Ugly wasn’t a word that ever came to mind when I thought of him but at that very moment, his appearance repulsed me.
“I should be asking you that,” he sat up straight. “You just up and take my kids and start staying with your parents and didn’t give me any explanation. You blocked me. What kind of games you playing?” he glowered at me.
“What kind of games am I playing?” I stabbed my pointer finger into my own chest. “Are you for real right now? I’m not playing any games. But next time you decide to cheat tell that hoe not to upload it to her close friends.”
Tears filled my eyes to the brim while Corey looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Cheat?” he attempted to play my comment off. “You got the wrong guy. I’m either right here in this house or at work. I come straight home from work. Pleasedon’t start this shit.” He had the nerve to act as if he was begging me.
“I’m not starting anything. I came over here to tell you that we can work out a custody arrangement for the kids. You can get them a few days a week, every other weekend, or something. You take care of them when they’re with you, I won’t put you on child support.”
With an angry chuckle, Corey scrubbed one hand down his face. “You really stressing me the fuck out. WHAT DID I DO?”
“You know what the fuck you did!” I yelled right back. “You practically kissed a chick while she blew you a gun. Then, you buried your face in her neck and sniffed her the same way you used to do me.” I was crying and didn’t care. I had to let it out.
I refused to tell him that I didn’t have the heart to watch the rest of the video. If there was more, I wanted him to tell on himself. Corey’s face fell, and he knew he was caught.
“Baby, she blew me a gun. Our mouths were close, so we wouldn’t waste smoke. I never kissed her. Ever. We were in the shop getting fucked up. I just I don’t know.” Corey shook his head. “I’m sorry. I swear I’m sorry. I crossed a line for sure, but I never had sex with her.”
“How long have you been cheating?” I asked calmly. I didn’t want to hear that he’d been cheating for years. That would say a lot about how oblivious I was to the bullshit going on right under my nose. Then again, it wasn’t like he’d be honest anyway.
“Brion…”
“That many times, huh?” I chuckled angrily. “It’s cool, Corey. Now, I can stop wondering where we stand. I felt like you were falling out of love with me, and I convinced myself that I was tripping. But I knew. I knew something wasn’t right. It’s cool though. I hope you have the life you deserve. We can discuss arrangements with the kids, later.”
Corey jumped up. “Brion, you got to believe I’m sorry. Just that one time. I slipped that one time, but I will never do anything like that again. Baby, please listen to me when I say it won’t happen again. I put that on everything I love. Just please don’t give up on me.”
“Look on the bright side. At least we’re not married.” That was meant to be shade, and I knew he caught it. Marriage or not, Corey thought he had me by the balls, and the devil was a liar.
“Brion, my daughters adore me. You can’t just take them from me.”
“Are you hard of hearing or just slow?” I yelled. “I told you when it comes to the girls, we can figure out a schedule.”
“I don’t want a schedule. I want them in the house with me.”
“You should have thought about that before you cheated!”
Corey inhaled deeply, and his nostrils flared. He was frustrated, but I didn’t care. He didn’t get to apologize his way out of what he’d done. I was the one that had gotten hurt. I had to uproot me and my children’s lives. Life was so different, and it wasn’t fair. But I wasn’t about to fold. If I didn’t stand on business, Corey would feel like he had a green light to play with me. Plus, he’d confessed to cheating, so I no longer had to wonder.
I walked toward the girls’ room to get some more of their things, and he followed me. “I’m not doing this with you. I want you to bring my daughter’s home. We can go to counseling. I won’t smoke or drink with any female clients. Everything will be strictly professional.”
Ignoring him, I collected some of the girls’ favorite toys and books. They liked my parents’ house, but I could tell they were getting antsy and they missed their father. I was the one left having to explain things to them that they didn’t understand.
“Stop ignoring me, Brion. You know I don’t like that shit.”
Corey grabbed my arm, and I slapped him so hard that my hand stung. “Don’t put your hands on me,” I growled.
“Have you lost your mind?” his eyes were wide with shock. I had never hit him, and he’d for sure never hit me.
“Don’t touch me again. Be glad that I’m the one that left, and I didn’t make you get out. We’re not married, and there are no assets to split, so this should be very easy to walk away from.”
“Are you serious? You’re going to throw away seven years over one mistake?”
I whirled to face him so fast, it was a wonder that I didn’t get whip lash. “Am I going to throw away seven years? You really are a manipulative piece of shit. YOU threw away seven years. Not me. You thought I was stuck because we have three kids? Think again. You never even married me. Thinking I wouldn’t leave was a big mistake.”
“You don’t even have a job. You’re just going to make my kids uncomfortable and be cramped at your parents’ house when they have space here?”
“You have one more time to make this seem like my fault, and I just might slit your throat. I have a job. I have two jobs, actually. I can show you better than I can tell you that I can be good without you. Watch!”
I zipped the duffel bag closed and attempted to walk around him.
