“Honestly man, it just dawned on me that I haven’t seen her. I don’t keep tabs on women that’s not mine. I had that little situation with her six months ago and never saw her again,” Malcolm said honestly. He wanted to add that he was too busy bonding with his daughter to think about Envy, but he knew Jermaine would never recover from that.

“She went off the grid the day I lost my job. I remember Eden saying she’d do shit like that all the time when they were growing up. After she’d fuck them over, she’d be gone for about two years then pop up like she was never gone. I texted her that she was dead when I saw her again. That bitch ruined my fucking life. I lost my wife and my career behind some pussy that wasn’t even mine. How much worse can my life get?” Jermaine asked as he stared ahead at his home.

“Man, I don’t think you have to worry about it getting any worse than this. That’s impossible. Call me if you need me,” Malcolm added before driving away. He had no way of knowing that things for his friend would indeed be getting worse.

Jermaine stood outside of his home, the place that once brought him so much peace and dreaded going inside. For the past six years he walked in and out of the front door of this home. As he stared at the home, he noticed so many things that he had forgotten, not forgotten, but ignored.

This home was once perfect. Three levels of custom-built beauty, his first major purchase, and a wedding gift to his new bride. But just like his bride, he started to neglect it, now cracks had begun to surface.

Tears filled his eyes as he thought back to the good times that he and Eden shared, the date nights ended with them falling asleep on the couch and the arguments the led to hours of makeup sex. This was supposed to be their forever home, but he knew that that had changed.

“I really spent a weekend in jail,” Jermaine thought as he reflected on how his overall actions had led him to the place he was now.

The officer and Malcolm were correct. He had started the cutthroat antics. Of all the people in the world. He knew that Envy should’ve never been someone that he entertained. Her only purpose for wanting him was to hurt her sister and he had willingly participated. Now he was dealing with the fallout by himself.