“The cunning man uses deceit, but the more cunning man shuns deception.” Adam Ferguson
Carlton was awakened out of his sleep by the vibration of his cell phone. He was used to getting calls all times of night because of the large congregation he serviced, but it still wasn’t the best feeling. He loved his sleep and lately, with the baby, he got less than usual. He turned in the bed and lazily, with sleep in the corner of his eyes, looked over and saw his phone on the night table. He reached for it and instantly grew angry. It was Avery. What in the world was she thinking? She had sent him at least ten text messages and he had four missed calls. The phone began to vibrate in his hand and this time he quickly answered.
“Are you out of your mind? Why are you calling me, and at this time of night! What do you want?
“We need to talk. It’s time to tell Ryker and Meesha about us.”
“What are you talking about? There is no us,” Carlton said, shouting under his breath while looking over his shoulder to make sure Meesha didn’t suddenly reappear. Was she in the bathroom or what? He got up and walked over to the other side of the bed and eyed the baby monitor. She was in the baby’s room asleep in the rocker. She often fell asleep in the nursery after feeding Makena. He breathed a sign of welcomed relief.
“Look, lady, don’t you ever call me at this time of night, or ever, with this nonsense. What we had is over. What in the world is it going to take to get that through your stupid head.” He gritted his teeth and clenched his mouth as a cold knot formed in the pit of his belly. He walked back to his side of the bed and sat back down. His temples began to pound and his blood pressure must have certainly shot up.
“Look, I will not be brushed off, Carlton Porter. We need to settle things once and for all. Now tell me when you want to meet,” Avery demanded.
“You know darn well that kid isn’t mine! Now stop with the stupid antics. You had that baby at least two months before you told me it was due. I don’t know what kind of lie you told the doctor and I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you got the wrong one. That kid is not mine, Avery!” He lay back in the bed still holding the phone in his hand, and prayed that none of this would blow up in his face.
Meesha stumbled into the room, holding her head. She couldn’t believe the words she heard pouring out of Carlton’s mouth.
Carlton turned around. His heart raced and sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead. “Meesha,” he said, and dropped his cell phone onto the hardwood floor “I….”
“You dirty, filthy, lying dog,” she screamed and rushed up to him and started pounding him with her small fists all over his body. Her nostrils flared with fury.
“How…could you?” She was so furious she could hardly speak. Suddenly, two of their boys burst into the room. Obviously they had heard the commotion.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” CJ said and rushed up to his mother ready to defend her at all costs.
Son, it’s all right,” Carlton said. “Your mother just heard some bad news. She’s going to be okay. Let me get her settled. Go back to your room.”
Meesha couldn’t stop crying; she plopped down on the bed and then managed to look up at her two boys. “Please, do like your father says. I… I’m fine.”
Yes, ma’am,” the oldest one said. He touched his brother’s shoulder and the two of them left back out of the bedroom.
“Close the door behind you,” Carlton ordered and they did.
Meesha picked the phone up off the floor.
Avery was still on the other end and heard everything. Serves him right, she thought. He should have listened to me, and did what I told him to do, but noooo he wanted to play these childish games. Well, this will let him know that I’m not the one to be played with. God don’t like ugly.
“Avery, Avery, are you there?” Meesha barked into the phone.
“I’m here,” Avery answered in an eerily calm voice.
“So, this is the reason for your whole attitude change toward me. You’ve been smashing my husband? Is that his child you have over there?” Meesha was sickened at the thought. She looked back at Carlton and shot him a cold look of disdain.
“It’s not like what you might think. Carlton loves me and I love him. We can’t help that we fell in love. We were going to spend the rest of our lives together until you went and got yourself pregnant…again! Well, having another kid is not going to save your fake marriage, Meesha. You’re yesterday’s news and me and Carlton are going to raise our child together. You wait and see.”
“You’re one crazy heifer,” screamed Meesha. “Don’t you ever come anywhere near me or my family again or you’ll be sorry,” Meesha threw the phone as hard as she could across the room.
Carlton held his head with both hands as he walked back and forth. He was clearly shaken and didn’t know how he could have messed up so royally. Why couldn’t he see that Avery was unstable? He should have clearly seen it when she tried to commit suicide, but he was taken in by his own lust and now he was about to pay a price that his massive millions wouldn’t be able to come close to covering.
“Carlton! Carlton!” Meesha called.
Carlton bolted upright in the bed, a bead of sweat on his brow. He looked around confused and dazed by his surroundings with Meesha standing over him. He looked at her strangely, waiting on her to tell him to get out, but instead she said something that caused him to close his eyes, inhale, and then exhale slowly with relief.
“Honey, what is it? You were practically yelling in your sleep. Are you all right?”
Carlton continued to look around their bedroom. “Yea, yea I’m fine. I guess I was dreaming.”
“Sounded more like a nightmare rather than a dream,” Meesha said while she walked back to her side of the bed, climbed back into the bed, and got underneath the bedcovers.
“Makena all right?” Carlton asked.
“Yes, I fed and changed her. See, she’s sleeping like the beautiful little princess that she is,” Meesha said, pointing at the baby monitor.
Carlton looked at his sleeping beauty, smiled, and thought. Thank you, Lord.