Read Love, Lies and Scandal Online
Authors: Earl Sewell
Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #General
Love, Lies and Scandal (13 page)
ANGELA
A
ngela was feeling vengeful. There was no way she was going to allow Will or his bitches to get away with humiliating her the way they had. She could not believe her life was now tabloid gossip. How could she have been so blind? The morning after DaNikka came onto her show and attacked her, Angela had gone down to the district courthouse and filed for two restraining orders--one against DaNikka and the other against Will. Angela claimed that he and his lover had threatened her, and she feared for her safety. The restraining orders were immediately granted, and that gave Angela the authority she needed to be merciless toward Will.
When Angela returned home from the courthouse, a swarm of media people wanted to speak with her. As she tried to pull into her gated community, they rushed up to the car with cameras and microphones pointed at her. She reached for her dark sunglasses so that they wouldn't take some hideous photo of her swollen, red eyes.
"Angela, just give me two minutes of your time," said one reporter from her old television station.
"Angela, come on, girl. Roll down the window so we can talk. You and I go way back," said another male reporter who was smashed up against her driver's-side window.
There were newspaper reporters and newspaper photographers snapping pictures of her. At one point, the swarm was so bad that she just had to stop driving because they wouldn't move. She put the transmission in Neutral and gunned the engine a few times, hoping the roar of the motor would frighten them off, but the reporters were fearless.
Many of the reporters she knew personally and had hoped they'd cut her a little slack during her time of crisis, but none of them did. They all wanted to use their relationship with her.
Angela had finally made it past the media storm and to her home. Once she got inside, she grabbed some tissues from the downstairs bathroom, sat on the sofa and let her tears go. When she had finally cried herself out and didn't have any more tears to shed, the scorn in her heart took over. She'd called Will time and time again, but he'd refused to answer his phone.
"The bastard is too fucking chickenshit to face the music!" Angela had hissed, and wished evil things upon him.
A full seventy-two hours after the scandal had hit the airwaves, Will came home. By that point, Angela was beyond pissed off, hell was in her heart and as sure as the sun was hot, she was going to have vengeance.
"So you finally found the fucking balls to come home!" Angela greeted Will at the door. Will stayed silent.
"Looking pathetic isn't going to change the way I feel about you."
Will still didn't say anything. He tried to move past her.
"Where are you going, Will?" Angela taunted him. "'I'm going on a business trip out of town, baby. I'll be back in a few days,'" Angela mocked him. "Isn't that what you told me?" Angela stood directly before him.
"I'm sorry, okay." Will finally spoke. "I am so sorry about all of this."
"Oh, you're sorry." Angela chuckled angrily. "I guess that makes the shit feel better."
"This wasn't supposed to happen, Angela. I never meant to hurt you. You weren't supposed to find out."
"How long have you been fucking around on me, Will?"
"You don't want to know the answer to that question, Angela," Will warned.
"Try me. You can't hurt me any more than you already have."
"Okay, you want the honest truth? We weren't married a good month before I had an affair. I've had several affairs over the years of our marriage. I get bored, Angela. I like having other women. It excites me."
"Well, why didn't you say something? Perhaps we could've had an open-door relationship. You could've fucked who you want to fuck and I could've fucked whoever I wanted to fuck."
"I didn't want you fucking anyone but me," Will answered honestly.
"That's called fucking marriage, you son of a bitch!"
"Angela, I'm willing to get help. But right now there is too much going on for us to be fighting like cats and dogs. Let's not get ugly with each other," Will said, and headed toward his office. Angela laughed as she trailed behind him.
"Oh, you haven't even begun to see ugly!" Angela shouted.
"I'm sorry that DaNikka showed up on the set of your show." Will turned and tried to touch her.
"Don't you put your fucking hands on me!" Angela barked at him. "That bitch of yours cost me everything! After I was attacked by your 'hood rat, advertisers started pulling their ads from the show. A newspaper article discredited me by asking, 'How can Angela Rivers give relationship advice when she doesn't know how to take her own advice to keep her marriage going?' Then I got a call from Bobbi Franklin, the station owner, telling me that she was pulling the plug on the show. My entire career has ended because of your bullshit, Will!"
"What about me, woman!" Will roared at Angela like a grizzly bear in the wild. "You're not the only victim here! I might go to jail over this shit. Other congressional leaders are asking me to step down. You're not the only one who is taking hits. So cut me some fucking slack and back off me!"
"Oh, you want
me
to back off
you?
You need your space right now, is that it?" asked Angela with sarcasm.
"Yes. We need to talk to an attorney and--"
"Hold on. There is no
we!
We ain't doing shit together, you stank-ass whore!"
"I'm not going to put up with that shit from you, Angela. I've already told you why I did what I did. What more do you want?"
"So you're telling me that our entire marriage has been a sham from day one?"
"It wasn't a sham. I just needed a little something on the side." Will broke eye contact, opened one of his desk drawers and began searching for something.
"So, in other words, you did what you had to, to remain happy?" Angela asked for clarification.
"Yes. That's exactly what I did." Will owned up to his behavior. "But I'm not going to admit that publicly. I've got to find a spin in all of this. I've got to find a good lie that can get me out of it."
"Do you know or even care about how you humiliated me?" she asked sadly. "Do you even care that you've ruined everything for me?"
"Angela. You need to check yourself and stand by my side during this crisis. We need to be united. Do you hear me?" Will pleaded.
After taking a deep breath, Angela spoke. "Okay, Will." She walked away.
"Angela? Where are you going?" Will called out to her, but she refused to answer him. She walked into the kitchen and called the police to let them know that Will was home in violation of the restraining order that she had against him. She also told the 911 dispatcher that he was acting violently and she feared for her life. Angela then called the guardhouse at the entrance of her gated community and told them to allow all of the media to come on in once the police arrived.
Moments later, the police and media had surrounded her property. In the bedroom, Angela pulled all of Will's expensive suits out of the closet and began tossing them over the balcony to the ground. The cameras were rolling as far as she knew. The world was watching. The doorbell rang several times, followed by loud knocks and calls from the police.
"What in the hell is going on?" Will shouted out to Angela. He took a page from his brother's book and retrieved his revolver, planning to scare the media people away. He made sure his gun was empty and rushed toward the door. He opened it and aimed the gun at what he thought would be a crowd of cameras.
"Drop your weapon!" police officers yelled at Will and drew their guns on him. Will was in shock.
"Drop the gun, Mr. Rivers!" an officer commanded him. Will slowly kneeled down and set the gun on the ground. The swarm of police officers immediately grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground outside his home.
"I'm in my home! Why are you doing this? I have my rights!" Will said as he was restrained in handcuffs and brought to his feet. At that moment, Angela appeared and handed the officers a copy of the restraining order.
"He was threatening me," Angela said.
"Wait a minute. I've never even seen that restraining order. Angela, tell them we were just arguing. I wasn't going to hurt you."
"You already have, you ignorant bastard!"
"Tell them to turn off the damn cameras!" Will shouted out demands as if he were still in charge. "You can't do this to me. This is my house! You can't put me out of my own house. Angela!" Will tussled with the police as they escorted him to their squad car. "This is wrong, Angela. Fuck you, you bitch! This isn't over! Do you hear me, Angela? This isn't over!"
J
O
A
NN
S
everal months had passed since Jesse had informed JoAnn that he planned to file for a divorce. He had allowed JoAnn to remain in the house until she was able to find a place of her own to stay. Yet the last thing JoAnn wanted to get was a divorce. She couldn't see herself being with any man other than Jesse, especially in the fall of her years. Since Jesse was allowing her to stay until the divorce was finalized, JoAnn decided that she was going to fight to keep her man. She cooked for him, she stopped gambling, she stopped drinking and she began to act more like a good mother as opposed to a careless one. Although Jesse didn't seem fazed by her efforts, JoAnn's plan was to wear him down until he agreed to stick it out with her.
At times, her need and desire for intimacy was strong and she yearned for Jesse to put out her flame. However, he was sleeping in the master bedroom and never gave in to her repeated attempts and huge hints. So, she decided to play dirty. She entered his room late one night, completely naked. She knew from his loud snores that he was in a deep sleep.
"God. I don't miss that part of our marriage," JoAnn whispered to herself, listening to Jesse's snores. She was hoping that Jesse's routine of sleeping naked hadn't changed, because if she had to wrestle him out of his pajamas, he'd wake up before she had a chance to do what she wanted to. JoAnn quietly moved toward Jesse who was flat on his back. She uncovered his body and was delighted to discover that he was indeed sleeping in the buff.
"Damn. I never thought I'd miss his body the way that I do," JoAnn whispered. She leaned over and began gently stroking his pride. In no time, she got him erect and circled her finger and thumb around his mushroomed head, smearing some of his nectar which he had exuded. JoAnn didn't waste any time. She mounted him, guided him inside her and allowed him to fully penetrate her. No sooner had she begun to ride him and take pleasure in the feel of his manhood deep inside her than he became fully aware and woke up.
"JoAnn?" Jesse was trying to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
"You need to stop holding out on me," JoAnn said, as she rode him more vigorously, hoping he'd just go with the flow of the moment.
"Get off me, JoAnn." Jesse quickly and easily tossed JoAnn off him.
"Come on, baby. I'm on fire. I know you want a divorce, but damn, can I still get a little dick on the side? I don't want to sleep with anyone else. You know that only you can satisfy me. Come, baby." JoAnn rubbed Jesse's chest. "We can even have some of that marathon sex you like so much. You can stay in it all night long if you want to."
Jesse immediately got out of bed. "I can't believe you came in here to fuck me in my sleep." Jesse walked over to the wall and flicked the light switch.
"Jesse, don't mess up the moment. Why do we have to fight?"
"Because that's the way it is now. I don't live or die for your pussy anymore. I don't ever want to feel you again. I don't feel anything for you anymore."
"Who is she, Jesse?" JoAnn wanted to know.
"What are you talking about?" Jesse asked, as he opened up one of his dresser drawers and removed a pair of pajama pants.
"You're too young not to have needs. If you're not giving it to me, then you're giving it to someone else. Now, who is the Barbie bitch that you're fucking?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"What does she look like? Is it one of those skinny running Barbie bitches that are always up in your face?" JoAnn was now enraged.
"It doesn't really matter, JoAnn," Jesse said.
"Can't you see how hard I'm trying? I've stopped gambling. I've stopped drinking. I've apologized to you at least a thousand times. What is it going to take for you to see that I'm a different person?"
"JoAnn, I've been down this road with you so many times. You've put our relationship and marriage in several financial tailspins over the years. And every time you messed up, you've behaved yourself for a while, but when you think things are running smoothly, you revert to your old ways. I'm worn out from it. I am not into you anymore. My feelings for you are no longer there, and trying to screw my brains out isn't going to change my low opinion of you."
"Low opinion!" JoAnn got out of the bed and approached him. "Thanks for making me feel like I'm not worth a pile of hot shit sitting on a sidewalk."
"My feelings aren't going to change. We've discussed this already. I'm ready to move on with my life. I need peace of mind to survive and you prefer drama to get you through the day."
"The failure of this marriage isn't all my fault, Jesse. You're not perfect by any measure. You boldly flirt with women when I'm around, you don't like to listen to me and you don't give me the support that I need."
"I've given you all that I can give, JoAnn. I've supported you through your gambling problem, your drinking problem and your employment problems--"
"You never made me feel good, Jesse," JoAnn interrupted. "I've always felt as if I couldn't measure up to you. You've always made me feel as if I wasn't good enough for you."
"JoAnn, I can't change your perception of me. If that's the way I made you feel--" Jesse held his words for a moment. "I want us to be as nice to each other as we can until you get your half of the money that I'm going to give you for the house." Jesse redirected the conversation.
"Well, I may not be as nice as you'd like me to be. I'm not going to make this divorce a cakewalk for you," JoAnn said as she exited the room.
"JoAnn, think about Trina. She's already going through a lot of emotional turmoil. Don't make it worse for her by fighting with me."
JoAnn went back into her bedroom and let go of her tears. She felt unattractive, undesired and, most of all, she felt bad about how she'd ruined her marriage. She was now more determined than ever to save it.
It took an additional two months before JoAnn and Jesse had their day before a judge to dissolve their marriage and sign the papers on their financial settlement. Jesse got what he wanted--joint custody of Trina--but the judge recommended that Trina reside with her mother. JoAnn wasn't allowed to move out of the state with their daughter and was required to consult with Jesse on anything that had to do with Trina's well-being. Jesse covered medical insurance for Trina as well as paying child support.
JoAnn signed the papers authorizing Jesse to deposit two hundred and thirty thousand dollars into her bank account, her share of their property and the business that Jesse had started.
"Damn," Jesse muttered as he signed the documents.
"I know you wish you hadn't done this now," JoAnn said boldly.
"Ms. Robins." The judge spoke directly to JoAnn. "Do not go there." The judge issued a warning to her. Jesse didn't respond to JoAnn's comment. His attorney placed some more documents before him for his signature. Once Jesse had signed the papers, they were shuffled over to JoAnn for her to sign.
"Wait a minute," JoAnn said. "I'm not signing the papers because we've got a problem."
"What problem?" everyone in the room asked.
"Jesse knows what the problem is." JoAnn placed a vindictive smirk on her face and then glared at him.
"No, I don't. What are you talking about, JoAnn?" She knew that she'd rattled his cage. She could tell by the way his voice rose.
"I'm pregnant and need more money to take care of the baby," JoAnn said smoothly.
"It's not my damn baby!" Jesse hammered his fist against the table and exploded with anger. "You must have gotten impregnated by some idiot out in the street!"
"It
is
your baby. You know that we were still having sex. Don't deny it, Jesse, because you know it's true."
"You're a goddamn liar, JoAnn!" Jesse slammed his fist against the table once again.
"We
did
have sex. That night I came into your bedroom. Remember?"
"I tossed you the hell off me," Jesse yelled at her. "I didn't even ejaculate."
"It only takes a drop!" JoAnn fired back.
"Enough!" The judge stopped their squabbling. "Ms. Robins, are you truly pregnant?" he asked.
"Yes, I am!" JoAnn was hell-bent on making Jesse understand how bitterly angry she was about their divorce.
"Mr. Robins. Did you have sexual intercourse with your wife recently?" asked the judge.
"It wasn't even sex. She violated me while I was asleep. I should bring rape charges on her. I was asleep in my bedroom when she broke in, mounted me and tried to have her way. When I woke up, I had to toss her off me and kick her out of my room."
"Okay, we're going to have to adjust the divorce settlement to reflect an additional income for prenatal care."
"If her old ass has a baby, I want a paternity test to make sure it's my child!" Jesse blurted out.
"It
is
your damn baby! I'm not some tramp!" JoAnn roared back.
"I don't know that for sure! As far as I know, you could have gotten drunk and flopped open your legs to every Tom, Dick and Harry who was willing to have you."
"Enough!" The judge once again had to stop their bickering. "Let the amendment also reflect that upon the birth of the child, it be immediately tested to determine whether or not Mr. Robins is the father. Ms. Robins, I'm giving you exactly three weeks to get a written statement from your physician telling the court that you are indeed pregnant."
"And if she's not?" Jesse asked.
"Then I'll amend the divorce decree again. Ms. Robins, you had better be pregnant." The judge wrote down what the amendments were. "Now if those amendments are agreeable to both of you, we can move forward with this proceeding and officially dissolve this marriage."
"Fine with me," Jesse said.
"Whatever," JoAnn answered back. Once the divorce papers were signed and money had been transferred into JoAnn's bank account, the judge declared them officially divorced.
JoAnn and Jesse exited the judge's chambers and Jesse said, "Don't come to my house unless you bring the police with you to pick up your belongings."
"What are you talking about? I'm on my way back to the house right now." JoAnn fired her angry words at him.
"The locks were being changed while we were here in court. You don't have a place to live anymore. You have enough money now to start completely over. So don't come to my house to pick up your belongings unless the police are with you. I'll pick up Trina from school since I know you're probably headed directly to the casino to gamble."
"Fuck you, Jesse!"
"You already have," he said and walked in the opposite direction.