Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
Venus
February
The wedding was scheduled for the day before Valentine’s Day, which was now officially twelve days away.
I’m not sure why but Trevor randomly decided he wanted us to have a prenup.
He’d been overly frivolous and never had a problem giving me money or buying me things, so even though I knew I didn’t need to take it personally, I did.
The random decision made me feel like there was a chance he thought I’d try to take from him or that I was using him, and that had never been the case.
Even though we weren’t really having deep and serious conversations these days, I couldn’t go into MPWG and sign a prenup without advocating for myself and speaking up.
If it led to an argument, we’d just have to get it over with.
He’d been acting so different lately, and I really needed to know where his head was at.
When he killed the engine, I unbuckled my seat belt and said, “Can we talk before we go in there?”
“Sure.”
He turned slightly and gave me his attention. “What’s up with the prenup? You hadn’t mentioned wanting one before. What’s changed?”
“Do you not want us to have one?”
“I didn’t feel like we needed one. I’m okay with it if it makes you feel secure. I’m just wondering where the desire for one came from.”
“Actually, I didn’t feel we needed one either. I didn’t change my mind until I had a conversation with Adam.”
Adam.
His asshole best friend.
I couldn’t stand Adam. He wasn’t shit. All he had to offer was money and dick. For the almost three years that I’d known him because of Trevor, he cheated on every woman he was with. If this was the man he was getting marital advice from, that was a red flag within itself.
Chuckling, I pulled in a calming breath. Sometimes Trevor said things that made me question if he was using his common sense. He was so successful and one of the smartest men I knew, but when it came down to our relationship, I felt like I always had to oversimplify things he should already know.
“What exactly did Adam say that made you believe we need a prenup?”
“Well, he reminded me of how wealthy I am, bae. I trust you but who knows what will happen with us down the line. What if I do some shit to make you mad and you want to leave me and go after half of everything I have? I just landed my first billion dollar client, and I am now in a new tax bracket. I’m not saying you’re using me for money, but I also don’t want my wife—regardless of who it is—to think she deserves half of what I’ve built on my own. ”
“I understand where you’re coming from. You have every right to protect what you’re building. Let’s not act like I don’t have my own money though.”
“You do, but it’s because of me.”
“Nigga, that’s a motherfucking lie,” I said before I could stop myself.
My fists were balling up, and I knew we needed to end this conversation before my irritation turned into anger.
I wasn’t the kind of woman who took pride in fighting women or hitting men, but when I got angry, I blacked out and couldn’t stop myself from swinging, regardless of who it was.
“You may have given me the money to put down on my building, but I would have been successful with or without you. The fuck?”
“It’s not just the building though, Venus.
I paid the first quarter of your employees’ salary, and I pay all your bills now.
You made just over a million in profit, even after paying taxes and employees, and I let you pocket that shit.
I still took care of your bills. So you may have been successful on your own, but it definitely would have taken you longer to get where you are without me. ”
“Take me the fuck home. Now.”
“Oh, now you don’t want to talk because you don’t wanna hear what I got to say?”
“No, because you sound ignorant.”
“You can’t say it’s not the truth.”
“If God chose to bless me through you, that was His choice. If you weren’t around, He would have done it through someone else.
The building didn’t make me a million dollars; my promotion, marketing, innovative ideas, staff, and clientele did.
I’ve more than thanked you and expressed my gratitude for your help, but this will not be something you hold over my head for the rest of our lives.
If that’s what you plan to do, I’ll pay you back and pay my own damn bills. ”
“That’s not what I want, V.” He released a hard breath and tapped the steering wheel as he looked straight ahead. “This conversation has gone completely left and that’s not what either of us wanted.”
“Well that’s what happens when you listen to Adam’s dumb ass. I’m starting to wonder if I want a husband with a dumb best friend. If that’s who you go to for wise counsel, I don’t want him involved in our relationship.”
As serious as I was, Trevor laughed, which made me laugh and relax a little in my seat.
“I can admit I probably should have talked to my parents but what he said made sense. Maybe I shouldn’t have used giving you the money as an example to prove my point.
I don’t hold that against you, and I’m not trying to suggest I think you’ll try and take my money, bae.
I don’t mind giving and providing for you at all. I actually love to do it.
“All I’m saying is people change, and if I did something to make you want to leave me, or if you cheated or randomly decided this was no longer what you wanted, I just want to make sure my business will not be affected by our marriage.
The prenup will state your business is off limits as well.
I will include that I will freely give to you for the length of our marriage, and if it will make you feel better, I’ll even include a clause that says I’ll never bring up giving you the down payment for your business again.
I really just want to make sure we both are protected if we go our separate ways, even if I didn’t word it correctly. ”
I could understand that, so I nodded my agreement. “That’s fine. I think maybe we need premarital counseling to make sure we’re going to be on the same page. If you can agree to that, I’ll agree to the prenup.”
Trevor thought over my condition before he agreed and got out of the car.
He walked over to my side and let me out.
I barely returned the quick kiss he gave me, but I returned it, nonetheless.
Him actually having the conversation and us coming to an agreement was progress, so I gave him that.
I still didn’t know how I felt about him taking advice from Adam.
A man’s friends were a reflection of him.
Trevor may not have been a cheater, but I don’t know.
Everything I overlooked while we were dating was starting to get brighter and brighter in my eyes these days.
When we made it inside and I saw Zander standing in the lobby my heart dropped.
I didn’t know what Carson did, but I knew they were partners and worked together.
That meant if Zander was here, Carson was too.
Hoping that wasn’t the case, I prayed Zander was here as a client and not a lawyer.
I was also hoping he didn’t see us, but the sound of my clacking heels gained his attention.
I noticed the moment he recognized me because his friendly smile widened and became more genuine as he headed in our direction.
My heart palpitated, and I felt like a child that was about to get caught doing something they had no business doing.
Instantly, my palm clammed up, so I casually pulled it out of Trevor’s hand.
He looked down at me, so I used my hands to smooth my silk shirt, and his expression relaxed before he took my hand back into his.
“Venus, it’s good to see you again, sis,” Zander said, pulling me in for a hug.
“Oh, hi.” I laughed nervously, giving him a one armed hug as Trevor tightened his grip on my hand. “How are you, Zander?”
“I’m well. How have you been?”
“Great. Just… great.”
“Are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Trevor asked.
“Hmm? Oh, yes! This is Zander… I’m sorry. I never got your last name.”
He smiled. “That’s fine. The vibes were flowing that night, not facts.” I couldn’t help but agree because that was true. Hell, I didn’t know Carson’s last name or occupation either. “It’s Gough.”
“That’s fitting, because they said you’re the friend that’s always on go.”
He and I laughed. “We all like that to be honest, sis. Mine is just activated quicker. Well, maybe not as quick as Kaos.”
“Really? I find that hard to believe. He seemed like such a sweetheart at the party.”
“Only because of Serenity. She’s turned my brother into a big ass teddy bear.”
“So he’s your friend from the party?” Trevor confirmed, inserting himself into the conversation.
I knew how his mind worked, so I wanted to quickly make it clear that he wasn’t the man who gave me the choker.
“One of them, yes, but not the one you’re thinking about.”
“This is your fiancé?” Zander checked, looking down at our connected hands. “We missed you at the party, man. Me and my brothers made sure to show sis a good time. She seemed kind of bummed that you weren’t there, but that didn’t last long with us.”
“Oh my God, Zander. I didn’t realize you were this playful and petty,” I joked only slightly, casually pushing him away.
“I wouldn’t say I’m petty,” he said. “I’m very protective, and I always keep it real.”
The friendly disposition he’d had earlier faded away as he stared at Trevor, which kind of threw me off. I wasn’t sure what kind of vibe Zander was getting from Trevor, but I needed us to be able to handle our business here without any issues.
“I don’t think you’re close enough to my fiancée to be calling her sis, but I’ll let that shit ride. We have a meeting to get to, though, so you’ll have to catch up with her another time.”
“I definitely will, and I’ll let Carson know you’re here, sis,” Zander said, placing emphasis on sis.