Page 31 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

Eboni Keep in Nzuri Hall

While at Pressure’s family home, I spent most of my time with his cousins, and we clicked instantly.

Lexyz, Zy’Lani, Marli, and Journi were cool as hell and easy to vibe with.

I didn’t know what I was expecting, but they wasn’t stuck-up or distant like I thought they might be.

They smoked, laughed, talked about men and money, and didn’t treat me like an outsider.

We were on the side of the mansion, away from the rest of the family and noise, sitting in a little circle under a patch of shade.

Zy’Lani passed me the blunt while Marli poured shots from a small pink flask she kept in her purse.

The smell of weed mixed with their perfume, and the vibe felt light, like we were all just girls hanging out on a random summer day.

Marli was talking about how she was tired of her boyfriend and ready to go back to being single. We all laughed and kept smoking, and for a minute, I forgot about all the bullshit I had been feeling lately.

Lexyz leaned in, her lashes fluttering. “So, Kash, how you and my cousin even meet? Pressure don’t never bring no woman home, except for one maybe. You must’ve did somethin’ special.”

I laughed, tapping the ash off the blunt. “Girl, he put out this ad talkin’ about he was lookin’ for a wife. I signed up with nineteen other women and ended up getting the ring.”

They all screamed and hollered, laughing like I just told them the wildest story they ever heard.

“Hold up,” Marli said, her eyes wide. “You mean to tell me he really did that competition thing for real? I thought that was just some rumor goin’ around on the internet.”

“No, it was real,” I said, chuckling. “I went through six weeks of hell in that house, but I guess it paid off.”

Journi clapped her hands. “Girl, that’s iconic. You literally won Pressure. You a legend.”

I laughed, but deep down I knew that statement wasn’t true.

The hours passed fast. We talked about hair, clothes, music, and our favorite vacations. They told me stories about family trips to Nzuri Hall and how Abeni always threw the biggest family events. Lexyz said, “Auntie Abeni love a reason to show off. You gon’ see. She do everything grand.”

When she said that, I smiled politely, but inside I thought, yeah, I’ve seen it.

By the time dinner came around, I was feeling good.

I had a nice buzz going, and the laughter from outside followed us as we headed back in.

The dining room was long and elegant, with gold chargers, white plates, and crystal glasses that sparkled under the light.

Kids were sitting at their own table, giggling and playing with their food, while the adults filled up the main table.

The chef had gone all out. There was roasted lamb, jerk chicken, garlic butter shrimp, baked salmon with lemon cream sauce, lobster mac, honey glazed carrots, collard greens, and roasted potatoes with herbs.

On one side of the table were platters of cornbread, deviled eggs, and garden salad.

The desserts sat off to the side, slices of sweet potato pie and little cheesecakes that looked too perfect to eat.

I sat next to Pressure, and he was in a good mood too, talking to his uncles about something that had him laughing.

Every time he smiled at me, I felt it in my chest. The whole room was alive with conversation.

Clinks of forks and glasses, the sound of old-school music playing low from the speakers, and laughter echoing from every direction.

Abeni sat at the head of the table beside Kojo, her wine glass in hand and her chin slightly lifted.

Everything about her screamed elegance and control.

Her makeup was flawless, her jewelry subtle but rich, and her voice smooth when she spoke.

Even when she laughed, it was soft, like she didn’t have to raise her tone for anybody to hear her.

I tried not to think about how cold she’d been earlier, and how fake her smile felt when I greeted her. Instead, I focused on the conversation, laughing when everyone else laughed, sipping my wine and pretending to be part of something I wasn’t sure I’d ever truly belong to.

When the maids came and started clearing plates, Abeni sat up straight at the head of the table beside her husband.

The table was full of chatter and clinking glasses until she set hers down and smiled faintly.

She tapped her ring against the table once and said, “May I have everyone’s attention, please. ”

The room fell silent almost instantly, and all eyes were on her.

She looked at Pressure, then at me. That small, rehearsed smile didn’t fade once. “I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate my son. As many of you know, Pressure is engaged. Soon, we’ll be celebrating his wedding, and I expect all of you to prepare for something grand.”

Everyone clapped, cheering and congratulating us. I smiled too, even though I could feel my nerves starting to stir. Being accepted by his family, and introduced as his fiancé in front of everybody made me feel good.

Then she looked right at me, and said this shit…

“And also, I’m going to be a grandmother.”

The room went quiet for a split second before the noise exploded again. Everybody was talking at once, clapping, congratulating me, and telling me how happy they were. I sat frozen in my chair, shocked and feeling like I had been slapped across the face.

“Congratulations,” Aunt Nova said to me. “You’re glowing already.”

Abeni didn’t say a word to correct them. The bitch didn’t even flinch. She just sat there sipping her wine, watching the chaos unfold with a glare in her eyes that told me she knew exactly what she was doing.

Pressure smiled awkwardly, getting handshakes from his uncles and pats on the back. He didn’t even try to correct her. He just let them think I was the one carrying his baby.

I felt my stomach twist, my chest tighten, and my whole body heat up. I could barely hear anything over the sound of my pulse.

That woman knew exactly what she was doing.

That was when something in me broke.

When the table finally settled, I placed my napkin down and stood up slowly. “Excuse me,” I said with a polite smile. “I need to step out for a second.”

Abeni’s eyes met mine for a brief moment, and I swore I saw the satisfaction in them. She knew she had humiliated me, and she didn’t give not one fuck.

I walked through the house, holding in everything I wanted to say, and made my way outside to the car. Soon as I sat down, I exhaled hard, my chest rising and falling fast. My hands were shaking, and I could feel the heat crawling up the back of my neck. My entire body was trembling with anger.

That bitch had the nerve to sit there and humiliate me in front of everyone.

I pulled out my phone and texted Pressure.

Me: I’m outside. I’m ready to go.

A few seconds later, he replied.

Pressure: Aight. Let me tell my people bye. I’ll be out in a minute.

A minute turned into twenty. By the time he finally walked out, I was one wrong word away from snapping. He got in the car, glanced at me, and sighed.

“I ain’t know she was gon’ do that,” he said.

I turned my head and stared at him, my voice calm but heavy. “You should’ve checked her.”

He ran a hand over his face. “Kash, my family was gon’ find out anyway. She just beat me to it.”

“That’s not the point,” I said, my tone sharper now. “If they was gon’ find out, fine, but not like that. Not in front of everybody.”

He started the car but didn’t respond right away. I could tell he didn’t want to argue, but silence only made me angrier. I sat back in the seat, crossing my arms tighter, trying to keep myself from crying or screaming.

All I could think about was Abeni’s smug face and how much I hated her in that moment.

Not just disliked her—hated her. She thought she could say whatever she wanted whenever she wanted, and I wasn’t going to do anything.

And what made the fuckin’ shit worse was that she knew exactly what she was doing.

She wanted me to feel small, and she succeeded.

But at the same muthafuckin’ time, she had no idea who the fuck she was playing with.

Something in me shifted. I didn’t just dislike Abeni anymore. I despised her, and if she kept pushing me, she was going to see a side of me she never expected, because no matter how royal or rich this bitch was, she bled just like everybody else.

And I was done playing nice…

The drive back to the mansion felt long. When we finally pulled up, I didn’t even wait for Pressure to open my door. I got out and walked inside, not saying a word.

Later that night, I laid in bed wide awake, staring at the ceiling while he showered. My mind kept replaying everything over and over from the laughter, the claps and the way Abeni’s face didn’t move an inch while I sat there dying inside.

When Pressure came to bed, he reached for me like he always did, but I turned on my side, facing the other way. He still pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my waist, but I didn’t move.

I wanted to love him. I really did, but it was hard when every part of his life made me feel like I was losing mine.

But I knew one thing for sure…

After tonight, I’d never look at his mama the same again.

The following day…

Even though I now had this resentment for Pressure’s mama, there was something about wanting her approval that kept eating at me.

I could not explain it. It made no sense to hate somebody but still want them to like you at the same time.

That woman had embarrassed me in front of her whole damn family, yet here I was wishing she would accept me.

I kept thinking that if she could just look past what Pressure did and see me for who I really was, things would be different.

I wanted her to know that I was good for her son, and that I could hold my own next to him, and I wasn’t just some girl he picked out of a group.