Our Wicked Lies by Gledé Kabongo (story read aloud TXT) 📗

jerk, and unfortunately, the world is full of them. Just leave him and what’s happened in your rearview mirror. There is a perfect guy out there for you who will see how amazing you are. He will be so thrilled to be with you he won’t believe his luck. And most importantly, he’ll respect you.”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

“I know this is the last thing you want to think about, but have you given any more thought about going to prom with Veliane and Syra? I don’t think you should miss out. Prom is an important rite of passage. Don’t let this foolish boy ruin your fun.”

“Lily said Jeff’s cousin Will isn’t going to his prom either. He’s a senior at Boston Latin. Lily’s got this idea of Will and me double dating with her and Jeff. Will and I texted a few times, and he said we should go if I agreed, but I told him I didn’t think so. My heart just wasn’t in it after what happened with Brandon.”

Alicia’s heart soared. There was hope. But it had to be Marston’s choice.

“Lily is very protective of you. If Will was a jerk, she would have shot down the idea and not even suggested it to you. He sounds like a nice boy, but it’s up to you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Now I need to remember to make a hair appointment at Crystal’s for the both of you.”

Marston leveled a Don’t push it, Mom gaze at Alicia. But she smiled.

“No pressure. Just in case you decide to go. You don’t want to miss out, and you can cancel if you change your mind.”

Alicia crossed her fingers behind her back, willing Marston to accept Will’s offer. Since there were no salons in or around Weston that catered to African-American hair, Alicia and the girls often took the thirty-minute drive into Boston. At this late stage, she might have to be extra sweet to Crystal to fit them in.

“Okay, Mom. No promises. I only said I would think about it.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

CHAPTER 25

Rina Stark puffed out a plume of cigarette smoke. It burned Alicia’s eyes, even though her seat was on the opposite end of the patio sectional. But she forgave Rina because she had brought another box of Krispy Kreme donuts.

“Come on. Spill the tea,” Rina said impatiently. “What’s going on?”

Alicia stuffed half a donut into her mouth and chewed. After she swallowed, she said, “You have to keep this confidential. You can’t go blabbing to anybody.”

Asking Rina to come over was a risky proposition, given her penchant for gossip. But Alicia needed someone who wasn’t privy to her marital problems. Someone worldly. Rina fit the bill.

“I’m offended. Who am I going to tell?” Rina said, holding one hand to her chest in mock offense whilst stubbing out her cigarette in the ashtray with the other.

Eliot’s mistress is pregnant.

The thought replayed over and over in Alicia’s mind. And now this painful, messy dilemma was a cruel reminder of how foolish she’d been. She’d let her guard down, thinking Eliot was different from her father. She should have had a backup plan, a solid Plan B in case things didn’t work out. She might never have needed it, but instead, she had gambled everything on forever with Eliot.

She was a naïve, unsophisticated, twenty-two-year-old when she married him. A plain Jane from the wrong side of the tracks who couldn’t believe this gorgeous, Ivy League educated lawyer from a prominent family wanted to marry her.

She’d promised him she would be the best wife. She dreamt of a secure upbringing for her children, in a home with a mom and dad, showered with unconditional love. She thought she had that perfect family, but recent events had forced her to take a closer look, and the truth had revealed itself. She’d made the same mistake as her mother, by marrying a cheater.

“I need the name of a good divorce lawyer. A real shark at the top of his or her game.”

“Why?” Rina asked. “Wait, you and Eliot—”

“No, don’t be silly,” Alicia quickly reassured her friend. “I ran into a friend from my old neighborhood. We lost touch and then she showed up at Howell House of all places.”

Rina blinked in confusion. “What does that have to do with a divorce lawyer?”

“She’s in an awful marriage and looking for a way out. He’s a cheater, emotionally abusive, and lost all their money. She’s on food stamps for goodness sake.”

“That’s terrible. But if things are so dire, how can she afford a top-notch divorce lawyer?”

“That’s where I come in. I’m helping her out. I want to do this for her and her three children. Give them all a fresh start.”

Rina lit another cigarette, took a drag, and then exhaled. The smoke floated through the air in a semi-circle. “Hmm. That’s interesting. He’s a cheater, huh?”

“And a liar, a terrible combination.”

Rina took another slow drag, her eyes boring into Alicia.

Feeling hot under Rina’s gaze, Alicia broke eye contact, darting her vision around the patio, before she refocused her attention on her neighbor, who was still staring at her. “So, do you have any suggestions?”

“I might. David’s lawyer when he divorced his ex. Shark doesn’t begin to describe this guy. She walked away with half of everything, including an impressive stock portfolio.”

“He sounds perfect. Can you get me his contact details quickly? I told my friend to come by the clinic tomorrow because I might have a name for her.”

Rina remained quiet, took another drag on her cigarette, and exhaled. The pleasant breeze carried away the smoke. “Alicia, please consider me a friend. I can be discreet when it counts. Okay?”

Alicia knew she had a terrible poker face, so she avoided looking Rina in the eye again, and instead pretended to roll up the sleeves of her blouse. She was not in the confiding mood. She had things to do first, like ensuring Eliot didn’t suspect she knew about Faith, the baby,