Chapter 66 - Family Dinner

A/N Warning: This chapter contains mature themes.

A/N: This chapter is pretty darn long and may be an emotional roller coaster 🎢 for some. Anyways, I also realized that Marshall is a Libra while Sadé is a Virgo, which explains their compatibility.

Also, just wanted to say to enjoy the chapter and happy reading!

Sadé's POV:

— Thursday, November 10th, Chicago

I had just landed in Chicago at 8 on the dot. I was only going to be here for a day trip before flying over to California tonight so that I could be there for the NAACP Awards tomorrow. So I was leaving my luggage on the jet since I didn't need it with me. Instead, I grabbed my purse and walked off the jet into the car containing my security. I actually dressed up today for the first time in a while since everything happened with the break in, and it felt good. I decided to go for a different type of style, however. It was more of a 70s vibe and was very cute for the fall season considering the color scheme. My hair was curled, makeup was a natural glam with chocolate nude lips; I wore a striped long sleeve turtle neck top, a yellow suede skirt, and white knee high boots. I paired it with a brown satchel purse, my stack bracelets, and my gold name plated necklace. I looked good and I felt good!

I had a few things that needed to be accomplished today so I was busy busy. I had a few business things that I needed to take care of for the first half of the day. I had to meet Jo at the filming studio/business suite to go over a few things, I was also having a meeting with the new team I had hired for my fashion brand, and I need to visit the warehouse to go over a few things for renovations. After that, I needed to head over to the police station with my lawyer because there was an update on the investigation that they couldn't tell me about over the phone. Then for the second half of the day I was actually going to visit my family. I was going to have dinner with them at the house, and just spend some quality time with them. I was also going to reveal to them that I was in fact in a new relationship, and that it was with Marshall. I was nervous about that for multiple reasons, but I'll cross that hurdle when I get there.

— At The Business Suite

It was some time near the afternoon, probably around 1pm or 2pm. I had already gotten two things crossed off of my checklist for the day. I had visited the warehouse with Jordyn to meet with interior/exterior designers and contractors about renovations. The place was very new and modern, me being the first one to own it, so there wasn't much that needed to be done. I just wanted to sprinkle my touch on a few things. I told them how I wanted a few things painted, like my office walls & the outside of the building, and we discussed things like lighting, furniture, artwork, the exterior of the building, how I wanted things to be organized, and how I wanted the rooms/certain areas to look. I was going for a simplistic feel with nude colors, but a few hints of boldness here and there. I also wanted it to be ultra feminine, and to scream boss-bitch energy.

After that, Jordyn and I had traveled back to my business suite where I conduct all of my business, have meetings, film, etc. Jordyn and I had a small meeting of our own actually to discuss a few things. One of them being me no longer pursuing my social media career. To say she was upset was an understatement. She was livid and completely caught off guard. We did talk about it over the phone while I was in Detroit, hence why I was able to have a practically clear schedule now and was able to wrap up all of my brand deals and promotions, but I guess she didn't really take me all that seriously, which was understandable. I never quit anything before no matter how hard or difficult it got, especially when it came down to my career, what I do for a living, what I am - Sorry, what I was passionate about. She was highly disappointed in me, tried talking me out of it, but there was no changing my mind. I was so over having to talk about this with people at this point. The whole thing would just made me upset again. I spoke to Marshall about it, Bama, Hailie, and Jordyn. I simply don't want to talk about it. Jordyn even suggested that I post a message, informing the world that I would no longer be posting instead of straight up going ghost. I looked at her like she was crazy and straight up told her no.

Chile, anyways. Aside from that, we also discussed a few other things, like my new living situation, my schedule, and we just had a deep conversation about about everything. We talked about if I was okay, if I was truly happy right now, and typical things friends talk about on a daily basis. It was a really good, wholesome talk. I was able to get everything off of my chest, and I felt so much better about everything at the end of it. She also confided in me about things she was going through as well, her happiness, and life. It was great for the both of us really.

As far as the living situation portion of the conversation went, it was rather uninteresting. I told her I was happy to be living with Marshall right now, which was a no brainer. However, I did feel like I was stressing him out a little bit at times, and like maybe I was intruding. Even though he told me multiple times that it wasn't the case whenever I asked him about it, I still wanted my own place to live. It's just what I'm used to, and we both agreed that this was only temporary for the time being. Now the question of where I wanted to live was in the air. There was also a question of whether I wanted to live in another apartment or a house. Because now that I'm not restricted by my old apartment, I can pick anywhere to live in the world. And I could choose to live in a home if I really wanted to because I could do more than afford it. Not saying that I couldn't afford it before, but I never felt like I needed all of that space. It was just me, myself, and I. I was undecided though because I didn't want to rush anything. I wanted to take my time with how I moved forward to make sure I was making all the right choices, and wouldn't regret it later on down the line. So yea, I don't know as of right now.

After all of that was said & done, I had to have another meeting with my new team, which I was super ecstatic about! It consisted of the people that I had hired for the brand since I couldn't do any of this alone. Teamwork makes the dream work. Even though a majority of the people I hired were black women, there were all different types of people. I had men, white people, latinx people, Muslim people, everyone. I followed Jordyn to the conference room where everyone was located. I walked in behind her, seeing all the beautiful faces and feeling all the wonderful vibes. I stood at the front of the room next to the huge whiteboard that was placed onto the wall. There were a few faces I recognized from the team I already had, and the new ones of course. Everyone clapped upon my entrance, which actually took me by surprise, but nonetheless made me feel good. Once they all settled down so that we could start the meeting, I spoke up.

"Hi, everyone! I'm so excited to meet you all, and start this new journey with you. I wanted to go over quick introductions so that we can all get to know each other a little better so I'll go first." I told the room.

"I'm Sadé Myers, your employer and boss. I'm 21, and a fun fact about me is that I'm a Libra... I'm sorry!" I lost my professionalism, bursting out in laughter, "I feel like I'm in middle school saying that. Why do we have to do this, Jordyn?" I giggled as I looked over the list of things I needed to discuss, this being in the list.

Everyone in the room also laughed with me, or maybe even at me, while Jordyn gave me a glare to keep my composure. I eventually got myself together along with a few others. I instructed everyone else to go around and share their introductions. They all did as told, and honestly it was kind of cringe. I don't know why Jordyn had us do that as if we were children, but she did. It created a fun, positive space, which was great.

We also did a few other fun things, such as team building exercises and cool activities. It was giving summer camp, but I didn't question it because Jordyn already scolded me once about my professionalism. Eventually, we did get serious, and got down to business. I went over everyone's job titles & duties, told them about the brand, gave them a run down of my rules, expectations, how I'm big on respect, and how I would like things to be ran. Some people have called me a perfectionist throughout the years, but I call it being on top of things.

"There are standards and expectations that need to be met. My bar is set very high, and I would accept nothing less. And as you work for me, you should not provide me with anything less. Now let me just say this as a little piece of advice aside from this, outside of work, keep those standards high, babies. Do not lower them for anybody or anything for any reason. Anyways, back to the topic at hand, I don't expect any of you to be perfect. However, I do expect your best at all times. As long as you give me your best & try your hardest, you will have a great time, not have any issues with me, and this job will be a breeze. But if you don't, don't be surprised when you get called into my office, get suspended, or even fired for that matter. Do I make myself clear?" I addressed the room.

Everyone either nodded or hummed in agreement.

"Alright then, moving on." I said, going over my notes to the next discussion.

I continued on for a few more minutes, Jordyn taking the time to speak for a few as well. Once the meeting was over, I had everyone sign NDAs. I wasn't taking any chances with anything nor anyone. Once they signed the agreement, they were free to go.

I then left the building as well, getting in the car with my security to head down to the police station. There were some updates in the case, and I was quite anxious. It could go either way. Maybe it was good, but then again maybe it was bad. Who knows. I got in the backseat of the car, making the 15 minute drive there. I was a bundle of nerves the entire way.

— At The Police Station

I had arrived at the station a few minutes ago, and was sat waiting in yet another investigation room. Except instead of having Marshall by my side, I had my lawyer, Aria Smith, here.

While she was absolutely brilliant at her job & was an amazing woman, I was still a bundle of nerves. But I'm an independent woman first and foremost, so I need to pull myself together to get through this. I fiddled with my thumbs while my lawyer went over a few things with me, filling me in on all the updates as we waited for whoever was going to tell us what they found came inside the room.

According to what Aria was telling me, apparently they did in fact find very valuable pieces of evidence in the apartment from the break in. They had found fingerprints on the doorknobs, the broken glass, and a few other things. They also found DNA evidence... blood. From when they had cut themselves being so destructive. We were interrupted from our conversation by the detective walking into the room. It was detective Cody Jones.

"Hello, Ms.Myers and Mrs.Smith. As you both know, there has been some updates in the investigation. We have some good news and some bad news." He said has he took a seat across from us, clasping his hands together on the table.

"Okay... Can we start with the good news?" I skipped the greeting, wanting to get straight to the point.

I just wanted to get this over with. I don't want to deal with this anymore. I just wanted it all to go away.

"Sure. I'm sure your lawyer has informed you as well as someone from the station about some of our findings. The fingerprints, blood DNA evidence, and a few other things. So we have taken samples from that.... And we did find the perpetrators." Cody said.

"Perpetrators? As in plural, meaning more than one." I raised an eyebrow, confused on if I was hearing him right.

I was under the impression that it was a simple break in. Consisting of only one person. That it was nothing sinister.

"Yes, ma'am. More than one. There were a total of four persons involved. We have found them using our criminal database and through countless interrogations. They're being held in custody, processing being sent to prison." He explained.

"Will they be charged with criminal offenses? And if so, will there be a trail? I need the specifics." Aria demanded as she took notes.

"There will not be a trail because the victim, Ms.Myers, was not present at the time of the incident. Thus, they will go straight to prison due to the sufficient amount of evidence collected, and that has proven them all to be guilty in connection with the crime. They will be charged with the following:

1. Class 3 Felony and Class B Misdemeanor of trespassing; Sentenced to 4 months and fined $425.2. Class 1 and Class 2 Felony of burglary/breaking & entering; Sentenced to 12 years. 3. Class 1 Felony of theft; Sentenced to 5 years and fined $25,000 along with repayment of $200,000 worth of stolen & damaged merchandise and property. 4. Class C Misdemeanor of attempted assault; Sentenced to 1 month and fined $1,500.

Due to the severity of the situation, the fact that you do have connections to these people, and that this is not their first crime committed in the state of Illinois, they will be serving their time consecutively not concurrently, meaning they must serve the time for one charge before they can start another. In total, they'll each be sentenced to 17 years & 5 months in prison, and will be forced to pay $226,925." He read off the papers.

I was speechless. I had so much going through my mind. The room was silent... First of all, that's insane. 17 and a half years? I had no idea it would be that long. I kind of felt bad because that's such a large portion of their life that will now be taken away from them because they chose to do something senseless. And to have to pay a quarter of a million dollars, that nine times out of ten, they don't have? I mean, clearly because if they had it they wouldn't have stolen from me. They're going to be paying that off for the rest of their lives. Then again I had to remember that I couldn't think with my heart, but my brain in cases like this. They did this to themselves, knowing the possible consequences. On top of that, it's not even their first rodeo. They practically asked for it. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Secondly, the charges: Attempted assault? That's means they had intentions of possibly harming me. That did scare me because I was told by detectives over the phone that when they had looked over the security cameras that they had gone in, and did all of this just an hour before I arrived. I was under the impression that they just wanted to steal things though, not physically harm me. Meaning, if I had been there just an hour earlier, or gotten on an earlier flight, that could've been my life. I could've been hurt, beaten, stabbed, shot, sexually assaulted, anything. But because I had been on a later flight, I had just been saved by the grace of god. What the actual fuck?

And last but not least, he said they had connections to me. Someone I know did this? Actually, 4 people I know did this? I felt disgusted by all human beings at this point. How could someone even do that to me? To anyone for that matter. I'm nothing but kind hearted, giving, and loving. What did I ever do to deserve something like this? I couldn't wrap my brain around it. I was upset and hurt. I felt destroyed once again. And that wasn't even all of the news. It wasn't until I was able to wrap my brain around everything, was I able to speak.

"Who did it then? Who are these people who so called have connections to me?" I questioned with a frown.

"Jamal & Jasmine Parker, Dominic Watts, and Anthony Johnson." He listed off carefully.

All those names rang a bell except for one. Jamal & Jasmine: I knew then from middle school and high school. They were twin siblings - Brother and sister. They would bully me relentlessly for what I went through, my past, and just because they could. When I blew up at 15 they tried to get close to me to be "friends," but I wasn't stupid. I knew they only wanted to use me because I was gaining popularity so I shrugged them off constantly. They didn't like that, which only caused them to pick on me more & make fun of the fact that I made videos and did social media as a career. They were never kind.

As far as Anthony went: I knew him from school as well. He honestly surprised me because he was the complete opposite of Jamal & Jasmine. He was always nice to me. I thought he was a sweetheart. We actually went to a school dance together in high school that he had asked me out to. I wouldn't say we were friends because after we graduated we lost all communication with each other, but he was someone that I was acquaintances with during my schooling years so it was neutral. He did hang out with out the twins, but he didn't care that I didn't get along with them. He was one of those guys where your relationship to someone else had nothing to do with him, and his relationship to you.

I had no clue who the Dominic guy was though. I've never heard of him a day in my life. I assume it's someone they know.

"And when you say attempted assault... What do you mean by that? What gave y'all logical reasoning to believe that they were trying to harm me?" I asked, wanting to know all the details.

"Are you sure you would like to discuss that? It's really not necessary." Cody tried to shrug off.

I looked over to Aria, who just shrugged. I then looked back to Cody who had a hard look on his face.

"Yes, I'm sure." I say bravely.

"Okay, Ms.Myers." He let out an audible sigh, "We interrogated each and every one of them. Conducted searches on each of their homes, on their phones, computers, other devices, and we discovered their motives. That being said: They got your address from the account. They had used that to locate your apartment, and broke in using a lock pic. They told workers they were there to surprise you, using their connection to you to their advantage. The plan, that we pieced together according to their stories, was to steal belongings and damage property for their own personal reasons. However, we did find out later on in the investigation that that wasn't the only motive. It was... It was to rape you, drug you, and then hold you for ransom so that they could hopefully get enough money to get themselves out of legal debt from previous court fees, and so that they could pursue their dreams of living in California. They were hoping to get at least a couple million from the ordeal. Jasmine specifically said that she "hates your guts" because "that was supposed to be" her, "who was famous" and "not you" because she "deserved it more."" He recalled horrifically.

I was absolutely disgusted. I wanted to curl myself into a ball and cry. That's so foul. So sick. Imagine if I was there? What they would've done to me... It made me sick to my stomach. I'm just glad that they got what they truly deserved. Karma always wins.

I didn't respond to what he has just told me. I couldn't. It was a lot to take in. I simply moved on to the next subject.

"Okay. What's the bad news?" I ask numbly.

"Well, they weren't connected to the account. And we still haven't gotten a court order to locate them through their internet service provider. So until then, there's nothing more we can do in this case. There's no lead." He informed the both of us.

"False. There's many things you can do. I need you to hire a private investigator for my client, get that court order expedited using the four nutcases that broke in as useful information and a possible motive. That will for sure help you to be granted that court order sooner. If you don't get this done by the end of the month, we will be suing the CPD along with you, Mr.Jones, for negligence and not cooperating with a formal investigation, as well as failure to serve and protect." Aria stated firmly.

I just quietly looked at Cody. His face was red with embarrassment. Well, I guess I'll find out who was behind the account by the end of the month or either be suing some people. Great! While I wasn't too happy about this, it was better than it being a cold case. Seeming as there was nothing more to talk about, I walked out of the room my lawyer following behind me. We discussed the details of everything that happened before we parted ways. Now it was time to have dinner with my family...

— At The Family House

I had just arrived in the neighborhood that my family lived in. I had moved them here once I had made enough money and saved it all from social media when I was around 16-17. I had purchased a plot of land on the nice parts of the city and hired contractors to build the house from scratch. It was beautiful and modern. It was divided into different wings so that each member had their own privacy. There was a total of 4 floors that included a basement, 12 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and an 8 car garage.

Yes, it was a pretty penny to get the house made & the process was very tedious, but I did it without any complaints for my family because at the end of the day I'll always make they're straight before anybody else. All the bills are paid for by me, and they get $100k a month from me to do whatever they want. They really don't have to worry about anything. I made it out of the mud not only for myself, but for them. Even though I did feel like some of them maybe deserved it less than others in my family... but it is what it is. I've always held my tongue when it came to that.

My security parked the car in the driveway, helping me out of the car. Despite it being a public neighborhood, and not a private gated community, all the neighbors knew who I was was, but never bothered me or my family whenever I came around for the simple fact that they respected us. No one has ever bothered them or tried to cause issues. It was a very safe area unlike where we grew up at. So when I walked up to the door, it was completely normal. The security simply waited for me outside of the house, guarding it for safety measures.

I rang the doorbell suddenly feeling a wave of nausea hit me. I felt like I had to puke from all the anxiety that was coursing through my body. I was always so happy to see my siblings, but scared to see my grandmother, Dolly. She was always trying to put me down in some weird way that I never really understood. I loved her to death, but it was toxic for us to be together. I've tried having talk with her about it, about how I feel even, but it would always be spun as me being disrespectful. So yea, I was pretty scared right now.

Almost 10 seconds of me waiting by the door passed when it was finally opened. I had a key to the house of course, but I didn't feel like using it. Behind the door was my sister, Trinity, revealing herself. My sister and I are very close. She's one of the only people in the family that I feel comfortable enough telling certain things to. I don't fully trust my family, but with her she was as close to trust as I could get. We were so much alike personality wise, and she never ratted out any of my secrets nor did I rat out hers. We were a duo. I mean I am the baby sister after all, she would care after me all the time, and I would always try to be like her when I was younger. It's just one of those sibling relationships that if you get it, you get it; And if you don't, you don't. I couldn't really explain it.

(Sadé's sister, Trinity Myers - 28)

"Oh my god, hi! I missed you, Sadé." Trinity have a big smile as she let me in.

"I missed you too. How is everyone?" I ask as we stand in the foyer to talk in private a little bit.

"Same old, same old. You know how Grandma Dolly is. We all just try to stay out of her way. We keep trying to get her to change her ways, but it just seems like she's stuck in them." She sighed.

"Well you and Malik are fine, right?" I wanted to make sure.

"Yea, we're great. There isn't really any issues besides that. What about you?"

"I'm fine. You know I'm living with Marshall in the meantime until I find my own place again. Things are good." I told her subconsciously getting butterflies anytime I mention him.

"I'm happy for you. Really. You know I never really liked Zach. As long as Marshall isn't anything like him, and he makes you happy that's all that matters. So when are you going to tell the family about him?" She wondered.

"Well, I was going to tell them today."

"Oh... You sure? Our cousins are here too. I thought Malik told you?"

Great... looks like I'll be having a larger audience than I anticipated. It wasn't an issue really. I just kind of prepared myself for a certain amount of people.

"No. I haven't really spoken to him recently."

"Oh... Awkward..." She said more incredulously.

Me and Malik never really spoke that much over the phone. Actually, it was very rare. Not for any specific reason or anything, it just wasn't how our relationship was. We see each other when we see each other; We talk when we talk. There was no malice behind it - We were just the type of brother/sister duo that acted like they hated each other more than they loved each other.

"Anyways, let's go see what everyone else is up to." She said before we both walked down the hallway.

I walk into the living room to see my family all gathered around on the couch, conversing amongst themselves. I spotted my three cousins: Marco, Ciara, and Dallas.

We all grew up together, living only a few blocks away from each other. We would always hang out, all three of me & my siblings, and all three of them. Marco was 25, Ciara was 23, and Dallas was 28. They were the type of cousins that was always involved in some ish. Hanging out with them was not for the weak. I mean Dallas was in jail at one point when we went to Miami for a family vacation because he ran across the entire beach naked, Marco used to sell drugs, and Ciara... Well let's just say Ciara was always fighting somebody. Nevertheless, I still loved them like crazy because all six of us were a pack.

I also spotted my Grandma Dolly, who was 78. Great woman, but she had her moments. She taught me how to cook, sew, and do a few other things along with my mother. She tried to be there for in the beginning when my mother died, but ultimately I had to raise myself. It was like a switch flipped when that happened... That's when everything went down hill between us. Because believe it or not, my grandmother used to be my entire world when I was a little girl. But things change... People change.... The past is in the past for a reason. While I wish we could have a better relationship, we don't.

She was sat next to my brother, Malik, who was 26.

"Hey, y'all." I made my presence known as I approached them.

"What's up, lil sis." My brother got up, giving me a side hug.

My cousins followed suit, greeting me & hugging me as well. We exchanged a few words, before I walked up to my grandmother, who was sat watching us with a stubborn look on her face. Oh gosh, and here it starts already.

"Hi, Grandma Dolly." I greeted her nicely.

"Well, hello to you too." She said in a rather irritating tone, "Took you long enough to get here."

"I'm sorry. I've been caught up handling business. I'm still on time." I reply, checking my phone.

I was actually only 3 minutes late, but still. It took me such a long time, I thought sarcastically to myself. She didn't respond. Instead, she just got up from the couch, going to continue cooking dinner. How is she going to be mad at me, and the food isn't even ready yet? Chile, anyways. See, this is what I'm talking about. She can be so bitter, and will throw little jabs to make you feel bad, but not big enough to be called out for it. I took a deep inhale then exhale, calming myself down. Let's just hope the night goes by smoothly.

— A Little While Later, During Dinner

We were all sat at the dinner table in the dining room, enjoying this absolutely delicious homemade meal. One thing I can say about everyone in my family, is that they know how to throw down. We were eating a comfortable soul food meal: Collard greens, cornbread, fried chicken, and baked Mac n cheese. It was definitely hitting just right.

Everyone else though so too because we were all quiet for the first five minutes of eating before we decided to make conversation. We were all talking about family gossip/drama, my sister wanting to pursue nursing, and a few other things. You know, the typical family gathering discussions. I was feeling quite overwhelmed, however, because the more time that passed the more I needed to just tell them. I wasn't ashamed or embarrassed of Marshall. Not at all! But... I may not have been transparent with them all. I haven't lied, I just... it's hard to open up to them. My family can be hot headed and judgmental. Like I said, only Trinity knows certain things about me & my life that the rest of them do not.

For example, they don't know the real reason why Zach and I broke up. I never once told them about how he abused me physically, emotionally, financially, or mentally. I never told them anything bad about him. Not about how he put his hands on me, manipulated me, cheated on me with countless women, gaslit me, nothing. They thought he was an angel. Whenever he would be around them, they treated him with kindness because they thought he treated me right. They thought he was good for me. The relationship was absolute chaos though. I never verbally told them we broke up. Rather, I stopped bringing him over for obvious reasons, and then it leaked to the media, which is how they found out. But the media has no idea why we broke up either so they simply never found out the real reason. They just chopped it up to us separating because of our careers or differences.

There were a few reasons as to why I didn't tell them. One of them being was that I wanted to protect him because I thought I loved him. I did love him, but I later realized it was anything but that because true love isn't pain. It's never supposed to hurt. I knew that if I told my family about what he had done to me they would've literally found him and either beat the living daylights out of him or killed him. They're very protective over me. I mean I'm the baby of the family (literally the youngest one), and I've been through way more than some adults have. They hate seeing me get hurt - They despise it even. So for that reason I chose to keep my mouth shut.

Another reason is because if I did tell them and he found out, he would've taken it out on me. He would've been upset that I outed him like that, ruining his reputation of how my family views him. He would've hit me, pinned me against the wall, shoved me against the bed, or spewed nasty words at me until I broke and apologized to him. I know that for a fact because all he ever cared about was himself.

And the last reason why I didn't tell them was because I was too ashamed. I was embarrassed of what I had gone though at the time. Like who wants to openly admit and say "hey, so I'm actually a victim of domestic violence. Just thought I'd tell you that."? No one. That was so degrading to myself. I couldn't bring myself to do it because I was afraid that they would shame me for allowing myself to be in that toxic situation. I was at an all time low, I felt like a failure, and all I could do was accept it. I also knew that I wasn't strong enough to leave yet. Not back then because I have obviously left now. I didn't want to tell them then go back to him a few days later because I thought that this man was the man of my dreams, and was going to be my husband one day.

The reality of it was that I was too stupid to realize that he was a trash human being, with no morals, no respect for women, no respect for me, never loved me forreal, and was bitch-made. So no, I didn't tell them why we broke up. And I didn't tell them I was in another relationship. That was until now:

"Sooo..." I piped up, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

Everyone snapped their heads in my direction, eyes lingering on me as they waited for me to say whatever it was I was going to say. To be honest, I'm not sure how they didn't find out by now considering the whirlwind of crap I've been through with the media these last couple of weeks alone.

"Umm... I have something to tell you all. I'm- " I started, but was interrupted by my brother.

"You better not tell us you're pregnant. I'll beat ole dude up." Malik said seriously, assuming things.

See what I mean? See what I mean when I say they're so freaking protective and always have something to say?

"You're pregnant?!" Ciara gasped.

"No, I'm not pregnant! Dang. Can y'all let me talk?" I replied annoyed, giving a blank facial expression.

"My bad. Was about to have to spin the block on niggas." Marco laughed, sipping his drink.

"Now, don't you be up in here talking about that stuff, Marco. You need to go to church. That's what you need to do. Talkin' 'bout spinning blocks. Boy, go spin yo' daddy outta jail." Grandma Dolly grumbled the last part pretty loudly.

I choked on my cornbread after she said that, trying not to laugh. My sister and Dallas were snickering, tears in their eyes, while everyone else's mouths were agape.

"Why you have to expose me like that, Grandma?" Marco replied back in a joking manner.

"It's public knowledge, honey. Now, gon' let the girl talk." She shrugged.

"Thank you. Like I was saying, I'm actually in relationship. A new relationship." I clarified.

To my surprise, they all responded to the news well. The looks on their faces showed that they were surprised, but it wasn't bad.

"That's great, but why? We all liked Zach. He was a nice man. I don't know why you got rid of him." Grandma Dolly said as she made direct eye contact with me.

I felt my throat run dry in an instant. Why did I have a feeling this was not going to go over well?

"I mean, he was Ight. He was a cool lil' nigga." Marco said in agreement.

"See: We all liked him. Why did you and Zach even break up to begin with?" Grandma Dolly questioned with a puzzled look on her face.

"Well... umm." I tried to get out, not wanting to tell them the reason why because it wouldn't make much of a difference now.

"Sadé is happy in her new relationship. That's all that matters right? Her and Zach just weren't meant to be." Trinity came to my defense.

"I guess. I just thought he was good for you." Grandma Dolly sighed, accepting the reality that I was no longer with Zach, but instead with Marshall.

"So who's the lucky guy?" Ciara asked eagerly.

I took notice that Malik was silent. Instead of saying anything, he had a rather serious expression on his face, observing the entire conversation.

"Uhh it's Marshall Mathers." I gave jazz hands.

Ciara gasped, her eyes popping out of her skull. Malik on the other hand, sat there not engaging. Dallas and Marco just looked at me dumbfounded.

"Who?" They both said in unison.

"Eminem." Malik finally said something.

That's when they gasped, whispering "Oh shit" in shock.

"Now, wait a minute. Who is this Eminem man? And what's he look like?" Grandma Dolly said perplexed.

"A white man that's 50 years old, has kids, lives in Detroit, and is a rapper. She has a picture of him on her Instagram from Halloween." He replied harshly with crossed arms.

Oh... I guess he did know about my relationship this whole time.

"What the fuck, Malik? That was not necessary!" Trinity yelled at him.

"Yes it was. He's way too old for her. He's literally the same age as momma. You don't think that shit is weird? And he a lil white boy from Detroit. We don't want nigga up in here." He scoffed.

"But wasn't Zach was half white. So why's it matter?" Dallas challenged Malik as well.

"It don't matter that Zach was half white. Zach was not 30 years older. Zach didn't have kids. Zach had a decent career and everyone liked him. What do Eminem got? A baby momma, felonies, and he a dude that think he can hang." Malik said matter of factly.

"First of all, don't do that. Don't start acting like he's just this low life and isn't some sort of a good person. Yes, he has a past. So do I, so do you, so does everybody. Yes, he has children, and a baby moms. Okay, and? Yes, he's 50. Yes, he's gone to jail before. So has Dallas, and other people in our family. I've been arrested before too. This is nothing new. Yes, he is a rapper. He makes songs that aren't so holy. So what? SO WHAT?! You want to act like you're so fucking holy, right? Was it holy when you got that girl you was fucking with 3 months ago pregnant and made her get an abortion? Was Marco holy to when he was out there selling drugs to make ends meet a few years back? Is Grandma Dolly holy for how the fuck she makes us all feel like shit sometimes?! ARE WE ALL LOW LIFES FOR THAT AND NOT WORTHY? NO. Are we all not shit? No. Do we have our pasts, and wish to move on from them? YES. So who cares Malik? You're judging him and you don't even know him. He doesn't try to think he can hang or whatever just because he's from the hood of Detroit. So please, take a look in the mirror before you even try to judge anybody for anything because you ain't cream of the crop, sweetheart." I let out in frustration.

They don't even know Marshall and they're already judging him. This is exactly what I didn't want. I didn't even notice Grandma Dolly wasn't saying anything until she eventually spoke up.

"Sadé, this man sounds like bad news." She started.

I let out a short, angry chuckle. If only she fucking knew. It was Zach that was bad new all along. Marshall is literally God sent.

"You know how I feel about the people you all date. You know I would like them to be black, have a respectable career, and to have been raised with some sense and knowledge. I don't know who this older white man is y'all are talking about or what you have going on with him, but I don't approve of this relationship. Out of all the men in this world, and you choose him?" She expressed her dislike.

I really didn't choose him though. It just happened. Life just happened, our fate aligned, and we met. From there, the rest is history really. It's just happened.

Everyone was either sipping on their drink or uncomfortably chewing their food as they watched, listening to what was going on back and forth.

"Yes, I chose to date him out of all the men in the world. What's going on with us is that we're in a serious relationship. You didn't even give him a chance." I argued back, defending Marshall's name.

It seemed like the only people who seemed to have an issue with this was Malik and my grandma. Everyone else was perfectly fine. They accepted it for what it was just like any other relationship.

"And this is the one you're staying with until you find a new apartment? The one in Detroit?" Grandma Dolly asked.

"Yes."

"This is the person you're bringing over for thanksgiving?"

"Yes." I sigh.

"Let me see a picture of him." She demanded.

"Why's it matter? He ain't coming over here. He better stay his ass in Detroit." Malik grumbled.

"Boy, shhh! I ain't talking to you right now." Grandma Dolly dismissed his comments.

I pulled up a picture of us together on my phone, passing it to Trinity, who passed it to Dallas, who gave it to her.

She inspected the picture, a smug look on her face. Once she was done she passed it back to me.

"I still don't really like him... But if you're really serious about him then invite him to meet the family over dinner one day. Before thanksgiving." She proposed the offer.

"WHAT? Nah, not happening." Malik spoke, shaking his head.

Grandma Dolly glared at him, making him shut his mouth. I looked around the table, seeing that everyone else looked pretty excited to meet him. I, on the other hand, was in shock. This definitely wasn't going well, but I wasn't expecting this outcome at all.

"Bro, chill. You don't even know him. You might like him. His music is dope." Dallas commented.

"You genuinely want to meet him?" I ask, not believing what I just heard.

"Bring him over. If this white boy is about to be in the house on thanksgiving, we should probably see what he's about." She replied indifferently.

Held my breath, fiddling with my thumbs as I quickly thought it over in my head. This decision was either about to be really stupid of me, or something great.

"Okay. I'll bring him over one day before thanksgiving then..." I trailed off.

Well... That was interesting to say the least. We continued to eat, making uncomfortable small talk. Afterwards, Malik had left the house, calling me all sorts of stupid, telling me how dumb I was. He was also pissed at me for outing him like that, but he outed me & Marshall so oh well. Disrespect me and you'll get disrespected back. I didn't care who it was. I wasn't even trippin' because I was mad at him too.

Me, my cousins, and my sister continued to talk amongst ourselves in the living room. They were of course being nosy about my relationship, asking the typical questions. We also discussed our excitement for the holidays too.

Once it was nearing 8, I gave everyone a farewell goodbye, leaving to the car to be driven to the airport. Time for LA and for Thee NAACP Awards.

— In Los Angeles, 11 PM

I was staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles for the time being while I was here; It was only for a day.

Marshall had told me to text him when I arrived safely at my room, which I did. That's kind of our thing now - Whenever once of us travels for work or visits the other, we text each other to tell them we arrived safely to ease our worries because we're both anxious people. I didn't get a text back, but I wasn't expecting one. It was 2 in the morning where Marshall was at in the world even though it was only a little bit after 11 at night here.

I didn't bother him, and instead, I got ready for bed. I did my nighttime routine, taking my shower, doing my skincare routine, and wrapping my hair in a bonnet to sleep in. I lathered myself in lotion and oils to keep my skin soft and smooth like silk. I dressed myself in a nightgown, getting under the covers of the bed. I wasn't done with my nighttime routine until almost an hour later.

I was just about to fall asleep, my eyes heavy from exhaustion when I was jolted up from my soon to be slumber by my phone ringing. I'm so tired and just wanted to sleep that I really didn't feel like answering it. Something told me to at least look at the name. When I did, a smile etched my face in an instant. The caller ID spelled out the nickname that I had in my phone for Marshall. I felt my heart flutter, something it's been doing a lot more of lately. I hurried to grab my phone and answer his call before I missed it.

"Hi, MarMar." I said excitedly yet sleepily into the phone.

I heard him let out a hoarse chuckle, indicating to me that he had woken up out of his sleep.

"Hi, Pretty Girl. I'm sorry I didn't reply to your text earlier. I was knocked out, but I seen it just now when I got up to take a piss." He apologized sincerely.

"It's alright, you don't have to apologize. I wasn't expecting a response back. I knew you were sleeping, which is something you should still be doing right now actually. It's like past 3 in the AM there, love." I tell him, not making it a big deal.

"I know it's late here, and probably there too, but I don't mind losing a little bit of sleep just to talk to you. I adore our conversations." He said happily, causing me to blush.

"I adore our conversations too, MarMar." I returned the compliment.

"I like that name. It's cute... like you." He flirted.

Even when he was tired after a long day of work he managed to keep up his charming nature.

"Are you trying to rizz me up even in your sleep, Sir?" I ask him jokingly.

"What's rizz? Is that slang or something?" He asked, not understanding the term.

"Yea, it basically means to flirt, spit game, or how good you can pull girls as you would call it. The younger generation just calls it rizz though." I explained.

"Oh okay, I got it. I'll remember that word. To answer your question, yes, I am rizzing you up in my sleep."

"You're so goofy." I giggled like a school girl, "Anyways, how was your day?"

"It was so stressful. I was writing lyrics all day, then I unsuspended Skylar. She was being so dramatic, saying I was hindering her music career by doing that. I didn't even care, I told her to go to a different recording studio if she ain't like it. And on top of that, I'm going to release Majesty with Nicki in a few days followed by Gospel with Dre. Been working my ass off a lot lately to get shit done. It's all coming together so I can't complain. How was your day, Sae?" He vented before checking in on me.

"Well, I'm happy for you, and it's nice to see all your hard work paying off. I'm glad that I can hear some more music from you. I wish you'd do another concert, but this'll do for now." I teased excitedly, not even bothering to discuss the dead, "Um my day was... A day. So much happened. I... " I started off.

I then went on to tell him all the details about the investigation. He didn't like that, which I knew he wouldn't, but he wanted me to tell him anyways. He went off about how he was going to start teaching me how to box to defend myself in case of emergencies, how security should've done their job better, and how if the CPD doesn't find who's behind the account then he'll do it himself. He then told me that he was glad I didn't get on an earlier flight like I normally would've, and that I was safe, nonetheless.

I then told him about what happened with my family over dinner. He felt indifferent about the whole situation. He wasn't upset at all, but rather not caring too much about it. He was, however, glad that my grandmother was open to meeting him along with the rest of my family, minus the exception of Malik. He said that he would find time in his schedule next week so that he could meet them, which actually meant a lot to me that he's taking the time out to make the effort.

We also made small talk about a few other things for the next 45 minutes. We were just happy to talk to one another truly. We got on the topic of food, Marshall telling me that he wanted me to teach him how to cook better because it doesn't hit the same when I'm not there. His words not mines.

"So you mean to tell me, that you know how to cook soul food and haven't cooked any for me yet?" He pretended to be hurt.

"Yes, I know how to cook soul food. Like forreal forreal." I laughed.

"So why haven't I had any?" I asked comically.

"Because I don't know if you ready for that yet, Marshall." I teased.

In actuality, I never cooked it for him because I didn't know if he would like it. I'm not even saying that because he's a white man that barely seasons his food, but because I've never seen eat that type of food or express any interest in it. I've cooked baked mac n cheese and fried chicken before, but never the whole nine yards. Like I've never made him that real southern style, homemade, black culture, soul food meal before. Although, it sounds like he wants it.

"I'm ready for it! I want soul food." He expressed his interest.

"Have you ever even eaten soul food?" I ask him curiously.

"A few times here and there. You know I grew up on the hood surrounded by black folks and still associate myself around them, Sae. It was pretty damn good." He chuckled.

"I can't believe you right now."

"Will you please cook me some soul food, baby? That's all I ask for." He pleaded nicely.

This man, I swear. He always tries to act like he needs to go on a diet or like I feed him to much, yet he's always lingering around the kitchen waiting for food & eats it all with a smile on his face. I love cooking, and I cook from my heart. It's my love language so whatever he wants, he'll get.

"Alright, I'll make you some over the weekend. How's that sound?" I tell him softly.

"Sounds great." He replied, sounding satisfied.

I felt my eyes become heavy again as I laid in the bed, listening to his voice as he continued to talk to me. His masculine, deep voice that I love to hear oh so much. I've been using the word love a lot lately and I don't even know why.

"Sae? You heard what I said?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Sorry..." I apologize sheepishly, realizing I almost fell asleep on him.

"It's Ight. Go to bed. You got a big day tomorrow. Goodnight, Pretty Girl." He told me sweetly.

"Goodnight, MarMar." I responded back, a small smile on my face.

I heard him hang up before throwing my phone somewhere in the sheets of the bed. I rolled on my side, snuggling the blanket, falling asleep.