Once a Dog Always a Dog!

Chapter 15

Cheyenne had admirably gone above and beyond her call of duty as a wife. While she had exhausted every ounce of energy and hope that she had in trying to preserve our marriage, at the end of the day she was a human being and all human beings are limited. For Cheyenne, in spite of the marriage counseling that we had been going to, she ultimately had enough and decided that she was going to go through with the divorce once we had been separated for one year, which was the legal procedure in New York. I understood Cheyenne's decision, and I wasn't bitter about it. I was very disappointed, but after all that I had put Cheyenne through throughout the years, there was no way I could have any kind of resentment toward her. All I had was love and admiration for her. I can't say that I blamed her, especially after I delivered the news to her that everything that she and I had built together in terms of our home and our savings were about to be wiped out due to the settlement agreement that I had come to with my victims and their families. The last Wednesday in June was the last day of school for my son Derrick. 

And unfortunately I couldn't be there to pick him up because I was at a press conference at the district attorney's office. Not being there for Derrick ate at me and I knew that I had to really start making time to rebound with Derrick or risk him starting to see me in a less admirable light. At the press conference, the DA was basically informing the media about the terms of the settlement as well as the plea deal that had been reached, and it was at that press conference that I, for the first time, had got a chance to publicly address and apologize to the families. It was funny that I was a full-time writer, so usually I was good with words, but in this case I had no idea what I was going to say. I had stayed up all night long trying to come up with the right words to say, but I continually drew blanks. Yeah, I didn't know what I was going to say but I knew that I would speak from the heart. I blew air from my lungs as I approached the podium to speak. "I promise to be brief, simply because there are no words in the human language that can truly express what it is that I would like to say to the family and friends of Olivia Rodriguez and also to Ryan Anderson and his family and friends as well. But let me start by saying from the bottom of my heart, I apologize and I am deeply sorry for the pain and destruction that I know I have caused anyone and everyone involved in this ordeal. 

Particularly, I want to apologize to the Rodriguez family and to Ryan Anderson." I paused and had to compose myself because I was seconds from getting choked up. Then I continued on. "On a cold and snowy night in January, after a night of partying, I admittedly behaved out of control like a child: Not like an adult, or like a husband, or like a father. I didn't even behave like a man. I was a coward on that night. And like a coward I got behind the wheel of an automobile while being under the influence alcohol, which impaired my ability to drive and which ultimately lead me to driving my car in the wrong direction on Flatbush Avenue, where I struck and killed Olivia and badly injured Ryan, as well as injured a young lady who was riding in my car, and for that I am beyond sorry. But my vow and pledge is to make amends to both families to the best of my ability and I will work as hard as I can to educate people on the ill effects of drinking and driving. This ordeal is not about me, it's about the victims and therefore I will end my statement by once again expressing my deepest sorrows." I stepped away from the podium and I immediately walked over to Ryan Anderson and I stuck out my hand. My heart pounded and truthfully I expected him to stand up and punch me in the face because that was what I deserved. But Ryan was graceful. He stood up and he extended his hand to mine. I gripped his hand and while I gave him a ghetto hug and embraced him, I spoke into his ear while all of the photographers in the room flashed cameras nonstop.

Only Ryan could hear what I was saying. "Ryan, I'm sorry, man. I took something from you that can never be replaced. You did all the right things and you didn't deserve this. I want you to know that you'll always be more of a man that I ever will be. And this is a burden that I will carry for the rest of my life." I stepped away from Ryan and he sort of had a twisted look on his face. He looked at me and nodded his head but didn't say anything. I totally understood Ryan's reaction toward me because I was sure that he want- ed to knock the shit out of me. I then took my place next to my attorney and waited for the press conference to conclude. Once it was over the media swarmed me and they asked me what I had said to Ryan. "I just apologized to him and told him that he was more of a man that I was." "Mr. Wright, I noticed that your wife isn't here. Is it true that you two are going through a divorce?" another reporter asked. "I'd rather not comment on that, but I will say that my wife is also a victim in this whole ordeal." "Is there anything else you'd like to say to the victims?" "Well, this isn't about me, like I already said, so with all due respect I would just like to have the attention squarely where it should be and that is on the nature of what I did. 

Drinking and driving is wrong and I'm going to work to prevent accidents, such as the one I caused, from happening. That's really all I have for you guys, so if you don't mind I'm gonna be on my way." I had already signed the settlement agreement earlier that morning before the start of the press conference. Where we ended up was I would pay a total of 1.3 million dollars, with 1.1 million going to Ryan Anderson and the other two hundred thousand going to a charity that Olivia's family would choose. I had thirty days to come up with a half million dollars and then on each August First, starting in the following year, I would have to make a payment of two hundred thousand dollars for the next four years. And as a form of security, I had to sign off and okay that fifty percent of all of my future advances and royalties would be paid directly to the attorney that was representing the victims. He would place the money into an escrow account in order to ensure the victims would get their money. "Kha'Darious, hey?" Meagan said as she walked up to me and gave me a hug. "Hey, baby, I didn't even see you. You were here the whole time?" "Yeah, I was." "So, I guess now is as good a time as any for us to do that interview that I had been promising you." "No. We got time for that. I'm not stressing it. How are you? I haven't heard from you." 

"I'm good, now that this is over." "Yeah, I figured you had a lot on your mind and so I was just trying to give you your space." "I appreciate that. So what's up witchu? You still looking sexy as ever." "I just been working, nothing major, same old thing." "But I do wanna hang out with you whenever you get some time." I looked at her and chuckled a little bit. "What's so funny?" I told her to come closer so I could whisper something in her ear. "Remember when you said that your pussy was passport pussy?" Meagan started laughing and she punched me. "You know I was under the influence when I said that!" "I don't know about that, but anyway, what I'm getting at is next week my son's AAU team is gonna be playing for the national championship down in Orlando and I would love for you to go with me. All expenses on me!" "What day?" Meagan asked without hesitation. "Well, we would leave on the fifth and we'll be back on the eighth," I said. I knew I was pretty pathetic but I just couldn't help myself. I also knew that with the 1.3 million dollar settlement I was gonna be beyond broke and that I needed to be preserving as much cash as I could instead of making plans to trick it on Meagan. 

She thought for a while and then she looked at the calendar on her phone. "Yeah, I can do that, I gotta switch some things around, but that sounds like fun. You sure that would be okay, though?" Actually, I knew that it probably wouldn't be smart for Derrick to see me with another woman like that, but it was all good because I knew I would figure something out by the time July came around. "I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't think so," I responded. "Oh, okay. I'm so excited now!" "Meagan, you're funny." Meagan said that she loved going away. It didn't matter where she was going, just the thought of traveling turned her on. "It's like the days leading up to the trip is the biggest and best form of foreplay for me," she joked. "Okay, that's what I'm talking about. So we gonna get it on and poppin' then." I was able to say that with some renewed confidence, because against my doctor's wishes I had persuaded him to write me a prescription for Viagra, and therefore, I knew that I wasn't gonna have another repeat failed performance with Meagan. It was really gonna be on and poppin' and I was definitely planning on handling my business the right way this time with Meagan.