41: Help You, Not Hurt You

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Dejounte Murray

"DJ, you need to eat." My mother said, placing a tray in front of me. I stared down at it then back at the white wall before me. "Please," she pleaded and I shot her a dirty look. "You're withering away into nothing."

"I am nothing." I snapped, "I have nothing left to offer this world so if I gotta wither away, let me wither in peace." I threw the tray onto the floor and continued staring at the wall before me. I hated looking anywhere else; I'd only look through the window when it rained, apart from that I hated looking out there. I didn't want to watch the tv or get on social media because I was still the topic of discussion, articles praying I'd make a comeback that they knew was near impossible. I was lucky enough to have set up a private medical room in my New York home because I was going crazy in that hospital, the preppy nurses and arrogant doctors that tried to get my spirits up. I just hated all of it.

I swear to God, I only wanted to recover just to get revenge on the nigga that did this to me. I didn't even give in a statement because I had other plans. Not only was I going to take back what was his, I was going to make him regret ever placing his hands on me. If I lost my career at the end of this, he was sure to lose his life. Yes, I may be big now, but best believe; I came from a place just as, if not tougher than this city and if I had to bring back my roots, I'd be ready and willing.

As my mother knelt by my bed to clean up the mess, I watched the door open and Renee came through, her face buried in her phone as she texted away. That's pretty much all she did nowadays, text, take snaps to show that she was here, then take my card and dip to the mall or something. I didn't care, I didn't even want her around me, to be quite honest.

Renee looked up and popped her gum. "How you feeling babe?" she asked and as usual, I didn't bother to answer. "Hi Mrs. Murray." She waved. "What are you doing down there?"

"Cleaning up this mess."

"He didn't want to eat, again?"

"Unfortunately, not."

"Is he talking at least?"

"A few words just now but apart from that, nope." My mom stood up and placed the food into the garbage then sighed. Renee leaned over and placed a kiss upon my cheek. "I missed you," she said, rubbing that same cheek with the back of her thumb. "I got you a few things at the mall today, like some new sweat suits and shoes that I knew you'd love." She said exposing the shopping bags that I hadn't noticed her come in with. As Renee placed them on top of the bed, I couldn't help but notice that both of her rings that I had paid an arm and a leg for, were missing from he ring finger. Not to mention the fact that she was wearing a whole different outfit than she had left the house in, this one wasn't one of the fancy boutique ones I was used to; she was rocking a pair of tights and a t-shirt too big to be her, her messy hair fell around her face, which she normally hated.

My brows furrowed as I examined her some more, before I leaned forward catching her off guard. My mother was too busy doing some cleaning to notice, but I moved her hair over to the side and placed my hand against her cheek, Renee smiled up at me but her eyes were filled with fear. As I ran my hand down to her neck, then to the neck of the shirt she pulled away before I could see what she obviously, was hiding. "Oh, and I also got you this massager!" her voice shook as she dug through one of the bags.

Eventually the door opened up once again, this time Nadia came busting through it with her phone against her ear, she nodded as whoever it was on the other end; spoke to her in a very loud tone.

"Alright, sounds good to me. Thank you once again for all your help." She said as she hung up the phone and threw it onto the night table next to me. Nadia placed her hands against her waist and sighed. "How's he?" she asked my mom.

"I'm not sure," she shrugged again. "Still not talking as he should."

"I see, but I'm going to need you to speak up because this is business." she ran her hand against the side of her face. "I need to know, are you ready to give the police your statement?" she asked. "Because they're ringing down my phone."

"Like I said before, I don't remember what happened." I said, without looking in her direction.

"Dejounte" she rubbed her forehead. "Can you please just work with me here?"

"I said what I said."

"You know he went through trauma from the attack. I'm sure that once he gets settled and used to his meds, it should all come back to him." My mother said in my defense. "Right now, he doesn't need the stress from the police. They can wait."

"Yes, but I can't!" Nadia said aggressively, shaking her head in frustration. "I'm sorry but this hard witnessing. Dejounte was my first ever athlete that trusted me with his career, I can't bare to sit here and just watch it shatter into nothing."

"Nadia, listen to Mrs. Murray, she just said he needs time." Renee spoke up as well. "It's unfair for you to ask him to replay those gruesome details right now, he needs to recovery and revisiting that won't help right now."

"And what's the rush anyways..." my mother asked, raising her brow.

Nadia folded her arms and began to pace as everyone now had her attention, including me. I looked up at her and the moment our eyes met, I knew she was going to say something that I didn't want anyone else to know. Like I said before, this was my revenge and I didn't want the stupid ass police to have it before I did. "Ma, Renee, clear the room." I said as I reached over to the remote by my bed, using it to lift my back up a bit.

"Pardon me?" my mother said. "Anything you two have to talk about should include me. I am as much involved in your career as she is."

"Ma. Clear. The. Room." I said once more, then shot Renee a look, she nodded then left without any hesitation. My mom however sucked her teeth and took her time, picking up unnecessary things before she finally left. "Lock that door." I told Nadia, her heels clicked against my wooden floor as she did as I said. Once she was done, she walked back over to my bed side and took a seat, crossing her leg over her thigh. "You know."

"I know."

"How? I've seen the news coverage; the footage was tampered with and there's no evidence as to who it was."

"That's what the news says, but I have connections which you should know by now."

"Enlighten me."

"I told you this girl was bad news from the jump, right?" she asked, playing with the rings on her finger.

"It wasn't her Nadia," I chuckled. "Although, it should've been for the things that I said, I can truly testify over my mother's life that it wasn't her."

"I'm aware but it was her little hoodlum of a boyfriend and you don't have to confirm or swear on anything that it isn't because I am 100% sure that it was him."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Connections, like I said."

"I would like to know who those connections are and where were they before this whole thing happened? If they are your connections, why didn't they help me? Why am I laying in this bed, unable to do a damn thing for myself if you had a whole connection there the whole time?"

"Listen, I understand you're upset."

"Furious."

"Furious, but this individual only knew of what happened, after it happened. When Myles left you for dead, he ordered my connection to erase the footage, he did so but also kept the original on a whole other file for me to have." She reached into her pocket and held up a USB. "He also was the one, that saved your life. Believe it or not." She said, handing the USB to me.

"So, your connection was working for... or with Myles?"

"Something like that."

"Like a double agent."

"For lack of a better word."

"Who?"

"Israel Dulaney." She said, grabbing her phone and typing something in, a few moments later she pulled up a picture of him with Monet at the club before the shooting happened. "Like I said before, I knew I couldn't trust her or her intentions. I needed to the inside scoop, so not only did I take her under my wing and become her manager. I made an offer to someone on the inside to keep an eye on things and report back to me. You were losing your focus and I wanted you to see that she was messing not only with your game but with your head. Look where you are now, laid up in a bed, injured to a major extent when you should be on the court. I knew that I couldn't trust her, as far as I'm concerned, she used you to create a name for herself even using this whole pregnancy scam, then she climbed to the top of the social ladder and left you for dea-."

"Wait, wait... wait." My brows knitted together as everything she said began to come together. "You started managing her, when?"

"Not too long ago, as soon as she got the offer and came down here to train, her father reached out to me and I took it as an opportunity to get close and figure out if I was wrong about her. Obviously, I was right since you're in the predicament that you're in."

"Hold on, back up.... so, if you were managing her." my eyes squinted, "that means you sent me the email about the restraining order and the miscarriage..."

Nadia threw her hands up, defensively. "I kept it professional, she wanted me to send an email so I did."

"Does she know you manage me as well?"

"Of course not, which is why I chose to keep it professional Dejounte. I wanted to show you how she was ruining the career that you, your mother and I, worked so hard to perfect. You had this whole blackmail thing going on with Renee, Monet's drama isn't what you needed. I thought I'd be able to show you her true colors before things got this bad."

I shook my head and twirled the USB between my fingers. "So, this whole time that I've been trying to find a way to reach out to her, you had it and chose not to share it with me. You knew she was carrying my child and that I have the morals to be there for her, yet you chose to hide it from me."

"Dejounte! Pay attention." She clapped. "Do you not see what she did to you?"

"She didn't do this to me, you know it. This was done because I said things that could've been avoided if you allowed me to speak to her once you had a way of contact. That nigga took it to a whole other level but she is innocent and you know it. Monet never asked for a single thing from me, she built a career based on her skill not based on me, no way would Monet try to hurt me, her heart is too pure for that and if you opened your eyes since you obviously had the chance to stay close to her, you would've noticed."

"Listen, you're obviously in your feelings and the meds must be getting to you. You're a married man at the end of the day so let's get back on topic, I'm just here to let you know that in order to give you the justice you deserve, I want your permission and your statement, I'd like to send that in to the police. Right now, they have him in custody due to him being a possible accomplice during the club shooting. This right here is the icing on the cake to get him charged, this is clear, cut evidence showing both her and him before you were attacked. They need to go down for this."

"For the last time Nadia, she had nothing to do with this, can we please just give it a rest. Him and I got into it, he got the upper hand and beat me fairly. If I want revenge, I will do so as a man, not no snitch."

"Revenge as a man? Elaborate."

"Yes, I'll meet him in the streets when I'm ready."

"You're definitely losing it." she chuckled and rubbed her temples. "Look, I just need your statement so I can put him away for what he did to you. With her being involved the most that will happen is that she'll use her sponsorships and possibly get kicked out of the Olympics which is only fair being as you too, are left in the same boat." She spoke, using her hands. "You deserve this, they need to pay for doing this to you."

"Nadia, like I said before... as far as the police are concerned. I don't remember a thing." I leaned over and dropped the USB into a cup of water that sat on the night stand. "As far as him paying for what he did to me, he will be doing so, soon."

"Dejounte, you really don't understand... I'm not just pushing this for you, I'm pushing this for us. You were my first and it pains me to see you in this condition." She stood up, "I don't know what you expect? Me to just sit back and watch you suffer while they live their little successful lives?"

"Monet deserves everything she has worked for, iight? I messed up, I opened my mouth. I don't see why ruining her career is even in the picture. With me being sick in bed, I can't even offer you anything, she's your client. Do what you do best and make her as big as possible, secure your bag. Don't fumble it, worrying about getting revenge that won't benefit any of us."

"Speak for yourself." I heard someone say from the door, my eyes rolled at the sound of my mom's voice. "It will benefit me to see her and her family suffer as much as we are right now."

"Ma, please. This is a business conversation that you have no business being in."

"As far as I'm concerned, I managed you before Nadia, I deserve to know what is going on, especially this." She walked towards me and Renee followed close behind.

"Ma...." I groaned, now feeling pain from the stress.

"Her getting the inside scoop and placing an inside man was my idea and I don't regret a single thing. Just as I thought, she was bad news, she's the reason we are going through this and I am happy that I can now hold this over her head."

"We aren't holding nothing cause I am not giving a statement."

"You don't have to," she held her hand out and Nadia handed her, her phone she held it up to me, displaying that the conversation between us was being recorded. "A little editing and the statement will be as believable as possible."

"What the hell?" I grunted, "what the hell is this going to do for us?"

"Like I said before, I need her to feel what you're feeling. I warned you, but for some reason you just don't seem to listen."

"Monet had not-."

"She had everything to do with it! What part of that don't you understand! The stress, the drama, distracting you from your career, getting pregnant with that little demon baby that probably aint even yours! You've been losing sponsorships and deals for being a dead beat! Now this, she is nothing but pure complete trouble and I feel no regret allowing her to feel your pain at this point in time." My mom pursed her lips, "she ruined your career, so I'm about to ruin hers." I watched her walk around to one of the chairs, taking a seat as she replayed the recording out loud. I was in such disbelief, I looked at Nadia who just shook her head at me, Renee seemed to be as surprised as me.

"You know what?" I smirked, if I could've gotten up, I would've socked the both of them. "You're fired." I said to Nadia.

"Don't listen to him." My mother said, waving me off.

"Trust me, I'm not. Aint no way I'm going to let a crippled man try and fire me. Not to mention the fact that I have access to all his money, that would be silly of him." She chuckled. I leaned over to grab my phone but she did instead and slipped it into her pocket. "Anyways, I have some things to handle. Please, keep me posted Mrs. Murray." She walked over to the door then spun on her heels and blew a kiss at me. "Goodbye Dejounte, consider this as me notifying you that I will be taking a vacation for the next couple of weeks. After all, my work here is done."

"Fuck you." I smiled, flipping her off. "You have access to nothing. Take that vacation and don't come back. Your career is over, I'll be sure to tarnish your name for the filth it is. You'll never be able to work a day in this field after I'm done with you."

"I would, but being as you're my brother in law... that wouldn't be nice. Right sis?" she said walking over to Renee, kissing her on her cheek. Renee glanced at me, then looked down at her feet. "You look shook? Why you finally see the resemblance that was right before your face all along?"

I squinted, trying to shake away the reality that set before me. What the hell was happening?

"So, go ahead and fire me. I dare you. All I know is that you messed around and forget to sign a prenup, oh yeah... how could I forget that you were too high to remember that you were getting married? So that leaves me with half of your earnings... right?" she placed her finger against her lip pretending to be thinking, before she chuckled. "Know what else is funny since she's now carrying your seed, you know how much more I can take from you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "Don't ever, try to threaten my career again. Especially when I did nothing but help you from the jump." She smiled again. "You may understand now, but trust me... I'm doing this to help you, not to hurt you. She's done enough damage and it's only right." I watched her wave and laugh as she walked out of the door.

"Posted!" my mother said, clapping her hands together.

Still in shock, I looked over at Renee who just stood there quietly, she placed her hair behind her ear and took a few moments before she made her exit as well. How was I blinded to the fact that every single person around me was a snake?

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