Chapter 2: The Apartment Nobody Knew About
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Renee stared at Lionel.
Then she slowly turned back toward Beverly.
"The apartment?""
Beverly pressed her lips together.
Lionel immediately stepped forward.
"I didn't mean anything by that.""
Renee gave a short, humorless laugh.
"You didn't mean anything by mentioning an apartment your wife apparently doesn't know about?""
"Renee, stop twisting my words.""
"Then explain them.""
Lionel glanced around the yard.
His friends were watching.
His cousins were watching.
Even the neighbors who had come for barbecue were pretending not to listen while standing perfectly still.
He lowered his voice.
"Can we go inside?""
"No," Renee replied.
"You wanted to make a public announcement about how grateful our daughter should be. We can have this conversation right here.""
Beverly reached for a glass of water.
Her hand shook enough to make the ice rattle.
"Renee, I think you need to calm down.""
Jada turned toward her.
"Why do you keep telling everyone else to calm down?""
Beverly looked irritated.
"Because this is a family matter.""
"Then why did you know the name of the boy who got my tuition money?""
Beverly didn't answer.
Lionel moved closer to his daughter.
"Give me the microphone.""
"No.""
"I'm your father.""
"And I'm the daughter whose future you took money from.""
"Watch yourself, Jada.""
Renee stepped between them again.
"Don't threaten her.""
Lionel threw his hands outward.
"Unbelievable. I work every day to provide for this family, and now I'm being treated like some criminal because I helped somebody?""
"Somebody?"" Jada repeated.
She reached down and picked up her enrollment folder from the bench.
"That money wasn't yours to give away.""
Lionel laughed.
"I paid into that account.""
"So did Mom.""
"That doesn't change anything.""
"It changes everything," Renee said.
She looked at her husband.
"Where is the money?""
Lionel rubbed his forehead.
"I had some expenses.""
"What expenses?""
"Family expenses.""
"Whose family?""
The question landed harder than Renee intended.
Lionel looked away.
Beverly finally spoke.
"The apartment is in Westerville.""
Renee turned toward her.
"What apartment?""
Beverly set down her glass.
"The one Lionel pays for.""
Lionel's face hardened.
"Shut up, Beverly.""
But his sister had already started.
"It's a two-bedroom place. He's been paying the rent for a while.""
Renee stared at her.
"A while?""
Beverly looked down.
"Almost three years.""
The backyard seemed to grow quieter.
Renee gripped the edge of the table.
"Three years?""
"Renee, I didn't want to be involved.""
"You knew?""
"I found out accidentally.""
"When?""
Beverly hesitated.
Lionel interrupted.
"She doesn't know what she's talking about.""
Beverly looked at him.
"Don't do that.""
His eyebrows rose.
"Excuse me?""
"You heard me. Don't stand there and act like I invented your apartment.""
Renee looked between them.
"What apartment?""
Beverly exhaled.
"Last summer, Lionel asked me to pick up some documents from his truck. I found a utility bill in the glove compartment. It had a different address.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I thought it was a rental property.""
"Then what?""
Beverly glanced at Lionel.
"He told me it was an investment.""
Renee's expression changed.
"And you believed him?""
"No.""
The answer was immediate.
It hurt more than a denial.
Renee slowly nodded.
"So you knew.""
Beverly rubbed her forehead.
"I didn't know how serious it was.""
Jada looked at her aunt.
"You knew there was another address, but you didn't think that was serious?""
Beverly's voice sharpened.
"Don't put this on me. I didn't take your money.""
"No. You just knew where it was going.""
Lionel stepped toward Beverly.
"You're making this worse.""
She turned on him.
"You made it worse when you bought that boy a truck.""
Renee caught the words.
"That boy?""
Beverly looked at her.
"His name is Mason.""
"How old is he?""
"Seventeen.""
Renee looked at Lionel.
"You're buying vehicles for another woman's seventeen-year-old son while telling our daughter she needs to get another job?""
Lionel shook his head.
"That's not what happened.""
"Then tell me what happened.""
"I helped a kid who needed transportation.""
"Your daughter needs transportation too. She needs to get to school.""
"She can take the bus.""
Jada let out a small breath.
She had spent months calculating bus schedules to get from her grocery store job to the college campus. She had already accepted that she would have to leave home before sunrise on some days.
But hearing her father casually dismiss her struggle while defending a nearly new truck for another teenager felt different.
"Mom," Jada said quietly.
Renee turned.
"Yes, sweetheart?""
"Can we please leave?""
Lionel immediately objected.
"Nobody is leaving. This is my anniversary party.""
Renee looked at the banner hanging above the patio.
Twenty years.
She remembered the day they bought their first house. The small apartment where they had celebrated their wedding with supermarket cake. The nights Lionel had worked overtime.
She remembered believing every sacrifice had been for the same family.
"You're right," she said.
Lionel looked relieved.
Then Renee continued.
"This is your anniversary party. So enjoy explaining to everyone why your daughter has to beg for tuition money while another woman's son drives a truck you bought.""
A cousin quietly put down his plate.
Someone whispered, "Oh my God.""
Lionel's face turned red.
"You're letting people disrespect me in my own house.""
Renee shook her head.
"No, Lionel. They're finally seeing you without the story you tell them.""
She took Jada's hand.
"Get your purse.""
Jada reached for her bag.
As they walked toward the back door, Beverly called after them.
"Renee, wait!""
Renee stopped but didn't turn.
Beverly approached slowly.
"There is something else you should know.""
Lionel's expression changed.
"Beverly.""
His sister ignored him.
"The woman in Westerville isn't just some woman he met recently.""
Renee turned.
"Who is she?""
Beverly glanced toward Lionel.
"Her name is Tasha.""
Renee repeated the name silently.
Then Beverly added:
"And she's been telling people Lionel promised to marry her.""
Lionel stepped forward.
"That's a lie.""
Beverly shook her head.
"Then why did you give her a copy of your wedding ring receipt?""
Renee looked down at her own hand.
Her anniversary ring suddenly felt heavier.
She turned toward her husband.
"Why would another woman have a receipt for my ring?""
Lionel said nothing.
And for the first time in twenty years, Renee walked into her house without waiting for him to follow.
But when she opened her phone that evening, a message from an unknown number was waiting.
It contained one photograph.
Lionel standing beside Tasha in front of a courthouse.
The date on the photograph was from eleven months earlier.
May you like
And beneath it were six words:
*Ask your husband what happened that day.*
