PPP Box Set

by Charmanie Saquea

  I slow strutted toward him and took a seat beside him. I was sure to leave more thigh exposed than my skirt already left out. I leaned over toward Rashaad and rubbed my hand up and down his chest. He didn’t even stop me.

  “Viesha is sometimey Rashaad. That’s my girl and I love her but I really don’t even see why you wasting your time. She wants you for self and doesn’t respect that you have a wife. At least if you going to have a side chick pick one that’s knows her position,” At that point I just felt like fuck. He was either going to take the bait or I was going to back to plan A.

  Just when I thought he was loosening up he swatted my hand away from his chest and jumped to his feet.

  “Fuck out here! I guess that chick supposed to be you, huh? You ain’t shit Tiphani. I don’t even know why I came to you hoe ass for help,” he barked before stalking toward the front door. I heard the door and slam letting me know he was gone.

  “Back to plan A it is,” I said unfazed by his outburst. It wasn’t on. We were just beginning.

  Chapter 8

  Viesha

  The non-stop buzzing of my phone was beginning to drive me crazy. I knew it was Rashaad calling me for the hundredth time that day. I hadn’t spoken to him in over three weeks and I didn’t have plans on it either. Well, at least I didn’t have plans on it, until I sat around waiting for my period to come, and it never did.

  There I was leaning on the sink in my bathroom awaiting results that would change the rest of my life, and Rashaad just wouldn’t stop calling me.

  Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…

  I snatched the phone up, slid my finger across the screen and placed it to my ear. I never took my eyes off the stick that would determine my fate in the next few minutes.

  “What? Why are you still calling me? You should be picking colors and doing tux fittings and shit. Why are you still bothering me Rashaad?” I barked. I was totally irritated. With him and more so with the possibility of me being pregnant.

  “I really just needed to talk to Viesha. All that shit Dom told you was bull shit you would have known that if you would have given me a chance to explain,” he said.

  “Oh my fucking goodness,” I yelled as the two solid blue lines became visible. I felt my world come crashing down on top of me and it forced me down to the floor. With my knees pulled into my chest, my back against the wall, and my phone between my shoulder and my ear I hyperventilated.

  “Why is this happening? Why? What the fuck am I going to do?”

  “Viesha…VIESHA! What happened?”

  “I’m pregnant Rashaad. I’m fucking pregnant. Your married, getting re-married or what the fuck ever and I end up pregnant. Look at my shitty ass luck. I have to go I gotta make an appointment,” I said not caring or worrying about him having a say. I wasn’t keeping this baby. I wasn’t one to resort to abortion easily but I would be one selfish bitch to bring a baby into our situation. He’s married and probably not going to leave his wife. Which mean he would have to sneak around to be involved with my child if he decided to be involved at all. Fuck no, that wasn’t happened.

  “Whoa wait, you gotta slow down. Make an appointment for what. It better be to make get checked out to make sure you and the baby straight. I know you not talking about a fucking abortion especially if it’s my baby.” He barked.

  Nigga had nerve to try to flip it on me like I was the bad person in the situation.

  “Look, I don’t have time for this shit right now Rashaad and of course it’s your fucking baby nigga are you stupid. Or did you forget that damn near every night before you went home to your fucking wife you had me bent over declaring that my pussy belonged to you. We forget fast huh?”

  “I didn’t say the baby wasn’t mine Viesha. Look let’s not talk about this over the phone. It’s late, get some rest and tomorrow you can come stay the weekend with me and we’ll figure it out Viesha. I swear no matter what I’m going to do right by my seed in you. Just come so we can talk about it.”

  “Come to your house, WHERE YOUR WIFE IS and discuss my child? You really get your cake and eat it too huh?”

  “She won’t be here she’s leaving like tomorrow afternoon for a business trip. She will be in Miami all weekend. Which is more than enough time to figure this out. Just come to my job tomorrow like 1 to pick up the keys. That’s if you can find a sitter for Kennedy.”

  “She’s with my mother.”

  “So, you going to come?”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow Rashaad.”

  I hung up before giving him a chance to say anything else. My head was spinning and I felt sick to my stomach. One night of pleasure bought all of this shit. I can’t even be mad at Rashaad. I made them decisions, I wasn’t forced and now I had to deal with whatever came along with it.

  I slowly pulled myself up off the floor, tossed the stick into the trash and washed my hands. I really just wanted someone to hear my vent and allow me to cry. I knew I could call Tiphani so once I crawled into my bed that’s exactly what I did.

  Tiphani

  The sound of my phone ringing woke me up from a dream that involved Tyrese and Idirs Alba, two sexy as chocolate men. Whoever interrupted that was about to get torn a new ass hole.

  “Hello,” I said into the phone without checking to see who it was.

  “Tiph… Sorry to wake you I just really need to talk.”

  I was cursing myself for not checking the ID first. If I would have known, it was Viesha I would have let the shit go to voicemail.

  “Wassup, Vi. It’s no problem you know I’m here for you girl,”

  For damn near two hours, I listened to Viesha cry about how her life was shit after getting involved with Rashaad and Domonique. Nothing I was interested in hearing until she revealed that she was pregnant. I tried to talk her into an abortion for real I made it seem like it was in her best interest but really, it was in mine. There was no way he would cut her off fully if she birthed his child. I couldn’t have that.

  “I was thinking abortion too but Rashaad wants to get together at his place tomorrow to talk about it. Domonique is leaving tomorrow for a business trip so he wants me to stay the weekend. I’m supposed to meet him at his job tomorrow at 1 to pick up the key then meet him at his place. You think I should go Tiph?”

  “Hell yea,” I said a little more excitedly than I intended to.

  This was perfect. Finally, my opportunity to put my plan into action had arrived. I just hoped crazy ass Antwon was ready because it was now or never.

  “I am. I’m let you get back to sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know how our talk went or whatever?”

  “Okay Vi. Goodnight.”

  As soon as I hung up with Viesha I scrolled through my contacts till I hit Twan and texted him.

  It’s on. Be ready at let’s say 9am it may take a while but this is going to be our only chance.

  I ended up forgetting all about my dream being interrupted and was able to doze back off with a smile on my face.

  Chapter 9

  Viesha

  I ended up spending an hour at Rashaad’s office. We ate lunch and talked about everything that has transpired thus far. Even though I forgave Rashaad for the fiasco with Domonique and believed him when he said he was over and definitely leaving her I still felt a way. I was a firm believer that you would lose your man how you got him. I wanted to be with Rashaad, not just because I was pregnant but because I really wanted to be with him. I just feared that I would lose him the same way I got him. Then again maybe I wouldn’t because I would never be as open to my man having sexual relationships with other woman, like Domonique was. Whatever the case may have been I found myself parked outside the home he still shared with Domonique ready to spend the entire weekend with him since she was away and Kennedy was with my mother. A much as I told myself I was going to leave him alone I couldn’t. This was proof of that.

  After turning off the engine to my car, I grabbed my overnight bag from the passenger seat and headed toward the front d
oor. Using the key I just picked up from Rashaad’s office I let myself in. I dropped my bag at the front door then slowly made my way around the house. The entire time I toured the house I imagined what it would be like to go to bed and wake up with Rashaad daily. How it would be to raise Kennedy and the new baby here with him. There were a few things I knew I would have to change when my time came to move in. The house didn’t have a womanly touch at all, I would have expected more décor since he had a live in wife. I guess Domonique really only did care about satisfying her sexual appetite. She paid zero attention to her home.

  I made it to the master bedroom and slowly twisted the doorknob before stepping forward. The sight before me had formed a lump to form in my throat and my heart to sink to the bottom of my stomach. I let out a low cry as I walked further in the room.

  A battered, Domonique was sprawled across the bed. Half of her face was smashed in. I was able to identify her by the tattoo on her ankle. There was blood everywhere. The scene mimicked one from a horror movie. My first instinct was to turn around and make a break for it but a part of me needed to know if she was alive. Maybe I could get EMT’s to the scene fast enough to save her. Slowly I moved forward, fighting the urge to regurgitate my lunch. Once I was in touching distance I reached down to feel for a pulse. Her body was frigid and there wasn’t a pulse. Domonique was dead.

  Tiphani

  The joy I got from watching my plan come together the way it did was something I couldn’t explain. It felt that good. Finally, Viesha would get the short end of the stick and I would for sure come out on top. Rashaad will be so distraught after having to bury his wife and finding out that it was his mistress who did the dirty deed. I will be right there to comfort him and fuck him. I was confident that with a little more effort I would become the number one woman in Rashaad’s life. I killed two birds with one stone.

  I watched on with excitement dancing in my eyes as the police arrived on the scene. I called them as soon as Viesha pulled up and was impressed by their timing. Part of me was satisfied and was ready to drive off and wait till the news traveled to show up for Rashaad, but I wanted to see Viesha being escorting out in cuff. I wanted to look at her and laugh my ass off.

  A few minutes passed and there she was, being dragged out the house kicking and screaming. I laughed the entire time until I couldn’t see the flashing red and blue lights anymore. I waited a little while longer before pulling off in search of a celebratory drink.

  Chapter 10

  Rashaad

  When I got the call, I thought I was being punked. Domonique and I had our share of problems but I never would have wished death on her. The shit caused me unimaginable hearing those words. Everything that happened after the phone call was a blur. I left work and found my way home. How I managed to do that without getting into an accident was beyond me but I made it. I stepped into my bedroom and felt as if the air was sucked out of my body. The scene was horrific. Who would have wanted to do this to Domonique? I hadn’t had a clue but the shit was crazy. I hoped and prayed that it was all a nightmare and I was going to wake up soon but the longer I watched officers walk around processing my house I knew… this was really happening.

  “Sir I need to ask you a few questions?” an officer said to me as I stood in my hallway leaning against the wall.

  “Sure?”

  “Where were you for the past five hours?”

  “I had been at work all day. Since 8am until I got the call everyone at my office could vouch for that?” I said irritated. I knew it was his job but these motherfuckers don’t even try to accuse you nicely. They just come flat out with it.

  “Do you know someone by the name of Viasia... Vi… Ve?”

  “Viesha!” I said.

  “Yes.” The office said while nodding his head.

  “I do, what she got to do with all this?” I asked growing concerned.

  “We have reason to believe…”

  “Nah man, I said cutting him off.”

  I wasn’t about to listen to the shit that was about to fall out his mouth. Bad enough I lost Dom like this they wasn’t about to pin this shit on Viesha. She had no reason at all to kill Dom. Even if I never left Domonique she was having my child, she had to know I would be in her life forever. There was no need to kill Dom. It wasn’t her… was it?

  “Sir, I know this is a lot for you to take in but please let me get through these questions they may help us put your wife’s murderer away.”

  “Come with me officer,”

  I knew there was a sure way for us to find out who was responsible for Viesha’s death. Domonique and I had a security system installed and only used it when we would be away from the house for days at a time. Although Domonique was going away alone, I had a feeling she set the security to record just to see if I would bring Viesha over or any other chick for that matter. She was sneaky like that.

  Just as I expected she did. I wasted no time playing back the video and watching everything play out with one of the officers beside me.

  Viesha

  “I had been in here for hours. I hungry, it’s freezing in this room, and ya’ll haven’t even let me call to check on my daughter. I told you fifty fucking times what I was doing at their house and that I didn’t kill her.”

  “Ms. Rivers, evidence says otherwise.”

  “What fucking evidence? Blood on me. I checked her for a pulse. I didn’t like her but I didn’t want her dead. I would have tried to save her if it wasn’t too late.”

  I was so distraught that I started shaking. I never even received a parking ticket but here I was facing a murder charge. This could not be real. I’ve told my version of what happened repeatedly but they just wouldn’t believe me or at least look into what I was saying. I was drained. Emotionally and physically the verbal abuse I underwent for the past three hours was just inhumane. I wanted to crawl up and die but I had Kennedy to live for, and the baby growing inside me. I had to get out of there. But how?

  “I would like a lawyer!” I spat.

  Even though I felt asking for a lawyer was for guilty people it was the only card I had left to play.

  “That won’t be necessary Ms. Rivers. You’re free to go.” The captain said as he barged through the steel door.

  I was shocked but I didn’t stick around to ask questions. I rose from my seat and shuffled toward the door as fast as I possibly could. The first face I saw made my heart smile, but made me nervous at the same time.

  “Are you okay?” he asked me.

  How could he be so concerned about me when his wife had just been murdered?

  “Rashaad I swear to you I had not…”

  “I know that Vi, let’s get out of here I’ll explain everything in the car.” Rashaad said as he grabbed my hand and led me toward the exit.

  We drove in silence for a few before I decided to break the ice.

  “I’m sorry this happened Rashaad. I had my issues with her but I wouldn’t wish anyone death. I definitely would not have wanted to see you hurting,” I said. As I rubbed the side of his cheek.

  “I’ll be iight. I’m glad you okay though… listen…”

  By the way he said listen I knew I had to brace myself for what was to come next. There is no way I could have been prepared for it though. He explained to me about the security system he and Domonique had installed. After watching the tape with the officer, they saw Tiphani and Antwon entering the house with Domonique who appeared to be drugged. The tapes caught them leaving, they even had the nerve to switch into clothes that belonged to him and Domonique. They left out with a garbage bag, which is probably where they had their clothes.

  He told me that they caught up with Tiphani and she admitted to kidnapping and drugging Dom but insists the murder was all Antwon.

  I knew Tiphani had something against me but I didn’t know how deep it ran. We been friends since we were in high school I never would have imagined that she would go to such lengths to destroy me. I believed Rashaad when he said she had co
me onto him because she was a hoe and petty like that. But murder… that was a different playing field that I never expected her to cross into. Now Antwon it was believable. He didn’t have all his screws.

  I sat back with my head resting against the headrest with my eyes closed. It was too much. Too much had happened too fast.

  “What now?” I asked Rashaad without opening my eyes.

  “Honestly I don’t know but I’m not trying to go back to that house. Not tonight at least. I gotta call Dom’s family but I need a day. I can do all that tomorrow.” He said with frustration and sadness oozing from his tone.

  “You are more than welcome to come back to my place Rashaad. You can have the guest bedroom for as long as you like. In light of all that has happened, we have to slow things down drastically. This is something extreme that you have to deal with and I want to be there to help you as a friend. Everything else we will fall into place but we have to deal with the right here and right now.”

  He glanced at me for a split second before averting his attention back to the road.

  “You really wanna be there for me and help me through all this Vi?”

  “I do. I think we’ll be alright. Just gotta take it a day at a time,” I said.

  He nodded his head in agreement. “A day at a time.”

  The End

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