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It’s been a month since the wedding, and I’m still glowing.

From love, yes, but also, the sun.

Ace took me to Anguilla for our honeymoon, and when I tell you that man spent money like it grows on the trees in his backyard, I mean it. Private villa, private pool overlooking the ocean, spa treatments every morning, massages every night. Lobster, champagne, a jazz quartet playing us through dinner every evening. I didn’t touch a dish. I didn’t lift a finger.

It’s the life I always knew I deserved with the man I made my husband through sheer force of will.

Life is good.

Now we’re back home, settling into marital bliss. I quit Ordered Steps the minute we touched down at Hartsfield, like legit called Jonetta and told her I’m out. She was mad about the two weeks. Mad enough to call Tori and snitch on me. So, tomorrow’s my last day. Finishing out the two weeks was the least I could do, I guess. Actually, it was the most I could do. Fuck that school and them kids.

I’ll check on Aniya periodically, though. She lives ten minutes from the day care, and she takes dance classes about five minutes from her house. I think she’ll be alright, but part of me, way deep down, wants to make sure of that.

Ew. Maybe I’m getting soft.

I put away the groceries, leaving the salmon and risotto on the counter. The receipt falls on the floor, which is fitting, because I won’t be needing that. I rip it up and toss the pieces in the trash, then stick the ten dollar bill in my wallet.

Every time I shop for anything I can get cash back on, I’ll do it. I’m siphoning off my mad money, which I’ll deposit in my savings account every month. Ace takes good care of me now, but you have to always be prepared for a man to switch up on you. There’s no telling what he’ll be like in ten years. Five years, even. He already mentioned kids on the honeymoon. I had to laugh that off, but he didn’t see the humor.

I unwrap the salmon, rinse it, and place it on the cutting board. Dinner has to be hot and ready when my husband gets home. That’s my rule, not his. There are just some things I think I should be doing as a good wife. I cook. I fuck him. I suck him. I listen to his problems. Next week, I’ll go up to his office to have lunch with him so I can get a good look at his coworkers—and any potential problems, like women who are a little too friendly, or men who are a little too competitive. I already follow all of them on my burner account, but I need to see them up close. I need to feel their energy.

If I need to handle somebody over Ace, I will.

Ten toes down. Always.

The orcas are all under control now. I’m gonna reach out to Vanessa soon, though. She seems less horrible than the others. If I can get her on my side, it would be good for Ace. I want to gently advise her, and them, on how to move going forward. How they need to relate to my husband. How to treat him. How to love him the way he deserves to be loved. Because the war is over, I think. We're in the reconstruction era now, and I'm the president. If those assholes wanna be let back in the union, they got some fucking work to do.

Kamryn’s dead to me right now. The wine-guzzling cunt is very scarce, but I’m glad she at least called Ace after the wedding. For whatever reason, he loves the bitch.

Daddy Taylor? He's scared of me. As he should be. The second he gets out of line again, I’m telling his dried up wife how he tried to fuck me.

Okay, but…enough time has passed for me to acknowledge that the man has some real nice lips, and he knows how to use them. I was lowkey turned on when I kissed him that day. I could have fucked him. Probably should have, just for the fun of it.

But that’s neither here nor there.

All that matters now is that I have Ace all to myself.

Time to put the salmon in the oven. I have my GED course in an hour, so I’m on the clock.

That's going well. I have a solid plan for my future, I think.

I'm gonna become Brenda Malloy.

Ace is…weirdly encouraging of this. I was wary about telling him, assuming he'd think it was odd, but he's been so supportive. He even bought me a journal so I could take notes on her.

It's so amazing having a man who supports my dreams. And obsessions.

I check the clock again. Only thirty minutes until he comes home. It’s just enough time to dust off my ring light.

I set it up right in front of the back window where the natural light hits just right. My hair’s freshly done, nails done, face beat. Perfect look to reintroduce myself.

I prop my phone up, log back into my old account, and change my TikTok handle, smiling at my new and improved profile.

Ace doesn’t know. Why should he? That’s what being a wife is all about—keeping the peace by any means necessary. I’m gonna monetize every second of my new soft life. It won’t be negative like my old account. This will be all positive, all the time, and if Ace ever comes across it, I think he’ll appreciate how much I’ve changed, and that it’s all thanks to him.

You have to keep them on their toes, even after the rings go on.

I unblock Kamryn.

Truth be told, this is my victory lap. All I really wanted when this whole thing started was to punish her for what she said to me. Next time her raggedy ass comes to my page to pop shit, she’ll think twice about coming for her brother’s wife .

I can’t help but laugh to myself.

That’s some real getback, right there.

I sit back, smile, and hit Go Live.

“Hey, guys.” I wave, then turn my hand, flashing my diamond to the camera. “I’m back, and yes, that’s right. I’m a wife now.”

The comments explode.

“Y’all are so sweet,” I say, leaning in to read all of the well-wishes. “But first things first. My handle has changed. Going forward, you can call me Mrs. Taylor.”