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Apparently, according to him, he never knew that things were that bad. Helen told him over the years that I hated her and was always acting up and taking it out on Mitzie. First, I was hearing of it. His seeming ignorance of the truth only pissed me off even more because I found it hard to believe that for all those years, he didn’t know what was going on right under his nose.
I guess it made sense because the boys were always there until Trey went off to college when I was thirteen, and by then, I had a routine when I went to Dad’s. Things weren’t as easy once all of the boys were gone, but Bri was back home from college by then, and Helen knew he was just a phone call away if she tried shit.
But her mission to drive a wedge between Dad and his kids while having him play white knight to her own kid never stopped. I should probably be thanking Jilly for her little slip-up because it took the heat off of me and put it squarely on Dad, who was fighting for his life.
Mom was getting mad at old shit that we kids had kept from her because she was so vulnerable back then, but it was new to her, and she was fit to be tied. “You let that bitch mistreat my kid?” Oh boy. Looks like I’m gonna have to find a way to help Mom release some of her anger. I’m here for this shit because it keeps them out of my business.
While they were hashing their shit out, I was replaying the evening in my head and weighing everything. I had the piece of paper that I had used to write the pros and cons in my purse, and the truth is, there was only one con: the fact that we didn’t really know each other.
Top of the pros list was the fact that I was wildly attracted to him, not to mention the fact that everything he did was right up my alley. I like a man who takes control, not sure why, because I hate not being in control of things. But the thing that stands out glaringly is the fact that he seems to know me and has no interest in changing who I am.
I’ll just have to push him to the limit this coming year and see how well he hangs in there. Look, I was going to go the distance with someone I barely liked for free. So, why not marry one of the wealthiest men on the planet with the same deal going in?
I got a little tingle at the thought that I might get even more than money out of this union. He wasn’t looking too small in those swim trunks, though I didn’t get to see nearly enough. A little sound escaped my lips; I guess because they were all staring at me like I was standing there naked.
“What?”
“Why are you making that sound? And why the hell are you blushing?” Why are my brothers always watching me? Nosy as shit! I waved them off and headed for the bathroom giving them the impression that that was the cause for my odd behavior.
The fact that I walked crooked because I was trying to ease the sudden ache in my crotch gave credence to my lie. Dammit, maybe I should’ve fucked him first. Now I’m really going to buy a pig in a poke. Whatever, he can’t be worse in that department than Denny, and I’ve put up with his shit for four years, with nothing to show for it but a burning bed, I might add.
ALYSSA
They finally left sometime around midnight when I reminded them about the boat ride the next day, and I climbed into bed feeling lighter than I have in days. Now, mind you, I haven’t thought about Denny in weeks. Why? Because I like to compartmentalize things
Because I wasn’t quite ready to deal with him and that whole ordeal, I’d put it to the back of my mind for later when I was ready to destroy his shit. I guess he may have thought that he was off the hook by now, so he wouldn’t expect me to pop up out of nowhere.
Denny and I have shared friends, or had, who all knew something had gone wrong with our relationship. I’d simply told them when everything went down that he had cheated, but I didn’t tell them with who. Some of them thought it was with Sherry since I had cut her off, but I corrected them that it was not her, but didn’t tell them who.
So, before I fell asleep that night I sent them a text in the group chat alerting them to the fact that I was getting married this weekend. The wedding had been planned for family only, but his family, obviously, had been disinvited, and our friends were supposed to watch a livestream of the ceremony so as to feel like a part of it.
The reason I didn’t invite them was because I wasn’t about to ask my parents to pay all that money for a ceremony that was going to take at most ten minutes. But the plan was to have a party upon our return after the honeymoon.
So, I dropped that little tidbit and told them they could still tune in if they chose to, but gave no other information. Then I listened to the pings on my phone as they asked a million questions, which I didn’t answer.
I know for a fact that at least two of those people in the group of about twenty were going to mention it to Denny. Now, I haven’t spoken to Denny since the day I left to go to that meeting out of town, so he has no idea about what is going on in my life. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
I also know that my ex-best friend, the cheating apologist, was going to hear about it somehow, and since she had been slated to be my maid of honor, this, more than anything, would tell her that I was well and truly done.
Surprisingly, she was always the one getting on me for being cold and just cutting people off when they crossed my boundaries. She could never understand how my head worked and how I was able to cut off my emotions at will, and since it’s not something I could put into words, it was never really explained.
Now she gets to see her best friend of almost twenty years get married without her because her cheating ass sister was more important. Whatever. Blood is thicker than water, I guess. Besides, that’s not the only reason I sent the message to the group chat; it’s a flex.
I know people like to pretend that they’re holier than thou in these situations. They go on and on about being kind and swallowing shit to make other people happy. Fuck that. I don’t have time for that shit.
I dumped my cheating, broke-ass boyfriend, and I’m about to marry one of the wealthiest men in the world; why wouldn’t I rub that shit in everyone’s face? Talk about a glow-up.
As you can tell by now, my head doesn’t work like other people’s. That’s why I’m not worried about Garrett and anything he could do to me in the future. I know how to take care of myself. If he wants to waltz with Rosemary’s baby, who am I to stop him? I’m pretty sure he’s nuts, but that never scared me before. I come from the south, where one out of every ten family members is batshit. His California silver spoon-raised ass isn’t going to know what hit him if he tries his shit with me.
Speaking of which, I need to write up my own dossier before the wedding because there are some things I won’t put up with no matter how much money he has. It’s only fair he knows who he’s asking to marry him and the hellfire he’d face if he got on my bad side.
I tossed and turned all night and woke up every few minutes to add something new to my list of dos and don’ts. In the morning, I asked the front desk for access to their printer and printed off my list to give to him when we meet later.
It wasn’t anything much, just a few warnings. Like the fact that I would straight up cut him if he started any kind of conversation before I had my first cup of coffee in the morning. The one I think might be a deal breaker is where I threatened to cut his dick off if he cheated. There ain’t enough money in the world to fix that shit, even if they sew it back on.
If or when we have kids, I get just as much say in their upbringing as him, and no one else’s opinion counts, or me and the kid will go bye-bye. Denny’s mother was a nosy bitch who always had to have her way in shit that did not concern her.
I ignored her because I didn’t really care, but now things had changed, and I wasn’t about to put up with anyone’s bullshit again. If any of his friends or family tried looking down their noses at me or treating me less than and he even thought to tell me to put up with it, I would have all rights to put said person in their place, and they were never to be allowed in my home. See, not much in the scheme of things.
