Page 51 of Anonymous Acts


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“Kellen was a good man! It wasn’t his fault he was stuck with you!”

My eyes went wide. “A good man? Little girl, you’d better wise upquicklyif Kellen Stuart fit the criteria to be given such a title in your mind. Lazy? Yes. Trifling? Sure. Vindictive? Oh baby, you’d better believe it. Butgood? Girl, grow the fuck up.”

Crystal’s nostrils flared, distorting her pretty peanut-butter toned face as she fought back tears. “I see he was right about you. You’re about to walk out of here with almost two-and-a-half million dollars because of him, but you’re still sitting here slandering his name. This is why he loved me. Why he wantedme.Because I loved and supported him like you never could.”

“Huh,” I said, as a smirk spread across my lips. “Answer a question for me, baby girl… where exactly did that get you? Because it looks to me likeyouare about to walk out of here without your wife-financed sugar daddy, with nothing but a baby that’s going to destroy that tight little body to show for it. I know the dick was good, it really was, but Crystal…was itreallyworth it?”

“Monica!” Pat scolded, and I did my best not to roll my eyes.

“You know what?” I asked as I stood. “Let me just save everybody some drama – I don’t want a goddamn thing from Kellen.” I turned to Demetria, looking back and forth between her and Eric. “I don’t ever want to see this money. Give it to his kid. In a trust or something. Can we do that?”

Demetria nodded. “Yes. If you’re sure that’s what you want.”

“It is. A trust, thatshe-” – I tossed a hand in Crystal’s direction – “can’t touch. Just like… I don’t know, a stipend or something, so she can have prenatal care, and so the kid can play soccer and get braces. I don’t care. Demetria… you and Eric work out something fair. Do not ever speak to me about it again.”

Both lawyers nodded. “Understood.”

I grabbed my purse, intending to leave, but hesitated for a second when I heard a quiet, “thank you,” from across the table. I looked back to see Crystal looking much less self-assured than she had before. Instead, she looked exactly like what she was – a twenty-three-year-old girl in glamorous makeup and hair to make herself look grown, in a fucked-up situation because she wanted to play games that were much more mature than she was.

She looked… too familiar.

“Donotthank me,” I told her in a voice that must have communicated exactly the danger she was in, because she took a step back. “Please understand that I amnotdoing a goddamn thing foryou. You and Kellen were too busy being trash to make sure the life you created was taken care of.Somebodyhas to do what your silly asses didn’t bother to. He or she deserves a fucking chance, and when your kid is all grown up, and you watch them take it… make sure you remember the bitter bitch that gave it to them. And weep over the fact that it wasn’t you.”

I didn’t give anybody a chance to say shit to me – I left. More than anything, I was pissed that I’d pulled myself away from a fresh bottle of wine to come to a meeting, when this could’ve been handled over the phone.

“Monica!”

I started to keep walking, but the familiarity of the voice just wouldn’t let me do it. I pushed out a sigh, and then turned to see what Pat wanted.

“Yes?” I asked, trying to keep the edge of irritation out of my voice as she approached me, with tears in her eyes. “What can I do for you, Patricia?”

She gave me a sad smile. “I know I hadn’t seen you in a few years, but… no more “Mama Pat”?”

“I…”

“Please,” she said, waving me off. “I’m just… talking. You don’t need to explain yourself, when I walked in here with… her.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. For… for thinking that you could’ve been the one to do…that… to my baby. You were always the sweetest young lady, and you’ve grown into a woman that I’ve been proud to call my daughter. But I’m…” she sniffed loudly, obviously trying to hold back tears. “I’m getting to be an old woman, Monica. An old woman who just lost her child. Wrong as he was, he wasmine. You understand?”

“I do.”

“He told me that you… that you couldn’t… that you two had tried, and tried, but… that girl in there…” Patricia pushed out a sigh through her broken attempts to articulate herself, but then a smile broke through on her face. “She’s carrying myfuture, Monica. All I have left of my baby, after I thought I’d never get that. Because he said you guys couldn’t. But now—”

“Patricia, please,” I interrupted, swallowing the lump building in my throat. “I don’t need any further reminders of my… deficiency… in that department. Just be happy that you’re finally getting that grandbaby you wanted. I understand. And I’m happy for you.”

Right in front of me, Patricia’s face crumpled. “Monica, I’m—”

“Goodbye, Pat. You be blessed, okay?”

She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something else, but then she nodded. “Okay sweetheart. And you as well.”

I returned her nod and then turned around, getting down the hall as quickly as I could while trying not to look like I was rushing. Once I made it to the elevator, I pressed the button and prayed for an empty one, breathing a sigh of relief when that particular wish was granted.

Inside the elevator, I pressed the button to get to the parking garage, then closed my eyes as the doors shut. I bit the inside of my lip, trying my best to keep it together.

As if everything else happening wasn’t enough… I hadn’t expected to get slapped in the face today with two ugly truths.

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