Chapter 3

Over the next few days, Bernice and Mark were out from morning to night, and I had no idea what they were up to.

Maybe Valerie said something to Bernice when I wasn't around, because suddenly she wasn't nearly as mean to me as before.

If they wanted to crash here, fine. As long as it didn't mess with things between Valerie and me, I didn't really mind helping them out.

That was just me, too nice for my own good. Back then, I started dating Valerie because I saw that same kindness in her.

She and I believed that if we were genuinely good to people, they'd treat us the same. It turned out we were wrong about how the world worked.

It took me some time to see that the nicer you acted, the more people assumed they could just step on you.

About a month later, I came home from a grocery run and heard Bernice talking trash about me again. This time, I bit back my anger and stayed out of sight near the entryway, determined to listen to every word.

What I heard knocked the breath out of me. She actually tried to convince Valerie to put our apartment up as collateral so Mark could get a loan to start his business!

Sure, I wasn't hurting for property, but that didn't mean anyone could just set their sights on mine.

At first, Valerie told her no, but Bernice kept wearing her down until even Valerie started sounding unsure.

By then, I knew Bernice was nothing but trouble in my place. If I didn't use this chance to kick her out, there was no telling how much worse it would get.

I knew I was supposed to stay calm when things got tense, but with my chest on fire, only an idiot would stay quiet.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I yelled, storming toward them.

They both jumped, but Bernice recovered first. "Why are you eavesdropping on us?"

"You expect me not to listen in? If I hadn't, you'd already be halfway to selling my apartment!"

Bernice snorted. "So, you heard everything. Then there's no point pretending anymore."

She spread her hands. "Mark needs capital to start his business. There's no way around it. If you mortgage the apartment now and loan us the money, maybe when he makes it big, he'll even look out for you."

I shut it down on the spot. "Not happening! Mark needs money, so we're supposed to risk the place Val and I live in? So if he makes a profit, it's all for you two, but if he tanks, we're the ones who lose everything? Real convenient for you!"

I struck right where she didn't want me to, and her face lost all color.

"Listen to yourself. You're acting as if we'd never pay you back! It's just an apartment. Once Mark starts making real money, he'll pay every cent. Or are you just so petty you can't handle someone else trying to get ahead?"

Bernice realized she wasn't getting anywhere with me, so she went straight for Valerie. "Val, tell me I'm wrong. Look at him. He stays home every day. Does that look like a real man to you?

"Other men are out there working, hustling, doing something. And him? He's young, and he still just lies around. How's someone like that supposed to handle real responsibilities? And think about the future.

"When you have kids, what are they supposed to say about their dad? That he's unemployed? That he lives off his wife?"

Valerie looked ready to fight back, but when Bernice got to that last part, she just opened her mouth and swallowed it all back down.

The second I caught that flicker of doubt on her face, something in me iced over, and I didn't feel like saying anything anymore.

I might not have been clocking in anywhere, but day after day, I was making money gaming and doing all the cooking at home. I was never just sitting around.

What I never saw coming was that a few lines from Bernice were all it took to shake Valerie.

I was still reeling when the doorbell suddenly rang. Bernice hurried to the door and, to my surprise, she actually looked a little excited.

My gut told me something was off, and only when I saw who was at the door did I realize I'd stepped straight into a trap.