Chapter 2 #3
I didn’t have the willpower to talk to anyone.
Besides, it could only be one of two people.
My parents confirming if Lawrence would make it to our monthly family dinner.
I hoped not, because I didn’t have the heart to tell them what had happened.
Not yet anyway. Or, it was Lawrence. He had been calling my phone over the past four days, trying to talk to me so that he could explain himself, but I wasn’t having it. There was nothing to explain.
A part of me wanted to block his ass and move on, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
My stupid heart was flip-flopping between wanting to hear him out and going back to kick his ass some more.
I shook my head. The deed was done, and I may forgive, but I wasn’t going back.
I couldn’t. My phone rang again, causing me to exhale a long sigh.
“Might as well get this over with,” I groaned, grabbing my phone. “Please be my mom.”
I glared at the phone when I realized it wasn’t my parents calling.
“What could you possibly want?” I snarled.
“Nat, baby. Please hear me out,” Lawrence whined.
“My name is Natalie! What the hell do you want, Lawrence?”
“Look, I know you are pissed off at me, but please listen to what I have to say.”
“You're doing a lot of talking but not saying shit.”
“Okay, okay. Look, I know I have no right, but can you please not tell your parents about what happened?”
I shot up out of my bed. “You are right. You have no fucking right to ask me no shit like that! For months, you’ve been cheating on me. Months, Lawrence! You had that hoe smiling in my face while I used the hard-earned money from our business to pay her.”
“I know, and I am very sorry. I-I don’t have any excuses except that I fell in love with her.”
“Fuck you, Lawrence. You could have said something. Why lie and carry on as if everything were okay with us? You know what? It doesn’t matter. Goodbye.”
“Natalie, please! I need your help.”
“Help?” I scoffed. “Give me one good reason I should do anything for you?”
Lawrence exhaled a breath before clearing his throat. “I need to stay connected with your father’s country club until this other deal breaks through for me.”
My jaw dropped. Not only did this lying, cheating muthafucka betray me, but now he wanted to keep using me for my father’s connections? The shit was so crazy that I burst out into a fit of laughter. I haven’t really laughed this hard since I walked in on him and Sandra a week ago.
“You’ve got to be shitting me!” I wheezed, wiping away tears that were rolling down my face. “Shit, I can’t fucking breathe.”
I held onto my sides as I kept laughing. I could hear Lawrence grumbling as he waited on the other end for my laughter to subside.
“Are you done, Natalie?” he finally asked as I quieted down.
“Boy, you have lost your ever-loving mind if you think-”
“I’ll pay you five grand a month until I can get squared away.”
I opened my mouth, but then Lawrence told me to hold on. I decided to be placed on hold, but not because I was being polite. Oh, no. I was about to give him a good cursing out if he hadn’t walked away. I waited because I could hear Sandra’s ass in the background.
“You are not to pay that bitch shit!”
“Sandra, baby, please. We don’t know if your uncle is going to let me into his exclusive circle, and I’m already in with Mr. Hunter’s.”
“I don’t give a fuck! If you and she are over, that means you cut ties with her family as well. That includes her dad’s little country club.”
I clenched my jaw. As much as I wanted to drag her ass again, she was speaking facts. If he didn’t want to be with me, that meant he didn’t need to be in contact with my family.
“And I will,” Lawrence pleaded. “Once your uncle accepts me and vets me in with his club, then I’ll cut ties with the Hunters.”
Sandra let out a long sigh. “Fine, but don’t give that bitch any of our money. She was the dumbass for paying me while I worked with y’all, but I am not as stupid as she is. Either she helps voluntarily, or we find a different way. Period.”
Oh, this bitch has lost her mind. She was bold and loud when I wasn’t there to fuck her up. If I’d known what she and my ex were up to, of course, I wouldn’t have voluntarily given her money. I shook my head. I got something for her ass.
Lawrence huffed out a breath before I could hear him picking up the phone. “Sorry about the hold.”
“I’ll help you,” I spat out.
“Wait, you will?” Lawrence asked, surprise in his voice.
“Yes, but I want ten thousand a month.”
“Ten! Natalie, don’t you think that’s extreme? Look, I think five is...”
“Either you pay, or you can forget it,” I interrupted, placing my hand on my hip.
The line became silent, and I knew Lawrence was weighing his options. He may have been sleeping with that tramp, but he knew that if he wanted to stay ahead with whatever plan he was scheming, then he needed my help.
After a long moment, Lawrence broke the silence. “Okay, I’ll pay you. All I need is a few months, and then I’ll come clean to your folks. Deal?”
I rolled my eyes. “Deal. Send me my money within ten minutes, or I’ll unleash hell.”
I heard Lawrence curse before I hung up the phone. He knew I wasn’t playing. I had his balls in my hand, and he couldn’t do anything but obey. If he didn’t, he would have to kiss his reputation, business, and whatever goals he had goodbye.
I sighed as I flopped back down on my bed.
A small part of me felt stupid for agreeing to help his ass.
I mean, screw him! I wasn’t the one who cheated and ended our engagement.
I wasn’t the one who threw away years of a committed relationship down the toilet.
So why should I bother? If I were being honest with myself, there was a sick, twisted part of me that wanted Lawrence to stay around.
I could admit that I still loved him and wished that this entire ordeal was merely a bad dream.
Since it wasn’t, then I’d agree to this stupid plan if only to have contact with Lawrence a little longer.
However, while I was still angry, I was going to allow him to fatten up my bank account, especially since it was going to piss off Sandra.
As a matter of fact, I was going to open the shop I wanted at last.