Jermaine let out a sigh of relief when he heard his sister-in-law’s voice. For two weeks Eve had declined all his calls. He knew that no one in the Merci Family wanted to speak to him, except Envy, but he refused to give up.

He continued to call hoping that his aggressive approach would weigh her down, and low and behold, it worked.

“Eve, I know I’m the last person you want to speak too, but-”

“Yet you keep calling. Why is that?”

Jermaine sighed.

He wanted to tell her to get rid of the attitude, but he knew he wasn’t in a position to make any demands. Instead, he pushed forward because he knew that Eve was the only person that could make his wife speak to him.

“Eve, I know the family hates me. I just want a chance to fix things. Can you please tell me where Eden is? Please Eve. I just want to talk to her.” Jermaine begged.

He was a mess. Now that his dirty deeds were exposed, he realized how foolish his actions had been.

“Stop fucking calling me. If Eden wanted to speak to you, she’d answer her phone when you called. No real man would ever do the type of shit that you did. Because of you, she now has a criminal record. Leave her alone,” Eve spat.

“Eve. I just want to talk to her and explain my side. I just need ten minutes to talk to her,”

“Nigga, stop calling me!” Eve shouted coldly before ending the call.

There was nothing for Jermaine to explain. He had done the unthinkable, and there was no forgiveness in her heart for that type of fuckery. Instead of focusing on an apology that made no sense, she focused on her sister.

“How are you feeling Little Sis?” Eve asked as she rubbed Eden’s shoulder.

Eden’s thoughts were so convoluted that she didn’t hear the question that Eve asked. Nor did she hear her one-sided conversation with her husband.

Eden sat in the bland sterile room covering her legs and thighs with a thin paper sheet. She wanted to cry but disbelief had frozen her tears. She wanted to speak, but the doctor’s words had paralyzed her tongue. Eden could feel her body trembling, and it wasn’t because of the cold doctor’s office. She trembled because she couldn’t believe the news.

“How did this happen?”

Her heart raced so quickly that she began to hyperventilate.

“Eden, I know this is shocking. But I want you to think positively and stay calm. Any anxiety will upset the baby,” Dr. Brenda, Eden’s Ob/Gyn and friend, stated as she reentered the examination room.

“Upset the baby. Upset the baby.”