Chapter 7
PERSIA
Mentally, I’d been preparing myself for my mother’s bullshit the entire morning.
She had been calling and texting me acting as if it was imperative for me to stop by her house.
I knew what she wanted, and I was dreading going over.
I was grown and didn’t live for my mother, but I didn’t feel like defending my decisions either.
If David had run to her and put her in our business, I was going to be even more pissed at his trifling ass.
“What’s up?” I asked trying to hide the agitation I was feeling.
“What’s going on with you and David?” she placed her laptop on the couch beside her.
“I assume if you know something is going on it’s because of him. So, why didn’t you ask him?”
“I’m not the enemy, Persia. Have a seat. You’re standing by the door like you’re ready to take off running.”
Inhaling deeply through my nose, I took the seat across from her. I stared at her choosing not to answer her question.
“David has come by twice to see if you were here. I’m sure if he knew where Tina lived, he’d be going by her house. That’s where I assume you’re staying.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose while closing my eyes for a split second. “I really don’t get why it matters. David and I are separated. I’m not going back to him, and I will be filing for divorce.”
My mother sighed and crossed her legs. “Persia, he told me that he ran into some financial issues, and that you pretty much drained your bank account to help him out. I know that must have been concerning, but David has been a great provider all these years. Don’t bail too soon and miss out on the reward.
He has a proven track record, and I know he’ll get back on his feet.
I’m sure he’ll give you double for your trouble. ”
With a slack jaw, I stared at my mother. I wasn’t sure what was more unbelievable. Her or David. “Are you serious right now?” I was completely stunned. So stunned that I laughed. “Are you really serious?”
“What’s the issue?” my mom appeared just as confused as me.
“The issue is, he came over here telling you a fraction of the truth. A very small fraction. I don’t need advice, ma. I’m good. I know everything with you is about money and a come up, but I make great money on my own. I don’t need a man to take care of me.”
“If that’s not the reason you left then what is? I know you didn’t leave him because he cheated. All men cheat, Persia.”
“Goodbye,” I stood up and laughed sarcastically. Prostitutes were about the only people my mother should give advice to. I was done listening to her.
Every day it seemed as if David did something new to piss me off.
I just wanted him to leave me alone. I hadn’t told anyone what he’d done.
Not even Tina. Kastian was the only other person that knew.
Kastian. I swallowed hard and blinked back tears when I thought about the way his nostrils flared, and his jaw muscles flexed after I told him what David had done.
His forcing himself on me was something that I’d never be able to forgive.
That man actually fixed his mouth to tell me a man can’t rape his own wife.
David was my husband. We’d had sex countless times but forcing himself inside me while I was saying no, trying to push him off, and not sexually aroused almost made me despise him instantly.
What love I had for him was slowly diminishing because he wasn’t acting like the man I married.
From agreeing for me to spend twelve hours with Kastian to sexually assaulting me, I didn’t know him anymore.
It was like the embarrassment from Kastian playing him had set in, and he had to prove to himself that he was a man by acting all big and bad with me.
When I arrived at my sister’s house, she was in the kitchen cooking spaghetti, drinking wine, and listening to Cardi B. I sat down at the island and watched her cook. Tina turned around and instantly knew something was wrong.
“Did you have to curse her out?” she asked then reached for a wine glass.
“I’m over it, Tina. I’m so over it,” my voice quivered. As she poured me a glass of wine, I decided to tell her what happened. I appreciated the fact that she hadn’t been pressing me to find out what happened.
I knew Tina would never judge me. I was simply afraid to say out loud to another person what David had did. Maybe because I didn’t want to risk someone telling me that it wasn’t a big deal, and I was tripping.
“David sold Kastian a dirty gun, and one of his runners was charged with double murder.” I started.
Picking up the glass, I took a large sip of wine then set the glass back down.
“Kastian had purchased a lot of guns from David, and he got rid of all of them after his people got arrested. He also got a lawyer for the guy. Kastian told David that he had two days to give him $60,000. If he didn’t have it in two days, he had seven days to get him $65,000.
Or he could take two weeks and give him $60,000 if David let me spend twelve hours with Kastian. ”
Tina’s mouth opened so wide it was almost funny. “Excuse me? You said what?”
I simply nodded because I knew she heard me.
“So, David beat him up right? Or got beat up while he was telling him to go to hell?”
Knowing that she didn’t think I overreacted had me blinking back tears. I hated the amount of time I’d spent crying over the past few days. A part of me wanted to believe that I was doing too much, but Tina’s reaction made me aware that I hadn’t. Shaking my head, I sipped more wine.
“He agreed to it. The man really came home and told me that he said he wasn’t going to try and have sex with me. He also said he promised that he wouldn’t hurt me. Then, he proceeds to tell me that he just needed the two weeks to come up with the money.”
“Wow.” Tina’s mouth was still partially open. “Persia, that is crazy. I’m so sorry. Did you have to spend the twelve hours with him?”
“No, because I knew he had at least $20,000. I put thirty with it, and I sold my wedding rings. It literally took me two seconds to come up with a way to get the $60,000. He knows I’m not broke.
He didn’t know how much I had, but the nigga didn’t even try, Tina.
He was really going to let me spend twelve hours with a man that I don’t even know. ”
“That’s some lame ass shit. I’m not even going to hold you. You have every right to be pissed because what?”
I drained the wine from my glass, and Tina wasted no time snatching it up and refilling it for me.
“You deserve the whole bottle, sister.”
“It gets worse,” I informed her after taking another sip.
“Oh Lord.” Tina turned her back on me to check on the food.
“The other night, I went out to have drinks with a client. I was getting dressed when David came in. By then, it had been two days since he gave Kastian the money. He had the nerve to ask me where I was going and when I didn’t answer him, he started pleading his case begging me to forgive him and kissing on me.
I was repulsed. Like, David knows when I’m not playing.
I was pushing him off me with everything in me.
The more I told him no, he started getting mad.
I kept saying no.” My voice cracked. I didn’t want to go into detail.
The entire drive to the lounge, I cried and tried to convince myself that I was overreacting. I even believed the shit he said about a man not being able to rape his own wife.
“Oh hell no,” Tina hissed. “I’m going to fuck that nigga up. Let me grab my shoes,” she turned the burners on the stove off.
The situation was very serious and heavy, but I had to laugh as I hopped up off the stool.
“Tina, no. You’re freakin’ crazy,” I giggled.
“He’s not worth it. He’s going crazy right now going by ma’s house and trying to find me.
He thinks I’m playing, but I’m not. We’re done, sissy.
He violated one too many times in the last few days alone.
He’s not someone that I want to be married to. ”
As I said the words, a lump formed in my throat.
How could he love me when his natural reaction wasn’t to protect me?
That man was ready to hand me over to the wolves in order to save himself.
And the messed up part was he didn’t even try.
He didn’t come up with a plan to rob niggas, sell all the guns he had left.
Nothing. Just give his wife to the next man like I was a pair of sneakers or something.
Kastian had handled David like a bitch one too many times for my liking.
How could I look at him as a leader when he constantly let Kastian son him?
“Kastian is super fine though. David might have done you a favor by letting you spend twelve hours with him. He’s rich. Single. Super fine. Rich.”
I chuckled. The wine was taking effect, and I was tipsy. The wine in my system helped me to recant the details of my night at the lounge with Tesha. “If you keep bucking your eyes out like that, they’re going to jump out of your head,” I giggled.
“Baby, you’re better than me. As long as I knew he wasn’t on no weird creep shit, I would have given him exactly what he wanted. Shoot, David told the man he could spend twelve hours with you. I can think of worse places to be.”
“It doesn’t matter how fine a man is. No woman wants her husband to be pussy enough to cooperate with such an insane request.”
“You got that, right. Please believe me when I say you have every right to feel the way you do. And I’m only going to ask you this question one time. Are you really sure you want to leave him, or are you just angry and need some space?”
I looked my sister square in the eyes. “I’m serious as a heart attack.”