
“You damn right,” Tiffany cosigned. “Fuck Brooklyn and her baby. I’ve been waiting to slap her spoiled ass anyway.”
After spending a few hours at the restaurant with Tiffany, we parted ways. She could no longer afford to keep the house that she once shared with Bryce, so I agreed to help her find an affordable one bedroom apartment. It seemed that Brooklyn and her family were becoming a headache for me and my entire family. I couldn’t believe that Bryce would do my cousin dirty, after all, that she has done for his ungrateful ass. It’s because of her that he’s as financially well off as he is. Taylor is to him what Brooklyn is going to be to Dominic, a baby mama and nothing more.
I pulled up to Dominic’s job and rolled my eyes when I spotted Davi
d’s car parked next to his truck. I don’t know for a fact, but I’m sure he knew about everything that has gone down. He and my fiancé are close, so that also explains his closeness with Brooklyn’s trifling ass. Usually I would call to alert Dominic of my presence, but after a week of being away he should be happy to see me. I checked my reflection in the mirror and applied a fresh coat of Mac gloss to my lips before getting out of the car. When I opened the door, I spotted Dominic at his desk with the phone glued to his ear. I couldn’t miss the huge smile that covered his face even if I wanted to. David chuckled when I walked through the door, and that only made me wonder who he was on the phone with. Dominic stopped smiling and quickly ended his call once he realized that I was standing there.
“Hey,” he said standing up to greet me.
“We need to talk,” I said as I walked over to his desk.
“Okay, sit down,” he said pulling a chair out for me.
“Can you give us a minute?” I snapped at David with an attitude. He was waiting for some drama, so he wasn’t going to leave voluntarily.
“I wish I would leave since you want to have an attitude,” he replied. “You better bring your ass back outside and read what that sign says over the door. I could have sworn it said Robert’s Trucking.”
“Come on, let’s go in the back,” Dominic said as he gave his brother the evil eye. I stood up and followed him to the break room located in the rear of the office. I sat down while Dominic closed and locked the door behind us.
“The disrespect from your brother is getting old Dominic,” I told him when he sat down next to me.
“I know you didn’t come here to talk about David. We need to discuss what’s going on with us.”
“I have a lot of questions and I need you to give me some honest answers before we can go any further.”
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“Is she planning on having the baby?” I asked hating to even speak Brooklyn’s name. That question has been on my mind for the past week.
“Yeah, she’s having the baby,” he said with a perplexed look on his face. My heart was breaking into a million pieces with every bit of information I was receiving.
“So what does this mean for us Dominic?” I asked trying to hold my tears at bay. I love this man with all of my heart, but I’m not prepared to accept an outside child.
“I love you, and I still want us to get married, but I can’t turn my back on my baby. I know it’s going to be hard for you, but we can make this work.”
“I’m not asking you to turn your back on your baby, but I can’t welcome an outside child into my world Dominic. You can be there financially, but it won’t be welcomed into my family’s home or my home,” I said honestly.
“Well, I guess there’s nothing left for us to talk about,” he said standing to his feet.
“Wait, what do you mean?” I asked confused.
I thought for sure that he would agree to my demands just to make me happy. That’s always how it’s been with us. He would do whatever I said just to keep the peace.
“If you’re asking me to choose between you and my baby then the choice is simple,” he shrugged.
“You sure it’s your baby that you’re choosing and not the baby’s mother?”
“This has nothing to do with her. Yeah, I was wrong for cheating on you and for that I truly apologize, but I’m not making my innocent baby suffer for my wrong doings. If I have to make a choice then I choose my seed,” he said.
“So you’re willing to leave what we have for that bitch? Is she more important than me Dominic?” I said no longer able to control the flood of tears from making their way out.
“It’s not about Brooklyn!” He yelled causing me to flinch. “You’re asking me not to be in my child’s life just to be with you and I can’t do that.”
“I don’t know how else you expect me to handle this. Do you know how embarrassed I am Dominic?”
“It was never my intentions to embarrass or hurt you, but I just can’t do what you’re asking me to do Kennedi. This is going to be my first child, and I can’t see me not being in his or her life.”
“And that’s what hurts the most,” I said as I broke down into a sea of tears.
Dominic pulled me up from my chair and wrapped his strong muscular arms around me. At that moment, I knew that this was the only place I wanted to be. I couldn’t see spending the rest of my life with anyone else, but him.
“I can’t promise you anything Dominic, but I’m going to try. I’ve been miserable for the past week, and I want us to make things right. Just promise me that you and Brooklyn are through, and this is all about your baby,” I said looking him in his eyes.
“I promise that I’ll never cheat on you again Kennedi. Everything I do concerning Brooklyn will be for my baby, and that’s all,” he replied looking down at me. He spoke with so much sincerity that it was hard for me not to believe him. Only time would tell if he was telling the truth or not. I just pray he doesn’t make a fool of me again.
BROOKLYN
I’m now three months pregnant and the morning sickness isn’t as bad anymore. I went to my first doctor’s appointment and was given something to help keep the nausea down. I’m due to have my baby at the end of May, and that’s perfect because school will be out. I’ll be able to sit out with my baby for the summer and be ready again by fall. Dominic’s mom came to the appointment with us, and she was just as excited as he was. She got teary eyed when she saw the baby on the ultrasound screen. I didn’t know why because it looked like a tiny ball of nothing to me. Mrs. Liz already told me that her first grandchild will not be going to a nursery. She didn’t work so I would have a free babysitter anytime I needed one. My parents were happy to know that I wouldn’t be doing everything alone. Our parents had finally met each other two weeks ago, and the meeting went better than I thought. We ended up staying at Dominic’s parents’ house until after midnight while my dad played pool with Dominic’s father. I also fell in love with Dominic’s younger brother and sister. Nyla is fifteen and Ivan is thirteen. They are also excited about the baby. My brothers are a different story. Besides a few text messages to see how I’m doing, I hadn’t seen any of them since I found out that I was pregnant. I know they’re upset, but my feelings are hurt because of how they’re shutting me out. Candace said they asked her and Co-Co about me all the time, but it’s not the same. If they really wanted to know they would call or come see for themselves. They forgave Dominic, but they are still mad at me. Even Kevin isn’t talking to me right now. His feelings were hurt when I told him about the pregnancy, and he hasn’t called me since.
On another note, I was happy to hear that Bryce had finally left Tiffany’s trifling ass and got back with my girl Taylor. Aside from her being the mother of my nieces, Taylor is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Her cousin Tiana and I are close, and I’m around her a lot. She really does love Bryce, so I’m happy they got back together.
“Come on Brooklyn, you are too lazy,” Tiana complained. I agreed to go shopping with her, but I’m burned out now. We’d hit up every mall on the east and west bank of New Orleans, and I’m tired of walking. We just pulled up to the parking garage at Canal Place, and I refuse to get out.
“I’m tired Tiana. We’ve been shopping all day, and you should be broke by now.”
“No, I’m not. You know I’ve been saving almost all year for this shopping spree. I just want to see if they have the Chanel flats that you got last month, and we can leave,” she whined.
Tiana did this every year, and I swear I didn’t understand how she had so much will power. She saved up money throughout the entire year and did all of her shopping around the November and December holidays. She claimed that just about everything was on sale, and the prices were always right. My first mind told me to stay put, but I got out of the car and went inside with her anyway.
“We’re going to Saks and that’s all. Whatever you didn’t get today you be
tter wait to get it tomorrow,” I told her seriously. I’m not really showing yet, but Dominic gave me some money to buy maternity clothes. Needless to say, I got everything else, but that. I wouldn’t be caught dead in most of the ugly maternity clothes I saw. A few people told me that the selection is better online, and I really hope that’s true. When we got into the store, Tiana went straight to the shoe section with me following close behind her.
“I told you that they were going to be on sale. Look, they’re only one ninety-eight and you paid three hundred fifty last month,” she said smiling.
“Good, tell the lady what size and color you want and let’s go.”
Tiana grabbed the shoe and walked over to the sales lady while I looked at a few of the new selections. I picked up a cute Chanel bootie right as another woman was reaching for it.
“Excuse me,” I said without looking up.
“You’re excused bitch,” someone said from behind me. I turned around and came face to face with Tiffany’s ratchet ass. I looked up at the other woman, and Kennedi’s scowling face was looking right back at me.
“Hey Tiffany, I didn’t know you could afford anything in Saks,” I said smiling. I hope they don’t think I’m scared because I’m far from that.
“Don’t worry about what I can afford. Worry about how you are going around fucking other people’s men,” she sneered.
“It’s funny how you are coming at me sideways, but y’all did the exact same thing with my brother and Dominic.”
“Girl fuck your brother,” Tiffany yelled angrily.
“That’s probably what Taylor is doing right now,” I smirked. “You mad or nah?” She walked up on me, but her cousin held her back. She really didn’t need to because I was prepared to lay her ass out. I saw Tiana rushing over to us, but I was good.
“I hope you don’t think Dominic is leaving my cousin to be with you. You probably poked holes in the condoms trying to get pregnant so bad.”
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