Prologue
Destiny
“I look like shit,” I mumbled to myself as I stared at the woman with the vacant, dark brown eyes in the mirror. The deep-set bags surrounding my eyes, my skin that was usually a glowing mahogany looked ashen, and the deep frown that I couldn’t turn upside down even if I wanted to, all served to make me unrecognizable to myself. Inhaling deeply, I pushed myself away from the mirror and granite countertop in my bathroom and thought about stumbling to the kitchen to make a sandwich. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. The rumbling in my stomach was a sure sign that it’d been at least twenty-four hours since I’d nourished myself. But the work to trudge all of the way down to the kitchen, take out the food to make a sandwich, and then actually eat the damn thing felt like too much effort. I’d much rather go back to bed.
Slowly ambling my way out of the bathroom, I trekked across the bedroom that I’d always thought was too damn big for just two people. Along with the house. But my husband, Darryl, would always remind me that he’d purchased an eight-thousand square foot home for all of the children we would fill it up with one day.
“Bastard!” I cried out, as the thought of children had me nearly crumbling to my knees, while clutching my abdomen. I just made it to the bed as I collapsed in a heap of tears, cursing Darryl as I wailed. I cried myself to sleep for probably the hundredth time in the last three weeks.
I don’t know how many hours had passed when a loud ringing sound jerked me awake. Looking around the dark bedroom, it took me half a minute to realize the ringing noise was that of the doorbell.
“Who the fuck?” I cursed, slamming my head back against the pillow and covering the other side with another pillow to seal off the noise. Whoever the hell it was would get the hint and leave. But after what seemed like an eternity, the ringing didn’t stop.
“This better not be Darryl again!” I huffed as I pushed myself up and out of the bed. I had to hold on to the cherrywood bedpost to steady myself. Days of not eating were obviously catching up with me. Yet, the ringing of the bell persisted. Pushing my disorientation to the side, I moved out of the bedroom and down the hall toward the staircase.
“Darryl, I told your sorry ass to stay the hell away from me!” I yelled as I descended the steps, moving quickly to the door. Through the glass door I could only make out a figure but was too filled with rage to clearly see what was in front of me. That is, until I yanked the door open so quickly and harshly that I startled the person on the other side—the one who’d been ringing the goddamn doorbell like a lunatic. It wasn’t Darryl.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Where is he?” the woman snarled down at me. She had at least four inches on my petite five foot, three inch frame.
I was too stunned to even make a move when the woman quickly moved past me, stepping around me, inside my house.
“Darryl! I know you’re here! You can’t keep running from me!”
Her yelling finally snapped me back to reality and I swiftly spun around in her direction.
“Bitch, who the hell do you think you are walking up in my house like you’re crazy?”
“I’m your husband’s baby mother!” she shouted back at me.
I whirled backwards at the same time my eyes dropped to her midsection. For the first time since this little encounter began I realized what was happening right in front of me. I blinked, hoping beyond hope my tear-swollen eyes were just deceiving me. They weren’t. This woman had to be around six months pregnant. For the past three weeks I’d been living in my own personal nightmare and I was certain it couldn’t get any worse … until that moment.
My body began shaking with all of the pent-up anger I’d been feeling for weeks. When my gaze lifted and the smug smile across that bitch’s face grew as she rubbed her belly, I couldn’t refrain any longer. I lunged at her with every intention of wiping the look of superiority off her face. However, just before my fist connected with her jaw, I was pulled back against a hard chest, strong, familiar arms bracketing my body. Revulsion shot through me.
“Gina, what the hell are you doing here?” Darryl shouted at the woman while still holding me back.
“Take your goddamn hands off of me, Darryl! I’ll kill both of you in here!” I yelled and fought to get free of his grasp, but my small, malnourished body was no match for his six foot four, athlete’s grip.
“Calm down, Destiny.”
More nausea consumed me when his lowered tone made its way to my ears. It’s the same tone he’d used to console me on many occasions throughout our almost eight years of marriage.
“Get your fucking hands off me!” I screamed again.
“Tell her the truth, Darryl! This is our baby!”
I lunged again, but Darryl held firm.
“We don’t know whose baby that is. Get out of my damn house!” he yelled at her, still struggling to hold onto me.
“Let go!” I managed to turn around to face Darryl, doing my best to attack him instead of the whore behind me. After all, it was him I was truly livid with. Him, who’d betrayed our marriage vows. Him, who’d destroyed everything we’d built together. And him, who’d killedourbaby.
“You dirty son of a bitch! I hate your fucking guts!” I yelled as I kicked and tried to knee him in his dick.
“You need to leave!” he shouted above my head behind me. “I need to talk to my wife.”
“I’m not your fucking wife, you lying piece of filth!” I barely registered the woman’s words as she moved from behind me toward the door. I was sure she said something about coming back or getting what was owed to her and her baby. I didn’t give a shit. She could have it all. As far as I was concerned, I was done.
