Chapter 23
Today was Kenzo’s thirty-fifth birthday, and tonight, we were celebrating him. The past month and a half since he’d been arrested had been trying, to say the least, but as trying as they were, I believed they made our relationship stronger.
As Matthew, Kenzo’s lawyer, promised him, the assault and battery charges against him were dropped. The day he was released, we came up with a strategic plan to clear his name both legally and publicly.
The video from the bar was enough evidence to drop the charges against Kenzo, and because Callie knowingly gave false information to the police, she was charged. She went on social media with a sob story about how much Kenzo hurt her, claiming she had to do what she did to get his attention.
Of course, she gained sympathy, but she also admitted to the charges against her. Ultimately, she only paid a hefty fine, which was probably pennies to her, and was ordered to stay away from Kenzo. It wasn’t much, but he felt somewhat vindicated.
The video that Ronin recorded was posted to social media, but unfortunately, the redemption and apologies were never as loud as the accusations. He still had to do a few interviews to ensure he had control of the narrative, but it finally paid off.
Mrs. Goode had been in the doghouse with her family. Gramps still looked at her sideways for her actions, but he’d finally stopped making snide remarks every chance he got. Some may have thought he held the grudge for too long, but when it came to Sweet, Savory, and Goode, he played no games.
He felt her actions put his company’s reputation at risk and wasn’t quite ready to move on from it. I couldn’t say I blamed him, but I probably wasn’t the best person to talk to when it came to my mother-in-law.
Mr. Goode loved his wife, but he didn’t hide how disappointed he was in her. The tension between them was thick for a few weeks, but his love for her wouldn’t allow him to be upset for too long.
I found it very interesting when he insisted that she go to therapy to talk to someone about her need to fit in and feeling like she wasn’t enough. He admitted to ignoring her behavior for years, hoping that his love and reassurance would be enough and she’d eventually get tired of the act.
Surprisingly, Mrs. Goode agreed, and I noticed some small changes in her, but it would take more than a few weeks to undo something she’d been dealing with for years. I still kept her at arm’s length, but I was more optimistic about the future of our relationship.
Kenzo and I were great . . . so great that a part of me was waiting for the ball to drop. Ever since we’d verbally expressed our love for each other, we did our best to ensure our actions showed it.
His days were still long as he prepared to fully transition to the CEO role, so I woke up early a few times a week to make breakfast so we could eat together. I didn’t think it was a big deal, but he’d expressed how much he enjoyed and appreciated starting his mornings with me.
I’d randomly mentioned how much I enjoyed being pampered the morning of our wedding. The next day, a full-service mobile spa showed up and gave me the full treatment from the comfort of my home. He later informed me that they’d be coming once a month.
About two weeks ago, I began finding little notes around the house from Kenzo. The notes had encouraging messages and reminders of his love, and I thought it was the sweetest thing. I bought a notebook to put them in, and whenever I questioned my decision to marry him, I read his notes.
Some days, my life seemed too good to be true.
It seemed like one minute I was worried about if life was even worth living, and the next, I had everything to live for.
When negative thoughts invaded my mind, I did my best to push them out and focus on the positive.
Ninety-five percent of the time, it worked.
Today, for some reason, the negative thoughts lingered a little longer than usual, and I knew exactly why. I’d been keeping something from Kenzo, and the guilt was starting to eat me up.
Initially, my actions felt justified, and in some ways, they still did, but because Kenzo believed we were on the same page and working toward the same goal, I felt compelled to come clean.
“Your glam squad will be here shortly. You ready for them?” he asked, approaching me from behind and wrapping me in his arms.
I was standing in front of the bench at the foot of our bed, looking at my suitcase. Our flight to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for our honeymoon trip left at midnight, and I had to make sure I had everything because we were heading to the airport right after the celebration.
“I told you I didn’t need a glam squad. Rich people spend money so unnecessarily sometimes.”
“Well, you’re rich people now, so are you including yourself?”
“I’m not rich. I just won’t be homeless if this doesn’t work out.”
He kissed my neck, then put his hands on my shoulders to turn me around.
“You haven’t talked like that in a while. What are you thinking about?”
“Are you packed for our flight?” I asked, avoiding his question.
“Yeah, I’m packed, and my luggage is by the door. Answer my question.”
“I’m a little nervous.”
“About what? Tonight?”
“No. About what I’ve been keeping from you.”
He looked surprised. “Oh, umm, that’s not what I was expecting you to say.”
“I know. I just . . . It’s eating me up inside, and I know right now isn’t a good time to tell you, but—”
“What is it, baby? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but . . .”
I sighed, letting my words trail off. To avert his eyes, I looked down, but he lifted my head with his index finger.
“Lyah, look at me and tell me what’s wrong. Whatever it is, we’ll work through it.”
“I know you’ve been hoping I’ll get pregnant soon, but I’m on birth control.”
His expression changed from one of worry to one of confusion.
“What do you mean?” he asked, although I was sure he understood.
“I never stopped taking my birth control pills.”
“Even though you signed the contract and agreed to—”
“I did sign the contract, but I never really agreed to get pregnant, at least not right away.”
He walked away, rubbing his hand over his face before looking at me again.
“Why are you telling me this today?”
“I feel bad for hiding it, and I don’t want to keep lying to you.”
“Okay. Thank you for being honest. I, umm, I need to run a few errands before I get dressed. Your glam squad should be here in thirty.”
“Kenzo, wait.”
“I can’t right now, baby. We’ll talk about it later.”
“Are you mad?”
“Nah, but I’m hurt.”
He kissed my forehead and left me in our bedroom processing the conversation. I didn’t move for a minute, but I couldn’t stand there forever looking off into space. I quickly showered, and the glam squad arrived shortly after.
Kenzo’s birthday celebration went off without a hitch. The live band kept us entertained during dinner, and DJ Fly Ty, a young DJ from Kenosha, WI, had the dance floor packed once everyone finished eating.
His father announced his retirement and named Kenzo as the CEO of Sweet, Savory, and Goode. He would officially assume his role on the first of August. Gramps talked about how proud he was of his one and only grandson and somehow segued the conversation to me, which caused Kenzo to take the mic.
During the aftermath of Kenzo’s arrest, there was continued speculation around the details of our marriage. Neither of us ever addressed it with the public, so nothing was confirmed or denied.
I thought there would be tension between us after our conversation, but it was quite the opposite, and I was grateful my confession didn’t ruin his night. When he took the mic from his grandfather, he made sure I was on his arm, as he had done for most of the night.
“You all know by now that this is my wife, Malyah. Over the past few months, a lot has been said about how we happened. I didn’t feel it was necessary to confirm or deny the rumors, and I still don’t.
All y’all need to know is that I love this woman.
I fell in love with her the first time I truly saw her.
Marrying her was the best decision I’ve ever made, and if I have anything to do with it, we will live a long and prosperous life together. ”
He turned to face me while holding the mic up to his mouth.
“Baby, how we started doesn’t matter. What matters is that I couldn’t love you any more right now than if I’d known you my entire life.
You are my person, and I move to the beat of your drum.
What makes you happy makes me happy, and I will spend the rest of my days finding new ways to keep you smiling and showing you how much I love you. ”
“I love you, Kenzo.”
We kissed like no one was watching, and the guests went wild. The night was perfect, and we didn’t leave the dance floor until it was time for us to head to the airport.
“Did you have a good time?” I asked as we sat in the back of the car he’d hired to take us to Midway International Airport.
The party was held at a country club, so we were able to shower and change into comfortable clothes for traveling. I couldn’t wait to wash the makeup off and take my hair out of the tight bun. I was excited to be going on my first international trip.
“I had a great time, baby. Thank you for jumping in to help my mother plan everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Once she got some act right, it wasn’t so bad.”
We laughed because we both knew his mother wasn’t easy to work with.
“She’s my mother, and I love her dearly, but I know she can be a challenge. Therapy is helping, though.”
“I agree.”
We rode in silence for so long that it made me uncomfortable.
“Are we good?” I asked hesitantly.
“We’re fine, but can I ask you something?”
“Always.”
“Do you want children?”
“Honestly, I didn’t think I wanted them. It wasn’t something I thought about often because I’ve never dated anyone I’d want to have children with, and my life wasn’t conducive to bringing children into the world.”
“What about now?”
“Kenzo, I love you, and I would love to create life with you and add to the Goode legacy.”
“When?”
“I want to finish school first.”
“You don’t think you could’ve told me that instead of lying to me?”
“I didn’t—”
“Omitting information is lying, Malyah.”
“I’m sorry for not being upfront, but you know how we started. I even told you I didn’t think bringing a child into it was smart, and we never discussed your expectations in great detail.”
“I thought I made what I wanted clear a few times, but regardless, you never explicitly said no, and you signed the contract. I assumed we were on the same page.”
“I don’t want to argue. I’m sorry for not making myself clear, but I’m telling you now. I want to have our baby, but not until I finish school.”
“Waiting isn’t an issue, baby. You're my wife, but this is your life and your body. The lack of communication is what hurts. I thought we were in a good place and that you felt comfortable talking to me about everything.”
“We’re in a great place, and I do feel comfortable talking to you about everything, but since I didn’t tell you in the beginning, I was nervous about how you’d react.”
“I understand, but when I came home and decided not to tell you what happened between Callie and me, I learned that communication is one of the most important keys to a successful marriage. From that point on, I vowed to tell you everything, no matter how big or small. We’re still learning, baby, but let’s always keep the lines of communication open. Okay?”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you more, baby. You ready to have some fun?”
“More than ready.”