Her Sweet Betrayal (8 page)

Tina

I was actually not reading the newspaper I was actually hiding my tears from Honey. It was killing me to be so cruel towards her. With my face still hidden, I picked up my cell phone and looked at the time noting that it was 8:00 a.m. and Honey only has one hour and thirty minutes to clean the two story house.

Getting up from the table, I walked over to the sink where Honey was washing dishes and put my dirty dishes in the sink. Then I turned and walked out the kitchen to make a much needed phone call.

“Hello.”

“Hey good morning Aunt Jessie,” I cried into the phone while taking a seat on the picnic table.

“Tina?”

“Yes ma’am it’s me. I’m calling because I need some advice.”

“It must be important for you to be up this early on the phone with me. And why does it sounds like you been crying,” Aunt Jessie replied.

“I need marriage advice,” I responded as the conversation I had earlier with Stephan replayed in my head.

“What he do?” Aunt Jessie asked.

Sighing I began informing Aunt Jessie on everything that has taken place in the last two weeks. I even included what happened at Stephan’s parent’s house.

“So you mean to tell me that your fifteen year old daughter is out here getting drunk and having sex, and you’re calling me because you and your man had a disagreement. You should have been calling me from jail needing bail money,” replied Aunt Jessie.

“Aunt Jessie, I know how to raise Honey. I just need help saving my marriage before I become a single mother,” I said now walking around the backyard looking at my small garden.

“If you knew how to raise Honey, she wouldn’t be out here showing her ass. So with that being said she should be your first concern. Fuck your marriage, your daughter comes first. Baby men come and go, but your child is yours forever. Do you hear me?” responded Aunt Jessie.

“I hear you, but what I don’t hear is advice on saving my marriage,” I replied heading back towards the house to check on Honey.

“If you want your marriage to work, you need to sit your family down and have a much needed conversation. It seems to me that all your problems began to surface after Honey’s birthday. So that’s where your conversation needs to start from. Talk to both of them individually first then call a family meeting,” Aunt Jessie said.

“How am I going to get Stephan to talk to me?” I asked after walking back into the kitchen, upon seeing Honey leave.

“Easy try and talk to him. If he doesn’t talk at first, don’t get worried give him time,” Aunt Jessie answered.

“How much time?” I asked.

“Until you get tired of kissing his ass, but regardless if Stephan talks to you, make sure you still sit Honey down and have a heart to heart with her. If something is going on with her you need to find out ASAP and handle it now while she’s young,” Aunt Jessie advised me, making me feel like the worst parent ever.

“Thank you Auntie for the advice, but I need to be going now.  Got to make sure Honey is getting the house cleaned. I love you,” I said after getting the advice I been waiting twenty minutes on.

“You’re welcome dear, and I love you too. Just remember Honey first, Stephan second,” replied Aunt Jessie as she hung up the phone.

Sitting my phone down on the kitchen table, I grabbed a bottle of gin out of the cabinet and poured myself a cup.

Aunt Jessie is right, I need to talk to Stephan and let him know where I was coming from.

Picking the phone back up I started back calling him and leaving him a voicemail every time he didn’t answer.

Stephan

              “Mr. Harris, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. It appears that you managed to break two of your knuckles in your right hand. We will have to put a splint on the broken ones, which will take up to thirty to forty five minutes to get them up and you discharged. Do you have any questions at this time?” asked Dr. Terry Watts as she took a seat at the counter and began updating my chart.

“How long will I be out of work?” I replied pulling out my cell phone as Tina continued to blow my phone up.

“That depends on how long it takes your body to heal. Normally it takes three to four weeks to heal broken knuckles, and your family physician will tell you when to go back to work,” Dr. Watts replied while standing up to leave.

“Thank you Dr. Watts,” I replied watching her leave the room.

I wouldn’t mind going home to that every night.

Just as the door was closing my phone started ringing; looking down I saw that it was calling from my parent’s house phone.

“Hello,” I answered while trying to get comfortable on the hospital bed.

“Good morning baby how are you?” mom replied putting a smile on my face.

“I’ve been better momma, how are you this beautiful morning?” I said mentally preparing for the drama.

“I’m okay, but I would be better if that wife of yours would let me get some sleep. Now are you going to tell me what’s going on, or am I going to have to get it out of Tina?” she responded.

“Mom there is nothing going on. Tina pissed me off and I left,” I responded as the doctor came back into the room.

“Mr. Harris, are you ready for me or do you need a couple more minutes?” Dr. Watts asked as she sat her equipment down on the counter.

“Who the hell is that and it damn sure ain’t Tina?” my mom yelled in my ear, causing me to chuckle before answering her and Dr. Watts.

“Mom it’s just Dr. Watts, calm down. I got to go, but I’ll call you when I get in the car.”

“You better call to or I’m going to whoop your ass.”

“I promise to call you back,” I replied still trying to get her off the phone.

“Okay bye,” she said hanging up the phone.

“Now Dr. Watts where were we?” I asked sitting up giving her all my attention.

Honey

It was now nine o’clock and I just got done cleaning the kitchen and the dining room. Now I was moving on to the living room, which was practically clean if you asked me. However, my mom was a mission to make me suffer.

“Stephan needs to hurry up and get here so I can talk him into getting Brent off easy,
I thought as I began dusting off the china cabinets.

“Honey you need to stop taking your sweet time. Don’t forget you need to clean up the guest bathroom and get dress. Plus we need to have snacks out for the Michaels when they arrive,” mom said as she stood in the doorway watching me dust.

“Yes ma’am,” I answered hoping she didn’t see me roll my eyes.

I began dusting faster while she stood there watching me. In my opinion she could be making the snacks while she was standing there watching me.

“At the rate you’re cleaning, you won’t have time to make the snacks. So I’ll call Stephan and see if he can stop by the store and pick up a fruit tray,” she said walking into the kitchen grabbing her phone.

“Okay mom.”

Dang I hope he comes early enough so I can talk to him. I really don’t want anything to happen to Brent or for our relationship to be banned.

Brent was everything to me in such a short amount of time, but he also made up for what Stephan did.

I tried to stop the grin that was spreading across my face.

“You have no reason to be smiling!” My mom yelled.

To her I didn’t, but my mind and heart felt differently.

“After Brent and his parents leave, we are going to have a serious conversation. You have been acting way out of character since your birthday and I’m trying not to put my hands on you, but you’re making it really hard for me,” she said.

“Yes ma’am.”

I didn’t know how to feel. On one hand I really wasn’t sorry because Brent made me feel good after what happened, but on the other hand I was sorry because I really didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

I was walking out of the living room when I heard her yelling.

“Who is the woman I hear Stephan? What you mean calm down?” she continued to yell. “I hate you Stephan!”

“Mom what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

She looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“This is your fault.”

I was dumbfounded.

“How is it my fault?”

“Had your fast ass stayed in your lane my husband would be home with me and not in some other woman’s face,” she said rushing past me.

“Well had you been taking care of business in the bedroom maybe he wouldn’t be looking for it somewhere else!” I screamed at her back.

I know I shouldn’t have said that, but it was the truth.

Next thing I knew my mother was on me like a white girl on a professional ball player.

I tried my best to fight her off but let’s be honest she’s bigger and stronger than me.

“What the hell is going on here?” Michele the next door neighbor asked, pulling mom off of me.

“I’m teaching my disrespectful ass daughter a lesson in being grown…But why the hell are you in my house?” my mother answered fixing her clothes.

“I came to borrow a cup of sugar and heard the ruckus.”

“Honey get your ass up and get her some sugar, then go clean up…And trust and believe we not done with this conversation,” my mother demanded.

Getting up off the floor, I got the sugar out the cabinet and gave Michele some.

“Thank you sweetie,” she said taking the sugar out my hand.

“Welcome,” I replied as I walked out the kitchen and ran into my room, so I could shower before Brent arrived.

Thirty minutes later Stephan was walking into the door followed by a tall but beautiful woman and Brent.

“Mrs. Michaels, this is my wife Tina and my daughter Honey. Baby this is Keisha Michaels, Brent’s mother,” Stephan said before heading into the kitchen to put the groceries up.

I smiled and shook her hand, before following him into the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen I silently began organizing the snack tray. Stephan had purchased a fruit and veggie tray, chips and dip, but no drinks.

“Honey what happened to your neck?” Stephan asked as he walked over towards me.

“Your wife,” I answered, picking up the snack tray and walking back into the living room, with a pissed off Stephan behind me with a drink tray.

“Now that everyone is here, let’s get this meeting started. First of all Mrs. Michaels, thank you for agreeing to come over on such short notice…”

“No thank you for contacting me and not the police,” Mrs. Michaels responded.

“Keisha the only reason why I haven’t contacted the police about this is because of your son’s future. I understand that he has a very promising future and I would hate to ruin it to save face. I mean I know that the sex was indeed consensual.”

“I’m glad that you are woman enough to accept the fact that your daughter is nothing more than a gold digging whore,” Mrs. Michaels said instantly pissing me off.

“I’m not a gold digging whore,” I shouted before mom pulled me away.

“Now I said we hasn’t going to press charges on Brent, but I’m not going to let you stand here and disrespect my daughter.”

“Honey, your daughter is just like the rest of them. They think if they sex my son good enough that he’ll keep them around long enough to get some money. But darling I’m here to tell you that it’s not going to happen…”

“Children why don’t you go outside and let the adults talk,” Stephan said now standing in the middle of the room.

Grateful for the chance to question Brent about what he told his mother, I hopped up and almost ran out the door.

Tina

I know my daughter isn’t an angel, but I also know that she isn’t a gold digger either.

“Look ladies I think you got off on the wrong foot. Let’s start over…Keisha our daughter isn’t a gold digger. She’s just a young girl that just entered her first relationship. I personally can’t relate, but I heard stories about women and their firsts…”

“But she isn’t a woman she’s a little girl trying to be a grown woman. There’s a big difference Stephan.”

“Look Keisha, both of our kids were in the wrong and instead of pointing fingers, how about we start taking responsibility and talk about punishment,” I said getting tired of having this trick in my presence.

“Fine I think that that whore of yours should be put on a leash,” Keisha said disrespecting my daughter for the last time.

Jumping up I was on her ass, fast as lighting. By the time Stephan pulled me off she had a busted lip and a black eye.

“Keisha, get your son and get the hell off our property, and you will be hearing from the police soon because you see that gold digging whore is an underage one!” Stephan said holding me by the waist.

Grabbing her purse she stormed out the house, but not before advising me that this wouldn’t be the last time I see her.

“Let me go Stephan.”

“Not until you tell me about Honey’s neck,” he said holding me tight.

“I’ll tell you about Honey’s neck as soon as you tell me about the woman you were with earlier,” I said before elbowing him.

As I turned to leave the room, Honey came running in house in tears.

I wanted to go check on her, but I knew I had to be the last person that she wanted to see.

So instead I grabbed my car keys and walked out of the house, I need time for myself.

********************

Arriving at the Johnson Spa and Gym, I was greeted by Renee.

“Hey girl, I’m surprised to get a phone call from the great Tina,” she said pulling me into a hug.

You see I called her because I need a shoulder to cry on.

“Girl stop, you know I been busy with work and raising Honey,” I replied as we released each other then walked into the side with the spa.

“Greetings Ladies my name is Amiah and I will be taking care of you this evening. How can I assist you today?”

“I will be getting a massage, a pedicure, and manicure set,” I answered hoping that Darrell was working today.

“And for you Miss?”

“I’ll be having the same,” Renee replied.

After entering our information into the system we were directed to our respected rooms.

I was super excited to see Darrell walk into the room.

I wasn’t cheating on my husband or anything like that, but this man really knows my body’s wants and needs. And like most women I like a man that knows what to do without instructions.

Ninety minutes later I floated out the massage room and into the nail salon area.

Darrell had massaged all my worries away with his magic fingers, now it was time I got my hand and toes on point.

“Girl what he do to you that got you cheesing like that?” Renee asked as I took the seat beside her.

“His job,” I responded.

We both started laughing as the ladies started getting everything setup for our pedicures.

Just as I was about to advised her of my family issues a news report caught my attention.

“Twenty five year old Lamon Henderson has been sentenced to ten years for criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. For those not familiar with this case, this time last year it was discovered by the victim’s neighbor, that Lamon the victim’s brother was sexually assaulting the ten year old. After further investigation it came to the light that the assaults have been going on for weeks before ever being discovered.”

“This is a sick world that we are living in today. How could someone do something like that to family,” I said shaking my head.

“Girl if I was his mother I would be on trial for murder.”

“Me too, but anyway let me tell you the real reason why I called you here. I have been having some behavioral problems with Honey.”

“Behavioral problems with Honey?” she asked shocked.

“I know right. All her behavior is shocking to me too.  Girl this girl had the nerve to have a boy in my house…”

“You lying,” she said interrupting me.

“Girl I knew the boy was coming over, but I didn’t know he was going to have my daughter riding his dick like a sea biscuit.”

“Say what now?”

“I said I walked in on Honey fucking,” I said as the Asian ladies began talking to each other.

I knew they were talking about me but I could care less.

“And that’s not all.”

“Oh God there’s more!”

“She had the nerve to try to fight me today.”

“Tina stop, I can’t take no more. What did you do?”

“I did what any mother would do…I fought her ass back like the grown woman she thought she was.”

Instead of responding, she just shook her head.

“Do you think I was wrong?”

“Girl, not only were you wrong, you were dead wrong. Yes she raised her hand to you but you could have blocked it. You didn’t have to fight her, but here’s my question…When did all of this start? I mean Honey has always been a good girl and this just doesn’t seem like her,” Renee answered making me feel bad.

“The day after her birthday,” I replied thinking back to her waking up with a funky attitude.

“Maybe something happened on her birthday that caused the change in her behavior.”

“Something like what? Honey got everything she asked for and everything she didn’t ask for. So that can’t be the problem,” I responded.

“Maybe you two need to sit down and have a serious conversation. Because apparently there is something going on that you don’t know anything about,” Renee said pulling a book out of her bag.

“I’m not in the mood to deal with her right now,” I said pulling out my headphones.

“It’s your daughter get in the mood,” she answered not even looking up from her book.

Rolling my eyes I put my headphones in and began listening to some music.

Now I hated that I even told her ass about my problems.