RAH
 
 “Rahzan, can you tell us what happened that night? Start from the beginning.”
 
 Waiting for me, the detective that had introduced himself as Detective Monroe, took out a pen and pad from his coat jacket. His partner, Detective Roberson, stood next to him waiting for me to tell them what they needed to know. Now that they had lowered the dosage of my pain medication, I was being interviewed by the detectives on my case.
 
 “I wanted to have a civil conversation with her about co-parenting, that’s it, because her anger has been effecting my relationship with our kids,” I said humbly. “She’s been so upset with me about cheating on her.” I even managed to muster up a tear, but the tear wasn’t because I was telling the truth. It was because I wanted to get Solae back so bad that it was bringing a tear to my eyes.
 
 I went on with my charade as my mother stood beside me, rubbing my arm. “So, I met her at the house. We went inside. Iwas trying to apologize for the things that I’d done. She got so mad, though. She started screaming about me cheating on her and the child that I had on the side. She is so jealous of Aaliyah and Junior. And...I don’t know what got into her. She just... she lost her mind. I was telling her sorry, but I’ve moved on, and she was going to have to deal with it. Then she lost her shit...excuse my language.” Both of the detectives nodded and waved for me to go on. “But she wasn’t trying to hear me. She got so mad and she just...attacked me. She kept saying over and over again that she wished I was dead. It was crazy.”
 
 My mother and father were shaking their heads in disbelief. Detective Roberson was staring on as I wiped a loan tear from my eye. Detective Monroe had been scribbling down everything I said. I fought the urge to laugh at their stupid asses, but I mentally patted myself on the back for my believable acting skills.
 
 “She needs to pay for what she did to my son,” my father barked.
 
 Detective Roberson put a hand up, stopping my father’s rant. “Just one second, sir. We have more questions for Rahzan.” My father sat back with a sneer as Detective Roberson looked back at me, asking, “Rahzan, she said that you were beating her–”
 
 “She’s lying. I have never laid a hand on her,” I insisted. “Sheis the violent one. I suspected that she was abusing our son. Elijah is always breaking an arm or something. I tried to get her help, though. I made a report with DCFS, but they found no real evidence against her. So, I just hoped that maybe I was wrong. But she often attacked me. It was my fault, though. I admit that I was unfaithful–”
 
 “That doesn’t give her the damn right to try to kill you,” my mother hissed.
 
 I placed a loving hand on my mother’s hand, and told her, “Ma, calm down. She’s going to get what she deserves. Right, Detectives?”
 
 They both nodded as one said, “Right. She was charged with attempted murder. But she is currently out on bail–”
 
 “Wow,” my mother cut in, cringing.
 
 “But she has been ordered to stay away from you. If she ever comes into contact with you, call us, and she will be put in custody until the trial.”
 
 “What about my kids? How am I going to see them?” I asked.
 
 “I suggest you make some arrangements with the maternal grandparents, if possible, or file for joint or full custody with family court.”
 
 I nodded and the detectives excused themselves, saying that the prosecutor would most likely be in touch with further questions.
 
 As soon as the door closed, my father started to talk his shit. “She needs to pay for what she’s done.”
 
 “She is going to pay,” my mother insisted, still rubbing my arm. She was about to rub the skin off this motherfucker. “She will rot in jail for this.”
 
 My parents started to go back and forth, but I wasn’t listening. Though I was staring at the TV, I was plotting on a master plan. I was in agreement with my parents; Solae needed to pay. First, she burned my money up, and then she had the nerve to bring another man around my family and friends like I was some kinda sucker. Then, the broad had the balls to try to take me out. She had another thing coming if she thought she was going to get away with any of this. If getting the kids taken away from her hurt, she needed to watch outfor what I did next.
 
 I was willing to say whatever to ensure that she ended up in jail for this, and if she ended up in jail, she should consider it a blessing from God because I preferred to put her six feet deep!
 
 And Aaliyah was next. These bitches thought they had won, but I was still standing, still breathing, and still able to wreak havoc on them.
 
 SOLAE
 
 I winced while looking at the name flashing on my ringing cell phone.
 
 “It’s Priest again?” Kahlani asked.
 
 I looked over at her as she lay across the foot of the bed. Then, I pouted with a nod.
 
 “Answer the phone, Solae.”
 
 “I can’t talk to him. I don’t know what to say.”
 
 “Just tell him the truth.”
 
 “The truth?” I shook my head as I sat up in the bed with the covers wrapped around me. “Yeah, right. I’m supposed to say, ‘Hey, I haven’t been answering your calls because I got locked up for attempted murder’? Hell no!”