Page 15 of Out of Bounds
I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. I didn’t feel like pretending that everything was all good. Nothing about what I’d found out, nor was the way my heart ached felt good. My husband had an outside child. That was the most unfathomable thing I’d ever experienced.
If Kreed had just cheated, I probably would’ve been able to forgive him for that moment of weakness. But a child—a child was the ultimate betrayal. A child wasn’t a moment of weakness, it was a forever thing. An outside baby would be a constant reminder of his infidelity if I continued my marriage to him. The shared birthdays, school events, child support—shit, the fucking co-parenting. It would all be a constant visual for my husband cheating on me and producing a child with someone other than me.
His child wasn’t something I could heal from and leave in the past. His son changed the foundation that we built. It altered thepicture-perfect persona that we had. I could forgive the cheating, but a baby was unforgivable. As much as I loved that man and never saw us splitting, this wasn’t something I could get over.
I was hurt and rightfully so. My tears were valid, and I was going to allow myself to sit in this discomfort until it was time for me to pick myself up and move on with my life. Because at some point, I would—I had to. I had five kids to take care of. Life didn’t stop moving when Kreed cheated and had an outside baby. My children were confused, but they still needed the structured lives I’ve given them.
The baby was a big part, but more than anything, like I told him, I was hurt because I thought we were good. His stepping out proved that we weren’t. Clearly, he wasn’t feeling fulfilled with me. I mean, he went and found ease in someone else. That was evident enough that I was no longer doing what he needed to be “good.”
Regardless, I was going to be okay. I’d been Masai Dolla, the wife of Kreed Dolla, for far too long. Maybe I’d gotten too comfortable in my position. Perhaps it was time for me to step out of my husband’s shadow and be Masai.
The banging on the front door jarred me from my thoughts. When I leaned up and peered out of the blinds, I blew out a deep breath. I’d told Kreed to leave his key and was praying that he hadn’t decided to double back. Untucking my foot, I stood and meandered to the front door. When I pulled it open, Jream and Koya were standing there staring at me with sympathy dancing in their eyes.
“Your mom called!” Koya blurted out.
Sighing dejectedly, I blink my eyes repeatedly. “What did she say?”
“The kids have been trying to call you. Neither you nor Kreed has answered the phone. Maddie Claire said her dad did something to make you cry,” Jream rattled off.
“I need to call my kids,” I mumbled and walked back to the living room. Koya and Jream eventually shut the front door after welcoming themselves inside the house.
“What’s going on, Masai?” Jream quizzed.
“Give me a second…” I dialed my mom’s number and ran my finger across my eyebrow.
My mom picked up the call in a huff. “Masai, are you okay? What’s going on with you and Kreed?”
“Mom, can I talk to Maddie?” I croaked out, feeling myself on the verge of crying again. I had to get myself together. The last thing I needed was for my baby to get upset.
“Yeah, I’ll get her.”
I heard shuffling in the background before my baby’s sweet voice sounded on the other end of the phone. “Mommy…” she said in a concerned tone. “Are you okay?”
I cleared my throat. “Hey, baby. I’m okay. Just tired.”
“Dad said you didn’t feel good.”
I rolled my eyes at that lie. Rather than telling the truth, I carried on. “I don’t. But I’ll be okay.”
“When are you coming to get us?”
“I, um… In a few days. I don’t want you guys to get sick.”
“Mommy, are you sure you’re okay?” she queried. “You don’t sound sick. Daddy said he was going to fix it.”
Pulling the phone down from my ear, I held it over my heart as silent tears seeped out of my eyes. I didn’t know how the hell I was going to reassure my children that all was well and that Mommy was only under the weather instead of sulking from a broken heart that their father caused.
Sensing that I needed help, Koya took the phone out of my hands. “Maddie Claire, it’s Auntie Koya. Me and Auntie Jream are here with your mom. I’ll have her call you back when she’s feeling better.” Koya gave me a sympathetic smile before adding,“Yes, baby girl… I promise. She loves you more. Okay. Bye-bye.” Once she ended the call, she handed the phone back to me.
“Thank you…”
“You know I got you. Wanna talk about it?” she asked.
“No…” I shook my head. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“You shouldn’t be,” Jream spoke up.
Tonguing my cheek, I huffed. “He has a baby with a bitch that he was cheating on me with.”
