Chapter 2 - Two Different Wives
Andre tried to leave the restaurant before answering.
That frightened Nia more than any confession could have.
“I’m not discussing our finances in front of strangers,” he muttered, reaching for his jacket.
Nia stood between him and the aisle without blocking him physically.
“Then explain the message.”
“I said not here.”
Keisha folded her arms.
“You told me she already knew.”
Andre stared at her.
“Keisha.”
“Don’t ‘Keisha’ me.”
The server returned with Andre’s credit card and immediately sensed the atmosphere.
“Sir, everything went through.”
Andre took the card.
Nia watched him place it into the same wallet he had claimed was nearly empty.
The server disappeared.
Nia turned toward Keisha.
“What did he tell you I knew?”
Keisha hesitated.
Andre answered quickly.
“Nothing. She misunderstood.”
Keisha gave him a look that ended whatever loyalty remained between them.
“You told me you and Nia were separating.”
Nia felt as though the floor shifted.
Andre spoke through clenched teeth.
“I said we were having problems.”
“You said she was moving out after Christmas.”
It was October.
Nia looked at him.
“Moving where?”
Andre exhaled.
“This is ridiculous.”
Nia almost smiled.
When Andre became cornered, he attacked the legitimacy of the conversation itself.
She had seen him do it with contractors, relatives, even customer-service representatives.
She had never noticed him doing it to her.
Keisha retrieved her phone.
“Look.”
She showed Nia a thread from July.
Andre had written:
Things are basically over here. I’m trying to keep it peaceful until the financial stuff is settled.
Another message:
She doesn’t want Malik around because she says we spend enough on him already.
Nia’s hand covered her mouth.
“That is a lie.”
“I know that now,” Keisha said.
Andre shook his head.
“You two are reading everything without context.”
“Then give us context,” Nia replied.
Silence.
Keisha scrolled farther.
“I thought the extra money was because you were finally making up for those months you were behind.”
Nia turned.
“What extra money?”
Andre closed his eyes.
Keisha slowly realized Nia genuinely did not know.
“You don’t know about the transfers?”
“What transfers?”
Andre spoke sharply.
“They’re for Malik.”
“How much?”
“Nia.”
“How much?”
Keisha answered.
“Usually nine hundred.”
Nia’s breathing changed.
“Every month?”
“Sometimes more.”
Andre stepped in.
“My son needs things.”
Nia stared at him.
“You already pay twelve hundred dollars a month in support.”
Keisha nodded cautiously.
“That’s the court amount.”
Nia calculated automatically.
She managed hospital operations for a regional health system. Numbers were how she made chaos manageable.
Twelve hundred in formal support.
Another nine hundred.
At least six months.
Five thousand four hundred dollars beyond what she knew.
“Andre, where did that money come from?”
“My account.”
“Which account?”
“My personal account.”
“You told me your personal account had less than two thousand dollars.”
Andre looked away.
Keisha spoke quietly.
“There was also the five thousand in August.”
Nia’s stomach turned.
“What five thousand?”
Andre snapped, “Enough.”
Now several tables were openly watching.
Nia did not care.
Keisha’s voice became harder.
“You said it was for the property inspection.”
Nia stared.
“What property?”
Andre grabbed his jacket.
“We’re leaving.”
“No,” Nia said.
Andre looked at her.
She had never used that tone with him before.
Not loud.
Not emotional.
Final.
Keisha unlocked another message.
“You told me the duplex was for Malik.”
Nia blinked.
“Duplex?”
Keisha nodded.
“A place near his school. Andre said he wanted Malik to have something permanent.”
Andre spoke quickly.
“It was an investment idea.”
“With whose money?”
“No money has been spent.”
Keisha laughed bitterly.
“You sent the earnest money.”
Nia looked at him.
“How much?”
Keisha answered again.
“Twelve thousand.”
The steakhouse seemed to tilt around Nia.
Andre’s lips parted.
Nothing came out.
Nia thought about the spring bonus she received in June.
Twenty thousand dollars after taxes.
Andre had suggested moving most of it into their emergency fund because his commissions were unstable.
The emergency fund had held almost thirty-eight thousand dollars the last time she checked.
She suddenly realized she had not opened that savings account in months.
Andre handled the transfers.
Not because she was careless.
Because they were married.
Because she trusted him.
Nia picked up her grocery bags.
“I’m going home.”
Andre stepped toward her.
“I’m coming with you.”
“No.”
“Nia.”
“You are not getting in my car.”
His face tightened.
“That’s my house too.”
“I know.”
Her voice shook for the first time.
“That’s why I’m going home to find out what else belongs to you that I thought belonged to us.”
Keisha spoke.
“Nia.”
Nia paused.
Keisha looked ashamed.
“I can send you everything.”
Andre spun.
“Don’t.”
Keisha stared at him.
That single word confirmed more than any message.
Nia gave Keisha her number.
Andre watched.
Keisha typed it into her phone.
“You really want to destroy our family over screenshots?” Andre asked.
Nia turned toward him.
“No.”
She lifted the grocery bags.
“You already did whatever you did.”
Her eyes moved to the $487.63 receipt still lying on the table.
“I’m just finally looking at the bill.”
She walked away.
Before reaching the restaurant doors, her phone vibrated.
Keisha had sent twenty-seven screenshots.
Then another message arrived.
There’s also an LLC.
Nia stopped walking.
Three letters appeared beneath it.
AKM Holdings.
And immediately she knew what the initials meant.
Andre.
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Keisha.
Malik.
