The Dirty Divorce (9 page)

“This my fuckin’ house. Did you forget?” I asked. “You got shit twisted. You and Juan would be put the fuck out before my daughter. Juan’s twenty-two. He shouldn’t be livin’ here anyway.”

“I can roll, that’s not a problem,” Juan added.

Lisa shook her head. “I can’t believe you always take her side. Didn’t you hear the way she disrespected me?”

“Come on Ma, get dressed so we can go,” Juan suggested. “I’ll be downstairs waiting,” he said before walkin’ out of the room. He knew I would knock his ass out if he jumped out there and said somethin’ smart.

Followin’ Juan’s lead, I left out of the house to start and waited for Denie in the car. Minutes later, it hit me that my daughter was growin’ into a woman, as I watched her walk to the car. She was such a pretty girl wit’ long beautiful hair that she wore pulled back in a ponytail most of the time. She was beginnin’ to really fill out and that shit scared me. Wit’ a body like her mother’s, I knew that was goin’ to be a problem for me soon enough. Now I understood why Lisa’s family always hated me because I couldn’t imagine my daughter bein’ a mother at her age. When Denie got pregnant the lil’ nigga who knocked her up would’ve been dead if I’d been out on the street. I wondered all the time if Denie had a boyfriend, but she would never tell me. She said she’d learned her lesson and wouldn’t date again ‘til she got out of high school, but somethin’ told me that was complete bullshit.

As we rode down the highway Denie didn’t say much. I knew she was still mad at what happened between her and Lisa. I thought I would break the ice and see what was on her mind.

“Baby Girl, why are you so quiet?”

“Daddy, I hate Ma so much. She treats me so messed up. Every time she’s mad at you, she takes it out on me.”

“Denie, you can’t hate your mother. How did y’all get to this point? It seems like ever since you’ve become a teenager things are different wit’ y’all.”

“When you were locked up she treated me like I wasn’t even related to her.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that back then? I thought shit was straight.”

“I mean she would buy me stuff and come to my games to watch me cheer, things like that, but it was like she was always on edge starting arguments with me all the time. You know she loves Juan more than me.”

“Don’t say that because it’s not true. Your mother loves you very much. Maybe you all just need to go through counseling or somethin’. I’ll even pay for it. I mean you’re gonna have to learn how to get along. I’m not gonna always be here, especially since I have some business to take care of in Cali, and I’ll be back and forth a lot. I don’t need y’all to be at war while I’m gone. If she upsets you Denie, just ignore her, or call me.”

Denie sucked her teeth. “That’s if you answer your phone.”

“I’m sorry Baby Girl, but sometimes I might be in the middle of somethin’ important, it’s never intentional. You know you’re my number one and I love you, right?”

Denie was hesitant for a moment. “Yes, Daddy. I love you, too.”

It made me feel good to see her smile again. I wanted to ask her if she’d been datin’ anyone, but I decided to save that conversation for a later date. For now, I wanted to make all her worries go away. She was my princess and it was important to me that I made her feel that way.

One thing about Baby Girl, she knew how to shop. After four hours of shoppin’ in Tyson’s Corner, she talked me into buying her everything from a new I-Phone, one of the latest Gucci bags wit’ the shoes to match as well as several new outfits from various stores. Ten thousand is what I ended up droppin’ on this last minute shoppin’ spree. I felt sorry for any guy who my daughter ended up datin’ because she already had expensive taste; a trait passed down to her from Lisa. When we finally left the mall, I quickly drove back home knowin’ the time I’d spent wit’ Denie had pushed me back. I had plans to fly out later on in the evenin’, which no one knew about, especially Denie. I hadn’t told her that I wasn’t goin’ to be home for Christmas because I knew she would be upset so I left her another gift under the tree right along wit’ Lisa and Juan’s, hopin’ it would be a substitute for my absence. No matter how upset I got wit’ my wife and son, I still would never deprive them on Christmas.

As soon as Denie put her new stuff up that we’d bought, she walked in my room and gave me a kiss, lettin’ me know that she was goin’ over her friend’s house, which worked out perfect. Now, wit’ no one home, it was effortless for me to leave unnoticed. Openin’ up my closet I pulled out my Louis Vuitton duffle bag and threw in a couple of things for my trip. I was only flyin’ to L.A. for a couple of days and since it was goin’ to be a short trip I packed light. Now, with Mike taken care of, I had some catchin’ up to do wit’ expandin’ my new empire on the West Coast. I was ready to get some real money at any cost, even if that meant spendin’ Christmas without my family.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Lisa

After Rich and Denie left, I immediately went to the garage and keyed the entire passenger side of Rich’s fully restored 1981 Corvette. A car he’d nicknamed, Snow White because of the customized paint. As if that wasn’t enough, I took a steak knife from the kitchen and stabbed the soft convertible top several times. He’d just invested $60,000 into his precious old-school car last summer. Besides Denie, I knew it was one of his prized possessions, but didn’t give a fuck. I wanted his ass to pay this time for hitting me, and destroying his car made me feel so much better. After stabbing the hood one last time, I walked around to all four tires and poked holes in those as well. As air slowly made it’s way out, I began to think about how Rich was going to react when he saw what I’d done. I knew it was going to be a battle, but after all the stress he’d put me through over the years, I was ready for whatever.

After giving the car my own little makeover, I decided to do one last thing to piss Rich off. Knowing he hated when anybody fucked with his money, I decided to treat myself to a little shopping with one of his many stashes; money that he had no clue I even knew about. Opening the glove compartment, I pulled back a small lever that had been installed, which automatically popped open the stash spot under the passenger’s floor board. Moving the stupid, Corvette’s Rule floor mat, I opened the entrance to the square shaped hole, reached inside and pulled out several stacks of money. Normally, this spot had about a hundred thousand tucked away, but for some reason the stash was light this time. However, it didn’t matter. Regardless of the amount, I had plans to blow it all.

Shopping had always been therapy for me, so I knew I would feel much better about Rich putting his hands on me once I spent all his shit. Juan and I ended up going to Mazza Gallerie to avoid bumping into Rich and Denie since I knew Tyson’s was her favorite mall. It was hard for me to believe that my daughter and I had actually gone to blows with one another. My mother would always tell me, she couldn’t wait for me to have a child of my own, because I would get back everything I ever did to her. I guess she was right because my feelings were crushed, especially at the fact that Rich sided with her all the time.

When we would get into it in the past, I would grab or shake her, but it had never been like this. I guess I was just fed up and frustrated. Since Denie had become a teenager it had gotten much harder trying to raise her, especially with Rich in and out of her life. I wonder if he ever realized how his constant absence had affected Denie’s behavior. It seemed as if she had so much anger built up inside of her; anger that was always directed toward me.

Rich’s absence also affected Juan, who ended up turning to the streets since I wasn’t able to buy him the material things he was used to having once Rich got locked up. With most of Rich’s money tied up in expensive legal fees, and me struggling to pay a $5,500 mortgage, three car payments and a stack of other bills, Juan decided to use his advantage as Rich’s son to make his own money. I hated the fact that my son decided to go that route. I never wanted that lifestyle for him, and prayed constantly that he would someday be college bound. Until my prayers were answered, I had no plans to give up hope.

After hours of shopping and spending the entire twenty g’s on everything Juan and I put our hands on, we finally made our way back home. Even though I was mad at Denie, I even ended up buying her a necklace from Tiffany. Since Rich wanted to put his hands on me, I was determined not to come back home with a dime. It felt good spending his hard earned money…always had. He would learn sooner or later to stop fucking with me.

When we pulled up to the house, Juan didn’t waste anytime jumping out and running around to open my door, like a true gentleman, which immediately made me smile. My son was always there for me when I felt Rich wasn’t and I really needed him right now. I was still suffering from so much mentally and Rich just wasn’t sympathetic at all about my needs or feelings. It was hard dealing with being raped, abducted, and having to watch my back every five minutes. I always felt on edge, so Juan and my pills were truly my safe havens away from reality.

“Juan, are you going to church with us tonight?” I asked as he grabbed a hand full of bags.

“As long as your husband doesn’t go, I’m there.”

“He’s supposed to. Regardless, just please go for me.”

“Okay Ma, for you. I have to go make a run first, but I’ll meet you there.”

I shook my head. “Juan, it’s Christmas Eve. Do you have to do that on a day like this?”

Juan smiled, showing his perfect set of teeth. A charming characteristic he’d gotten from my side of the family. “Ma, my line of work is open twenty-four seven. Feins don’t take off for vacation.”

I shook my head again. I really need to find a way to get you out of that line of work, I thought before walking into the house. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Rich and Denie were still not at home. “Your father and sister must still be out. Maybe they’re so pissed off that they’re not even going tonight.”

“Don’t worry about them, Ma,” Juan said, putting all the bags down.

“You’re right. I’m not going to worry about it. They both know that we go to church on Christmas Eve as a family, so I’m going to get dressed. If they’re here when I leave then fine, if not…oh well.”

“Exactly. Do you want me to take the bags upstairs?”

“No, I’ll do it.”

Juan kissed me on the cheek. “Okay. I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

When Juan left, I started up the stairs to my room with a couple of bags. I had so many, I knew it would take me at least three trips. Entering my room, I was on my way to my closet when I realized the light inside Rich’s closet was on. Flashing back to when the attackers invaded my home, I instantly stopped in my tracks. Since I wasn’t sure if someone was in the house again, I stood frozen for a few minutes, waiting to see if I heard someone moving around. After standing in the same spot for at least two minutes and not hearing anything, I slowly walked toward the closet. I knew I should’ve been walking in the other direction, but something told me that I was overreacting. Once I reached the closet door, and realized that Rich had obviously left the light on, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Damn, maybe I should carry the gun Rich bought me,” I said to myself. Right before I went to turn off the light, the fact that Rich’s luggage was gone immediately caught my attention. “He left?” I asked out loud like someone was there to respond. After staring in the empty space for a few more seconds, I picked up my house phone and called Rich on his cell.

“What?” he answered on the first ring.

“Rich, where are you?”

“After the shit you pulled earlier, don’t ask me anything right now.”

“It’s Christmas Eve. Why would you leave without saying anything?”

“Look, I’ve got some things to take care of.”

“So, those things couldn’t wait until after the holidays? Denie will be crushed if you’re not here tomorrow.”

He paused for a moment. “I know, but I’ll just have to make it up to her later.”

“You know we all were supposed to go to church tonight. My family is gonna be wondering where you are. I don’t feel like dealing with that tonight.”

“And I don’t really give a fuck about your family right now. I got more important things to do than to sit up in another one of your father’s borin’-ass Christmas Eve sermons. Just put some money in the offerin’ bucket from me tonight. That should satisfy him. Look, I gotta go. Tell Denie, I love her.” CLICK

I dreaded hearing my mother and father asking questions about where Rich was. My parents had been waiting since the day I got married, for me to run back home and let them know how much they were right about Rich. My father and Rich hated each other with a passion. They got into a huge fight when I was about to deliver Juan because Rich was nowhere to be found when I was going into labor. One of the elders at the church called my dad to let him know she saw Rich at the movies with some girl, and my father has never gotten past that.

The fights between them caused Rich to forbid me to bring his kids anywhere near my parent’s house. I could hear his disrespectful ass voice in my head, “If your father’s bitch ass can’t respect me, I don’t want my kids anywhere near him.” To keep the peace, I just stayed away. He was only cordial during the holidays, and we were only allowed to go to church, which hurt my dad.

My father and I were so close before Rich and I got together and I regretted everyday that I’d allowed Rich to come between us. No matter how jealous my mother was of our bond, she knew my dad loved me and there was nothing she could do to destroy what we shared. Sometimes I felt guilty that I wasn’t that strong when it came to Rich, but I would always be a daddy’s girl. I just didn’t want to disappoint him and not be there for Christmas. That was a time where he looked forward to seeing us, me and the kids that is.

I spent the rest of the evening wrapping gifts before it was time for me to get ready for church. It was 6:00 p.m. and Denie had just gotten home.