43. Lacey

Aparty is exactly what I need to get me out of this slump I've been in all month. Shit has been going downhill since that night that crazy bitch found me in her bed.

Denny's parents had forced him to let me stay because of the pregnancy, even though he'd been acting like I had the plague. He seems to want to blame me for everything that has gone wrong, like the months we were fucking. I was doing it by myself.

He seems to forget all the shit he said to me when he wanted to get into my pants, and now all of a sudden, I'm the slut who destroyed his life. I don't want his small dick ass anyway. I just need a place to stay until I can get back on my feet, then I'm outta here.

He's such a fucking loser. And now he doesn't even have a job and I overheard his parents talking about him not being able to find work in his field again. Apparently, he had lied about his school transcripts or something, I don't know, and I don't care.

As if my life wasn't hard enough as it is, my stupid period had to last an extra day when it was supposed to be done already, and it was hell keeping that truth away from them. I have to throw away my pads in a dumpster far from the house so they didn't catch on, but since I didn't go out all yesterday, I'd had to let them pile up in the closet in the room they'd given me since their son refused to let me sleep in his room and now they were starting to stink.

It had only been a day and a half so I don't know why they smelt like that already, but whatever. I read Mitzie's last message and frowned. I barely had any money left on my card and wasn't sure where I was going to get more from unless I found a job in the next few days.

I'd tried calling my parents and my sister but found out I was blocked, which meant they were serious about cutting me off this time. That really pisses me off because they were acting like this was such a big deal.

I was thinking once they heard about the pregnancy, they'd soften, so I had Denny's Mom call to talk to them, but she didn't get through either. Come to find out, the three of them had gone away together somewhere after the big blowout.

I knew Sherry was only doing all this to get back in Alyssa's good graces because I'd heard her crying to my parents about how she'd lost her best friend because of me. That's what she gets for putting that bitch before her own sister.

I don't see why they're all up her ass anyway, and it's going to be even worse now since she'd married that hotshot. I drove by their place and was sick to my stomach. Now everyone is talking as if they're the first couple of the county or something.

It's all anyone would talk about, whether in the street or online. The community boards were filled with nothing but praise and talk about her and her new man. Everyone seems to have forgotten that she was supposed to be marrying someone else.

No one seems to bat a lash at her swift turnaround, but I slept with her ex and was blacklisted and cast aside. My life is going to shit, and she's living the life that should be mine. That stuck-up bitch has always had everything handed to her, so I don't know why I'm surprised.

When we were younger, everyone pandered to her because of her parents' divorce, like they were the first to do so, or she was the first product of a broken home. That's how Mitzie and I became friends. We formed a bond of sorts in our dislike of her.

The two of us had spent many an afternoon dreaming out loud about the many ways we were going to fuck her over the minute we got the chance. But it just never seemed to happen. Mitzie's Mom had tried getting her stepdad not to pay for Alyssa to go to that fancy school of hers and had made him refuse to pay, but she'd still gone, thanks to scholarships and her extended family stepping up.

That was the last chance we had to cut her down a peg or two before I screwed her fiancé. After she went away to school, I thought I would get my sister back, but instead, she'd put herself in debt with student loans so she could follow her best friend.

Our parents weren't mad at that stupid shit, but they were up in arms because I went to bed with Denny. They were always all for the relationship between those two because they saw Alyssa as some sort of role model for Sherry, and she was so far up Alyssa's butt that she couldn't see that the other girl was just a snobby bitch who thought she was better than everyone else.

At least, that's how I saw her. Everyone was always singing her praise, and she always acted as if she didn't give a damn what anyone else thought except her brothers. She was always close to them, and they seemed to take pride in each other.

That's why I'd made a play for her youngest brother, but he didn't even give me the time of day. They were always with her, always protecting her. People were always talking about how close the siblings were and how the boys would drop everything to be there for their little sister.

I hated that she had that and so did Mitzie. Even though they were her stepbrothers, none of them ever took the time to get close to her and had shut her out of their lives completely. Everything they had was for their precious little princess who thought her shit didn't stink.

Sometimes, I hate her so much it chokes me and brings me to tears. I'll never forget the day I first started hating her. There was a concert, mine and my sister's favorite boy band was playing. Although I was two years younger than Sherry, I always wanted to do what she was doing.

So, even though I didn't really like the band, I pretended to because she did. Anyway, they were playing in the town next to ours, and it was all my sister could talk about. She begged and pleaded to go for her birthday, and Dad finally talked Mom into taking her. When Mom asked who she wanted to take, she could take one other person, I was sure she was going to choose me.

I'd already bragged to all of my friends that I was going and had started picking out my clothes and everything. I think those two were twelve, and I was about ten at the time. When I came downstairs to find Sherry all excited and chattering away about all the things they were going to do since they were going to spend the night, I piped up with my own plans.

She just looked at me and, without a care in the world, informed me that I wasn't going; I was staying home with Dad while she took her best friend. I'd cried and thrown a fit and threatened to destroy the whole house, but Mom didn't budge.

She claimed that since it was Sherry's birthday, she got to choose and she had already made her choice. I'm not sure if it was, but it's the first time I recall my parents not giving me my way in something.

From that day onward I hated Alyssa and had done everything in my power to break up the friendship to no avail. Those two were enmeshed or something, the way they clung to each other and helped each other through everything.

I guess I had finally got my wish after all because they were no longer friends, so at least that was something. I hope they were both miserable for the rest of their lives to make up for the way I had suffered because of them.

As the day went on, I listened to the movement beyond the bedroom door, listening to the drone of voices but not really caring about what was going on. Apparently, Denny had gone to the hospital for something or the other, which I didn't quite hear, and I can't say that I care.

The way he's been treating me, I wouldn't care if he dropped dead. Thank heaven, his mother is a complete moron who didn't even verify my pregnancy story; she just took me in once I told her my sob story about how her son coerced me, and now my family had turned against me.

I had her believing that I was so in love with her wimpy son, and my heart was broken because of his callous actions since we were found out. I think his sister knows I'm full of shit because of the looks she gave me, but since she doesn't have a say in whether I can stay or not, I don't really care what that bitch thinks.

Now, I just need to figure out where I could get some money from for beer because I wasn't about to spend my last funds on that shit. I need every penny until I figure out where my life is headed.

I scrolled through my contacts to see who I could hit up and came up with an idea. Mitzie's idea of a party is always a good time, but it's more trailer park hoedown than anything else. The girl likes to party but she's a bit of a prude when it comes down to it.

Like, she would get high, sure, but she's the monogamous type. To me, that's a waste of a good high. I sent out a few messages with the address of the place where Mitzie was staying, then sent her a text letting her know I'd invited a few people. I'm going to show her how to really party.

NATALIE

I keep reading that stupid interview over and over again, and for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that Garrett's new wife was taking shots at me. She didn't come right out and call my name, but that crack about old slippers and such seemed pointedly aimed at me.

If that wasn't bad enough, the shots they have of her and Garrett for their spread all show him looking at her with an indulgent smile on his face. I know Garrett, and he has never looked at me or anyone else like that. I would know because I used to watch like a hawk whenever we were anywhere together.

I always knew that there were other women after him, but the one thing I can say is that he was a very loyal boyfriend. Garrett hates cheating or any kind of betrayal, which is only one of the qualities I love about him.

But now he was looking at her the way he never looked at me in eight years. She was reaping everything I had worked for and she'd only known him a handful of weeks. Every time I think about it, I can't help but see the unfairness of it all.

I thought I had no one to talk to about my feelings, but the last time I tested the waters with Sabrina, she seemed to be on my side. That was such a relief because the one time I tried it with Garrett's Mom, the woman I had hoped would be my mother-in-law someday, she'd laughed me off.

She'd brought up my marriage like that meant anything and the fact that I had a child. She'd brushed me and my concerns off as if I hadn't been a part of their family for close to a decade. And the way she kept going on and on about this girl was infuriating.

As for the Dad, he was acting out of character as well, beaming with pride about his new daughter-in-law. They were already talking about her as if she was part of the family and treating me like a stranger when I was the one who had sat at their dinner table over the years.

I can't believe how hurtful they were being, talking about her in my presence when I visited their home. I needed some reassurance that they still saw me as the only one who was right for their son, but I came away feeling like less than nothing. They'd already moved on and seemed very happy with their son being married to a nobody who was probably only after his money.

When I hinted at that my former mother-in-law had given me a stern look and forbid me to ever say such a thing again. She'd then gone on to tell me about her talks with the new bitch and how she was looking forward to spending time with her and all about the party they were planning for her and Garrett when they came out for their first visit.

I couldn't believe the lengths they were going to for this girl. They never once threw a party for me or went out of their way to show me that I was part of their family but now here they were going all out for her.

I picked up my kid and left there, ready to kill. I'd taken my son with me because I knew how much Mrs. Jacobi liked them, but she could barely spare him a glance because she was too busy gushing over that bitch.

I thought all was lost until Sabrina met me at the car and asked if I was okay. She was the only one who seemed to realize that I was hurt and that this was all moving too fast. She didn't say it either, but I knew from what little she said that she understood and that she wasn't as onboard as everyone else seemed to be with her brother's hasty wedding.

That little talk with her helped to calm me down some and I was a little more relaxed when I got behind the wheel. Thankfully, she'd come out after I'd smacked my son for screaming in my face and hadn't seen my reaction. I have to remember to stay calm in public because the last thing I need is for anyone to start talking out of turn.

Most people don't know how hard it is to take care of kids. I was fine before; I could always ignore him because his nanny was always there, but ever since Garrett got married every little thing about the kid annoys me.

Sometimes, I blame him for holding me back. I think that if it wasn't for him, I could have left my idiot husband and gotten my life with Garrett back. It's to the point that I feel nothing but hate when I look at him.

ALYSSA

My phone rang just as I was pulling through the gates of home. My boss, the suck-up, had sent me home an hour early with the excuse that since it was my first day back, I should get home to my husband. Whatever!

"Hey, Sabi… Sabi, what's the matter?" She was crying too hard to speak, and for a split second, I thought someone had died.

"She hit him."

"What? Who hit who?"

"Natalie, she hit her baby. She hit him so hard, the little guy. What are we going to do?"

My whole body went cold, and I went into my numbness phase. This is something I do when I need to separate emotion from common sense. "Okay, calm down. Here's what we're going to do. Get close to her. Get close to the nanny. Do whatever you have to to get the kid away from her as much as possible."

"Okay, I can do that. I think she might see it as me choosing her because the stuff she was saying to Mom seems to hint at her still wanting to be part of the family or something. She doesn't know that Mom and I know the things she's been saying about you."

"Okay, keep it that way. Right now, the kid is the most important thing. Where did she hit him? How did it happen?"

"She came over earlier to talk to me and Mom but I made my excuses because I can't stand to be around her knowing what she's been up to."

"I think she got upset because Mom wasn't giving her what she wanted, like when she hinted at you being a gold digger, Mom made her apologize, and then Dad came from his home office and was going on and on about how great you're going to be for the family. Anyway, I think it was too much and she left."

"I was watching her from the window and saw her slap him across the face really hard. I ran out there and pretended I was asking if she was okay like I was on her side type of thing. His little face was so red, and he was too hurt to cry. I wanted to kill her."

"Okay, don't cry. Just do as I said. I'll have your brother bring me out this weekend instead of the end of the month. Don't forget, visit her house and no matter what you do, don't get her upset. Try to see if you can get any kind of evidence. On second thought, if I walk you through how to do something, would you be able to do it?"

"What is it?"

"How tech-savvy are you?"

"Are you kidding? My brother and my Dad are the kings of the tech industry."

"Okay, this may be illegal. Are you sure you're down?"

"If it will help save that little boy from that crazy witch, I'll do anything."

I calmed her down some more before hanging up and driving the rest of the way up the driveway. I saw Garrett standing at one of the upstairs windows, watching me, and by the time I came to a stop, he was standing in the doorway waiting for me.

"What's the matter?" Even though I'd schooled my face so that I didn't show what I was feeling, he still saw through me. I'm still deciding if this is a blessing or a curse.

"We'll talk inside; how was your day?"

"Very full, and yours?"

"It was great until my annoying husband stuck his nose in my shit. Why the hell did you have him taken to the hospital?"

"Did you know that without the injection, he would've died in a matter of days?"

"What's your point?"

"You want to kill people?"

"I wasn't there, officer!"

"Funny, but you're not going there. Trust me, taking a life isn't as easy as it may seem. The guilt would catch up with you eventually, and it would take you down a very dark road."

"Killed a lotta people, have you?" I'm not sure what his non-answer meant but I had other things to take him to task for. "We need to talk about the team of people you have following me around. You need to call them off."

"I thought we had this conversation already."

"No, I told you to call them off, and you said no without any kind of discussion."

"I'm not sure if you know, but no is a complete sentence." How dare this bastard. That's something me and the girlies were always saying to over enthusiastic frat boys who were trying to get into my pants.

He must've seen the storm clouds brewing because he kept going before I could say what was on my mind. "Your brothers came by earlier." Well, now, that was a whole other kettle of fish.

"What did they want?"

"They wanted my help in getting you to forgive them."

I folded my arms and tapped my feet on the ground. "And what did you say?"

"I told them I'd only do what's right for you, always."

"And that is?"

"Whatever you want." Okay, I'll let him live.

He followed me inside and took my briefcase and laptop, which gave me a chance to get my thoughts together before sharing what his sister had said. "That was Sabrina on the phone. Natalie went to visit your parents today, and as she was leaving, your sister saw her smack her kid in the face."

"What?" See, this is why I had to think about whether or not I was going to tell him because I wasn't sure how he was going to react.

"Yeah, so I think we need to go home this weekend instead of the end of the month."

"What's that going to do?"

"I'm not sure, but I feel kind of responsible. I'll be the first to admit that I've been deliberately getting under her skin, but if she's taking that shit out on her kid, that's where I draw the line."

"Come ‘ere." He pulled me into his arms and held me.

"First of all, you're not to blame for anything she does. As far as her smacking her kid, I'll take care of it." I pulled back to look up at him.

"How do you plan to do that?"

"First, I need more information. Not to worry, I know how to get what I need."

"Sabrina was going to go to her house more this week just to be on the safe side and get close to the nanny so we could get a feel for what's going on. I can't sleep knowing that a child might be in danger."

"I know, it's going to be okay, I don't want you to worry about it."

"I almost thought you would blame me somehow or not believe me."

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, maybe because you've known her for much longer."

"That's silly. When I married you, I agreed to forsake all others, remember? Where in there does it say I should take an old girlfriend's side against yours, especially when a child's safety is involved?"

"Sometimes, I absolutely adore you." I got up on my toes to plant a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Only sometimes? I must not be doing something right."

"Stop fishing for compliments, and come tell me what my brothers had to say."

He followed me upstairs, where I got out of my work clothes and changed into something more comfortable. I was sitting on the chaise in our sitting room for five minutes before I realized that he was rubbing my feet while telling me about the boys' visit.

He did it so naturally without me having to ask that it threw me. I'm not sure why, after everything else he had done this should stop me in my tracks. It just strikes me as odd that someone with his wealth and upbringing would know how to do these things.

"I think I see why she's still so obsessed with you. Did you used to do things like this for her?"

"On a lesser scale, but yes, I treated her well." I pulled my feet away, pissed for some unknown reason.

"Don't pout love. Would you have rather I was a bad boyfriend?"

"Yes!"

"Would it help if I told you that she had to ask me to do most of the things that come naturally for me to do for and with you?"

"Like?"

"Shopping for one, I hate it. I never went shopping with her, not even once."

"What else?"

"My attraction to you is way more intense. I could go for hours and sometimes days without thinking about her. I must've thought about you every half an hour or so throughout the day. I missed you."

Now he was pouting, the brat. He tapped his thighs, and I returned my feet grudgingly. When the hell did I become this needy bitch? "Also, even when we first started dating, I never once thought of what our future together would look like. With you, it's all I think about. I look forward to each day, each minute I get to be with you."

He's a smooth one, alright. "I don't care how sweet your tongue is; I'm not having any of your dingy kids anytime soon." He looked at my tummy and smirked, and I wanted to smack him. Then he had the unmitigated gall to lean in close and talk to my stomach.

"Don't listen to Mommy; she loves you."

"Who the hell are you talking to?"

"Shh, the baby might think you're being serious. You don't want him or her feeling like they're not wanted, do you?" He's trying to make me crazy.

"Whatever, so can we go to L.A. this weekend instead of waiting?"

"Yes, but let me take care of some things before we get there. If, like you suspect, Natalie is abusing her kid, I'll have to let her husband know, but I have to have more information before I detonate her life."

"And what if you find out that she is?"

"I'll make sure she doesn't get another opportunity. I don't think Sabrina would lie if she said she saw what she saw, and then there's no doubt in my mind. I just need to know how far it's gone and what else she's done."

"You don't seem surprised."

"One of the reasons Natalie was never going to be my wife is because of her mean streak. She kept it very well hidden in the beginning, but when more than one of your friends complains that your girlfriend shows a different face when you're not around, you start paying attention."

"The first time I caught her acting like a diva, she played it off, but that was the moment I stopped being as into her as I was in the beginning."

"What if I was the same? What if I show you one face and is different, mean with everyone else when you're not around?"

"Then, I would be very disappointed, but I would work with you to change that behavior, but I would never fall out of love with you. I told you what my boundaries are, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." I don't know why, but I was immensely pleased that he didn't question me about whether or not I was sure about her.

The fact that he took my word without question seemed to be something I needed and didn't even realize. It made me feel more and more like we were a team. That, and the fact that he didn't hide the fact that my brothers had come to see him and what they had talked about.

Something in me was very pleased with that and I felt a softening around my heart that he's been chipping away at bit by bit since our wedding night. "I'll call Mom and let her know that we'll be coming out sooner. Thanks for that; by the way, even though it's not for ideal reasons, I know she and Dad have been dying to see you again."

He's so easily pleased. I don't think he realizes why I want to go there now instead of later, though. Like him, my boundary is any kind of abuse against children.

This was no longer about making another woman who was on my husband's dick jealous; this was about exposing a monster who would smack a baby across the face so hard it couldn't make a sound. That's why I didn't tell him what I had asked his sister to do and what I planned to do with the information.

He may have past affiliations standing in his way, but I don't. I'm not planning on giving her any chances, first or second.