AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Today was a day I had been anticipating for a while now. I’d been touring apartments for two weeks, and nothing quite felt like me. Then Avyn told me that her building had a vacancy. It was perfect because I’d grown familiar with the area and didn’t have to change my routine when getting to and from my second job.
“Does everything look good?” asked Marie from the leasing office.
I turned to her with a smile. “Everything looks perfect.”
“Awesome! Well, I have your leasing agreement right here on the iPad. I’ll review everything with you, you’ll pay your deposit, and then we’re good to go!”
We stood at the small bar area while she went over the agreement as thoroughly as possible. Once she was done, I signed it and handed over my money order for the deposit. My excitement peaked when she handed over my keys. This wasn’t just an apartment. It was a home that I’d secured all on my own.
Someone had taken care of me my entire life. Someone always had the power to say, “You wouldn’t have that if it weren’t for me.” Not anymore. Now, I was taking care of myself. At twenty-eight years old, I felt like I was finally beginning to live for the first time. I had to admit it felt good.
After securing the keys on my key ring, I locked up and headed upstairs to Avyn’s apartment. When I walked in, she looked like she was just getting home. She stood at the kitchen counter, sifting through mail.
“Hey, boo,” she said, glancing up. “Did you sign your lease?”
“I did! I’ll be out of your hair soon.”
She dropped the mail and gave me her attention. “Don’t do that. You have always been more than welcomed here, Pash.”
“I know, I know. I’m joking. I really appreciate you, Avyn. You’ve been an angel.”
“It was nothing, girl. I know if the tables were turned, you would do the same for me. I’m so happy things are looking up for you.”
“Yeah... me too. It’s been a long journey, and it’s not over yet.”
While I would have liked my divorce to be over and done, it was at the point of things getting nasty. Raymond expected me to be docile about everything. He expected me not to contest the divorce, and he would just be able to ride off into the sunset with his pregnant mistress. That’s why he offered to pay for my lawyer.
He and his lawyer had compiled a team of legal representation they were willing to pay for. The problem with that was the fact everybody on the list was someone that he knew and would likely screw me over.
My friend Blake’s sister, Sandra, was a divorce attorney. She took my case pro bono. Not only that, but she also was fighting to get me everything she said I deserved. She filed a motion going after Raymond for adultery, abandonment, cruelty, isolation, and emotional distress. She was seeking alimony and was trying to have him continue to pay for my therapy. When my wedding ring was pawned, I took that money to pay for my therapy. Maybe I could have put it off, but I did what I felt was best for me at the time. I needed to maintain that relationship for my sanity.
Raymond was livid the first time we went to court. He couldn’t control the narrative, and he couldn’t control me. He walked into the courtroom expecting to see his friend standing beside me as my representative. The smile on his face dropped when Sandra appeared at my side. She was one of the top divorce attorneys in the state. If he had made a valid effort to really get to know my friends, he would have known she was Blake’s sister.
He managed to get my number from the court documents, and every so often, he called me from a blocked number, harassing me. I’d recorded his rants to present in court per Sandra’s advice.
“Hey...” Avyn grabbed my hand, causing me to break out of my thoughts. “It may not be over, but I’m so proud of your handling everything.”
“I’m trying.”
“How about we go do some shopping? Somebody has a new apartment that needs furnishing!”
I smiled. “I can’t go overboard now. This is a case of only having enough for the deposit.”
“Actually...” She reached into her purse and handed me an envelope.
My brows furrowed. “What’s this?”
“Just a little love offering from the girls and me. We know you’re saving for a car and didn’t want you to dip into those funds. We wanted to at least help you get the essentials... pots and pans, towels, cleaning supplies... stuff like that. Oh, and you can take the bedroom furniture from the guest room. I’m getting a new one for my room and moving the old one in there.”
“Avyn... That’s too much. You’ve already given me more than I could ask for.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered, and you’ll take it even if I have to drag it downstairs myself. What am I saying? I don’t do manual labor. I’ll call up Mr. Officer to help move it. He’s been asking to see me anyway.”
I shook my head. “So you’re gonna put him to work?”
“I’ll work him out afterward.” She winked at me as she slung her purse over her shoulder. “Come on. I’m sending the girls a text. They can meet us for drinks when we’re done. You have every reason to celebrate right now. I’m not taking no for an answer.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, okay. Just let me grab my purse.”
