Page 57

"Tyrone," I said, knowing he could hear the absolute frustration in my voice, "you could have told me your reasoning by now. I just don’t understand why we have to go through these changes, when we have an agreement."
"Yes, Avonte, we do have an agreement. And if you had taken the time to actually read the agreement, you would already know the answer to your question."
"What is that supposed to mean, Tyrone?"
"Exactly what I said. If you had bothered to read the agreement that you signed before you signed it, or at any other time since then, you would know why you won’t be getting any money from me this month, or any other month."
"Tyrone, this is stupid. Why don’t you just go ahead and tell me?"
"Because making you squirm is so much sweeter."
"You always could be a bastard when you wanted to."
"And you always were a dumb bitch, Avonte."
"Fuck you."
"Yeah, fuck you, too. But you still aren’t getting one thin dime from me, and that makes you a dumb bitch."
"You know what—it doesn’t even matter. Why don’t I just have my lawyer give you a call, ’cause I don’t have to sit and listen to you call me a dumb bitch. ’Cause the only dumb-bitch move I made was marrying you."
"No, Avonte. You made two dumb-bitch moves. The first was signing that prenup without reading it."
"You keep saying that, so why don’t you just tell me what it says?"
"Meet me at Shooters tonight and I’ll tell you."
"No, Tyrone, I already told you, I have plans."
"Yeah, I keep forgetting what a social butterfly you are. So who’s it gonna be tonight?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, but I figured that he knew I was dating, and didn’t like it.
"Who’s it gonna be tonight, Avonte; Devin or Qianna?"
"What?" I said, in total shock that he knew their names.
"Which one are you gonna fuck tonight? Are you gonna fuck Devin James or Qianna? Not sure what her last name is. Or if that’s even her name."
"Have you been spying on me?"
"Yes. Well not me personally, but yes."
"You have no right."
"I have every right. You are still my wife."
"I don’t know who your sources are, but Mr. James and I are just friends, and even if there was something between us, it is no concern of yours—especially after you and your blonde whore."
"See, Avonte, that’s what makes you a dumb bitch. Who you see and what you do is my concern."
"What makes you think so?"
"Because you are still my wife; and if you had read that prenup, you’d know that by becoming involved with these individuals, you have violated the terms of the agreement, and that has the effect of making the terms of the agreement null and void," Tyrone said, laughing heartily.
"You really are a bastard, Tyrone."
"And you are such a dumb bitch, Avonte."