Ethic removed a sealed envelope and placed it on the countertop in front of her. “Alani Hill is a client of yours. Her daughter and her brother are awaiting burial here,” he began.

“Yes, sir, but what’s this?” the woman asked.

“It’s $30,000. It should cover the expenses for both funerals,” he replied. “I’d like to donate it, anonymously.”

“Oh, my Lord!” The woman exclaimed, as she placed a hand over her mouth in surprise. Tears came to the woman’s eyes. “You have no idea what a blessing you will be to this young woman. She’s been in here, crying her eyes out, thinking that she would not be able to pull this off. You’re an angel, young man.”

“I wish that were so,” Ethic answered. “Just make sure she gets this.”

“God bless you,” the woman said, emotional. He turned his back and walked out of the establishment, knowing that her words couldn’t be farther from the truth. He was nobody’s blessing. He was Alani’s curse and this money didn’t erase that.

Morgan flipped through the pictures on her phone, frantically, as her heart filled with jealousy.

This bitch is with Messiah now? She thought, as she scoured through Nish’s social media page to see the evidence of disloyalty right before her eyes. Morgan’s chest burned with a scorn so great it made tears come to her eyes. Nish was her girl, her ace, the only person who had befriended her, despite her disability. Since they had been in elementary school, Nish had been by her side. She knew I was feeling him, Morgan thought, bitterly. It was just another loss that the poor, little, deaf girl had to take. A man like Messiah could never truly want her. He would never choose her over a regular girl like Nish, no matter how beautiful she was. Morgan felt like an abnormality and her chest swelled with angst, as she realized she would never be a man’s choice. Being deaf made people pity her. She walked around in a constant state of misunderstanding, desperately wishing that she could connect to someone, anyone…