Shattered Lives (The Shattered Series Book 1)

by Marilyn Williams

“Have you spoken to Tami about your concerns?”

  “I’ve tried, but she doesn’t want to hear it. Over the past months, Tami and I have grown apart because of Ramona.”

  “Why?”

  “After you left, Tami asked Ramona to work as her assistant. I tried telling her not to trust that snake. In return, she accused me of being petty and jealous. When Tami and I grew apart, she became closer to Ramona. That's why I called you. You introduced her to everyone and brought her into the inner circle. There must be something she disclosed to you I can pass on to Tami.”

  “She’s good. The way she insinuated her way into your friendship with Tami.” Tim stopped at the red light and turned towards Alexis. She could tell he was about to reveal Ramona’s big secret. “What I have to tell you is staggering,” he began. “I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't lived it myself. Once I tell you my story, you won't have a choice but to act on it. Are you sure you're ready to hear this?”

  “Yes.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Ramona arrived at The Four Seasons Hotel an hour early. She had a special gift for Josh that required special handling. When they were planning the party, Tami expressed having a video montage for her husband of all their happy times together. Ramona suggested someone she knew for the job, but Tami said she wanted to do it herself. However, what Tami doesn’t know, she made a copy of the video but added a few minor touches to spice it up. She entered the ballroom and found that the preparations were nearly complete. The staff had transformed the dull ballroom into an elegantly decorated space in black and cream, with a touch of gold. According to Tami, those are Josh’s favorite colors. Cally lilies were the focal point of each table. They were in a single crystal vase surrounded by white candles.

  Ramona caught the eye of the event planner, Mrs. Tran, who was on the far side of the room. She was a short Asian woman, who maintained a close crop hairstyle, who you could easily be mistaken for a man until she opens her mouth to speak. She waved at Ramona and gestured for her to come over. She struts towards her, showing off lots of leg and cleavage to anyone within eye distance. She wore a tight black sequined dress that stopped mid-thigh, with a plunging neckline that fell right above her navel. To prevent a wardrobe malfunction, she used double-sided tape to cover her breast to prevent a wardrobe malfunction. She wanted Nick’s jaw to drop when he saw her and not give Lauren a second thought.

  “So far, everything is running smoothly and according to schedule. I spoke with Miss Tami, she will arrive soon,” said Mrs. Tran.

  “Great. Is the video ready?”

  “Yes, I gave the flash drive to Dave, the audio guy,” she said pointing to a table with a laptop near the band. “He stepped out.”

  Ramona thank Mrs.Tran for her help before discreetly making her way to Dave’s laptop. She quickly scanned the room to make sure no one was watching. In the upper right corner of the screen was the file labeled, Hamilton Party. Dave made this way too easy! Ramona inserted her own flash drive with the sabotaged video, using it to replace the file on the computer. She chuckled to herself as she thought of everyone’s faces when they saw what she had in store for them.

  Not wanting anyone to see her until the appropriate time she headed out of the ballroom. What will begin as a birthday/ apology / please forgive me for being the worst wife ever party, will become Tami’s worst nightmare.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  “Why are we going in the opposite direction of the restaurant?” asked Josh, as he glimpsed out the car’s window.

  Tami remained quiet only revealing a sly grin. “I need to make one quick stop,” she said, as she turned into the hotel’s parking lot.

  Josh became more irritable with each passing moment. Tami tried not to let his bad attitude effect hers, but it was difficult.

  “Why do you need to stop here? I was perfectly fine at home watching football.”

  Tami turned the car off after finding a parking spot near the entrance. This evening was not going how she envisioned. Josh’s attitude has put a damper on things and she’s not sure how he will react to a surprise birthday celebration. She can’t blame him for how he felt, she was the root cause of his anger. She only hoped he could see she’s trying to undo the damage.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  When Alexis and Tim arrived at the hotel, she noticed Tami’s car as they parked beside it. The nerves in her stomach hadn't subsided, and she hadn't thought of the words to say to her friend when they come face to face. She's more concerned with how Tami wil receive her. Alexi will do whatever it takes to get her friend back even if that meant taking down Ramona herself. She exited the car and stops to light a cigarette with her pink bedazzled lighter. She took two puffs and faced Tim. “Are you going to tell me this incredible story before we go in?”

  She listened as he told her a wild story of how Ramona proposition him and recorded their encounters. Then used the video to force him to hire her. Tim believes Ramona wants to exact revenge on Tami and she used him to do it. Alexis was speechless, she couldn’t believe what Ramona has done to him. “But why? Why does she want revenge?” Tim paused before speaking, moved closer to Alexis, looked around before whispering in her ear. “It’s because of her father, Dr. Michael Pennington.”

  Alexis loosened her grip on her cigarette causing it to fall to the ground, she had to make sure she heard Tim correctly. “Ramona is Dr. Pennington’s daughter? The one that Tami worked with?”

  Tim nodded his head yes.

  “You’re absolutely sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “So, Tami and Ramona are connected through her father. But, why is she after her? What’s missing from this story?”

  “If you recall, someone shot and killed him in a robbery,” said Tim.

  “I don’t follow, Tim. What does the robbery have to do with anything?”

  “Tami was the last person to see him alive.”

  “Are you saying that Ramona believes Tami knows something about the robbery?”

  Tim shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know. But, you’re Tami’s friend, therefore, you need to warn her.”

  “You’re right. We should find her and tell her everything.”

  “I’ll let you handle that. I came here for a different reason.”

  Alexis entered the hotel determined to make Tami listen to what she had to say. It was a necessity she understood her new friend was not who she pretended to be.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  As the band played a mix of current and early 2000's music, Ramona mingled with the guests while she kept an eye out for Tami. While watching the room, she saw Nick and Lauren arrive. They sat at a table near the door. Nick looked extra delectable, he was one man who knew how to wear a suit. He wore a black suit, with a silver-grayish shirt with the top three buttons undone. She watched him from across the room. Not for a second did he move his eyes away from Lauren to noticed the other woman in his life. She continued to stare at the couple who didn’t appear to be affectionate with one another, only friendly. Just watching them made her ill. What could he possibly see in her? She couldn’t help but pick her appearance apart in her mind. Lauren wore a white pants suit that was marginally cute, but ill-fitting. The pants were an inch too long and the jacket didn’t flatter her slim frame. However, on a positive note, she's pretty. Not gorgeous woman type pretty. More like the girl-next-door pretty. She was fair-skinned, brown straight hair she wore in a bob haircut slightly past her chin, and from a distance, she appeared very poised. Her mannerisms were of someone who was sophisticated, classy, and came from money.

  None of that matter because she did not love or deserve Nick. He needed someone like herself. A woman who wasn’t afraid to stand up to him. Make him accountable for his actions, unlike his wife. She would never allow herself to be in an open marriage, and after tonight Nick will choose between the two of them. If he refused, it was time to walk away.

  He was finally alone at his table, so it was time for her to make her pr
esence known. As she made her way over towards Nick, she saw Josh and Tami enter the room. Now the fun was about to begin.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  When Tami reached the doors of the ballroom, she glanced at Josh who still had a frown on his face. She had to explain why they were there even if, it would ruin the surprise. “I have a confession,” she winced, “We’re not going to dinner.”

  “We’re not?”

  Tami shook her head no. “We're attending a celebration and you’re the guest of honor.”

  “Me?” Josh asked, confused, “Guest of honor of what?”

  “You’ve been unhappy with me and I understand your reasons. Your birthday is coming up, so I put together a celebration with friends and family. I realize you dislike being the center of attention but I wanted to show how much I love you.” Before he could say anything Tami grabbed his hand, pulling him aside. Tami looked into her husband’s eyes and his expression said it all, he finally had a hint of a smile on his face and it was a relief.

  The couple entered the room hand-in-hand. The first person they ran into was Nick, he sat alone at a table near the entrance. She left Josh with his friend to speak with Mrs. Tran who appeared to be wrapping up a conversation with the caterer. “Mrs. Tran I would like to thank you for everything. The room is breathtaking. I assume all went smoothly?”

  “No problems at all. The hotel staff was very accommodating.” Tami told her she would give her a glowing review and use her services again. Once business was out of the way, Mrs. Tran had the band cut the music. Tami was ready to address her husband and guests. She gracefully approached the front of the room with a grin on her face. Because Josh was ultra low key, she knew what she was about to do would embarrass him to no end.

  She placed the microphone in her hand. “Hello everyone, I would like to thank you for attending my spur-of-the-moment gathering. Tonight I am honoring my husband by celebrating his birthday. Although it’s not for three days, I didn’t want to wait to show him how much I love and appreciate him.” Tami looked out into the sea of people watching her. “Josh, where are you? Come up here!” Everyone clapped as he sauntered towards her. Once he was near, Tami reached for his hand as she spoke. “I hope you don’t mind, but I put together a video montage of our journey together. It begins from the day we exchanged our vows until the present.” Tami nodded at the video technician and he pressed a remote that allowed an enormous size screen to come down at front of the room. It was bigger than an average projector screen. He dimmed the lights, and the video began. Pictures from their wedding appeared on the screen as soft instrumental music played in the background. Josh leaned forward kissing her on the forehead. Next, were pictures they had taken together in various countries while on vacation. Suddenly, the screen became blank and after a few seconds, ominous music played, the kind you would hear during the ending credits of a horror movie.

  WHO IS TAMI HAMILTON? Appeared on the screen. Tami squinted her eyes slightly in a bout of confusion.

  She is a LIAR! Josh leaned towards Tami. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Tami, removing her hand from Josh’s grip. The next slide on the screen was a picture of her and Dr. Pennington. The same image as the one in the letters she’s received. Her legs no longer felt strong and steady. They felt wobbly like she may pass out any moment. Evidently, the person behind the letters was also responsible for this sick joke. She studied the faces of the guests behind her, looking for anyone who appeared to enjoy what’s on the screen. That’s when she noticed the empty table, the video technician had conveniently disappeared. She had to get to his computer to stop the video. Tami asked Mrs. Tran to have the lights turned up while she deleted the file, but the sound of gasps throughout the room stopped her. She turned towards the screen. Her eyes widened and her heart beat twice as fast as she silently mouthed each word before her. Tami Hamilton hid her pregnancy from the world!! This callous and heartless person coerced Dr. Michael Pennington to abort her unborn baby hours before his death!!!!

  There wasn’t a single word to describe the expression on Josh’s face. It was a combination of anger, confusion, and disgust all rolled together. Her nightmare had become a reality. She allowed her eyes to wander amongst her guest and found they were all staring at her. She wasn’t sure if she should run out or stay to explain her side to Josh. “Is this some kind of sick joke?! You had an abortion?!!!!” yelled Josh. His face was red and his mouth curled up into a snarl.

  Tami searched for a sympathetic face to rescue her, but there was none. Everyone shared the same disgusted expression. “Josh, let’s not do this here,” Tami whispered. “Let’s go somewhere private.” She reached for his hand; he repelled at her touch.

  “Answer the damn question! Were you pregnant and had an abortion?”

  Tami darted her eyes towards the beige tile flooring, speaking in a voice barely above a whisper. “Yes.”

  Josh inched closer to Tami and screamed directly into her ear. “I can’t hear you!”

  Her body flinched. “Yes.” She wiped a falling tear from her eye. “It’s true.”

  Josh stormed out of the room. Tami chased after him, calling out his name. She ran right into Alexis causing her to stop dead in her tracks. She glared at the woman who was supposed to be her best friend. “You did this!”

  “Me?” asked Alexis, wide-eyed. “How can you think I would do something so cruel?”

  “You’re the only one who knew, Alexis. You kept pushing me to tell him, so I guess you took matters into your own hands!”

  “Tami, you know me. I would never hurt you or Josh,” pleaded Alexis who had tears in her eyes.

  “I don’t believe you or those phony tears! You stay away from both me and my husband!” she demanded before leaving to go after Josh.

  She and Alexis have gone months without speaking because of her growing friendship with Ramona. But, never would she had thought someone she trusted would betray her in this manner. Tami had no time to cry over a betrayal, she had a marriage to save.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  To say Ramona was proud of herself was an understatement. Mission was accomplished. She grabbed another glass of champagne to celebrate. She watched as Josh stormed out of his own party as pitiful Tami chased after him. Everyone was whispering about what just happened, some said Tami was at fault and found it disgusting she hid an abortion from her husband. Others felt bad for both. She didn't give a damn about Josh or his pitiful wife. Her goal was to expose Tami Hamilton as a liar, and she was far from finished.

  After two additional glasses of champagne, she was ready to torpedo another marriage. Ramona walked towards the couple huddle together on the opposite side of the room. As she got closer, Nick noticed and stared directly at her. He didn’t appear to be afraid that his mistress had emerged before him. Instead, it seemed more like a trance. He kept his eyes on her and away from Lauren which caused her to turned to see what had caught his eye. Now that Ramona had both of their attention, she made a beeline to Nick and kissed him on the lips. She pulled back, briefly stared into his eyes and kissed him again. She stopped when she felt a tap on her shoulders, Ramona turned to face Lauren. “I assume you're the latest slut my husband is sleeping with?” she smirked.

  Ramona grabbed Nick's hand, intertwined their fingers together. “No, I'm not the latest anything. Nick and I are living together.” Lauren gave Nick a look as if she waiting for him to explain but instead he pulled away from Ramona. “You need to go. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said.

  “I'm not going anywhere. You need to tell your wife the truth!”

  Lauren stepped closer to Nick. “I suggest you get your whore out of here before someone overhears her.” Nick did as she requested and pulled Ramona out into the corridor. The pulsating vein on his temple told her he was furious. “What is wrong with you? Showing up uninvited and kissing me in front of Lauren. You need to go!” he yelled.

  Ramona stared at him like he had grown two heads
for raising his voice. “I’m not a child, so don’t speak to me in that tone.”

  “Sorry.” He rubbed his forehead like he was growing more aggravated by the minute. “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”

  “You gave me no choice, Nick. You’ve been playing games from the beginning and someone had to inform your wife we’re together.”

  “It’s quite extreme to crash a party to confront me?”

  “I didn’t crash a thing! Tami invited me because we work together.”

  “What? Why would you keep that from me?” he asked, shaking his head. “You need to leave and we’ll finish this later." As he turned towards the ballroom’s doors Lauren walked by. She continued right passed them with no acknowledgment. Nick called out her name, she stopped and stepped towards him. “I turned a blind eye to your affairs for a long time. All I ever asked was that you kept your whores away from me and our life,” she said in a hushed tone.

  Ramona had enough of the name calling and charged at her. “Bitch, you need to quit with the name calling. I won’t allow you to disrespect me!” Ramona tried to slug her in her face but Nick got in between them.

  Lauren stood and appeared unbothered by Ramona’s antics. “Honey, I'm not disrespecting you. You're disrespecting yourself by sleeping with a married man, who doesn't give a damn about you. Sure, he moved you in and bought you plenty of nice things. You’re a fool if you believe you’re the only one. In the end, he will remain what he always been — my husband.”

  Ramona wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing her words had shaken her. It wasn’t the part about disrespecting herself that was unsettling. It was the part that Nick would be anything other than Lauren’s husband. Those are the same words she utters when he leaves her alone at the home they share. She drifted her eyes towards Nick and eyed him intently. She had finally put him in the position where he had to choose. He stood in between her and Lauren with the look of a confused man who had to do serious damage control. After a few moments of him glancing back and forth between both women. He grabbed Ramona’s hand and walked away with her. Leaving Lauren standing alone.