Only his

Ch21

📍 Sheard Mansion & Clark House
🕒 Same Day — Nightfall

Nobody's POV

The second Drew left, Dorinda snapped.

She turned toward Karen with a face so tight you'd think her teeth were about to crack.

"Okay, nah—stop playin'," she said, hands on her hips. "Why you smiling like you just got proposed to in Paris? Girl, WHAT the hell happened while we were upstairs?"

Karen blinked like she wasn't expecting to be grilled. But she didn't flinch.

"I told him everything," she said softly, like she was still processing it herself. "I laid it all out. And... I don't know. I ain't say I love him. But—I think I kinda like him."

Jacky slammed her hand down on the table. "YOU WHAT?!"

"Kinda like him?!" Dorinda repeated, blinking fast like she needed a reboot. "Girl, is you high?"

Karen shrugged like it was nothing. "It's not that deep. He listened. Y'all didn't. Maybe give him a damn chance."

Dorinda's POV

Oh HELL no.

"Give him a chance?!" I shouted. "Karen, what the f**k is wrong with you?! That man forced you into be his!. You cryin' in bathrooms, hiding from him, now you like him?! Girl, shut the hell up—ain't no way."

"Mama," I turned to her, arms flying. "You hearin' this dumb shit!

Mama Mattie didn't even raise her voice. She just hit me with the deadliest calm known to mankind.

"You watch your damn tone when you talk to your sister."

"But Mama—"

"BUT MAMA NOTHING." She didn't even look up from her tea. "I raised y'all better. You gon' fight your sister for liking her soon to be husband? You sound like a hater."

The room went quiet.

But the second Mama Mattie took her tea and went upstairs?

It was on.

Me and the girls exchanged a look that said group attack.

Nobody's POV

Karen had just changed into her favorite pajama set—shorts and an oversized tee, no bra—and was sitting on the bed cross-legged, scrolling through fan comments and gospel memes.

BAM.

The door kicked open like a DEA raid.

All four sisters stormed in like they had warrants. Jacky, Twinkie, Denise, and Dorinda—all mad as hell.

Twinkie spoke first.

"So you REALLY fallin' for Drew? Sis... you serious right now?"

Karen looked up slowly, bored. "We still on that?"

Dorinda stepped up like she was ready to throw the whole bed. "YES, WE ON THAT! You got this mob boss makin' himself comfortable and kissing you like y'all the damn Huxtables—WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Karen stood up, slow. Real slow.

"You in my damn space," she said, voice low and dangerous.

"Oh I'm real close now—what the f*ck you gon' do about it?!"

Karen didn't answer.

She SWUNG.

A full-on right hook, straight across Dorinda's face.