Get off of Dasani and her name. Lmao. That was the first thing that came to mind and I like the way it sounds.

I haven't edited this yet.
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"You bust the windows out my car, fuck you. Jazmine Sullivan attitude witcho Jimmy Choos, getting ' rude."

FLASHBACK
*
*
*
Omniscient

Victoria didn't know what to do anymore.

Her baby girl had been gone for a few months and she had nobody else. Her fear of rejection and judgement was keeping her away from her own family.

James was out in the streets much more since Jasmine passed and it was like he didn't really care.

A few months before, James failed a random drug test, lost his job at the tech company, and decided to slang dope full time.

Although the money was nice, Victoria desired the true love and affection from James that was present in the beginning of their relationship.

She was finally losing faith in this so called relationship.

It was unfortunate because Victoria likes to be in serious relationships that actually led to something, not a situationship where the couple wore matching clothes and took pictures to look cute for social media.

"I'm taking you to dinner tonight."

"I'd rather stay in," she replied blandly, without looking up from her phone where she was reading a book on Wattpad.

"Damn, just let me take you out, Victoria. I know we ain't been on the same page lately, but I love you and I want us to work."

Victoria rolled her eyes and then looked up at James whose eyes held what seemed to be hope and passion.

Analyzing him for a short amount of time, Victoria sighed before locking her phone and getting up to put on clothes. She was gonna go shopping to get out the house and add to her shoe collection.

"Here."

"I got my own money, James," Victoria declined his black card in a somber tone, walking to the closet to put on some shoes.

*

Meet me at the shop in about an hour. Dress nice.

Victoria read the message and then twisted her lips to the side. She didn't have any clients until Tuesday, which was three days away, so she wondered why the owner of the shop was telling her to come up there on her off day.

Looking down at her outfit, Victoria decided that she needed to go back in the house and change her clothes. She was not dressed to impress in grey joggers, Taxi's, with a matching t shirt, and a denim jacket.

Exhaling a deep breath, Victoria took the keys out of the ignition before getting out, locking the car, and proceeding back up the steps to her and James' two bedroom condo.

"What to wear, what to wear?" She spoke, eying the many clothes that were hung up in her closet.

Her eyes landed on a pair of brown Jimmy Choo platform heels that had a gold buckle and visible black stitching. After picking them up off of the shoe shelf, Victoria scanned the hangers before taking down a knee length, black, long sleeved dress that had a low back.

Coming out of the closet, Victoria went to her jewelry box and pulled out gold accessories and decided to put her hair into a nice and simple bun once she got out of the shower.

*

When she walked into the shop, everyone looked her way and began clapping and congratulating Victoria.

She stopped in her tracks, furrowing her eyebrows and glancing around the now decorated beauty salon. There were congratulation balloons everywhere, along with well dressed stylists and their clients, a banner, and a dessert table.

"Thank you all," she spoke with a smile, "but what's going on?"

"I called you here because I'm leaving all this to you," Mrs. Janice spoke, making Victoria's eyes widen.

Mrs. Janice, the owner, was a woman who was almost 60 and knew how to do some hair. For a few months, she'd been talking about retiring so she could travel, but Victoria wasn't expecting it to be this soon.

And even though she'd been working for her since before she graduated high school, Victoria never thought that Mrs. Janice would leave her shop with her.

"Mrs. Janice-"

"Don't argue with me. I trust you, and you know my daughter wants nothing to do with me. I have faith that you won't let this place go to ruins."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Let's just go review these contracts with the lawyer so I can catch my flight."

Victoria followed Mrs. Janice to her office, feeling shocked and thankful at the same time.

*

Victoria was able to leave make it out of the shop much earlier than planned because the owner stayed and did her hair after their meeting. If she hadn't, Victoria might have been there for at least two additional hours because the only other person that she trusted in her head had a few more clients.

Pulling into their complex, Victoria could've sworn she saw Shuntae's car parked in one of the visitors' spots. However, she labeled it as a coincidence since the type of car that Shuntae had was common.

Mentally reminding herself to get gas before going to the shop the following morning, Victoria grabbed her shopping bags out the backseat of her car and went upstairs to get ready for dinner with James.

"I know this motherfucker ain't," Victoria mumbled as she unlocked the door to their condo, hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

She always feared that while being faithful to a man, he would cheat on her. Her day went from great to horrible when she peeked through the crack of their bedroom door and saw Shuntae riding the hell out of James.

Loyalty don't mean a damn thing, obviously.

Without making a sound, Victoria slid out of her Jimmy Choo's and walked the short distance to get the metal baseball bat from the hall closet.

Shuntae let out an ear piercing scream as she feel from on top and to the side of James, moaning and groaning at the pain in her side from the metal bat. There was already a bruise forming on her light brown skin.

The two of them stared up at Victoria in shock that she caught them in the act.

"Having fun," she questioned, strongly resisting the urge to break down and cry.

Even though she should've walked away a long time before this even happened, James cheating on her in their bed was the straw on the camel's back.

"Y-you wasn't supposed to be home this early," James stuttered, trying his best to cover his unprotected piece with a pillow.

"You right. But I'm glad I did get here to see the show." Victoria smirked at the pair who was staring back and forth between her and the bat, anticipating her next move.

Suddenly, Victoria swung the bat as hard as she could, almost hitting James in the face but he moved in time for it to hit his shoulder.

Shuntae scrambled for her clothes as Victoria continued to beat James with the bat and he yelled for her to stop.

"Where you going, bitch," Victoria asked when Shuntae tried to run out of the room.

Before she could, Victoria grabbed her by her weave, slinging her to the ground and hitting her with the bat too.

Damn, gotta tighten up with the thread. Victoria thought as she threw one of Shuntae's tracks that had came out, on the floor.

"I can't believe y'all mothafuckers," Victoria mumbled when she finally got tired of assaulting them.

Walking to the closet, she got two suitcases and gathered everything that she could in the next two minutes.

When she walked out of the room she grabbed the bat so that she could finish her destruction.

"You crazy bitch," Shuntae exclaimed from her car.

"You talking a lot of shit from across the parking lot," Victoria laughed, putting her suitcases, shoes, and purse in the car before changing into a pair of AirMax that she had in the trunk.

"Wait! What are-"

James didn't get to finish his sentence before Victoria started busting his windows and beating his car with the metal bat. When he tried to touch her, she hit him with the bat, breaking his arm instantly.

Being careful of the glass, Victoria opened the door of his car and reached into the glove department, getting out the switch blade that James kept in there and beginning to slice his tires and seats.

When she was done, she walked away, wiping her eyes clear of tears and wiping her hands with the situation at hand.

She would probably get charges for fucking up his car, but she could care less. Victoria was hurt and fed up.

"You ain't gone ever find another nigga like me," James yelled, being consoled by a hysterical Shuntae.

Victoria smacked her lips at the sight, wondering how long she had been tightening the bitch's tracks so James could pull them loose again.

"That's the goal, bitch," Victoria spoke with her middle finger pointed out of the window of her car.

As she drove, Victoria tried to keep emotions together but she couldn't. The hour ride turned into an hour and forty five minutes because she would rather pull over to collect herself than risk her life.

Victoria constantly asked herself what she did wrong to go through all this stuff.

Somewhere in the midst of the self interrogation, Victoria was reminded about what she learned all throughout her life in church.

God will not put more on me than I can bear.

Victoria nodded her head, remembering the scripture that she's been saying since she could talk.
*

Pulling into the circular driveway of her parents' home, Victoria said a silent prayer before taking the key out of the ignition, getting out of her car, and locking up.

On the way to the door, Victoria's body shook from her being so dehydrated since she cried during the entire ride. She knew that this was gonna either go one way or another.

Victor had just came down the stairs and was walking to the kitchen to get something to eat when the doorbell rang.

He was shocked to see his oldest child standing on the porch with tears in her eyes. Victoria's hair was a mess and her knuckles were bloody, letting Victor know that she'd done some damage.

The father and daughter stood staring at one another for a few minutes, analyzing three years worth of change, before Victor opened his arms.

Victoria immediately ran into her father's arms, missing the feeling of his hugs and genuine affection.

"I'm so sorry," she spoke up.

Victor simply kissed the top of her head and led her into the home.

A few days later, Victoria sent a few of her male cousins to get her things from the condo. Although she told them not to, they roughed James up in the process.

Lesson learned. was her attitude during her recovering stage.

She would never allow another man to treat her like James did. Victoria meant that.

She was stronger and on the road to better things.

*
*
*

Kareem

"So that you don't lose business in the process, it's best that we start from scratch. At the least, we talking a good 100,000 dollars for the two story building that you want."

Victoria scratched her head and nodded, leaning back in her seat. I could sense her getting stressed out and I didn't understand why.

Her, my contractor, Pete, and I were sitting inside of this Seafood restaurant discussing the plans for this shop she wanted to get built.

Victoria, being the considerate person that she is, wanted for all of the stylists in her shop to have closed off, private rooms. She said that some people have clients who are not comfortable with getting their hair done in front of a whole bunch of people.

Also, they usually had constant disagreements about the temperature of the shop.

I didn't say it, but I knew she was getting tired of the women in the beauty salon speaking to me before she got a chance to.

She's too damn stubborn for her own good.

"Sounds good. We can meet up in a few weeks to get contracts sorted out," Victoria spoke with a fake ass smile on her face.

I inwardly groaned because I knew what was to come.

Pete smiled politely before shaking Victoria's hand, dapping me up, and then leaving the restaurant.

I waved a waiter over since we were finally ready to order out food and get a refill on drinks. After our food came out, we ate in an uncomfortable silence.

I was chillin', but Victoria's uneasy demeanor was easy to notice.

*

"I don't want you to pay for it. I got it, Kareem."

I smacked my lips because I knew this shit was coming sooner or later. I ain't think it would be five minutes after we left, though.

"Well I know that you got your own money, Victoria. But you ain't about to sit here and fuck up your credit taking out loans and shit so you can pay for a building when I got the money collecting dust in the bank."

"I can get the money-"

"Of course you can," I nodded, reaching in my pocket for my wallet. Pulling out my wallet, I tried to hand her my black card but she just rolled her eyes and faced the window.

"Aight, this card gone get swiped whether you or me do it. I don't care about ya lil attitude."

She continued to ignore me, staring out the window.

I know them trees and cars ain't that damn entertaining.

When I pulled up at a red light, I used my right hand to grab her chin and turn her face towards me. She was pouting with her dramatic ass.

I furrowed my eyebrows and got in her face a little bit, "I got you, aight?"

"Yeah, Kareem," she replied after a few seconds.

She's still not all that comfortable with me helping her for shit, so I could only imagine how she felt about me paying at least 100,000 for her establishment.

Victoria was gonna have to deal with it though because that's just who I am.

"Gimmie kiss," I commanded, still holding her face in my hand.

She smirked at me before closing the space between us and kissing me. We weren't even a whole ten seconds in before the cars behind us started blowing their horns.

I stuck my left hand out the window with my middle finger in the air, waiting for a few more seconds until Victoria released from the kiss with a smirk on her face, telling me to go.

As soon as we pulled up to the house, Victoria got out the truck with her to-go box and purse, tryna rush and get in the house.

"Why you actin' like this? Yo ass must want some attention. You miss me, beautiful," I questioned with a wide grin on my face.

The both of us craved attention, but we were fine with being left alone for a little bit, as expected.

We grown and got money to make. The hell we look like laying up under each other all day?

Broke. That's what we would look like.

However, when we wanted attention, we would do lil petty shit to get it. That's exactly what Victoria was doing.

She ignored my questions, walking up the stairs, taunting me by swaying her wide hips.

"Oh, that's what you want," I licked my lips and nodded my head.

*

Smacking my lips, I rolled over from on my side and laid on back, reaching over to the nightstand to get one of the two phones that were ringing.

Victoria started mumbling something that I couldn't hear before rolling over, laying her bare skin on mine and putting her face in my neck.

She hated when I left in the middle of the night since she'd been staying over a hell of a lot more, but this is what I do.

I kissed her forehead and then slid from under her body and out of the bed. I watched as she rolled over on her stomach and hiked her right leg up like she always did when she slept alone, the black, silk sheet falling down and exposing her bare back.

Walking to the bathroom and turning on the light, I answered the phone and put it up to my ear.

"How much longer you gonna take, Reem," Kaseem questioned anxiously through the prepaid phone. Ion talk that type of business on the lil iPhone because that's a rookie move.

Tuning my face up, I took the phone from my ear, trying to figure out who the fuck this nigga was talking to.

After a few seconds of him saying hello over and over again, I put the phone back up.

"Nigga, who the fuck is the boss? Kareem mothafuckin' Thompson. I'll get there when I get there, and when I do, that shit better be spotless," I snapped into the phone before hanging up.

After taking a quick shower, brushing my teeth, and washing my face, I walked out of the bathroom, glancing at Victoria's sleeping frame.

As much as I wanted to lay back down and hold her beautiful ass in my arms, shit had to be done.

*

"I said I wanted this shit cleaned by the time I got here," I yelled as soon as I walked into the warehouse, instantly spotting some people who were acting like my shit didn't just get broken into.

Raising my gun, I shot either in the arm, leg, or side and then listening to their groans and moans of pain with a mug on my face.

I was tired as hell, causing me to be irritated, and then this shit, making me double irritated and making my tolerance hella low.

From what I could see, all the drugs and shit were still in place. There was just a lot of bullet holes and rubbish everywhere, letting me know that nothing was stolen.

One of the boys in who was sweeping stopped so I sent a hot one through his arm, making him groan in pain, "I ain't tell you to stop, nigga."

"Y'all got five or I'm shootin' everybody," I yelled, walking to the back where my office was, Kaseem following.

"Who did this," I questioned, running my hand down my face. I already had an idea of who it was though.

"James and his people," Kaseem stated immediately, running his tongue over his teeth and plopping down in the chair that sat in front of my desk.

He looked like he was ready to blow, and I was too.

Not only was I pissed that this nigga turned on me when I never flaked on him, but also because my people should've been posted up, prepared for shit like this.

I nodded my head at the information I'd just received, leaning back in my chair that sat behind the large cherry wood desk.

Just as I suspected, James has been