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Authors: Stephanie Norris

BOOK: Trouble In Paradise

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“What
do you mean? This is my Greg’s condo.”

“Your Greg’s condo?” Caroline said.

“Yeah,” Victoria said confused.

Caroline took in a couple of quick breaths,

“Victoria, Gregory Banks is my husband!” She screamed.

Victoria’s mouth dropped open. She began to stutter, “That tha that could not possibly be right,” she said, “that is my lover.”

“The guy you’re thinking about leaving Joshua for?” Caroline asked.

“Yes,” Victoria said just above a whisper.

“You home wrecker!” Caroline said.

She tossed
her bags to the floor.

“You mean to tell me you’ve gone
behind my back and been sleeping with my husband, me, your so called friend, that gave you the opportunity of a lifetime at my company and this is how you repay me!”

She lunged at Victoria.

Victoria put her hands up,

“I swear Caroline I had no idea, I didn’t know he was married he never said anything about it, we’ve been dating for a little over six months now and I never knew.”

Caroline smacked Victoria. SLAP!

“You home wrecker!” she said. “How
are you even dating someone and your engaged you’re like an open door policy!” Caroline screamed.

“What
is going on down here,” they heard Greg say.

They both looked up, when he took in
the scene he realized that madness that had broken loose in his kitchen and he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Caroline,” he said in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” she said turning her back to Victoria and walking towards Greg.

“You have some nerve to ask me that.
”

S
he slapped him across his face as well.

“You’ve been sleeping with
my intern. This is why you haven’t been able to come home, this is why we’ve lost our connection because you’ve been laid up with someone new!”

Caroline was screaming; spit flying into his face when
she yelled.

Victoria went into a daze, she thought about this man she had been with and thought the world of and how deceitful this act was. He was married, and worst of all he was married to her boss of all people.
Oh my God in Heaven
, she prayed clinching her fist and closing her eyes tight. Tears started to form in her eyes, she felt like a complete fool. She covered her breast and started to run around them. When she got close to Greg he reached out for her and she snatched away from him, he started to follow her and reach for her again but she pushed him back.

“Don’t follow me!” she screamed pointing her finger at him. “DON’T!”

Caroline was shocked.
Did he just walk away from me?

“Victoria!” Greg screamed, “Let me explain,” but she was already on her way to the bedroom to get her things.

Greg started after her and Caroline screamed,

“You should be explaining to me not her I am your WIFE!”

Greg stopped his pursuit toward Victoria and turned toward Caroline.

“Listen Caroline,” he said, “I really didn’t want you to find out this way, you’ve been a loving and caring wife who has managed to neglect me completely and I am in love with Victoria now.”

His words stung her like a thousand wasps in an enclosed room with no windows. She felt a stab of pain shoot through her heart that felt like dying a thousand deaths.

Chapter 30

Victoria grabbed her jeans and slid them on at a hurried pace, she had to get out of there. She grabbed her shirt and stepped into her shoes. She snatched up her purse grabbed her cell phone and dialed for a taxi. Out of the room and towards the door she passed the kitchen noticing Caroline down on her knees crying her eyes out. It gave her delay, she felt horrible, this whole incident was the worst that could’ve ever happened. She walked towards Caroline in slow uneasy steps when the voice on the phone said,

“Checkers Taxi.”

“Yes,” Victoria said, “I need a cab to come to 2418 Crescent Drive.”

Victoria gave the lady the address and hung up her phone. She slid her blackberry into her overnight bag and walked into the kitchen. Caroline was
on the floor crying and constrained. Victoria wanted to hug her but didn’t want to fight.

“Caroline,” she sai
d reaching out towards her and wrapping her arms around Caroline. They rocked back and forth. Caroline let Victoria rock her as she cried her eyes out.

“
I swear Caroline, I didn’t know.”

Tears fell from her eyes
and Victoria cried with her. Finally Caroline pulled back from her. Greg hit the corner just before she moved; he had gone to the room to put on some clothes when he saw Victoria holding Caroline he froze. He felt like a huge ass. He lost the love with Caroline but he didn’t want her to be hurt like this.

Car
oline said to Victoria,

“Are you in love with him?”

She sounded disturbed.

Victoria swallowed hard,

“Caroline please, I don’t think we should talk about this now.”

“Well, when do you suggest we talk about it Victoria? It’s now or never and I would like to know because I might not have the stomach to talk to you later.”

Victoria swallowed hard again; she didn’t want to lose her friendship with Caroline, they had grown close. Although that was true she knew there was no coming back from this, even though it wasn’t her fault. The fact that this happened would kill their friendship and she knew they would never be friends again. At that thought she was sad, she thought about her job, Joshua, and everything else she had been going through.

So stupid
, she thought,

“I should’ve known he was too good to be true,” she said in a low whisper.

“What did you say?” Caroline asked.

“I should’ve known he was too good to be true,” she r
epeated louder.

“You are in love with him aren’t you?” she said.

They heard the taxi driver pull up and blow his horn. Victoria looked towards the door and saw Greg standing there.

She looked back at Caroline and said,

“Yes.”

She stood up and grabbed her purse,

“I’m sorry Caroline.”

“You do know to turn in your badge and not to return to work right?” Caroline asked.

Victoria felt an even deeper stab at the fact that she had just lost her job and would have to start over. Everything she had worked so hard for was on the line and she didn’t even know it. She closed her eyes and exhaled. The taxi driver blew his horn and Victoria slowly walk towards the door. Greg reached out for her. Her face turned into a frown she stepped to him and looked at him in his face.

Caroline began to cry again Victoria said,

“
I can’t believe you did this to me what kind of monster are you?”

S
he slapped him one good time for good measure.

“Victoria,” he said, “I’m sorry baby please let me explain, if you’ll give me just a second,” he pleaded.

“How can you stand there and even ask me to let you explain when you are married and disrespecting your wife? You are so not the man I thought you were and I can’t believe you could be so cruel to put my career on the line, you’re the worst kind of man and the biggest jerk I know.”

Her eyes watered and she started to cry, the taxi driver blew one long horn, she blinked and the tears fell from her face.

“My wife was not invited,” he said, “I’m in love with you not her.”

Victoria was shocked.

“Wow,” she said.

She looked at Caroline who cried even harder. Victoria shook her head.

“You’re and piece of work.”

She brushed past him and
out the door.

Epilogue:

“Two Weeks Later”

Victoria was online looking for jobs when Joshua walked up, he put his arms around her and kissed her on her face.

“Hey boo,” he said, “how’s the job search going?”

“Well, looks like I may have found another great oppo
rtunity with a company in Atlanta, Georgia but that means we’ll have to move again,” she said.

“It’s all good baby
Chicago didn’t turn out to be our best bet. We have been here long enough. First, Danielle with her bull, then your boss and her husband getting a divorce, and selling the company. It’s still crazy to me. I got this anyway, take your time baby.”

H
e dropped a soft kiss on her full lips and walked out the room.

Little did he know her boss really wasn’t selling the co
mpany but he didn’t need to know the details. It had been two weeks since the last time she heard from Greg. Oh he called a million times but she wouldn’t answer his phone calls. One time she thought she saw him following her down the street but she hit the gas pedal and lost him. She didn’t want to see him, ever; she didn’t know how she would react to seeing his face. She was still in love with him and her heart had broken into pieces after finding out he was married to her boss. This betrayal was too much. Needing advice to spoke to her mom about what was going on in her life for the first time. Appalled at the misery her child was going through Jeanette Mathis told her daughter the best thing she could do was pray and talk to Jesus about her ordeal.

“You’re out of line, you went about this all wrong baby and we reap what we sow, it’s not just a cliché it’s scripture.”

Victoria couldn’t deny the words her mom spoke that night she prayed and fasted hoping for answers from God. Caroline was her friend, she didn’t want her man nor did she want her to hurt like that. He should’ve been honest and upfront. Instead he was a coward and felt hatred and loved him at the same time.

Her voicemail was full and she didn’t dare check them because he would just continue to leave more messages. She would let her voicemail stay full so every time he called he would get the message “this voicemail is full.” She wished
he would just stop calling. It was time to get over him and he was not making it easy. Victoria was looking for jobs in the Atlanta, Georgia area it was time for a change of scenery again. Moving to Atlanta wouldn’t make her feelings go away but at least it would put some distance between them. Besides, why would she stay? Everything she accomplished had been taken away from her in this city.

The only thing that was left was memories and none of them were good. Well some of them were good but for the most part they
were all bad. She sighed and wished it would’ve turned out differently. Joshua had been a sweetheart and she knew he was happy about the change of heart Victoria had all of a sudden.

“
Lord help me move forward,” she said to herself and continued to look for a job.

*****

Across town Caroline was standing in her window loo
king over the city. She was at the very top of their condo which they had added so she had a full view of the city. Standing there taking sips out of her wine glass she pondered to herself. Her life had been turned upside down and her husband no longer wanted her. She hadn’t seen him in two weeks since the day she fell into a heap on the floor of their condo across town. He really did not want her and left her laying there.

The emptiness inside put a taste of venom in her mouth
she was still in love with him and didn’t want a divorce. She sipped her wine some more. Caroline was feeling very vengeful, she felt like someone needed to suffer since she had endured so much pain. It seemed as if no one else cared how she felt and that made her angry. She wanted to believe Victoria had no idea Greg was her husband but even if that is the fact, it didn’t matter. To Caroline, Victoria had ruined her life and she wanted to make her pay.
I am Greg’s wife
, she thought,
any one that threatens that will pay
.

“Big time,” she promised
out loud.

Caroline
turned her wine glass up and emptied it.

Wanting more Trouble In Paradise?

Check out Part II Vengeful Intentions!

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