Married To The Game

C:2 | The Day My Life Changed Pt. 1

*Flashback*

When I woke up it was twelve something. My shirt was soaked, I guess I didn't realize I was crying myself to sleep last night. Besides that, I was starving. I get up and make my way to the kitchen. Instantly I froze up. I'm caught off guard by Shay and her boyfriend having sex on the counter. I tried to go back and turn around but he had already seen me.
"Oh shit, I didn't know you had company." He said, clearing his throat. I rolled my eyes and went back to "my" room. I needed to get my own shit. And fast. I went back to the bedroom to freshen up. My swelling didn't even budge, regardless of the amount of ice left on it. I barely wanted to look at myself in the mirror; he had made my face so ugly. My lips were swollen and raw. Thankfully he only blackened one eye, so I could put makeup over it. Just looking at my face brought me to tears again. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man; and not only does he cheat on me, he beat me. I hear my phone ring from the bathroom, interrupting my thoughts. It was my Aunt Carol. I really didn't feel like talking so I declined it, but of course, she called back.
"Hey Auntie," I said, trying to hide the pain and annoyance in my voice. "Why haven't you called up here? The family's half worried, you never talk
to us! I don't even know if you're alive sometimes." Of course she'd start off the conversation with some nagging. I definitely wasn't trying to hear that shit. To be honest, I hated New York and everything in it. I wanted to forget every memory I got while I was there. Originally, half my family is from Puerto Rico, but we moved to New York when I was five. "Sorry, I been busy Auntie. Como está la familia? (How's the family)." My aunt loved when I talked to her in Spanish, as she was big on culture and remembering where we come from. "Is mom any better?" There was a deadly silence. That gave me my answer.
"Did no one monitor her rehab? God, do I have to pay y'all to do one simple task for your sister?" I yelled through the phone. This was the third time she's left rehab since I've been down here. It's like my family never wanted anything to do with me or my mom since her addiction. They felt as if she was a disgrace. But yet they beg for me to come around and be apart of the family. "How can we tell her not to leave treatment? She's hard headed just like you!" "Bye Carol."

Heading into the bedroom, I paced the room back and forth. If it wasn't one thing it's another. The odds of me going back to New York were increasing.

*Present Day*
One Week Later

"You know what? I can't take this shit no more. I'm out Shay." I said, grabbing my keys. "Girl, she don't mean that, Sheila talks shit to everybody!" Shay explained, following behind me. This was serving as her attempt at trying to convince me to stay. "Yes I do! That bitch can't do hair!" Sheila hollers from the other side of the room, making her way out the door. "Girl fuck you!" I yelled back. That was the third person's hair I had messed up in a week. And I know Shay had to be equally tired of me fucking up her money and clients. "Shay, I love you, but I can't do this. I'm about to go find me a job." I said facing her. "A job? This is a job!" "I can't deal with these old ass women and their picky ass. I'll see you at home." I snatched my purse up from my booth.

This is some bullshit, I thought to myself as I got in my Corvette. I headed down to this Dominican spot downtown, I was starving. As soon as I walked in, mad heads turned. Even the employees were giving me the side eye. Normally I'd mug them back but I figured they just felt bad for me because of my face. I hated pity, but it was understandable. The swelling hadn't went all the way down, but it was manageable and comfortable enough to be in public. While I was ordering my food I couldn't help but feel somebody breathing down my neck. The culprit was a big black nigga, who was staring me down. I was use to the attention, people recognized me from KOD all the time; But today I wasn't feeling it. "Damn, back up would you?" My attitude caught him off guard, so i'm guessing that wasn't the response he was used to. He didn't look like a customer from KOD, though. He struck me as the type to go to the booty club just to buy it out and have any bitch he wanted that night. I turned back around to see the cashier laughing. "What?" I snatched my food up from her. My whole mood was fucked up. On my way back to my to my car the feeling of being followed continued to over power me. I looked back but there was nobody there. I get to my car safely and open my food up. When I look up, 'dude from inside is standing beside my car at my window. "What the fuck! You again?"  I shrieked, as my heart raced. "What's going on? My name is-" "Im not interested." I cut him off, rolling up the window. "What?" He sucked his teeth, "Man ain't nobody tryna holla' at you!" He shot back. I laughed. Niggas favorite line when you tell em you're not interested. I rolled the window back down a couple inches, just enough to where he could hear me clearly. "Well whatever you sellin, I ain't buying." I spit back, smirking.
"Nah, I'm tryna get you to do the selling." He said.
"What? This something Marcus put you up to?"
"Who's Marcus? Man, just listen. I can get in?"  He made his way around to the passengers seat and slid in. "I didn't say yes nigga." "You ain't say no." I rolled my eyes. Good point. "Like I said my name's Omari. I guess ima get straight to the point. I see something in you that I like, something that can help both of us make money." I instantly got annoyed. "What? You asking me to trick for you?"
"Woman," He sucked his teeth, "Does it look like I trick?"

He had a point. He was clean and well put together. "Well you look like you got a little bit of money. What you do then, sell drugs?" I asked, sarcastically stating the obvious. He gave me that matter-of-fact look. "Nah, I sell dreams." He laughed. "I don't believe in dreams, Mr. Sandman." "You believe in making money?" He pulled out a stack and placed it on the console. I pulled out two and put them on top of his. "Let's flip it." This nigga was bold. I could of been undercover for all he knew. I couldn't help but to admire his confidence. He wanted me to sell for him all because I bitched him out in the restaurant? All I could do was laugh. How the hell was I gonna sell coke, knowing my mom was a addict? That thought left as soon as it came; how the fuck was I gonna get back on my feet working in a salon? Not to knock the hustle or anything, but I needed fast money. I couldn't stay with Shay forever, no matter how long my extended welcome was. I decided to speak up, realizing I had fallen quiet.  "Esther. So, what all do I gotta do?"

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Authors Note:

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