Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The metal balls on the pendulum clanked together, clock ticking almost in the same pattern. Scribbles from a pointy pen competed with the two incredibly annoying sounds. The room was so quiet that their senses picked up on minor noises that they would typically ignore.
Nashea sat on the far left side of the leather couch, Angelo visibly uncomfortable on the distant right. He fidgeted in his seat anxiously, only adding to the sounds that irritated Nashea. How fitting of him. She remained calm and collected on the outside. Inside, sirens and the screams of a mad woman were blaring through her mind. Angelo couldn't internalize his feelings like Nashea. He always displayed them, whether he was aware of it or not.
A middle-aged woman sat directly in front of them. Only a rectangular-shaped coffee table separated her from the married couple. She had on a basic red pantsuit that she added a festive Christmas tree pin to. The only thing that managed to impress Nashea was the red bottom heels. Her blonde hair was poorly dyed. One could see the natural brunette color peeking out at the roots. Her makeup was a little too light, revealing her signs of aging. For a marriage counselor, she had a lot of stress lines.
"Mr. Laurent, you seem nervous today" Tricia noted aloud, blue eyes still glued to the notepad. She paid attention to every little detail. "Are you nervous about the holiday getaway that I signed you two up for? I assure you that there's nothing to be anxious about. You'll meet other couple-"
"No. I don't give a fuck about that shit" Angelo snarled. "It's her. It's always fucking her" His laughter was a step away from manic. "She is hellbent on making my life difficult when I'm the reason she got all these fucking followers and fame, and shit-"
"There he goes" Nashea cut him off in a condescending tone. "Undermining my hard work and dedication to-" Angelo shifted his body towards her swiftly, face screwed up. "Hard work? Nigga, you're just pretty and blessed with wide hips, and a big as-"
"Mr. Laurent" Tricia called out to Angelo in a stern voice that stopped him instantly. He composed himself and chose his next words wisely. "I guess it is hard work to look pretty every day and take pictures, go on vacations, shoot clothing haul videos. That's for sure more challenging than playing basketball for two decades of your life then transitioning into a Grammy award nominated artist" Sarcasm laced his tongue, eyes burning a hole through the side of her face. "I did all that shit while taking care of Nyla. I didn't leave her with the nanny and go out fucki-"
"Don't do it" Nashea warned, her facade crumbling before their eyes. Nyla was the trigger. "I swear to God. Don't do it" Gelo further provoked her, wanting the real Nashea to make an appearance in counseling. She had been playing a character for so long. He was his true self.
"Nah, my nigga. Let's do it. I've been waiting to do it. Be who you really are. Since you so big and bad, my nigga, show the real you to Mrs. Claus over there" He pointed right at the therapist boldly. His mouth had grown more loose and careless. Angelo's behavior came from a hurt place. The betrayal was far too heavy of a burden to be calm and nice. Nashea uttered a gentle chuckle, remaining poised. Her gaze found Tricia. "I'm sorry about his behavi-"
"You see, this is the shit she does" Angelo cut into her words again. "She manipulates the fuck out of people. You're sitting here eating this shit up. I did too and that was a bigger mistake than putting a ring on her damn finger. Her red flags aren't red. They're clear. You can't see them until she has you in this hold then them shits turn into the brightest red. I'm talking Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer red. By then, though, you have a fucking contract that they call a marriage certificate. No prenup. A child. Property in both of our names-"
"Angelo, do you want a divorce?" Nashea snapped her head in his direction, their eyes finally meeting. The couple hardly looked at each other anymore. Nashea lived in one part of their mansion. He lived in the other. The only time they saw each other was in counseling. Her mother suggested it. Naomi tried to get their marriage annulled back in early 2025. She could only imagine all the "I told you so's" she was tossing to Angelo.
The question rendered Angelo speechless. His mouth had been running a hundred miles per hour. The mere moment she brought up a divorce, he went mute. Angelo stared off, a somber quiet exuding from him. He was on board with counseling because Angelo wanted to fight for their marriage. It may have been going through a rough patch, but divorce hadn't crossed his mind.
The two sat in uncomfortable silence. Their minds thought of all the events that led them to this moment in their lives. They knew marriage wouldn't be easy, but the two made it ten times harder with the countless mistakes they made. All of them came flooding back to their heads as divorce seemed to be inevitable.
