Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1) (12 page)

I dried my tears. Got my composure—refocused.

Then I went and made myself of copy of all those fucking keys too.

Duke didn’t know who he was fucking with!

Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

Chapter 14-Faking Jacks

It was three days after my discovery of the money and list of chicks when Duke final ly made an appearance at the condo.

It was the middle of the night when I heard him punching in the alarm code. I bit into my bottom lip and tried my best to put on the I love you so much act. I could hear Duke shuffling around inside the closet. Then he went to the den. That shit made me squeeze the pillow, I was so angry. All I could think of was that he was adding more bitches’ names to his list.

Duke undressed and slid into bed. He cuddled behind me and started kissing my ears. I just moved a little bit. Usually, I just rolled over and welcomed him. Not tonight. Duke started licking my neck and letting his hands roam all over my body. I stiffened because my mind started wondering if he had been with another woman . . . any of those bitches I saw on his list. Duke touched my breasts and pinched my nipples. That shit made me feel kind of dirty. Then he pulled me onto my back.

“
Wassup with you, baby? You ain’t happy to see your man?” he said in a supposedly low sexy tone. His breath was hot and smelled of alcohol. A pang of jealousy shot through me. I wanted to ask him who the fuck he was out wining and dining with tonight. But I remained silent.

Duke proceeded to take what he wanted. Eventually he was able to get between my rigid, stiff legs. I pumped up and down, and didn’t even bother to fuck him back like I usually did. I know he noticed too, because he kept stopping and looking at me strangely. Whenever he did that I called out, “yeah baby, oh baby,” in my most fake voice. Duke wasn’t stupid, I’m sure he knew something was up. He started fucking me real hard and I was having minor sharp pains in my abdomen. I also noticed my breasts were super sore and sensitive when he sucked them. I was glad as hell when he finally came.

He rolled off of me and I turned my back. Again, not my usual self. I would usually rub and caress him after sex. Cuddle up, lay my head and upper body on his chest and talk to him. Tonight I wasn’t up for that shit.

Duke didn’t sweat it either. He just turned over and went to sleep. I couldn’t get back to sleep, not with all the shit I had on my mind. And to top it all off, this nigga had actually showed up this time without even bothering to buy me a guilt gift. He was really slacking now. It was all good because I knew he had put more money in that fucking box and I was intending to take my share. I had finally heeded Diamond’s words . . . I was stashing little by little just in case some shit ever jumped off. I wasn’t going to be like those rich men’s wives that sat around thinking their shit didn’t stink and never having a Plan B. I had already started putting my Plan B in place . . . just in case.

Duke got up the next morning and he didn’t say much to me at first. I stayed in bed while he showered and got ready to leave, once again. I was feeling sick to my stomach. I didn’t know if it was the anxiety of him leaving me again, coupled with the fact that I didn’t know when he’d be coming back, or if I was coming down with something. I felt like throwing up and I had the worst headache.

“
Baby, something wrong?” Duke asked when he emerged from the bathroom and started putting on his clothes.

“
I’m just lonely and I miss you when you stay away so long. Why don’t you want to spend time with me anymore?” I said somberly.

Duke had a stoic look on his face. “What . . . all this I’m giving you ain’t enough?” he asked evilly. I was shocked by his nasty reaction to my question. He was definitely not the same man I met and thought was the shit. Now his shit was stinking up the place.

“
I’m not saying that but—” I started to say but was rudely interrupted.

“
But nothing! I’m saying if you ain’t happy here you can leave,” Duke blasted back.

“
Why are you being so mean!?” I screamed. Unable to control my emotions, I suddenly burst out crying.

Duke chuckled. “You young girls gotta get it together. You knew I was busy when I picked your ass up out the gutter,” Duke said maliciously. Then he walked out of the bedroom. He left me crying hysterically.

“
Ahhhhh!” I screamed out of frustration when I heard the condo door slam. I was beside myself. I laid back down and cried until my chest hurt.

When I finally pulled myself together, I noticed that Duke had left me a stack of cash on the dining room table. I picked it up and flipped through it. It was his usual $3,000.

“
I will just go shopping and make myself feel better,” I mumbled. I knew damn well buying even more clothes than I had already acquired over the past six months wasn’t going to do shit for my aching heart. But I still got dressed and went to the mall. It was the first place Duke and I had gone shopping together. Walking into Saks made me feel kind of sad about how things were going with us. I spotted Caroline, the saleswoman who had helped Duke and me the day he’d brought me here. She noticed me, but acted like she didn’t recognize me. I walked up to her. Surely, she must’ve remembered me.

“
Hello, Caroline,” I said sweetly.

The old bitch crinkled her eyebrows at me. “Have we met?” she asked me.

“
Yes, yes. I came in with Mr. Carrington, my boyfriend. You helped me pick out dresses and shoes,” I reminded her.

She snorted a bit. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you. Mr. Carrington is accompanied by so many different women, I just can’t keep it straight,” the old bitty said sarcastically.

A hot feeling came over me. I didn’t consider myself a violent person but I wanted to reach out and slap the shit out of this pompous, white bitch. I didn’t fucking ask her who Duke came here to shop with. I was speechless. I couldn’t move. It was as if I had been crazy glued to that spot in the store.

“
Now would you like to open up your own personal shopper account? Because, I usually only help the women that are escorted by Mr. Carrington,” the evil bitch said mockingly.

I could feel my face getting flush. The entire store began to spin around me. I gripped the counter for support and took a deep breath. I had to throw up. Composure was the word I was looking for . . . composure I didn’t have at the moment.

I was finally able to move. I ran out of the store. My heels clacked against the mall tiles as I tried to get to my car before I lost my lunch all over the place. I was crying. I could feel a waterfall of tears streaming down my face. My body temperature soared. I felt faint. As soon as I made it to my car, I bent over and threw up. My face was a mess, a mixture of tears, snot and vomit. I was so weak and distraught. My worst fear had been confirmed. Duke was cheating on me! I didn’t want to believe it, but now it all made sense. The day I had gone into Saks with him, Caroline’s old white ass laughed at me. She knew I was one of many stupid ass women who fell for Duke Carrington’s shit. Things were starting to slip fast.

I sat in my car for at least an hour before I could finally drive. The first place I went when I left the mall parking lot was to CVS.
I needed to find out why all of a sudden I was so sick

.

Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

Chapter 15—Damn, Damn, Damn

I raced back to the condo feeling and looking a mess.

With my little pharmacy bag in hand, I went into the bathroom and fumbled out of my jeans. I sat on the toilet and ripped open the small box. My heart was hammering so fast I was almost out of breath. I pulled out the little white test stick and forced my urine out in a fast stream. I put the stick between my legs and when I thought I’d gotten enough piss on it, I set it on the side of the sink.

I was so nervous I started gnawing on my fake nail tips. “C’mon . . . c’mon,” I urged, staring at the test. As if my utterances would make the results appear faster. The little window that turns pink when it was time to read the test results seemed to take forever. Finally, it was completely pink, which meant, it was time to read the results.

I inhaled deeply and picked up the little device. This was the new and improved test . . . the one that showed the words pregnant or not pregnant so there was no mistaking the results. And for sure, there was damn sure no mistaking what the capital letters read . . . PREGNANT.

I cupped my hand over my mouth. I didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad. A baby! A fucking baby! Me, a mother! Damn, damn, damn!

All kinds of thoughts invaded my head. The final thought was that this could only be a good thing. Although Duke and I hadn’t been together long, he had taken care of me and I knew he wouldn’t turn his back on his own baby. He didn’t have any kids or so I hoped. I figured a baby would make him very happy. Maybe this was what he needed to bring him home at nights and make him spend more time with me. Maybe if I gave him his only child, he would finally marry me. With that in mind I grew excited. This baby would be the best thing for our relationship. I told myself. I was excited.

I walked around the condo touching my stomach over and over again. I kept playing what I would say to Duke repeatedly in my mind. I definitely wasn’t going to tell him over the phone. I would call him and tell him I needed to see him right away. I could just envision him snatching me up in a big bear hug and whirling me around. I was thinking he would shower my face with kisses and tell me to sit down, because he didn’t want anything to happen to his precious baby.

The thoughts made me so antsy, I was going to call Duke and interrupt whatever he was doing. Yeah! That was what I decided to do. I could hardly contain my excitement as I dialed his cell phone number. I gripped my cell phone tighter and tighter each time Duke’s phone rang on the other end without an answer. My stomach was in knots now. A feeling of dread and disappointment washed over me.

Then I heard his voicemail. “This muthafucka is ignoring my calls!” I screamed out loud. I ran my shaking hands through my hair. “He better answer this fucking time!” I dialed the number again. This time it went straight to voicemail. “Ok, maybe he is trying to call me back,” I reasoned.

I hung up my phone and stared at it, waiting to see if Duke’s call back would come through. I kept looking at the phone. With each minute that passed my blood pressure went higher and higher. I was fucking fuming mad now. “How does this bastard know if I’m calling for an emergency or not!” I screamed out.

I called Duke’s number back again. It immediately went to voicemail. That meant he turned his phone off. After he saw my missed call, he had the nerve to turn his phone off. I threw my cell phone down on the floor and tossed the pregnancy test into the trash. My happy moment had once again faded to black. Without Duke, there was nothing to be fucking happy about.

After calling Duke’s phone at least a dozen more times, I must have dozed off because I was startled by my cell phone’s loud ringing. I jumped up and looked around. I was on the floor in front of the bed, where I must’ve cried myself to sleep. I went and picked up my phone. It had already stopped ringing. I knew it was Duke calling to tell me he was sorry for not answering my calls.

To my great disappointment, when I looked at my cell the screen read Diamond. I sucked my teeth. But I guess she would do. I pressed send to call her back. She answered on the first ring. Diamond was screaming into the phone almost breathless. I couldn’t understand her at first, but then I heard his name.

Diamond had said Duke’s name in the same sentence with the words . . . another bitch. With my phone to my ear I raced towards the condo door.

Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

Chapter 16—Too Many Hoes

The tears were rolling down my face like waterfalls during my entire drive.

I drove with reckless abandon. I was speeding like a madwoman and I cut off more than one driver. When I finally pulled my car into the Magic City parking lot, I couldn’t put it in park fast enough. I stormed through the club’s doors and stopped. I moved my head left to right scanning for Duke’s ass. My chest was heaving up and down and I was no longer upset, I was in a blind fucking rage. Finally, I saw Diamond rushing towards me. She had her hands out as if she was going to try to stop me.

“
Wait, Lynise . . . wait!” Diamond cautioned me.

“
No, fuck that Diamond! Where is he?” I screamed over the loud music.

“
Let me just calm you down first. I don’t want you to—” Diamond tried reasoning.

“
Move!” I cut her off and pushed past her.

I knew right away where the fuck Duke was at. She didn’t have to tell me. I stalked towards the champagne room. I could hardly breathe. I could hear Diamond running behind me. It was too late for all of that. I snatched the door open and I gasped at what I saw. I could see Duke sitting back on one of the leather sofas and the ass cheeks of the new stripper Diamond had told me about named Christa. She was standing on the couch straddling Duke’s face. He had his hands on her ass pushing her towards his open mouth. This muthfucka was actually eating the pussy of a strange bitch! How fucking dare he! I was the one kissing him on the mouth. I had never been in that position with Duke. It was always straight up and down hardcore fucking.