Contaminated wife

Contaminated Wife

An Urban Fiction Street Novel

Chapter 1: Till Death Do Us Part?

I ain’t never think marriage would turn out like this. They tell you it’s about love, loyalty, and forever, but they don’t tell you what happens when the vows don’t mean a damn thing no more. They don’t tell you what to do when the woman you swore to ride with, to protect, to build with, turns out to be the biggest f****** enemy you ever faced.

I should’ve known. Should’ve caught the signs when she started moving different—staying out late, keeping her phone face down, arguing over the smallest s*** like she was looking for a reason to be somewhere else. Joi used to be my peace. Now? That b**** is poison. Contaminated. And she don’t even realize she done started a war she ain’t built to survive.

I sit in the whip, gripping the wheel so tight my knuckles turn white. The night air is thick, heavy with the weight of my thoughts. My heart ain't even racing no more—I'm past that. I'm cold, calculating. She thought she could play me, but she don’t understand: once you cross me, ain’t no coming back.

She think she slick. She think I don’t know about him. The n**** that’s been creeping in my spot, laying up in my sheets, whispering in her ear all that sweet talk she used to beg me for. I ain't the type to just let s*** slide. She got me out here looking crazy, and that ain’t something I can ever let ride.

My phone buzzes. It’s my cousin, Rel.

Rel: "Yo, you good? I heard some s***, man. Tell me you ain't about to crash out over this b****."

I take a deep breath, exhaling slow. “Nah, Rel. I ain't gonna crash out… I'ma handle it."

He sighs on the other end. "Man, just don’t do nothing stupid. Ain't no b**** worth your freedom."

I chuckle, but it’s empty. "Who said I’m the one losing my freedom?"

I hang up. My mind is already made up. This ain't just about love lost. This ain't just about betrayal. This is about respect. And tonight? I’m taking mine back.

Chapter 2: When Love Turns to War

I pull up down the street from the house, cutting the engine and killing the lights. The streets are quiet, but my mind is loud as hell. Every memory of me and Joi plays in my head like a highlight reel—our wedding day, the nights we spent plotting on our future, the way she used to look at me like I was her whole world.

Now? That same b**** is looking at another n**** the same way, like I never meant s***. That’s the part that’s eating me up. It ain’t just the cheating—it’s the disrespect. The audacity. Like I wouldn’t find out. Like I wouldn’t move on it.

I watch the house from the driver’s seat. Her car is in the driveway, but I know she ain’t alone. I seen dude before, seen how he looked at her when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. He ain't built for this life, though. That’s his biggest mistake. Thinking he could step in my shoes, lay in my bed, and not have to deal with the consequences.

I step out the car, hoodie up, my whole body humming with controlled rage. I ain't even thinking straight no more—I’m just moving. My feet hit the pavement slow, deliberate. Every step feels like it’s leading me to the end of something—maybe my marriage, maybe my sanity, maybe both.

When I reach the front door, I don’t even knock. I twist the key I never gave back, pushing the door open slow. The house is quiet, too quiet. But I can hear ‘em. In my bedroom. The bed I paid for. The sheets I bought.

I take another step inside, and then I hear it—her laugh. Soft, sweet, the same way she used to laugh for me.

Something in me snaps.

I move fast, silent. Ain’t no point in dragging it out. The bedroom door is cracked, just enough for me to see them laid up. Joi got the nerve to be in the position she always told me was just for me—her legs tangled with his, her head resting on his chest like he some type of savior.

I push the door open hard, the wood slamming against the wall. Joi screams, scrambling up, pulling the sheets around her. Dude jumps, eyes wide as f***.

“Derrick—” she starts, but I don’t wanna hear s*** from her.

I ain’t even looking at her. My focus is on this n**** who thought he could play in my face.

“You comfortable?” My voice is low, steady. Too calm.

Dude swallows hard, shaking his head. “Look, man, I ain’t know—”

I cut him off with a quick laugh. “Nah, n****, don’t play stupid. You knew. You just ain't care.”

Joi’s crying now, reaching for me like her touch still means something. “D, please—”

I step back from her. “Nah. You made your choice.” My eyes cut back to dude. “And now you gotta live with yours.”

I reach into my waistband. The room turns ice cold.

Chapter 3: Consequences Ain’t Optional

The room went silent. The only sound was Joi's shaky breathing and dude’s heavy swallowing like he knew what time it was. My hand stayed steady as I pulled the piece from my waistband. The weight of it felt natural, like it belonged in my palm at this very moment.

Dude put his hands up. "Aye, bro, look—"

"Shut the f*** up." My voice was cold, lifeless. I wasn’t in the mood for no explanations, no excuses.

Joi was crying, whispering my name like that s*** was supposed to snap me out of it. Like she ain’t the reason we in this situation. "D, please don’t do this. You don’t gotta do this."

I turned my head slow, locking eyes with her. "Why? So y’all can go back to playing house in my f****** home? So you can keep embarrassing me while this n**** reap the benefits of everything I built?" I shook my head. "Nah, that ain't how this go, Joi. You made a choice. Now I’m making mine."

Dude shifted like he was thinking about making a move. Bad idea. I lifted the strap just enough to let him know I wasn’t here for the games. "Sit your b**** a** down before I change my mind and put one in you right now."

He froze, hands still in the air, his face damn near as pale as the sheets they was just laid up in.

Joi kept shaking her head, tears streaming down her face. "D, please. Think about the kids. Think about what this gonna do to them."

I clenched my jaw. That was the only thing keeping me from pulling this trigger. My kids. Zanyah. Malcolm. They ain't ask for this s***. They ain't deserve to see their daddy go out like this over a contaminated a** wife who ain't give a f*** about what we built.

I took a step back, breathing heavy. My whole body was vibrating with rage, but I wasn’t stupid. I wasn’t gonna crash out over her.

I looked at dude one last time. "Get the f*** out my house."

He ain't waste no time. He scrambled up so fast he damn near tripped over his own feet trying to grab his clothes. He ain’t even try to put ‘em on, just clutched ‘em to his chest and ran out the door like his life depended on it. Smart man.

Joi, though? She just stood there, wrapped in the sheets, crying like she was the victim. Like I was the one who did her dirty.

"You disgust me," I muttered, shaking my head.

She sobbed harder. "I’m sorry, D. I swear, I didn’t mean for it to get like this."

I laughed, but there wasn’t no humor in it. "You ain’t mean for it to get like this? B****, you made it like this."

She dropped her head, her shoulders shaking with each cry. I ain’t feel bad for her, not even a little bit. I was done.

I tucked the piece back in my waistband and took one last look at her. "You got one hour to pack whatever the f*** you can carry and get the f*** out. After that, I don’t care where you go, but you ain’t staying here."

She gasped. "D, please! Where am I supposed to go?"

"Not my problem."

I turned and walked out, leaving her standing there in her own mess. She thought she could play me. She thought I was gonna let this s*** slide.

She was dead f****** wrong.

Chapter 4: Ain't No Coming Back

I stepped outside, letting the night air cool my heated skin, but I knew damn well this s*** wasn't over. I wasn’t the type to let s*** slide, but I also wasn’t gonna let her take me out my element. Not like this.

Joi was the one who broke us, the one who shattered everything we built. And now she wanted to cry like she ain't know what the f*** she was doing? Nah. That wasn’t flying.

I leaned against my car, pulling out a Black & Mild and sparking it up. The first pull hit my chest hard, but it ain't do nothing for the fire still burning inside me. I needed to move, to get away from the spot before I did something that would have me sitting in a cell.

My phone rang. Rel again. I let it ring twice before answering.

"N**, tell me you ain’t do what I think you did."**

I exhaled a long cloud of smoke. "Nah. But it was close."

Rel sighed, like he was relieved but still stressed. "Man, you gotta let that s* go. She made her choice. You still got your freedom. Walk the f*** away."**

I clenched my jaw, staring at the dark sky. Walk away? That s*** sounded good, but it ain't feel that simple. This wasn’t just about Joi. It was about the principle. About how she thought she could play with me like I was some lame n**** off the street.

"I already told her to pack her s* and go,"** I muttered. "She got one hour."

Rel whistled low. "Damn. Where she gonna go?"

"Don't know. Don't care."

Rel was quiet for a second. "You really done this time?"

I took another pull from the Black & Mild, my chest tight with emotions I wasn’t ready to unpack. "Yeah. I'm done."

And I meant that s***.

Joi contaminated what we had, poisoned the love I once had for her. There wasn’t no fixing this. No coming back.

She made her bed. Now she gotta lay in it.

Chapter 5: You Reap What You Sow

I flicked the Black & Mild onto the pavement, crushing it under my boot. The street was quiet, but my mind was loud as hell. I wasn’t the type to dwell on s***, but this? This was different. I gave Joi my all, and she threw it in my face like it ain’t mean s***.

The front door creaked open, and there she was—Joi, standing on the porch, a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. Her eyes were red, her face streaked with tears, but I ain't feel no sympathy. Not no more.

"You really doing this?" she asked, her voice small like she ain't just wreck our whole foundation.

I scoffed. "B****, you did this. Now you gotta deal with it."

Her bottom lip trembled. "D, please. We can fix this. We got history. We got kids."

I clenched my jaw. "Should’ve thought about that before you spread your legs for another n****."

She flinched like my words cut deep. Good. I wanted her to feel every bit of this pain.

I pushed off the car and stepped closer, towering over her. "Let me make this clear—ain’t no fixing this. Ain’t no talking it out. You contaminated everything we had, Joi. You turned something real into poison. So now? You deal with the consequences."

She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Where am I supposed to go?"

I shrugged. "Not my problem. Should’ve thought about that when you was f****** that n**** in my bed."

Her shoulders slumped, like reality was finally hitting her. I ain't care no more. That was the thing about betrayal—you don't feel the love after that. Just the coldness.

She swallowed hard. "I still love you."

I laughed. A real, hollow laugh. "Yeah? Well, I hate you."

Her breath hitched, but she ain’t say s*** else. She just nodded, gripping the strap of her duffel like it was the only thing keeping her together. Then, without another word, she turned and walked down the steps, disappearing into the night.

I watched her go, my chest tight, my hands clenched into fists.

She was gone.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt free.

Chapter 6: No Love Left

The second Joi disappeared down the block, I felt a weight lift off me. Not all the way—nah, that type of betrayal don’t just vanish overnight—but enough for me to take a deep breath without feeling like I was choking.

She thought I was gonna let s*** slide. Thought because we had history, because we had kids, that I was just gonna forgive and forget.

F*** that.

I hopped back in the car, gripping the steering wheel tight. My phone buzzed again, Rel calling for the third time. I let it ring a few seconds before answering.

"She gone?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Rel sighed. "Good. So what now?"

That was the real question, wasn’t it? What now? I had spent so much time focused on Joi, on the anger, the hurt, the betrayal, that I ain't even think about what came next.

"Now? Now I do me," I said, voice flat.

Rel chuckled. "That’s what the f* I’m talking about. You free, bro. Ain’t no more looking over your shoulder wondering what she up to. Ain’t no more stressing over a b**** who ain’t deserve you."**

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. "Yeah. You right."

But even as I said it, a part of me was still burning.

Joi might’ve been out of my house, but she wasn’t out of my mind. And the fact that she thought she could just move on like that? Like I was just some phase in her life? That s*** ain’t sit right with me.

Somebody had to pay.

And I wasn’t the type to let debts go unpaid.

Chapter 7: Payback Ain’t Free

I pulled up to the spot, an old liquor store parking lot where me and Rel always met up when s*** got heavy. He was already there, leaning against his Charger, smoking a blunt. The second I stepped out, he passed it to me without a word.

I took a long pull, letting the smoke sit in my lungs before exhaling slow. My mind was racing, but my heart? That s*** was ice cold now.

Rel eyed me. "You ain't thinking about spinning back on that situation, is you?"

I smirked, handing the blunt back. "What you think?"

Rel sighed, shaking his head. "I think you need to let that s* go before it turn into something bigger than it need to be."**

I chuckled, but there wasn’t no humor in it. "Nah, see, that’s the thing. It’s already bigger than it need to be. Joi ain’t just step out—she tried to play me, Rel. Like I was some weak-ass n**. Like I wouldn’t do nothing about it."**

Rel rubbed his chin, exhaling smoke through his nose. "And what you tryna do? Off the n**? Or teach him a lesson?"**

I stared out at the street, watching cars pass, headlights flickering in the distance. "He need to feel this. Both of ‘em do."

Rel nodded slowly. "I hear you. But you gotta be smart about it, bro. You got too much to lose."

I sucked my teeth. "What I had to lose already gone."

Rel ain’t argue with me after that. He knew when my mind was made up, there wasn’t no changing it.

Joi thought she could walk away from this like it was nothing.

Her little side n**** thought he got away clean.

They was both about to learn—I don’t let s*** slide.

Chapter 8: Violations Come With Consequences

Ain’t nothing worse than a b**** thinking she can play with your heart and walk away untouched. Like all the time, effort, and loyalty you gave meant nothing. Nah, see, that’s where they got me f***** up.

Rel knew it too. That’s why he wasn’t trying to stop me no more. He just stood there, smoking the blunt, letting me think.

"So what’s the move?" he finally asked.

I cracked my neck. "We find dude. Let him know he ain’t just f* my b****—he f*ed up his whole life."

Rel smirked. "I figured. You know where he stay?"

I nodded. "I got a few spots in mind. If he ain't with her, he at one of them."

Rel tossed the blunt, stomped it out, and pulled his hoodie up. "Aight. Let’s slide."

---

We started at the obvious place—Joi’s sister’s crib. Her older sister, Tasha, never liked me, but I knew if Joi ain’t have nowhere else to go, she’d run straight there.

We parked up the block, watching the house. Lights were on, and sure enough, not even ten minutes later, I saw Joi’s silhouette pass by the window.

"She in there," I muttered.

Rel tapped my arm, nodding toward the driveway. "Ain't that his whip?"

I grinned. A black Charger with fresh rims. The same one I saw parked outside my crib when I caught them together.

"Yeah," I said. "That’s him."

Rel exhaled. "You sure about this, bro?"

I looked at him, my face set. "I ain't never been more sure of nothing in my life."

He nodded. "Say less."

---

I stepped out the car first, walking straight up to the Charger. Rel stayed a few steps behind, keeping watch.

I pulled out my knife, dragging the blade slow across the car door, leaving a deep scratch from the front to the back. Then I stabbed the tire, listening to the air hiss out.

Petty? Maybe. But this was just the warm-up.

I stepped back, admiring my work. "Let’s knock on the door."

Rel chuckled. "S*, you got it."**

I pounded on that door like I owned the place. Took a step back, arms crossed, waiting.

A few seconds later, the door cracked open. Joi’s face appeared, eyes puffy, lips trembling. She looked up at me like she’d seen a ghost.

"D… what are you doing here?"

I smiled, but it ain’t reach my eyes. "Where he at?"

She swallowed hard. "D, please—"

I pushed the door open wider and stepped in like I had a key.

And there he was.

Sitting on the couch, looking real comfortable in a place he ain’t belong.

He jumped up when he saw me, his hands slightly raised, like he already knew what time it was.

"Aye, man—"

I ain't let him finish. My fist connected with his jaw so hard I felt his teeth shift under my knuckles.

He stumbled back, falling over the coffee table, knocking s*** everywhere.

Joi screamed, but I ain’t care.

I stepped over him, grabbed him by his collar, and yanked him up. "You thought I was just gon’ let you slide, n**?"**

He was dazed, blood leaking from his mouth. "Dawg, I ain't know—"

I slammed him against the wall. "You ain't know? You was in my house, in my bed, and you ain't f**** know?"**

Rel stood by the door, arms crossed, letting me handle my business.

Joi was crying, grabbing at my arm. "D, stop! Please!"

I looked at her, then back at him. "This what you wanted, right? You wanted to f* another n**** wife? Well, now you dealing with her husband."**

His eyes were wide, filled with fear.

Good.

Joi kept crying. "D, don’t do this. Think about the kids."

I let him go, watching him slump against the wall. Then I turned to her. "You should've thought about the kids before you spread your legs for this n**."**

Her lip quivered. She knew I was right.

I turned back to dude, crouching down so we were eye-level. "This ain't over."

Then I stood up and walked out.

Rel followed, shaking his head with a smirk. "Yeah… that n** gon’ feel that tomorrow."**

I ain’t say s***. I just walked back to the car, gripping the steering wheel tight.

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Chapter 9: Ain’t No Walking Away

The ride back was quiet. Rel ain’t say nothing, just puffed on another blunt while I kept my hands tight on the wheel, eyes locked on the road. My blood was still hot, my chest tight. Beating that n****’s ass felt good, but it wasn’t enough.

He got off too easy. Joi, too.

This wasn’t the kind of betrayal you just let go. She ain't just cheat—she played with my pride, my loyalty, my time. That s*** cut deeper than love ever could.

Rel finally spoke, exhaling smoke out the window. "So what now? You done?"

I licked my lips, my jaw clenching. "Nah. Not even close."

Rel sighed. "That’s what I thought."

He knew me too well. Knew I wasn’t the type to take an L and walk away.

That n**** had to feel this for real.

And Joi? She was about to learn that some mistakes don’t come with second chances.

---

The next morning, I was posted outside Joi’s job, leaning against my car, waiting. She worked at some little dental office, checking people in at the front desk like she had a normal life. Like she wasn’t out here moving foul.

When she stepped outside on her lunch break, she spotted me immediately. Her whole body stiffened, her face drained of color.

She knew what time it was.

I pushed off the car and walked up to her slow. "We need to talk."

She glanced around, like she was checking if anybody was watching. "D, please… not here."

I scoffed. "You wasn’t worried about where you did what you did. Why I gotta be respectful?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "I know I messed up, but this ain’t the way. Think about the kids."

I laughed, but there wasn’t no humor in it. "The kids? The same ones you ain’t think about when you was creeping? Nah, don’t try to play that card now."

She wiped at her face, taking a deep breath. "D… I’m sorry. I swear I am. But what you doing ain't gon’ fix this."

I stared at her, letting the silence stretch. Then I took a step closer, my voice low. "You think I want to fix this? I don’t. I just want you to feel it. Like I felt it."

Her bottom lip trembled. "D… what do you want from me?"

I tilted my head. "I want you to suffer. Just like I did."

Her breath hitched, and I could see it—the realization sinking in. This wasn’t over. It was never gonna be over.

She took a shaky step back. "Please… just let me go."

I smirked. "That’s the thing, Joi. You don’t get to just walk away from this."

Then I turned around, leaving her standing there with her fear.

Because from this point on, every single day, every moment, she was gonna feel my presence. Even when I wasn’t there.

Chapter 10: She Ain’t Safe

I let Joi sit with that fear for a few days. Let her wonder if I was gonna pop up at her job again, follow her home, or catch her slipping when she least expected it. I wanted her to feel the paranoia, the weight of my presence even when I wasn’t around.

And from what I heard? That s*** was working.

Rel hit me up late one night, laughing through the phone. "Bruh, you got her spooked. Tasha called me, talking about Joi ain’t been sleeping, scared to go outside after work. She even had somebody walk her to her car the other night."

I smirked. "Good. She should be scared."

Rel sighed. "Aight, but what’s the end goal, D? You tryna make her suffer forever?"

I paused. I knew what he was asking, but I wasn’t ready to answer that yet. Instead, I changed the subject. "What’s up with dude? Where he been at?"

Rel chuckled. "Oh, he laying low for sure. Ain’t been posting, ain’t been outside. Heard he even tried to move back to his auntie’s spot across town."

I nodded to myself. "That n** thought s*** was sweet. Thought he could play with my marriage and walk away untouched."**

Rel let out a slow breath. "D, you already beat his ass. You sure you wanna keep going?"

I scoffed. "You know me better than that."

Rel ain’t argue. He just said, "Well, if we doing this, let’s do it right."

I grinned. "That’s why you my n**."**

---

The next night, I was parked a block away from dude’s auntie’s house. The lights inside were dim, and his car was nowhere in sight, but I knew he was in there. I could feel it.

I wasn’t gonna hit him like last time. This time, I wanted him to wake up to the nightmare.

I pulled out my phone and typed up a text.

You thought this was over? Think again.

I attached a picture I took earlier that day—one of Joi walking out of her job, looking over her shoulder like she could feel me watching.

Then I hit send.

Less than a minute later, my phone buzzed. It was him.

Who the f* is this??**

I smirked. You know who it is.

Another message popped up fast.

Bro, I ain’t even on that. I swear. It was a mistake.

A mistake.

I cracked my knuckles. "Yeah, you about to learn that some mistakes come with a price."

Then I tossed my phone in the passenger seat, leaned back, and waited.

Because this? This was only the beginning.

Chapter 11: Mind Games

The days after that text dragged on, but I could tell it was eating at him. The way he kept texting, trying to apologize like I gave a damn. He even tried calling me a couple of times, but I ignored it.

It was all part of the plan.

I wasn’t gonna let him off that easy. He thought sending a "my bad" would make everything go away? Nah, bro, it don’t work like that in my world.

I kept watching Joi. She was starting to unravel, walking around with her head down, avoiding my eyes whenever we crossed paths. She knew what I was doing, but there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Rel called me one morning while I was pacing around my house, looking at pictures of my kids that made me wonder if they could ever forgive me for what I was about to do.

"Ayo, D, you still at it with this?"

I took a deep breath, running my fingers through my hair. "What else am I supposed to do, Rel? Let her walk away from this s* like it didn’t happen?"**

He was quiet for a second, probably thinking about the consequences. He knew how far I could go when my mind was set. "I hear you. But don’t forget, it’s not just about her anymore. You’re messing with his life too."

I exhaled sharply. "It’s too late for that, bro. He signed up for this the second he got involved."

Rel stayed quiet for a while, probably trying to talk himself into believing I wasn’t gonna go all the way with it. He knew me better than most, but even he didn’t understand the kind of rage I had inside me right now.

"Alright, alright. But just think about the bigger picture, man. Your kids, your future. Is it worth it?"

I paused, staring out the window. "You think they’re gonna look at me different when they get older? You think they’ll respect me after this?"

Rel’s voice softened. "I’m not saying they won’t. But, bro, you gotta think about the legacy you leaving behind. You want your kids to see a man that gets revenge or one that finds peace?"

I clenched my jaw, shaking my head. "Peace don’t mean s* to me right now."**

"I know," Rel replied quietly. "But it’s still there if you wanna find it."

I hung up the phone, not ready to hear that bulls***. Rel was always the one trying to keep me grounded, but right now, I wasn’t trying to hear it. Peace? It wasn’t in my vocabulary.

I pulled up outside his auntie’s house again that night, this time with a plan that would make everything clear. He wasn’t gonna be able to hide anymore.

---

I waited until the middle of the night. The lights were off in the house, and the street was quiet. I moved fast, slipping through the shadows like a ghost.

I went around back, where I knew he kept his spare key hidden under a rock near the porch. It wasn’t my first time here, so I already knew the lay of the land.

When I stepped inside, the house was dark and cold, but it smelled like old food and stale air. I crept through the hallways, each step calculated, listening for any noise.

Then I heard it—a low murmur. His voice.

I followed the sound, stopping just short of the living room. I could see him sitting on the couch, looking down at his phone. He didn’t know what was coming.

I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and stepped into the room. The door creaked just loud enough to catch his attention.

He whipped around, eyes wide in shock. "What the f*, D?"**

I didn’t give him a chance to say anything else. I walked up to him, grabbed him by his shirt, and threw him back against the couch. His phone clattered to the floor.

"You think you can just disappear? That s* don’t fly with me."**

He scrambled, trying to get away, but he was weak. Too scared to fight back.

"D, please! I didn’t mean to—"

I slammed my fist into his face, cutting off whatever weak excuse he was about to give. "You didn’t mean to? Nah, you meant it when you slid up in my wife’s spot."

He gasped, his face swelling up. "I’m sorry, man. It was a mistake. I never meant to disrespect you like this."

I grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up just enough to get his feet off the floor. "Too late for apologies, n**. You don’t get to do what you did and think you’re just gonna walk away with no consequences."**

His breath was coming fast, struggling to get air. His eyes were wide, and I could see the fear in them now—real fear.

I leaned in, my voice low. "This is just the beginning. You keep thinking you’re free, but I’m never gonna let you forget. You’re gonna feel this every day of your life."

I dropped him back on the couch, and he gasped for air, clutching his throat. I turned and walked out without another word.

Rel was right. This wasn’t about just Joi anymore. This was about sending a message.

And the world was about to learn that when you mess with me, you better believe there’s a price to pay.

Chapter 12: Consequences

I left his auntie’s house without looking back, but the feeling inside me wasn’t satisfaction. It was emptiness, like I was still chasing something that would never be enough. I needed to make him feel it more, but I didn’t know how much further I could push before it all went wrong.

The next few days were a blur. Joi stayed quiet, walking around like she didn’t know what was coming next. She knew better than to confront me. But I could see the cracks. I could see the way she’d flinch every time I walked into a room, the way she’d look for an excuse to leave when I wasn’t looking.

And then there was him—the n**** I beat down. His silence spoke louder than anything else. He wasn’t even responding to my texts anymore. I knew he was trying to lay low, trying to save his skin, but that wasn’t gonna work for long.

I wasn’t done. Not even close.

---

I called Rel again, needing to talk strategy. "You heard from that n**?"**

Rel paused, like he was weighing his words. "Nah, he’s been quiet. His boy hit me up, though, said he wants to meet. Wants to talk about ‘fixing things.’"

I snorted. "Fix what? His broken jaw? His busted ego?"

Rel chuckled. "I don’t know, bro. But he’s scared, and that’s why he wants to talk. He knows you ain’t gonna stop until you get what you want."

I leaned back in my chair, staring out the window. "What I want? I want him to feel what I’m feeling. But I can’t keep chasing this. It’s eating me alive, Rel. Every time I think about it, the rage just keeps building."

Rel’s voice softened. "I know you, D. You don’t stop till it’s done. But you gotta ask yourself—how far are you willing to go? What’s the cost?"

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because I knew the answer—there was no limit.

But the thing that started to mess with me, the thing that haunted my thoughts, was the kids. What kind of father was I being right now? They didn’t deserve this. They didn’t deserve to see me turn into the kind of man I swore I wouldn’t become.

Still, the pain of betrayal was louder. My mind kept replaying the images of Joi and him together, laughing, touching, while I was out here thinking she was my ride-or-die.

I hated that b****.

And yet, I still couldn’t bring myself to walk away.

---

I called him. The n**** I beat up. Told him we needed to talk.

He didn’t hesitate to agree, which meant one thing: he was scared.

We met at a diner on the outskirts of town. Quiet, neutral ground, where nobody would notice us. I showed up first, sitting in a corner booth with my back to the wall, scanning the room.

When he walked in, looking like he hadn’t slept in days, I almost didn’t recognize him. His face was still swollen, his eyes red from crying—or maybe fear. But he still had that same cocky look on his face.

He sat across from me, avoiding eye contact at first.

"So, you wanna talk now?" I asked, my voice calm, almost too calm.

He nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah, man, look… I don’t want no problems. I don’t want no more trouble. It was a mistake, alright? A big mistake. I didn’t mean to disrespect you like that."

I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing. "You think I care about your excuses? You think I give a f* about what you meant? What I care about is how you crossed a line you’ll never get back from."**

He shifted in his seat, sweat starting to form on his forehead. "I know, I know. I’m sorry. But I’m trying to make it right, D. I’ll do whatever it takes to fix this. Just tell me what you want."

I smirked. "What I want? You ain’t gonna fix this, n**. This ain’t something you can fix with words or with money. You can’t take back what you did to me."**

He looked desperate now. "Man, I’ll do anything. You want me to leave town? I’ll leave. Just please, I’m begging you…"

I shook my head, the anger starting to rise again. "You think running is gonna save you? Nah. That’s not how this works. I’m not gonna let you forget what you did to me, no matter where you go. So, the best thing you can do is accept the fact that you’re never gonna be free from this. You think you can walk away and live happy after this? Nah, that’s a dream."

His eyes flickered, and I could see the fear, the realization that this wasn’t just a warning. It was his life now.

I stood up, tossing a few bills on the table. "You had your chance, and now it’s over. Don’t come looking for me again."

I turned and walked out of the diner, leaving him there, shaking in his seat.

It was done. He was done.

But me? I wasn’t even close to being finished.

Chapter 13: The Price of Revenge

Days bled into nights, and every minute felt like a countdown. The satisfaction of what I’d done, of sending him that message, wasn’t enough. I had broken him, but something in me needed more.

I kept replaying that moment in the diner, seeing his fear, his desperation, and it was almost like the air around me grew thicker. Joi and I kept circling each other, silent, barely speaking, but the tension between us was palpable. I could tell she was scared of me. Scared of the man I had become. And maybe I was too.

But I wasn’t backing down. Not now, not ever.

I needed to finish this. To finish what I had started.

The phone rang in the middle of the night.

I didn’t recognize the number. But I picked up anyway.

"Yeah?" I said, my voice flat, not expecting much.

"D." The voice on the other end was familiar—too familiar.

It was him.

"You really think you’ve won, huh?" He asked, his voice strained.

I smiled. "I think you know what happens when you cross me."

There was a long pause, but I could hear him breathing hard on the other end. He was trying to hold his ground, but I could sense the crack in his voice.

"Look, I get it, alright? I fed up. But I swear to God, I’ll make this right. I’ll fix things between you and Joi. I swear, I didn’t mean to—"*

I cut him off. "You can’t fix this, n**. You’re too deep in the hole now. You think a couple of words are gonna make me forget what you did? You’ve already crossed that line. And now, you gotta live with the consequences."**

His voice dropped, quieter now, almost pleading. "Please, D. I don’t want this life. I don’t want no more of this. You got your revenge, man. Let it go."

"Revenge?" I laughed darkly. "You think this is about revenge? Nah, this is about respect. You disrespected me, disrespected everything I stood for. And now, you’ll remember that. For the rest of your life."

The line went silent for a moment. Then I heard him, almost choking on his words. "I’ll never be able to fix this, will I?"

I didn’t answer. There was no answer to give.

I hung up the phone, leaving him to deal with whatever demons he had left.

---

The following days felt like a spiral I couldn’t escape. Joi started acting even more distant, not even trying to hide her fear anymore. And to be honest, I couldn’t blame her. But it didn’t matter. She made her choice when she crossed that line with him.

I wasn’t going to let her forget it.

I had the feeling she was planning something. Maybe she thought she could leave and escape this whole mess. But I knew better. She had no place to go now. The streets weren’t done with her, and neither was I.

I couldn’t let her walk away like everything was fine.

So I did what I always did. I waited.

And when she came home that night, her eyes were red like she’d been crying. She was trying to act normal, but I could see it—the guilt, the shame, the fear.

She tried to speak, but I didn’t let her.

"Don’t," I said, my voice low, cold. "Don’t even start."

She flinched but didn’t say anything.

I stepped closer to her, just close enough that she couldn’t run. "You think I don’t know what’s going on? You think I don’t know you’re planning to leave?"

She looked up at me, her voice barely above a whisper. "D, please, I’m not trying to—"

"You think running is gonna make this go away? You think you’re just gonna disappear and everything will be fine?"

I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward me. "It doesn’t work like that, Joi. Not anymore. You’re in this with me now. For better or for worse. And you’re gonna feel every part of that."

I could see the fear in her eyes, but there was something else there too. Anger. Resentment.

She slapped me.

The sound echoed through the room like a gunshot. I froze for a second, surprised.

But then I laughed.

"You think that changes anything? You think you can slap me and I’ll let it go?"

I pulled her close, staring down into her eyes. "You wanted this, Joi. You wanted to play with fire. And now, you’re gonna burn with it."

She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. "I never wanted this, D. I never wanted any of this. But you’ve changed. I don’t even know who you are anymore."

I stepped back, letting go of her.

"You’ll learn soon enough," I said, turning away. "You’ll learn who I am now. And you’ll learn the hard way."

I left her standing there, tears falling, feeling like the weight of everything was about to crush me. But I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Because I couldn’t let go of the one thing that kept me moving—my anger. My need for retribution.

And as much as I hated to admit it, I was becoming the very monster I always feared.

Chapter 14: The Breaking Point

The days bled into each other, a blur of rage and regret. My mind was in overdrive, spinning between what I had to do and the man I was slowly becoming. Joi’s fear of me, her distance, only fed the anger bubbling inside me. But it wasn’t just her. It was the entire situation—the betrayal, the lies, the constant reminder of how far I had fallen.

She tried to be the woman I remembered, but I couldn’t see her that way anymore. Every word out of her mouth felt like another lie, another layer of deception. I couldn’t trust her. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn’t trust anyone anymore.

I didn’t know if it was the anger or the pain that kept me up at night. The regret would come and go, but the hate? The hate was always there, sitting in the pit of my stomach, poisoning everything I touched.

And then one night, the breaking point came.

I was sitting in the living room, staring at the wall, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. I could hear her moving around in the kitchen, the sound of dishes clinking, the quiet hum of the refrigerator. She was trying, I could tell. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. Not anymore.

I wanted to hurt her, to make her feel everything I felt. But the reality was, the more I tried to make her suffer, the more I was hurting myself.

She came into the living room, standing in front of me, her face tense with something—maybe fear, maybe guilt, maybe both.

"D," she started, her voice shaking slightly. "Can we talk? I need you to understand—"

I didn’t want to hear it. I couldn’t. Every time she opened her mouth, it felt like she was digging her own grave.

"You’ve said enough," I growled, my voice low, heavy with resentment. "There’s nothing left to talk about. You chose your side. And now, you gotta live with that."

She stepped back, her hands wringing in front of her. "Please, D. I never meant for any of this to happen. I made a mistake, but I love you. I swear I do. I never stopped loving you."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Love? That’s what you call this? All of this mess you’ve put me through? You don’t love me. If you did, you wouldn’t have done what you did."

She started crying, her face crumpling as she reached for me. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to fix this, but I’m trying. Please, don’t give up on me. Don’t give up on us."

I stood up, backing away from her, feeling suffocated by the intensity of her emotions. "I gave you everything, Joi. And this is how you repay me? With lies and betrayal? You don’t get to beg me now. You don’t get to fix this."

The anger surged again, hot and raw, and for a moment, I thought about letting it out—pushing her to the brink, making her feel what I had been feeling all this time. But something stopped me. Something deep inside that I couldn’t ignore.

She was broken. Just like me.

But we were too far gone to fix each other.

"I’m done," I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "You made your bed. Now you gotta lie in it."

She collapsed onto the couch, her body wracked with sobs. But I couldn’t bring myself to feel sorry for her. Not anymore. I had nothing left to give.

I turned my back on her, walking out of the room and slamming the door behind me. The sound echoed in the silence of the house, a reminder of how far we had fallen.

I didn’t know where I was going or what I was going to do. All I knew was that I couldn’t stay there. Not with her, not with the memories of what we used to be.

I grabbed my jacket, heading out into the night. The city felt different, colder somehow. The lights seemed dimmer, the streets quieter, like they were waiting for something. Maybe they were waiting for me to make a decision. Maybe they were waiting for me to let go of this anger, this hatred that was consuming me from the inside out.

But I couldn’t.

Not yet.

I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.

I was going to make them all feel it. I was going to make sure they never forgot what they did to me.

Even if it destroyed me in the process.