Chapter 22

22

Iona

T hree Days Ago

I couldn’t believe this bitch hit me.

I stood in the bathroom located in the teacher’s lounge, assessing my face. She caught me off guard, and under normal circumstances, I would have molly whopped a bitch. However, I was at work, and it would be frowned upon to be caught fighting with a parent. When I walked back into the building, it was clear that Myra, the secretary, had seen the brief altercation. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she kept her mouth shut as I walked past her.

“Stupid fucking bitch,” I mumbled, dabbing the blood from my lip. “You’re gonna put your hands on me? I got something for your ass.”

I tossed the damp paper towel into the trash. I’d stopped by my office to grab my purse with my makeup bag in it. Digging inside, I pulled out the maroon lipstick and applied it.

“Still pretty.”

I laughed to myself. I was sure Evenie thought she’d done something. It wasn’t the first time I’d been hit by a bitch. It was, however, the first time I’d walked away from a fight, and that didn’t sit right with me. If I caught her alone, she was gonna have to run me my fade.

Capping the lipstick, I tossed it back in the makeup bag, then tossed that back in my purse. I opened the bathroom door, and as soon as I stepped out, I came face to face with Myra who was preparing to knock.

“Oh!” she yelped, jumping back. “My bad. I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

I didn’t say anything as I brushed past her.

“Are you okay, Iona? I saw what happened and—”

I spun around. “Mind your business, Myra.”

“I just… I was just saying. We can file a report. It’s not okay for a parent to hit you—”

“Do I look like I’m worried about her?”

“Well, no. But what if this escalates?”

“I can handle myself. You just mind the business that pays you, and keep your mouth shut. Am I clear?”

“But—”

“Am I fucking clear!”

She jumped and ran out of the empty lounge. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I couldn’t let these people see me out of character. My nerves were already on ten, and the last thing I needed was to go off on a kid. I was a lot of things, but I’d never hurt a child. Gathering myself, I left the lounge and headed for the front office. Myra sat behind her desk, sniffling, while the art teacher, Ms. Blume, tried to comfort her.

I walked past them and into Principal Briggs’ office. He sat behind his desk, typing away on his computer. He looked up at me but didn’t stop working.

“What can I do for you, Ms. Cambridge?”

“I need today off,” I said, taking a seat.

“Why? You’re already here.”

“I’m not myself, and I really need a mental health day. I don’t ask for anything, and I’m here every day the school is open. You can do me this one favor.”

He looked over his glasses at me and nodded. “Would this have anything to do with Mr. Lewis coming in here with his wife? I warned you not to get involved.”

I gave him a tight-lipped smile as I counted down from ten in my head. “Mr. Briggs… I don’t ask you about your marital affairs or otherwise, so let’s not bring my relationship into question. Can I leave or not?”

He sighed. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow. Go before I change my mind.”

I stood without a word and left his office. When I made it back out front, Myra was still visibly upset. I stopped mid-stride as I passed her desk and turned to her.

“I apologize for yelling at you,” I said flatly before walking away.

I didn’t need her to accept my apology. I’d said sorry, and that was it.

Present Day

I’d been locked in my house since I left work a few days ago. All I’d been doing was eating, drinking, and online shopping. I had so much shit set to be delivered that it wasn’t funny. My anger was on ten, and if I left the comfort of my home, I was bound to explode. I couldn’t shake Evenie hitting me and Tyrion just letting it happen. I didn’t care if he was mad at me. He should have never let her get close enough to put her hands on me.

Speaking of Tyrion, I missed him like crazy. All I wanted was for him to really hear me out. I’d been calling, texting, and leaving voice messages, but he was ignoring me. I’d thought about going to his job, but I didn’t. I needed to see him, and I just knew he would call the cops if I showed up there, causing a scene.

I was desperate… so desperate that I was willing to go to great lengths to lay eyes on him. We’d been so happy before all this shit happened. How could I go back to being a single woman when I’d planned out my entire future with this man? I’d put in years. With him, I’d changed my mind about never having children. Hell, I’d become a mother to his child, and this was how he repaid me?

Hell no.

I kept telling myself I had to let it go, but I couldn’t. I was trying to keep the last couple of screws from coming undone and me blacking out like I did on my sister. I hadn’t spoken to her or my mother since that day, yet Meena had been all over social media blasting me for trash. She never said my name, but I knew she was talking about me. I didn’t care. I couldn’t take back fucking him or that ass whupping I gave her.

Throwing my legs over the side of my bed, I stood and left my bedroom to go into my kitchen. I turned a blind eye to the mess in my living room. Once the movers dropped my shit off, I left it wherever they put it. I didn’t have the energy or the desire to make this place presentable again. In the kitchen, I grabbed a glass and poured myself a nice serving of my strongest wine. I gulped half the glass before setting it on the counter.

The sound of my doorbell ringing caused me to frown. There should be nobody coming over here. I didn’t have friends, and the only person who visited me was my mother from time to time. I knew it wasn’t her. I picked up the glass and chugged the rest of it before wading through the living room to the front door. When I opened it, I found a delivery driver standing there.

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped and stared at me. I frowned until I realized I was standing there in nothing but my bra and panties.

“Hello! Can I have my package?” I snapped, thrusting my hand toward him.

He blinked. “I’m sorry. Here you go.”

I snatched it from him and went to close the door, but he blocked it with his hand.

“Aye, you single?” he asked.

“Boy, fuck you.”

I slammed the door in his face and locked it before heading back into the kitchen with the package. After pouring myself another glass of wine, I tore into the small brown box to find the mini cameras I’d ordered. They had audio and video, so even if I couldn’t see, I could always hear. Unbeknownst to Tyrion, I had a duplicate of the house key he’d given me. Opening my junk drawer, I pulled it out and dangled it in my face with a smirk.

“We’re gonna see exactly what you’re up to, Mr. Lewis,” I said.

After turning the cameras on and setting it up with the app on my phone, it was time to get ready. Polishing off my drink, I went back into my room and grabbed my phone. It was about eleven thirty, so I checked Tyrion’s location to see he was still at work. He was a creature of habit. He took lunch the same time every day. If he didn’t bring food from home, he ate from one of about three places. That gave me plenty of time to get to his house, plant the cameras, and get out.

I stripped down and went to take a shower, not even thinking about how crazy what I was about to do was. It would have been so much easier to just let him go, but I couldn’t. I’d never been able to just let shit go. Once I felt something, it stuck.

Fresh out of the shower, I dressed myself in a pair of joggers and a matching pullover. I slipped on my socks and sneakers, then shoved my phone and wallet into the pullover pocket before leaving the room. I grabbed the mini camera box from the kitchen, then made way through the living room and out the front door. As soon as I pulled out of the driveway, my phone rang. Surprisingly, it was my mother.

“What?” I answered.

“How long have you been off your medication, Iona?” she fired off.

“What?”

“How long have you been—”

“I heard what you said. Why are you asking me that?”

“Because I’ve checked your medical records. You haven’t filled your prescription in three months. It’s no wonder you’re spiraling.”

I scoffed. “Ma, I don’t need you checking up on me like I’m one of your clients.”

“Iona, if I have to have you committed again, I will.”

“Bye, Ma.”

I hung up and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. I hated when she brought up my commitment. It was only once when I was twenty. I’d just fully healed from my surgery, and I’d stopped taking my medication. I had a long history of mood swings and anxiety. It was something that ran on my dad’s side of the family amongst other things. It was one of the reasons he kept us away from them. He didn’t want us feeding off each other the way they tended to do.

It skipped over him and my sister and hit me pretty hard. Meena was no help for my mental. Every time I came around dressed in something sexy to show off my new figure, she made a comment. The bitch was jealous because I could finally compete with her.

Anyway, it was our mom’s birthday, and she was having a black and white party at the house. I went all out with my hair and outfit, makeup, shoes… everything. I looked damn good, but leave it to Meena to tear into my self-esteem. All night long, she stood with our cousins, pointing and laughing at me. I was just trying to have a good time, and they were ruining it.

When I finally had enough, I approached them, promptly cursing each of them out with insults that hit way below the belt. As I walked away, my cousin Jasmine mumbled something under her breath. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew it was meant for me. Before I could stop myself, both of our pretty white dresses were stained blood red because I pounced on her and beat her to a bloody mess.

It took four people to pull me off her. She wanted to press charges, but my mother convinced her not to. Needless to say, the party ended early. My mother questioned me for two hours before threatening to let my cousin press charges if I didn’t agree to go on a seventy-two-hour hold. I was reluctant, but I went. Those seventy-two hours turned into a five-week stay because I kept cheeking my meds and refusing to participate in treatment. Once I saw it was getting me nowhere, I did what I had to do to get out, and I hadn’t been back.

Shaking off the phone call, I continued my journey to Tyrion’s home. I parked in the yard and got out of my car, making my way up to the front door. Because I was a regular here, it wouldn’t look suspicious with me just walking into his home. Using the duplicate spare, I let myself in. I wasn’t the least bit shocked to find everything back to the way it was.

Of course, he would put it back to appease her when he couldn’t even change it for me. Immediately, I felt a surge of anger. I had half a mind to fuck some shit up, but I suppressed it.

“Calm down, Iona. He’ll never take you back if you ruin his things.”

I took a deep breath and looked around the space. I had three cameras, so I needed good hiding spots for them. I decided on spaces that he spent the most time in. The first one went into the wall vent in the living room. Tyrion had changed the filter a few weeks ago, so there was no need for him to go up there anytime soon.

The second camera went in the kitchen on top of an old China cabinet gifted to him by his grandfather. Lucky for me, the design had holes at the very top that made it easy to hide the camera and still leave enough visibility for me to see clearly.

The third was going in his bedroom. When I opened the door, I was shocked to see a whole other bedroom set from the one I remembered being here. Lifting the covers slightly, I saw that he had new mattresses too. I stood there for a moment, stewing in anger at the fact that he’d gotten rid of the set we’d made love on so many times. Was he trying to erase my lingering presence completely? I guess his pretty little wifey was too good to sleep in a bed he’d fucked me on.

Closing my eyes, I took several deep breaths to calm myself before the urge to grab a knife and rip this shit up took over. Finally able to focus, I hid the last camera on the built-in bookshelf. It was only used for decorative things like fake plants, pictures, and little trinkets that matched the decor of the bedroom. I positioned it right at the bed, giving me a clear view.

Once the cameras were in place, I walked room to room with the footage on the app to make sure I could hear and see everything. Satisfied with my work, I double-checked that everything was as he left it before slipping out of the house as easy as I’d gotten in.