Page 42 of Cherry's Jubilee

Michelle stands stock still as she stares at Karen, probably unable to respond to those ugly words.

“Get off my property right now,” Cal says. “If you ever speak to my wife again, I’ll kill you.”

Karen takes a step back. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that no one has ever spoken to her that way. “I’m so sick of you people,” she says. “You stole that building, and now she gets Daniel Jubilee.” She points at me.

“Excuse me,” I say to her. “I’m the one who gets her.” I wink at Cherry, and she winks back. That must trigger Karen because she comes toward Cherry. I start to put her behind me, but Michelle intercepts and punches Karen in the face, knocking her to the ground.

“Aaah,” Karen screeches. She covers her face, but blood gushes through her fingers. Michelle goes toward her again, but Calvin wrapshis arm around his wife’s waist and pulls her back. Karen continues to sit there and stare at us in either confusion or disbelief.

“Hey, everyone,” I hear Solange say. “We got dessert, and we brought one of our new dishes—” The words die in her throat as she looks at the scene.

“Oh, shit,” Kirby says.

“You need to go, Karen,” Cal says.

Karen tries to get up, but she loses her balance and falls on her ass again.

“If you ever even think of going after my daughter again, that punch will be the least of it. Get the fuck out of here, bitch,” Michelle says.

Karen finally stands. She stumbles back and falls back again. Her mouth and chin are covered in blood. “I’m going to have you arrested,” she says.

“If you’re going to do that, let me make it worth it,” Michelle says. She pulls away from Cal and goes toward Karen. Karen screams and starts to crawl backward as she’s still unable to stand.

Luckily for Karen, Cal manages to catch his wife, but not before she kicks the other woman in the shoulder. Karen cries out in pain.

Kirby helps Karen to her feet and down the stairs while we all stare at each other.

Chapter 26

Cherry

We’re all silent until Kirby returns. He looks around as if waiting for us to tell him what is happening. Dad takes an ice pack from the freezer and puts it on my mom’s hand.

“Can someone tell me what the hell happened today?” my dad asks.

We all enter the house, and Dad ensures the doors are locked. When he’s done, I tell them everything that happened in Daniel’s office earlier. I tell them what Mr. Jubilee told me about Uncle Whit’s paternity, and everyone gasps in shock.

“You kicked both their asses?” Dad asked, and I nod. “My girl,” he says and gives me a high-five.

“God, I wish I could have seen it,” Solange says. “But you know the best part? Uncle Whit is not Mom’s brother, which means we’re not related to Ashley and Amira.

We high-five at that.

“Well, I still consider Whit to be my brother,” Mom insists. “None of this is his fault.”

“His paternity isn’t, but he’s still an asshole who let his wife treat you like dirt for almost thirty years. Consider him whatever you want, but he’s nothing to me,” I insist. I wait for her to argue and tell me all the reasons I shouldn’t feel that way, but she doesn’t.

My dad puts his hand on her shoulder and rubs it.

“I understand how you feel,” is all she says. “I can’t argue with anything you said.”

“I do feel kinda bad for Amira, though,” Solange says.

“That ho shouldn’t have put her dusty ass lips on my man,” I say. I stand, ready to find her and beat her ass again, but Daniel takes my wrist and pulls me back down into the chair.

“What if Karen makes trouble?” Kirby asks.

“Let her try,” Daniel says. “I can make bigger trouble.”

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