This nigga had all the fucking nerve to be in this expensive ass store smiling and kee-keeing with some woman. Turning to the cashier, I told her I’d be right back before heading over to my stepfather.
“Lewis?” I called his name. He looked over at me as if he was seeing a ghost. It took a couple of seconds to regain his composure before he smiled at me.
“Oh my God, Dior. I’m so happy to see you. What are you doing here?” The nerve of this pretentious mothafucka. I should karate chop him in his fucking throat.
“You’re happy to see me? That’s what you have to say? Are you fucking insane?” I tried my best to keep my voice at a level that wouldn’t get me kicked out of this store.
“Dior,” Lewis said, reaching for me. I quickly pulled back, eyeing him with disgust. “Please, let me explain…”
“Explain? Explain how you stole from your mafia boss. Explain how you threw me under the bus to take the fall for yourfuck up. Explain, Lewis? I had to get fucking married because of you,” I shoved my hand in his face with my wedding ring secured on my finger. Lewis stared at the ring, but his expression said he didn’t give a shit.
“Lewis, who is this?” The strange woman asked, looking me over. I made a face at her.
“I’m sorry, I’m his stepdaughter, whom he fucked over,” I cleared up my presence to Lewis's bitch.
“Excuse us,” Lewis said, before grabbing my upper arm and shoving me away from the woman.
“Get your fucking hands off me,” I yanked away from this snake of a man, staring angrily at him.
“Will you stop being so emotional? You’ll blow it for me,” my neck snapped backward as though I’d been slapped.
“I’m sorry, my ears must have stopped working properly.” I shoved the tip of my index finger in my ear, moving it around in an exaggerated manner. “Stop being emotional? Lewis, exactly what am I blowing for you? Do you know how much I fucking hate you?” I pointed in his face, trying to calm down because this man was pissing me off.
“Please, just give me more time. You see that woman over there?” Lewis said, nodding toward the woman who wanted to know who I was. “She’s really rich. I think if I stick around long enough, she’ll give me the money and then I can pay The Ricci’s and get you to come back home,” Lewis smiled wide and proud after he said that shit. I kept staring at Lewis, wondering who in the hell I was looking at. This couldn’t have been the same man I knew as my stepfather all these years.
“That’s the best plan you could come up with? You’re going to try to outsmart a woman out of her bank account, to cover the money you took.” I looked at Lewis with nothing but utter disgust, wondering when he became such a disgusting excuse of a man.
“I don’t know why you’re looking at me like that. Do you know, had it not been for your mother and her greedy ways, I wouldn’t have ended up in debt?” My heart began drumming so loudly I heard it in my eardrums when Lewis spoke about my mother.
“Don’t you fucking ever, in your pathetic life, talk about my mother like that,” I got up in his face, pointing my finger at him, ready to deliver an upper cut to set his ass straight.
“What fucking ever, I wish I’d never met your mother.” I lost it then, with everything I had in me, I placed the palms of my hands on Lewis’s chest and shoved him as hard as I could. He lost his balance a little and took a couple of steps back. He regained his composure really quickly and was about to come at me, but he stopped dead in his tracks. I could see that his eyes were now focused behind me.
“I wish the fuck you would,stronzo(asshole),” the deep voice of Buddha made the expression on Lewis' face turn to that of pure fright. Pulling me back as he slid his huge body between Lewis and me, Buddha casually slipped his hands inside his pants pocket. Lewis looked as if he was about to shit on himself as he stared up at the tower of a man before him.
“Do you know how lucky you are to be standing here? You should be way more fucking grateful that I didn’t kill you when I had the chance.” Buddha’s voice was low and very threatening.
“I-I-I’m sorry, Mr. Ricci. I’ll go,” Lewis was such a fucking cowardly punk, I thought to myself when he began to back away from Buddha. It was just like the day they took me; he didn’t even try to protect me at all.
“No, no, seeing that my wife and I just got married, and you were unable to attend our wedding. Why don’t you get us a wedding gift?” Buddha slapped a hand on Lewis's shoulder and squeezed hard as fuck, causing Lewis to grimace in pain.
“Dior, please, why don’t you take that shirt there. Pink is definitely your color,” Buddha pointed at a shirt on the rack next to us. Even though I thought the shirt was hideous as fuck, I picked it and checked the size. Satisfied that it was my size, I walked over and handed it to Lewis.
Checking the pricetag, Lewis' eyes damn near grew two sizes bigger. “This shirt is $500, I can’t afford this. I already owe you, Mr. Ricci.”
“You know what, I’m feeling generous today. Your new balance is $49,500. And please call me Phillipe. Mr. Ricci is my father, now let’s go,” Buddha said with a bright smile, shoving Lewis toward the cashier.
Following silently, I collected the dress I bought along with Buddha’s card, then witnessed Lewis spend $500 on a shirt I knew I’d never fucking wear.
“I hope you enjoy your wedding gift, Dior,” Lewis said, handing me the bag.
“Now run away before I re-arrange your fucking face with my fists,” Buddha warned him in a low tone, but I heard every word. Lewis stumbled away, accidentally bumping into a mannequin before he grabbed his female friend’s hand, bolting out of the store.
“You good?” Buddha asked, studying me closely. I nodded my head even though I felt like I was about to burst into tears. Sensing that I was not being truthful, Buddha pulled me aside. Holding my face, forcing me to look at him, he closed the distance between us.
“Hey, real situations reveal fake people; always remember that. Lewis showed you who he really is; that’s all,” Buddha tried to comfort me, but that didn’t mean I felt any less shitty. Lewis fucked up and then threw me to the wolves; I’d never ever forget that. Even though I felt the way I did, I managed to force a smile.
“What’s your favorite thing to eat in the food court?” Buddha’s shift in conversation made me smile because I was not expecting him to ask that. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair off my cheek. Making an exaggerated face, I thought about his question.
