Chapter 8
Taking the clothes from the dryer, I took them over to the folding table to begin folding them when I felt a sharp pain run through my abdomen. I dropped the basket as the clothes spilled onto the floor.
“Mmmm,” I groaned quietly, trying not to cry out for Damien to hear me.
He was in his man cave with his demonic crew, smoking and drinking at eleven o’clock in the damn morning, after literally sexually assaulting me two days ago.
After Truce left, Damien, the demon, came storming into our bedroom, and I already knew what was going to happen to me before I even came in the house.
He pushed the door open with force, and I jumped from the bed, trying to run to the en suite bathroom before he could get to me.
I wasn't quick enough as he ran across the room and jumped over the king-sized bed with the agility of a lion, catching me before I could get to the door.
I always ran my stupid ass to the bathroom.
That shit proved unsuccessful the last time I tried.
Damien yanked me by my hair, and I felt myself crashing to the floor.
“No! Dame, please!”
“Shut the fuck up!” he yelled, delivering a hard kick to my stomach. I screamed and curled into a fetal position. “You fucked my brother, Jela? Huh?”
“No!”
“But you want to, don’t you, bitch?”
“No, Dame! Please, don’t do this!”
“Nah, you asked for this. Questioning me like you don’t know what the fuck I’d do to you. Nobody is going to save you, J. You keep crying out to my fucking family, and they are never going to save you, you dumb-ass bitch!”
Just hearing the evilness in his tone had me pleading to God that he’d just kill me and take me away from this monster. But then I thought of my baby and couldn’t see myself leaving her to be raised by this man or his neglectful family.
Damien may not hurt her, but he’d control her just as he was controlling me. I couldn’t let that happen, so while I wanted to die to get away from him, it wasn't an option since I knew Scottlyn needed me.
“Get the fuck up!”
He snatched me from the floor, bending me over the bed. I fought to get away from him, but his big arm on my back stopped any movement. I couldn’t do anything but accept what was about to happen.
He yanked at my jeans, tearing them until I felt air on my skin. My panties went next, and after a few seconds, I felt his dick ramming inside of me.
“Owww! Daaame! Please, stooop!”
“My dick ain't good enough for you, J? You want my brother’s dick instead?”
“Noooo!” I cried.
“You lying-ass bitch. That's why I’ma let him fuck you. We used to tag-team hos all the time. Yo’ ho ass ain’t no exception!”
I gave up trying to fight against him and just let him to take his anger out on me. I knew he was mad about his brother coming to my defense, and because he wasn't man enough to fight his brother, he took it out on me.
The next day, he came with flowers, gifts, and a sorry-ass apology that I half-heartedly accepted. I was done with Damien’s shit. I was going to find my way back to my family and leave his lying, cheating, abusing, dog ass alone.
Taking a few deep breaths, the pain calmed, and I proceeded to pick up the clothes from the floor.
The doorbell sounded, and I pulled my phone from my pajama pants pocket to pull up the video camera.
I could see Neveah standing on the porch and frowned.
It wasn't uncommon for his family to visit, but they came very few and far between, and only to see Scottlyn. Seeing as though she was at her grandmother’s house until I went to get her later, I was confused about her presence here.
“J, go let my cousin in!” I heard Damien yell over the intercom.
I rolled my eyes and took the elevator up to answer the door. When I opened it, she smiled at me and wrapped her arms around me. I tensed because this was different.
“Hey, Jela! It's good to see you.”
“Uh… hey. Your cousin is in the basement.”
“Okay, but I wanted to kick it with you first, if that's okay.”
“Um, yeah… sure. Come on in.” I moved to the side to allow her entry.
She walked inside, and I guided her to the sitting room.
“I’ve always admired this house. It's so big and pretty. Did you decorate?”
“Mostly. I did this room and the bedrooms. Damien hired an interior decorator for the rest of the house.”
“That's dope.”
We took a seat and there was silence for a moment as she looked at the mural of photos of their family and Scottlyn on the wall.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thanks. How have you been, Jela?”
“I’ve been good.” I gave her a flat smile while tucking my hair behind my ear.
“No, really. How are you? Some people often ask the question as a filler, but don’t actually want to know how someone is. I genuinely want to know how Jela is.”
I looked at her, trying to will myself not to cry.
What was Neveah up to? Did she have some type of agenda? I didn’t know, but since I really had no one to talk to, and Neveah genuinely asked how I was, I decided to open up.
Inhaling slowly, I met her eyes. “I’m not really feeling good today. I’m a little void of energy, but I’ll be okay. How are things with you?”
“I’ve been well,” she said, sitting back on the decorative sofa.
“So… what I was trying to say on Thanksgiving is that I know you don’t know anyone here, and you’ve been here for almost a year.
I do want to apologize for not trying to get to know you sooner.
It’s just that since I’d been busy traveling, I hadn't had time to have much of a social life outside of my sister and best friend, Kaylani. I don’t want you to think I don’t care about you, Jela.
So, I want to apologize and get to know you as a person. ”
I winced a little, feeling the pain in my stomach return. “It’s okay. I figured Damien didn’t want you guys to interact with me. I know you’ve been away, so I don’t hold anything against you. I’m coming to terms with being alone.”
“But you don’t have to be. I turn thirty-six on Christmas, so I was going to ask Damien if I could throw a little intimate dinner here at his place.
Of course, the family will be here, but I’ll invite more people.
I'm going to bridge the gap between us and also introduce you to some other women who you could form a friendship with. It’s not cool for you to be here for a year and for us to not have shown you around or make you comfortable. ”
I didn’t know if I could trust her, so I just nodded.
I understood her being away, but even when I did see her, she’d never extended an invitation to hang out with me.
She wasn't necessarily cruel to me or anything.
Still, I had to move cautiously because Damien was a weird bastard and could very well have her befriend me to monitor me since I hung out with Truce.
“It’s fine, Neveah—”
“It’s not. I see the way you're looking at me, and you have every right to. I promise… Damien didn’t set this up, and it's not me being fake. I really do want to get to know you. I feel like I know your baby more than I know you, and that doesn't sit well with me.”
I nodded again and smiled before another sharp pain ripped through my stomach. “Mmmm, shit!” I rubbed my stomach, hoping the pain would subside.
“Are you okay?” Neveah asked, concerned.
“Yeah. I’m going to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
I had to take a painkiller to get rid of this pain that I was sure came from Damien’s hard-ass boot to my stomach two days ago.
I stood from the couch and heard her gasp. “Jela, are you on your monthly?”
I looked down to see the red stain on the tan sofa and froze.
The crimson stain on the sofa let me know that something was seriously wrong.
It wasn’t my period. My menstrual cycle was never heavy enough to cause this much of a stain.
They were always irregular and light, and because I could never time when I’d start my cycle, I never tracked them.
Another pain shot through my stomach that brought me to my knees. “Owww! Fuck!”
“Damien!” I heard Neveah scream and rush off.
I wanted to tell her not to call for him, but more pain caused my words to halt, and a cry replaced them.
Neveah came to my side to help me up, and Damien appeared a few moments later. “What's going on up here?”
“She’s in pain, and she’s bleeding. She needs to go to the hospital.”
He frowned. “She gotta go to the hospital because she’s on her period and having cramps?”
I shook my head. “I’m not… on my… period.”
“Then what the fuck is wrong wit’chu?”
“I don’t—Ahhh!” That pain almost took me to my knees again.
“Dame! Do something.”
“I’m in a meeting right now. I can't leave. Just take her for me, Nev. Here.” He reached inside his pocket, handing her the keys.
“I got my own car. Come on, Jela.”
She helped me put my shoes and coat on while Dame stood, glaring at me. I wanted so badly to cuss his stupid ass out, but I feared getting my ass kicked again.
“Where’s your purse, sis?”
“On the table… by the… door.”
“Okay, come on. Dame, I’ll call you to keep you updated.”
He walked up to me and grabbed my chin. “Make sure you call me.”
I knew what that meant. He wanted to be sure I didn’t run my mouth to anyone since he couldn’t be there to monitor me. My calling him was his way of ensuring I wasn't going to tell everyone at the hospital about him practicing his boxing skills on me.
I nodded as I allowed Neveah to help me to her car. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I hoped to God everything was okay.
I had a miscarriage.
According to Dr. Moore, I was eleven weeks pregnant and had no idea.
Because my periods were always irregular, I didn’t think anything of it when I didn’t menstruate for two months.
My heart hurt because, although I didn’t want another baby with that demon, I never would have gotten rid of it.
It would have added life to my loneliness, but having another baby with this man would have surely taken me under the dirt.
Neveah sat by my side during the whole process of the D&C. She rubbed my hair and held my hand as tears continuously fell from my eyes. Thankfully, she had clothes in her car that were a little loose on me, but I didn’t care. I was just glad to get out of my stained pajamas.
After the cleaning, they gave me pain meds, and I called Damien to let him know the news.
The phone rang three times before he picked up. “What’s going on with you?”
“I, um… I had a miscarriage.” The line was silent for almost thirty seconds before I spoke. “Hello? Are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. How far along were you?”
“Eleven weeks.”
“Eleven weeks, and you ain't say shit?”
“I didn’t know, Damien.”
“Man, whatever. The baby had a body at eleven weeks, Jela. You didn’t feel nothing moving around in there?”
“Women usually don’t feel any movement around that time, Damien.”
He chuckled menacingly. “So, you killed my son… all because you want to be a ho.”
This motherfucker is crazy and delusional. What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
The fact that he was blaming me for this was fucking insane. “What are—”
“Aye, I don’t want to hear shit else from you today. Get home so you can cook me and my niggas something to eat. We’re hungry, and you’ve been gone all damn day.” He hung up in my face, and I cried audibly.
I was tired of this shit. This couldn't be my life.
“I’m so sorry, Jela.” Neveah offered her support, taking my hand.
“I have to get away from him. At this point, I don’t care if he sent you to spy on me or to get me to tell you how I feel, to use it against me. I can’t do this anymore. I just can't! I want to go home. I want my mama!”
I broke down so bad that Neveah had to pull over on the side of the road to comfort me. When she finally pulled away from me, she had tears staining her cheeks. I knew then that she was genuinely sad for me after all, and probably wasn’t trying to befriend me for Damien.
“Jela, look at me…” I looked over at her, and she handed me a tissue. “We’re about to go have some drinks and kick it.”
I shook my head frantically. “I can't. I have to go cook—”
“No the fuck you’re not about to go cook shit for him.
You just went through a traumatic experience and need a mental break.
I’ll order his ass some pizza, but we are going to talk.
I have a degree in psychology. I don’t use it for foolish reasons, but I got my bachelor’s to become a therapist. From my knowledge, I can tell you're drowning in depression. If you’re comfortable, we can talk about whatever you want.
No judgements, no coercing, no fake shit.
On my mama, and I don’t put shit on my mama… ”
I didn’t have to think too long because I literally had no one I could talk to about how I was feeling. If Neveah weren’t being as sincere as she portrayed, I wouldn’t be accountable for what I’d do to her.
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes.”
“I got you… Now I see what Truce sees,” she said, smirking at me.
“I don’t even know what that means, but I’m not too fond of him either.”
“You will be.”
I didn’t want to taint her image of him, but after hearing Damien tell me he was offering up my vagina to his brother and Truce kissing me, there was no way I wanted his ass in my space again.
She pulled away from the curb as she called Damien, letting him know that she was taking me out for drinks.
Of course, he protested, but obviously, he listened to her because we were pulling up to a place called Nefertiti’s fifteen minutes later.
As much as I didn’t want to be out in public after just losing my baby, I also knew I needed this time to decompress.
Even if for a little while.