Read Online A House Divided by Kimberla Lawson Roby - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberla Lawson Roby
Ads: Link
each other with respect and stay peaceful for little MJ.”
“As long as you stay in your lane and I stay in mine, we’ll be fine. Little MJ is going to be living with us, and your time with him will be left up to Matthew and Racquel.”
“And what does that mean?”
“That whenever you want to see little MJ, you’ll need to clear it with them. That way once my daughter and grandson leave the hospital, I won’t ever have to deal with you. As a matter of fact, I think it’ll be best if you never come to our home again.”
Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. “Wow. So you hate me that much?”
“I don’t hate anybody, but it’s a little late for first impressions. You’ve already shown me who you are, and I’m done.”
“Who exactly am I, Vanessa?”
“You’re a controlling, narcissistic, underhanded snake.”
Charlotte stood up. “Come again?”
“My words were very clear. I figured out who you were a long time ago. You’re afraid of losing your son to my daughter, you’ll sleep with any man who will have you, and you’ll betray anyone, including your own family, if it means getting what you want.”
Charlotte laughed out loud. “Honey, you just think you know me. And the real reason you don’t like me is because of who I am and the kind of life I’m able to live.”
Vanessa turned her back to Charlotte again. “Go ahead and believe that if it makes you feel better.”
“You’re pathetic, Vanessa, and that’s why Neil—”
Vanessa whipped her head back around. “That’s why my husband what?”
Charlotte smirked at her.
“Get out of here, Charlotte! Now!”
There was a knock at the door. A nurse slowly opened it and stuck her head inside. “Excuse me for interrupting, but is everything okay?”
“We’re fine, but thanks for checking,” Vanessa said.
Charlotte could tell the sixty-something woman wasn’t convinced, but she closed the door and went on her way.
Now Vanessa spoke through gritted teeth. “I know you heard me. Get out of here, Charlotte!”
Charlotte eyed one of the large flower vases and had a mind to thrash Vanessa across her head with it. This woman needed to be put in her place, and Charlotte was the best person to do it. But she took a deep breath and tried calming down. There were better ways to handle women like Vanessa, so Charlotte threw her handbag across her shoulder, gazed at Vanessa, and quietly strutted out of the room.
This whole scenario with Vanessa was worse than Charlotte had thought, and now she was done kissing that witch’s behind. She’d tried to call a truce, as much of one as she’d thought the two of them could muster, but now Charlotte was finished. From this point on, she would treat Vanessa like the ruthless enemy she was and focus primarily on her grandson. Vanessa seemed to believe she had the upper hand, given the fact that little MJ would be living with her, but Charlotte had news for her: not everything turned out the way people wanted them to, and if folks weren’t careful certain things were sometimes snatched away from them without warning. Sometimes people underestimated their adversaries, and this was what Vanessa was doing with Charlotte. She just didn’t know it.
Chapter 11
I t was a new day, but Charlotte still didn’t feel any better about things. She tried to focus on something other than Vanessa and Racquel and even the baby, but she couldn’t. Now, she’d dropped by the church to see Curtis. He’d wanted to get an early start working on this coming Sunday’s sermon, so he’d left home earlier than usual.
“You look sad,” Curtis said, closing the door to his study and caressing the side of her face.
“Maybe because I am.”
Curtis sat down on the leather sofa, and Charlotte sat next to him.
“Baby, I know you’re upset about your argument with Vanessa yesterday, but you have to let it go. Maybe you should just step back altogether.”
“Why should I have to step away from
“As long as you stay in your lane and I stay in mine, we’ll be fine. Little MJ is going to be living with us, and your time with him will be left up to Matthew and Racquel.”
“And what does that mean?”
“That whenever you want to see little MJ, you’ll need to clear it with them. That way once my daughter and grandson leave the hospital, I won’t ever have to deal with you. As a matter of fact, I think it’ll be best if you never come to our home again.”
Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. “Wow. So you hate me that much?”
“I don’t hate anybody, but it’s a little late for first impressions. You’ve already shown me who you are, and I’m done.”
“Who exactly am I, Vanessa?”
“You’re a controlling, narcissistic, underhanded snake.”
Charlotte stood up. “Come again?”
“My words were very clear. I figured out who you were a long time ago. You’re afraid of losing your son to my daughter, you’ll sleep with any man who will have you, and you’ll betray anyone, including your own family, if it means getting what you want.”
Charlotte laughed out loud. “Honey, you just think you know me. And the real reason you don’t like me is because of who I am and the kind of life I’m able to live.”
Vanessa turned her back to Charlotte again. “Go ahead and believe that if it makes you feel better.”
“You’re pathetic, Vanessa, and that’s why Neil—”
Vanessa whipped her head back around. “That’s why my husband what?”
Charlotte smirked at her.
“Get out of here, Charlotte! Now!”
There was a knock at the door. A nurse slowly opened it and stuck her head inside. “Excuse me for interrupting, but is everything okay?”
“We’re fine, but thanks for checking,” Vanessa said.
Charlotte could tell the sixty-something woman wasn’t convinced, but she closed the door and went on her way.
Now Vanessa spoke through gritted teeth. “I know you heard me. Get out of here, Charlotte!”
Charlotte eyed one of the large flower vases and had a mind to thrash Vanessa across her head with it. This woman needed to be put in her place, and Charlotte was the best person to do it. But she took a deep breath and tried calming down. There were better ways to handle women like Vanessa, so Charlotte threw her handbag across her shoulder, gazed at Vanessa, and quietly strutted out of the room.
This whole scenario with Vanessa was worse than Charlotte had thought, and now she was done kissing that witch’s behind. She’d tried to call a truce, as much of one as she’d thought the two of them could muster, but now Charlotte was finished. From this point on, she would treat Vanessa like the ruthless enemy she was and focus primarily on her grandson. Vanessa seemed to believe she had the upper hand, given the fact that little MJ would be living with her, but Charlotte had news for her: not everything turned out the way people wanted them to, and if folks weren’t careful certain things were sometimes snatched away from them without warning. Sometimes people underestimated their adversaries, and this was what Vanessa was doing with Charlotte. She just didn’t know it.
Chapter 11
I t was a new day, but Charlotte still didn’t feel any better about things. She tried to focus on something other than Vanessa and Racquel and even the baby, but she couldn’t. Now, she’d dropped by the church to see Curtis. He’d wanted to get an early start working on this coming Sunday’s sermon, so he’d left home earlier than usual.
“You look sad,” Curtis said, closing the door to his study and caressing the side of her face.
“Maybe because I am.”
Curtis sat down on the leather sofa, and Charlotte sat next to him.
“Baby, I know you’re upset about your argument with Vanessa yesterday, but you have to let it go. Maybe you should just step back altogether.”
“Why should I have to step away from
Similar Books
