Scorned

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter 19

New York had been both pain and pleasure for Beyoncé. She went to places she never thought she would ever care to go. She ate at some of the most famous places that normally, she wouldn't care to even try. Beyoncé had never been a big favorite of the famous, but with a daughter that wanted to see and do everything, she couldn't say no. The problem with not being able to say no to Gabrielle was that the places she wanted to visit happened to be infiltrated by paparazzi.

Beyoncé could remember the sour look on her face as she and her daughter were leaving Napkin Burger. Paparazzi swarmed the two, causing Beyoncé to go into protective mode. She didn't like strangers around her daughter, and with all the flashing lights, she wanted to panic. Gabrielle's scream sent her into overdrive, causing Beyoncé to turn right back into the restaurant until the owners found her another way to leave.

It was a moment of reality, a moment that she never thought would happen for a long time. Beyoncé was used to venturing in and out of Los Angeles without many problems with paparazzi, but New York City was a different ball game. She didn't know the places to avoid or what time of the day simply wasn't the best. Bey didn't expect for paparazzi to swarm her until she posed fully nude, but with the media swarming in her business with Shawn, one would think she'd already done it.

For two days, the media talked and analyzed the situation. Beyoncé watched from afar as people dissected her without really knowing her. One day she was the promiscuous model that was simply fucking the highest bidder, and Shawn was the top. In their eyes, she's schemed her way into a deal with SC Magazine. She wanted Shawn Carter and his billions. But, the minute Courtney dropped the bomb that she was pregnant, many opinions swayed. It was Shawn that was primarily in the hot seat these days.

A womanizer, they called him. How could a billionaire get his unknown ex fiancée pregnant while being seen kissing his newest client late night at a hotel? It was a question that Shawn couldn't answer, and it was clear that he wasn't ready for these two stories to collide. Courtney had spoken her truth and given the people what they needed – another headline. She made sure everyone knew her name and knew who she was. She also made sure to throw in that Shawn had ended their second engagement to pursue Beyoncé.

"Mommy, when are we going home?" Gabrielle asked for the third time today. Every time she asked, Beyoncé gave her the same answer.

"I don't know," she replied. Beyoncé didn't intend to stay this long. Two days was two days too long for her to hide out. She wasn't used to hiding out like this, and felt as though she'd taken a few steps back. After promising herself that she would only give herself a day to sulk in whatever situation she was going through, Beyoncé didn't know how she ended up stuck at The Plaza in New York for two days straight.

Tanya and Giselle had been the main two callers on her line. Giselle had been her updater. She had inside scoops on everything and was choosing to share a lot of the information with Beyoncé. She encouraged her sister to come forward with her own story, but Beyoncé didn't see the point. Tanya, on the other hand, was dropping words of encouragement every second. Heartbreak was something she could identify with more than anyone. She'd dealt with Xavier's mess for several years. Years upon years of different types of abuse that ultimately led to physical abuse.

Another person that had been calling to check up on her had been Antonio. He would call her during hours that Beyoncé figured he wasn't around Shawn. Surely, Shawn had told him what she said, and Beyoncé had a feeling that he did. She'd never been the type to get disrespectful when it came to friendships, but she wouldn't allow Antonio to play Shawn like that. The man liked Beyoncé very much, and she was sure of it. The problem was that she could tell that Antonio was developing similar feelings if he hadn't already.