Dilemmas (Part 1) (22 page)

Maurice got up to get his daughter ready for school and check on his sick daughter. He checked her temperature, which was declining but not enough for her to go to school. He started to walk down the hallway when he thought he heard his daughter call him and turned around. When he approached the door he heard her talking to her sister, “Mommy said I would feel better if I told Daddy to stay home. I already feel better.”

Maurice became furious. Maurice watched his daughter get on the bus and walked back to the girls’ room to check on his other daughter, who had fell back to sleep. He stormed down the hallway to find Bevelyn and heard her in the shower. He picked up his phone and called Aiden.

“Why did you sleep with her?” Aiden asked without even saying hello. Voice was trembling.

“What?”

“Did you sleep with her?” she asked.

“Yes, I did, Aiden. Yes, but—” he began to say.

“Shut the hell up!” she screamed.

Maurice was completely confused at her tone toward him. She had never gotten
that
upset at him, no matter what he had done.

“DO NOT say another damn word to me,” Aiden said.

“Aiden! Think! Do you really think I want to leave you or that I want to be here? I heard the girls talking this morning, and she used them against me.” He heard the shower turn off. “I love you, Aiden.
You
. She manipulated me again,” he said.

“Shut up, Maurice. I don’t know what to believe at this point,” she said.

Bevelyn could hear him arguing on the phone with Aiden and smiled. She stood at the door to listen.

“Aiden, listen, I messed up,” he said.

“Yes, you did.”

Bevelyn walked out of the bathroom.

“Aww, is your precious Aiden upset because you spent the night with your wife?” she asked.

Aiden heard Bevelyn and became quiet.

“Tell her, Maurice. Tell her how we fucked last night,” she said.

“Shut the fuck up, Bevelyn, because I’m about two minutes off your ass,” he said.

“She needs to get over it. You’re here because your children and wife need you, and you
chose
to be here,” Bevelyn said.

Maurice dropped the phone and grabbed Bevelyn by her neck. “No, you tricked me! I heard the girls this morning. You put that in their head to get me here,” he said while choking Bevelyn.

Aiden was on the phone and could hear the commotion. She hung up the phone as Maurice was choking Bevelyn.

“Maurice, stop! I can’t breathe,” Bevelyn pleaded.

“You want to play games with me? If I find out
one
more thing that you’ve lied to me about, I’ll kill you. Just ONE!” he said.

Maurice started to gather his things when the doorbell rang. “The results!” Bevelyn thought.

She walked to the door and opened it. Aiden was standing on the porch.

“What in the hell are you doing at my house?” Bevelyn asked.

“I came to talk to Maurice,” Aiden said.

Maurice could hear two women’s voices escalating and headed down the hallway.

“Aiden!” he said surprised.

“Good morning, baby,” she said.

“Look, I know you’re mad at me, Aiden—”

“Maurice, shut the fuck up. I’ve been wanting to tell you this, especially in front of you dear
wife
,” she said.

Aiden pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “Oh no!” Bevelyn said under her breath.

“What’s that?” Maurice asked.

“It’s the test results.”

She handed the paper to Maurice.

Bevelyn and Maurice began to struggle over the paper.

“What are you doing, Bevelyn? Stop it!” he said.

“Let me just tell you since she doesn’t want you to open it,” Aiden said. She looked Bevelyn straight in the eyes with a slight smirk. “Maurice, I’m pregnant.”