Chapter 31: Watch me run it!

Hours on,

We agreed to meet in a small apartment he owned, he mentioned that he was being followed.

  "Eric what's up, you don't look good compared to the last time we met!" I figured out

He sighed heavily and continued calmly

  "Its crazy how things happen. You know I just wonder how you struggle trying to put in place stuff and people. Its sucks. How was it like back in the day?" 

  "How back in the day? A lot of bad stuff happened lately so.... Eric, is there something going on?" I looked at intensely. His face described it already, at least to some, I could when Eric is nervous and anxious about something, and I could tell everything is all good.

  "We are going through some slight issues, Ada and I."

  "Slight you say? She wouldn't cry on us if it were just slight. I know that girl" I paused as we both pondered in silence then I continued "You know I told you about that political thing, I knew it'd drift you away from your family. Its a whole lot of sacrifice....I'm sorry you had to go through this..." I tried to console him from whatever it was at that moment

He held my knuckles within a blink, my mind beeped to the abrupt action as he blurted

  "I cheated on my wife!" He was quivering 

  "Eric! Did you really do that?" I scolded coldly retrieving my knuckles

  "Danni, I messed up and I'm helpless about it.." Eric eyes welled up

  "Eric, this is not you. How dare you? Why did you do that? Ada was right then, I just can't believe you Eric, you'd never on cheat on anyone. What happened?" I asked countlessly

  "Just a lady from the campaign, she's been making advances at...." He began to explain, I unconsciously gave him a slap on behalf of Ada

  "Hit me all your want, I deserve it" He said

  "No, you should confess to Ada, tell her the truth, the whole of it." I requested

  "I can't. That's not even possible, promise me you won't. You'd wait for me to spill it. She's my wife, ok. Please?"  He requested

  "I know that she's happily married to you but she's also a friend and a sister to me, she was there when I had no one. Just make it snappy, whatever it is." I turned away folding my arms facing the window

  "Danni, promise me. I think I can confide in you that's why I told you. Please!" He pleaded

  "If she cheated on you would ask her to take her time before letting you know? Its crazy y'all have to go through this as well." Then I turned to him immediately with a slight frown settling on my face. I was disappointed, it felt like i was cheated on. I was hurt as well.

  "Get your wife back as soon as you can, she wants to file a divorce" I blurted out

  "Thank you, Danni. For being there!" He appreciated

He sighed instead then I continued

  "Someone once told me that us being Exes doesn't mean we can't care for each other. Fix it bro!" I turned to walk away then he called, I turned to him

  "Please for a while!" He said

  "Jordan and Jamal need me home a'ight, i got a child!" I explained

  "Jamal again. You always chose him over me!" He blurted

I stood silent wondering why he could say something like that so easily. I retreated

  "You got yo go to, Eric. Fix that too!" I told him then I walked away immediately, I could see how vulnerable he was, I left instead.

On the other side,

  "Its so difficult trying to swindle money from Carol, she's to calculative." She shrugged explaining to Bernard

  "You find a way, or I go over board exposing us, Mandy!" He scolded then taking down a glass of alcohol

  "Don't act like  doing this for us, for our son, Bernard."

  "I won't have my hands on that bastard you call son, ok?" 

  "That bastard is your son, Bernard. Don't play dummy!" She warned with a shrug

  "Hey? Let me remind you that you certainly have no right to talk to me that way! I feed your ass, ma'am! Get the money then we have a deal, I stay mute. Is that hard to do?" 

  "Hard to do? Its harder than you think! You can't sit here all day acting all stupid. Do you know what I go through everyday?" Mandy explained

He slapped her twice on both cheeks respectively

  "I don't care what you go through. That moment you screamed 'Uh, too good', you should have remembered that pleasure doesn't longer than usual. Do what you got to do, kill if you got to. Else its a No-No!" He warned

  "Bernard?" She called

She got used to his threats and beatings.

  "Don't you dare!" He warned again

Mandy took on a mission to kill Danielle and every other who intervened. Bernard got divorced with his wife after she had found out he was cheating on her With Mandy. Bernard knew he owned Brian, but taking responsibilities was a major problem, especially now that he has gone broke and had been long dismissed from work.

I couldn't tell Jamal about Eric and Ada just yet, I assumed it was best I kept it subtle for a moment. I didn't want him feeling bad or making him reminisce over forgotten memories, I decided to keep it to myself and not explosive.