Page 32 of Cutthroat

“I’ll sit in the backseat, roll down the windows, and take me home,”

“You don’t have to tell me twice. How are you feeling man?”

Jermaine stared out the window. There was no need to answer that question.

Malcolm was glad that he didn’t. He wasn’t accustomed to asking other men how they werefeeling. He also didn’t know what to say if he responded. This situation was truly taboo. Anything he said would be cliché.

Jermaine didn’t respond.

“Man, I know this may sound crazy. But do you think you could forgive Eden?”

Jermaine’s bloodshot eyes shot daggers at Malcolm.

“Forgive her? Hell no I can’t forgive that cutthroat bitch. I told her what Jerry did and she went looking for his ass. I didn’t even tell her where he was locked up. She purposely looked my father up to fuck him! I can’t forgive no shit like that,”

“Ok, you did the same thing. You started the cutthroat shit. Let’s not act like you hadn’t gotten Envy pregnant a few times. We’ve all heard the saying hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. We’ve known Eden since college, she didn’t have a ruthless bone in her body. The difference between you and Eden is you paid to get rid of your indiscretions, and she had hers to throw in your face. She matched your energy, and you can’t handle it,”

Pain ripped through Jermaine’s core. He knew his friend was right. If he hadn’t had the funds tocorrect his mistakes, he and Envy would have at least three children.

Instead of telling Malcolm the true thoughts in his head, he switched the topic. He’d discuss his actual plans with his wife.

CHAPTER 15

Jermaine stared out the window trying to get his thoughts together. So much was on his mind that he couldn’t make sense of it all.

“Have you seen Envy? I’ve been calling and texting and it’s going to her voicemail,”

“Honestly man, it just dawned on me that I haven’t seen her. I don’t keep tabs on women that’s not mine. I had that little situation with her six months ago and never saw her again,” Malcolm said honestly. He wanted to add that he was too busy bonding with his daughter to think about Envy, but he knew Jermaine would never recover from that.

“She went off the grid the day I lost my job. I remember Eden saying she’d do shit like that all the time when they were growing up. After she’d fuck them over, she’d be gone for about two years then pop up like she was never gone. I texted her that she was dead when I saw her again. That bitch ruined my fucking life. I lost my wife and my career behind some pussy that wasn’t even mine. How much worse can my life get?” Jermaine asked as he stared ahead at his home.

“Man, I don’t think you have to worry about it getting any worse than this. That’s impossible. Call me if you need me,” Malcolm added before driving away. He had no way of knowing that things for his friend would indeed be getting worse.

Jermaine stood outside of his home, the place that once brought him so much peace and dreaded going inside. For the past six years he walked in and out of the front door of this home. As he stared at the home, he noticed so many things that he had forgotten, not forgotten, but ignored.

This home was once perfect. Three levels of custom-built beauty, his first major purchase, and a wedding gift to his new bride. But just like his bride, he started to neglect it, now cracks had begun to surface.

Tears filled his eyes as he thought back to the good times that he and Eden shared, the date nights ended with them falling asleep on the couch and the arguments the led to hours of makeup sex. This was supposed to be their forever home, but he knew that that had changed.

“I really spent a weekend in jail,” Jermaine thought as he reflected on how his overall actions had led him to the place he was now.

The officer and Malcolm were correct. He had started the cutthroat antics. Of all the people in the world. He knew that Envy should’ve never been someone that he entertained. Her only purpose for wanting him was to hurt her sister and he had willingly participated. Now he was dealing with the fallout by himself.

He had never known this level of anger, but he would use it to fuel the ass whooping he had for Envy. Pulling his phone out, he opened his text app to send Envy a quick text. There was no need to call, because he knew she wouldn’t answer. His hands shook as he typed the short message.

Text to unsaved number:Bitch, when I see you, you’re dead

There was no need to mince words. Exiting the app, he dialed his wife. He knew that she probably wouldn’t answer, but he still needed to hear her voice, even if it was from her voicemail.

“Why the fuck are you calling me?”

Eden’s high-pitched voice caught Jermaine off guard. He hoped she would, but he wasn’t expecting her to answer the call. In all actuality, he planned to take a scalding hot shower to wash the scent and feelof jail off of him then drive over to Marie’s to speak to his wife.

“Edy look, I messed up. I know that. This is a lot for me to process. But I’m willing to work through this. I’m willing to go to counseling. We can speak with an adoption agency-”

“Adoption agency? Jermaine, are you an idiot? The moment I drove three hours to hop on your daddy’s dick, I was 100% done with you. Did you really think that we could or that I would be interested in working anything out with you? I’m not. You started this shit, and I ended-”

“Ended what? Bitch, you ended what? Did you think I’d let you get away from me? You’re not going nowhere until I’m ready to free your stupid ass.”

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