“Baby, I know you didn’t, and I will never be able to apologize to you enough. But at the same time, I can’t turn my backon my daughter.”
“But it’s not like Curtina didn’t have anywhere else to go, because both Tabitha’s sister and one of her cousins each offeredto take her. And I didn’t see what was so wrong with that. Especially since you’d still be able to visit her whenever youwant.”
“But it’s like I told you before, giving her to someone else isn’t an option, because I’m Curtina’s father, and she needsme.”
Charlotte locked eyes with Curtis but didn’t say anything. So he continued:
“You know, part of the problem is that you still haven’t forgiven me.”
“Yes, I have.”
“No. You haven’t. Because if you had you wouldn’t still feel so much animosity about all of this.”
“I can’t help all the anger I keep feeling, and I have to be honest with you—I don’t know that I will ever feel any different.”
“Maybe if you could just be a little more open, things would get better. Plus, I know you can tell how much Curtina lovesyou.”
This time, Charlotte looked away from him.
However, Curtis gently turned her face back toward him. “Baby, I’ll never be able to say this enough times, but I’m so, sosorry for having that affair with Tabitha. I’m more sorry than you could possibly ever imagine, and there’s not a day thatgoes by that I don’t think about the horrible mistake I made.”
Charlotte heard all that he was trying to say, but for some reason his apologies were starting to piss her off.
“Baby, you have to believe me when I say how bad I feel about what happened, but more than anything, I need you to know thatI never stopped loving you, and that you mean everything to me. I love you so much that my heart is literally aching rightnow, even as I sit here next to you.”
Charlotte stood abruptly, rage overtaking her. “Look, Curtis, I’ve tried to be nice and quiet about all of this, but enoughis enough. I don’t want to be a mother to Curtina,” she yelled. “I never did, and I never will. And you had no right movingher in here when you knew I didn’t want that.”
“But I didn’t have a choice.”
“Of course you had a choice. But you chose to do what you wanted to. You slept with that trick, and you never even cared howit would affect me one way or another.”
“So what you’re saying is that you’ve not made any mistakes? Because you and I both know that you haven’t been some perfectlittle angel yourself. And another thing. How would you have felt had I totally disowned Marissa and then told you she couldn’tlive with us?”
“What? Curtis, please! I am so tired of you bringing up that same old tired crap. I’m tired because Marissa is completelybeside the point. That’s all in the past, and she’s dead. She’s dead and gone forever, Curtis,” Charlotte screamed. “And Iwish you would stop trying to compare my little girl to yours.”
“I can’t believe you. I can’t believe all your double standards.”
“What double standards?”
“You know exactly what I mean. You thought it was okay to sleep around and get pregnant by some lunatic, but when the tablesturned, you decided you had a huge problem with it. You wanted me to forgive you and accept a child that wasn’t mine, butnow you want nothing to do with Curtina.”
“That’s different.”
Curtis frowned. “Different how?”
“Just different.”
“No, it’s not. It’s exactly the same and you know it.”
“What I know is that when we got married, we took sacred vows and promised to keep each other first. And right now, with thiswhole Curtina business, you’re not doing that.”
Curtis laughed out loud. “Funny how you so conveniently forgot those sacred vows the whole time you were whoring around with Aaron.”
Charlotte wanted to slap the mess out of Curtis. He was making her sound like a common tramp, and now it was time she putan end to this conversation.
“You know what, Curtis, the bottom line is this: I want Curtina out of here.”
Curtis raised his eyebrows, clearly stunned by her words. “Oh yeah? Well, let me make myself clear. Curtina isn’t going anywhere,and you might as well get used to it.”
Charlotte looked shocked. “So then, what you’re saying is that this little girl is more important than I am? More importantthan your own wife?”
“No. What I’m saying is that Curtina isn’t going anywhere, and you might as well get used to it.”
Charlotte laughed, her tone sarcastic. “Well, then, if that’s the case, you’d better start looking for a nanny as soon aspossible, because I’m done playing mommy to your mistress’s daughter.”
“You mean my daughter.”
“Fine. Then, I’m done playing mommy to your daughter,” she said and left the room.
Chapter 4
Charlotte drove out of the driveway as fast as she could and then out of the subdivision. She needed to get away from Curtisbefore she did something bad to him…or to Curtina the next time she saw her. Charlotte was so incensed over the way he’d spokento her, and the idea that Curtina “wasn’t going anywhere” was enough to make her consider murdering somebody. She hated thisinsane situation she was in and would now have to think long and hard about her next move. Curtis seemed so set on his decision,and this was what bothered her the most. In the past, he’d always made things right and gone out of his way to make her happy,but not with this. No, with this whole Curtina drama, he was acting like some crazy man she didn’t even know.
Charlotte drove a few more miles and then turned into Janine’s driveway. She’d phoned her right before leaving and since Janine’shusband, Carl, had gone to visit his brother, she’d told Janine she really needed to come talk to her.
She parked, turned off the ignition, and stepped outside her vehicle, then closed the door, and strolled
