Chapter 2
Trill-Land, Jungle Estate
When I reached the mansion, I rushed inside and began falling apart before I could even close the door behind me.
My hands were shaking so bad I could barely grab the handle.
I could still smell the gunpowder on my fingers, and my ears were ringing from the sound of the shots.
Everything felt like it was spinning, and I couldn’t shut it out.
I just kept hearing Pressure calling me, even though he wasn’t here.
My heart was pounding hard against my chest as I stumbled through the foyer, my heels clicking against the marble until I kicked them off.
I didn’t even feel human right now. Sweat was dripping down my back and the sides of my face, making my hair stick to my skin.
My makeup was smudged and wet, and I could taste the salt of it when it slid across my lips.
My lips were trembling, and the dress clung to me so tight it felt like it was trying to choke me.
I couldn’t breathe in it. My skin was hot, my chest was tight, and my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
My adrenaline was pumping so hard it made my whole body feel like it was vibrating.
I couldn’t even think straight. My mind was spinning so fast that everything around me looked blurry.
I kept whispering to myself that this wasn’t real, and that maybe I imagined all this bullshit.
I thought that maybe I just snapped and dreamed it all up, but deep down I knew I didn’t.
The fucking flashes wouldn’t stop. I could see the look on Pressure’s face when he realized what I’d done to him.
I could still see the shock in his eyes, the blood spreading across his chest, and the way his body fell like time just gave up on him.
The sound of it rang through my head until I couldn’t take it anymore.
I pressed both hands against my head and screamed, the sound breaking out of me so hard it bounced off every wall in the mansion, but it still didn’t make it stop.
I knew I had to move. I couldn’t let anybody see me like this.
I hurried down the long hallway toward the elevator, dragging the bottom of my wedding dress across the floor.
My fingers clawed at the fabric, ripping it away from my body piece by piece.
I pulled off the veil first, throwing it behind me, then unzipped the back of the dress, letting the straps fall off my shoulders as I walked.
I felt like I was peeling off everything fake about my life.
By the time I reached the elevator, the dress was halfway off.
I leaned against the wall and kicked it away from my legs, standing there in nothing but my bra and panties, shaking and gasping for air.
My hands were trembling so bad I could barely press the button.
When the elevator doors slid open, I stepped inside and pressed for the top floor.
my reflection in the gold panel stared back at me like I was a stranger.
Tears rolled down my face as the doors closed, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop seeing Pressure.
Every time I blinked, he was there, lying on the ground, gasping for air.
I could still smell his cologne mixed with the gun smoke.
I could still see the way his body moved when the bullets hit.
It played it in my head over and over like it was stuck there, and the more I tried to block it out, the louder it got.
I loved that man more than anything, and I still pulled the trigger.
I really shot him…
When the elevator doors opened, my phone started ringing, and the sound hit me like a slap. For a second, I just stared at it. Toni Roc’s name lit up across the screen, and my stomach dropped so hard I thought I was gonna be sick. My hands were still shaking so bad I almost dropped the phone.
I didn’t know if I should answer or let it ring.
My mind was racing in every direction, trying to figure out what she knew, if she knew anything, or if she was just calling to check on me because she felt sorry for me.
At the same time, Toni was with Kay’Lo, and Kay’Lo was Pressure’s cousin, so if she knew anything, then that meant his whole family probably knew too.
My chest got tight, and I pressed the phone against my leg, watching it light up again while my heart pounded.
I didn’t want to answer, but at the same time I couldn’t ignore it.
I needed to know what was being said, what was happening and how bad it was.
My fingers hovered over the screen for a second before I finally swiped to answer, whispering a shaky, “Hello?”
“Kash… bitch… I don’t even know what to say,” Toni said, her voice low and shaky, like she was trying to find the right words. “You okay?”
For a second, I couldn’t even answer because the question hit me wrong.
I could feel the pause between us stretch out.
It was heavy and awkward, like we both knew what she was really thinking.
Just hours ago, Toni saw this man walk away from me in front of everybody, so why would she be calling me now?
My throat went dry. “Why you asking that?” I asked slowly.
Toni sighed hard on the other end. “Because… Pressure got shot.”
My whole body locked up. My heart dropped straight to my ass, and it felt like the room tilted. “What?” I said, even though I already knew exactly what she was about to say.
Toni kept talking, her words rushing over me like a wave.
“Bitch, it’s crazy down here. I swear, it look like a whole damn war zone.
Abeni got the hospital on lock. Ain’t nobody gettin’ in or out without security checkin’ IDs and askin’ questions.
It’s soldiers outside like the fuckin’ navy pulled up.
Every door blocked off, every camera bein’ checked, and she in there cussin’ people out like she run the whole damn world.
Kojo standin’ right next to her quiet, but you can tell he just as mad.
People movin’ out her way like they already know what time it is with that lady.
I’m not even gon’ lie, Kash, it’s bad. It’s real bad. ”
My stomach twisted, and for a second, I couldn’t even breathe. I pressed my hand against my chest and whispered, “They… they know who did it?”
“Not yet,” Toni said, “but girl, they pullin’ footage right now. The whole family in there—Kay’Lo, Renza, everybody. It’s too much. Abeni talkin’ about she want the name of whoever shot her son before the night over. I’m tellin’ you, it’s about to get real ugly.”
I froze as my mind went blank for a second. “They said they got footage?”
“Not yet,” Toni replied, her voice even more frantic.
“But they lookin’ for it. You know how his family move.
Ain’t nobody gon’ rest till they find out who did this shit.
I just wanted to tell you, and even though I know he left you at the altar and that was some fucked up shit, I also know how much that man mean to you.
I know how hard you loved him, Kash. That’s the only reason I’m even callin’ you right now.
I didn’t want you to hear it from social media, on some messy shit.
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the phone. “Do they… do they think he gon’ live?”
There was silence for a moment. I could hear people yelling in the background on her end. “They don’t even know,” she said finally. “Girl, it’s a mess. The whole lobby packed. Everybody cryin’. His mama ready to burn this hoe down. I swear, whoever shot Pressure, they gon’ wish they never—”
“I gotta call you back,” I said quickly, my voice cracking.
“Kash, you okay? Where you at? Do you want me to come to you?”
“No. I’m fine,” I lied. “I just… I need a minute to process all this.”
I hung up before she could say anything else.
My heart was pounding so hard it hurt. The sound of Toni’s voice still played in my head, but all I could think about was Abeni.
If she was already at the hospital, then shit was about to get real.
That woman didn’t play about her son, and she damn sure didn’t play about her family name.
I knew it was only a matter of time before she started digging, and once she did, she’d find the truth.
All it would take was the right camera angle, one clear frame of my face, and this shit would be over for me.
I pressed my back against the wall and slid down, my mind spinning as flashes from the past came rushing in. I remembered the day I pulled up to Abeni’s mansion and seeing her outside talking with three powerful-looking men in suits. It was a reminder that she was a woman you didn’t cross.
Now, here I was, the one who shot her son.
The thought made me want to throw up. There was no telling what the fuck she’d do once she found out.
She had money, power, and people who would move for her before she even said a word.
I knew what kind of reach the Mensah family had, and there wasn’t a corner in Trill-Land far enough for me to hide in if she came for me.
I pressed my hands to my face, trying to calm my breath, but it was useless. Now that reality was hitting me hard, I realized I wasn’t just running from what the fuck I’d done… I was running from the Mensah’s, and that was a death sentence on its own.
I stood there in the middle of the room, still half-naked, crying and whispering to myself that it was an accident. I didn’t mean to pull the trigger. I didn’t mean to shoot him that many times. I just wanted him to hurt like I did.
I wiped my face and forced myself to move.
I grabbed an oversized T-shirt from the chair and threw it on, then pulled on a pair of black leggings and slipped into my designer sandals.
My hands were trembling as I yanked a large designer suitcase from the top shelf and dropped it on the bed.
I grabbed a duffel bag and started filling it with clothes, shoes, and jewelry.
Every movement felt frantic and rushed, like my body was moving faster than my mind could keep up.
I didn’t even know what I was grabbing anymore.
I just knew I had to get the fuck out of here.
I went to the dresser and started pulling drawers open, and snatching anything that looked expensive. My rings, my watches, the chains Pressure bought me; I stuffed them all into the duffel and zipped it shut. My tears kept falling, but I didn’t have time to stop.
Then I went to Pressure’s safe. My fingers shook as I typed in the code.
The sound of it unlocking made my stomach twist again.
I pulled out stacks of cash, my breath coming out heavy as I counted it in my head.
I didn’t even know how much I was taking.
I just knew it had to be enough. I grabbed everything I could fit, maybe a million in cash, and stuffed it into the duffel bag.
Once everything was packed, I looked around the room one last time.
My eyes landed on a framed photo sitting on the dresser.
It was me and Pressure at a party a few months back.
He had his arm around me, like I was the only one in the world.
I picked it up, stared at it for a long second, and then threw it across the room. The glass shattered against the wall.
I didn’t have time to cry anymore. I had to go.
I grabbed my phone and called for the, then a driver, my voice shaking as I tried to sound normal. “I need the car brought around front.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the driver said. “Five minutes.”
When I hung up, I powered my phone off completely.
I couldn’t risk nobody tracking me. My mind was racing the whole time I finished getting ready.
I threw on a hoodie, and sunglasses to hide my face.
My hands were slick with sweat as I zipped the duffel closed and pulled the suitcase toward the door.
When I stepped outside into the night air, I kept my head down as the driver opened the car door for me. “Good evening, Mrs. Mensah,” he said politely, not suspecting a thing.
My heart skipped, but I forced a small smile. “Evening,” I replied softly.
He loaded my bags into the trunk, and we pulled off down the long driveway. I watched the mansion disappear behind me, the lights growing smaller and smaller until they were gone.
The ride to the jet felt like the longest drive of my life.
My mind kept replaying the moment Pressure hit the ground, still in his white tux, the same one he was supposed to marry me in.
I could still see the blood spreading across it under those hospital lights.
I could feel my chest heaving as tears filled my eyes again.
“What have I done?” I whispered to myself.
The driver glanced in the mirror but didn’t say a word, and I was glad he didn’t.
When we arrived at the airstrip, I wiped my face and put my shades back on. I grabbed my bags and walked toward the jet, trying to keep my pace calm even though my legs felt weak. The flight crew spotted me right away. Their familiar smiles greeted me like everything was normal.
“Good evening, Mrs. Mensah,” one of the attendants said kindly.
My throat tightened. For a second, I couldn’t even respond. I just nodded and swallowed hard. “Evening,” I whispered. “I need to get to Halo Key.”
“Of course,” the attendant said with a smile. “We’ll have you there soon.”
I walked inside, and dropped into one of the seats, my body still trembling. I asked for champagne, hoping the bubbles would calm me down, but it didn’t. It only made my stomach feel heavier.
As the engines roared and the jet began to move, I looked out the window at the dark skyline of Trill-Land. The lights looked beautiful from up here, but all I could see was Pressure... The man I still loved. The man I shot.
Tears filled my eyes again, and I whispered to myself, “I’m sorry, Pressure. I ain’t mean it. I swear I ain’t mean it.”
The jet lifted off, climbing higher into the clouds, and carrying me farther from the beautiful life I tried to build here. I leaned back in my seat, gripping the armrest, and feeling the weight of what I’d done settling into my spirit.
No amount of money, jewelry, or distance could change what happened tonight. I shot the only man I ever truly loved, and now there was no turning back…