Heartbreak Hotel: This Place Hotel

Chapter 4: The Crying Game

Three years can seem like a short simple years that many people just let pass them by without a thought in the world. No one actually realize that a lot can happen in those short years. Hell, a lot can happen in just one year No one ever think about what could happen, or even how things can change. They only think about the moment they are in. Not about how things are to come. I know this because I was one of those people. Three years ago, I never thought my life would be the way that it is now. But the more I think about it,the more I have realized that the way my life is evolving now is happening in a way that I have never dreamed.

Success as been a major part of these years for us. Since the release of our third studio album, Long Way To Happy, Promise had been declared one of the biggest selling recording group of all time. Each single released made it to the top of the charts. The album had surpassed its double platinum mark in just five months after its release, and it was still showing no signs of slowing down. Each appearance we made was spoken about on the news. Just last year, we became the first group to win the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards, and that same night we gave a performance that shocked the world and made history.

Despite all of the excitement and good feedback the album was given, it almost didn't get released. At the time that it was written we all were in a dark place. Especially myself. The album wasn't even half way finished when we lost Denise. There was only about seven songs written and produced that was going on the tracklist, and the rest was just...not there. We didn't know how we were going to on without having her with us. I mean, yeah she dropped from the group. Yes, she was replaced. But no replacement could replace the bond that held us so tightly together. That bond was what made us who we were. And with De gone, we lost a piece of ourselves.

Aside from myself, no one showed interest in getting the album finished. With the investigation of her death police officer were bringing us all in for questioning. Claiming us all as suspects to the murder investigation. Everyone who lived within her circle was involved: The girls, her mother, DJ, Wayne, Vanessa. Anyone who knew her. Anyone who had seen her in last and final hours. Of course neither of us knew anything. We could only tell them about the events leading up to her death, and even that had a lot of blind spots in certain areas. Unfortunately, as time went on they began to realize that none of us had anything to do with it all. Once they realized that De had basically shut everyone out that she was closed to they found themselves at a dead in.

There was no evidence found at the crime scene. No foot prints, no fingerprints, no strands of DNA that could leak them to Denise's killer. All that was found was drugs. Pounds of cocaine that she had been snorting up until time of her death. Because of that many people wanted to say that it was a drug overdose-which in some cases, it could have been-but, what many people fell to realize is that people don't always die from a drug overdose. I know that from experience. Her autopsy report clearly showed that she was smothered to death by a pillow that was also found at the crime scene. The only thing that is missing is evidence that would lead them to the person who did it. The girls and I automatically thought of it being Melvin, but he was killed the night before she was. So, no one could actually figure if she was in trouble with anyone else besides him.

Everything was beginning to take its toll on everyone and the stress put a strain on our work. We were all left awake at night wondering what happened to our friend the night she had died, and if there was anyway we could have changed it. I had never been the type to sing my would've, could've, should've's about situations, but with that particular situation, I couldn't help but wonder. I wondered what would happen if I actually saw for myself that she had a problem. If I actually saw what she was going through. Would had been able to save her from her own fate?

To keep my mind off the while situation, I was writing. I was writing and producing and writing and producing to my hearts content. I practically took over Michael's home studio spending hours in there becoming lost in the words I wrote on paper. Becoming so lost that I didn't even realize that half the songs I was taking back to Quincy was all personal songs that was written about my life, my childhood, and my relationships with the people I love. It wasn't until I heard some of the songs when I thought I had possibly made a mistake.