I shook my head. “No, Mom, that will not work. No matter how many times he texts me and tells me how much he misses me, I won't go back. He broke my trust.”
“You're nothing but a lying bitch!” Sandra shouted, standing up from her seat. “He would never text you anything like that!”
“Hoe, who are you talking to like that?” Mya asked, preparing to stand up too, when I shook my head.
“It's okay, love, I've got this,” I reassured, patting Mya’s shoulder. Opening my messages, I cleared my throat. Lawrence dropped his head into his hands. “Natalie, I miss you. I miss your body. There are some things you can do that Sandra can't no matter how hard she tries.”
Sandra shook her head, causing Mrs. Freeman to rub her back before she cut her eyes at me.
Slamming her napkin down, she glared at me. “I don't know what type of game you're playing, little girl, but enough is enough. You will not upset Sandra and cause stress to her and the baby.”
“Latrice, stay out of their business. The boy has obviously fucked up and has been lying to all of us this whole time,” Mr. Freeman said.
“Fuck you, Frank! Sandra is part of this family and carrying our grandson. I've liked her from the beginning and couldn't wait for Natalie to get out of the picture.”
My eyebrows furrowed as I glared down at Mrs. Freeman. “The beginning?”
A wide smile spread across her face as she folded her arms. “How do you think Sandra and Lawrence met to begin with? She’s my goddaughter.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, woman?” Frank snarled.
Waving dismissively, she continued to soothe Sandra. “Her uncle, Bradley, has been an acquaintance of mine for a longtime. We agreed that if Lawrence were to marry Sandra, I'd get twenty percent shares in the Buckingham Country Club. Of course, I wasn't about to do anything of the sort by force. I told my son that if he liked Sandra, then it was up to him to agree. What he says matters to me.”
“All this time you've been lying to me?” I asked, glaring down at Lawrence. “You already had it in your mind to be with Sandra, and used me for what? Fun?”
“No! Natalie, I wanted to marry you in the beginning. I was going to break the deal, but then something changed. You started focusing on the business more than me. You stopped caring about my wants and needs and put your all into L&N instead of my happiness.”
“You sound like a bitch,” Amanda spat. “I watched my best friend bust her ass for that business and support you when you didn't have a job. She's the reason L&N is successful today, and you're mad about that? You’re crying because she worked hard for y'all to have a successful black business instead of waiting on you hand and foot?”
“Nobody asked you!” Mrs. Freeman snapped.
“Don't talk to her like that!” Mr. Freeman barked.
Everyone stared at Mr. Freeman as he stood up and downed the rest of his drink. “Since we're all coming clean, I guess now it's my turn.”
“Frank, shut your mouth!”
“If you had shut your legs, we wouldn't be in this predicament now, would we?”
Mrs. Freeman gasped as my mother whispered an “oop.”
“Anyway, the reason that Latrice here has connections with good old Bradley at Buckingham Country Club is that she's been fucking him for about what? 10 years now?”
“Frank! Shut your fucking mouth!”
“No, no, no. If we're all coming clean with our secrets, why not tell the whole truth? Plus, now is a perfect time for mine, so that we no longer have to waste each other's time. Of course, that does not go towards you, Hunters. I actually adore your family, and I would love to continue coming to your family events and come to your country club, Mr. Hunter, if you allow me.”
”Of course, Frank! You are always welcome but leave Latrice ass at Buckingham.”
Frank burst out in hearty laughs as he clapped his hands. “Perfect! Now, as I was saying, since we're coming out with secrets. Lawrence, even though your mom has been screwing and fucking everyone in the metroplex, she had a special ongoing connection with Bradley. Their agreement for you to marry Sandra has apparently been their agenda for a while, and I did not know until recently. I had hoped you would’ve made better choices, Lawrence, but you didn’t. On a good note, Latrice’s infidelity hasn't stopped my happiness. Our divorce will be final in a few weeks, but I have been seeing someone else.”
Lawrence's eyes widened. “Dad, why didn't you tell me?”
“Why didn't you tell me you were only using Natalie and really wanted Sandra as your wife? Why didn't you tell me about you and your mom's plans?”
Lawrence opened his mouth, but then quickly shut it.
“Exactly!” Mr. Freeman said. “Anyway, I have been seeing someone for the past few months, and I really care about her. We have been keeping things a secret because she was not ready to come out and say anything. While our relationship is new and there is a bit of an age difference, I still care about her, and I pray she allows me to continue to court her. I pray she opens up and is bold enough to declare her love for me as much as I declare my love for her publicly.”
