“Baby, where are you goin’ so early? You lookin’ like a whole snack,” Linda murmured, half-asleep, watching me slip into my tan peacoat.
“To the office,” I muttered, checking my reflection. “Dad called some ‘proto’ meeting for me and Jerome. Said we better be there or he’s cuttin’ us off for real this time.” I sighed, feeling the weight of that threat like always.
“Alright, love you,” she mumbled, pulling the covers back over her head.
“Love you too,” I replied, slipping on my shades. I took one last look in the mirror, feeling every bit of the “pretty boy” people loved to call me. Light-ripped jeans, fitted just right, a crisp white button-up left slightly unbuttoned for that relaxed look, and my tan peacoat that made me look both polished and untouchable. I was fly and I knew it.
As I strolled down the street, the crisp morning air cutting through the city noise, I couldn’t help but wonder what Dad wanted this time. He was always pulling me and Jerome into these meetings, trying to whip us into his mold, keepin’ us on lock. But my clothing line was doing well, and Jerome was hustling his way too. We didn’t need him like that, not anymore.
When I arrived, I saw Jerome posted up outside the building, dressed head-to-toe in his usual streetwear—camo pants, red-and-black Dunks, and that red snapback he loved. He looked annoyed, eyes narrowed at some woman across the lobby.
When I followed his gaze, my heart nearly stopped. Natasha. The girl I messed around with last year, standing there with a toddler on her hip.
“Bro, who’s that? She been up here sayin’ she lookin’ for you,” Jerome asked, still staring her down.
“That’s Natasha,” I muttered, feelin' a bead of sweat forming. “Met her last year… it was nothin’ serious, you know? But she been blowin’ up my phone, hittin’ my Insta, all that. This chick is wild, man.”
Jerome’s eyebrows shot up as he nodded toward her. “Yo, is that her kid?”
I looked again, the kid on her hip looking a little too familiar. “Last I checked, she didn’t have no kid. But who knows, man. I ain’t got no clue what she’s pullin’ now.”
Just as I was about to confront her, Dad’s assistant came out and waved us into the meeting room. I was ready to ignore Natasha, but she strutted in right behind us, holdin’ the kid close. Jerome and I exchanged a look, and I could feel my pulse racing. This had to be about her, somehow.
Dad sat at the head of the table, eyes narrowed, with that look that said we were already guilty. He cleared his throat, looking at me and Jerome with that disgusted expression he reserved for “failures.”
“First of all, you both have been messing up, and I’m this close to cutting you both off,” he started, his voice dripping with disappointment. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense—” “What we do?” I cut him off, throwing my hands up in frustration. “And what’s she doin’ here?” I nodded toward Natasha, who was now smirking, arms wrapped protectively around the toddler.
Dad held up a hand, silencing me. “I was going to wait to announce this, but ever since your mother and I divorced, I’ve been… lonely.”
Jerome and I looked at each other, both frowning in confusion.
“When I met Natasha, we clicked immediately. She makes me happy, and I’m done hiding it. Sons, meet my fiancée Natasha… and your little brother, Josiah.”
The room went dead silent. I felt my stomach drop like I’d been punched. Natasha’s smirk grew, and she shifted Josiah higher on her hip, her eyes locked on mine, filled with a twisted satisfaction.
“Dad, you serious right now?” I shouted, my fists clenched. “You really trippin’!”
“Man, this is messed up!” Jerome chimed in, shaking his head, looking as stunned as I was. “And you up here yellin’ at us about messin’ up?”
Dad just stared at us, unfazed. “Natasha is part of this family now, whether you like it or not. Get used to it.”
I glared at Natasha, my mind racing with memories of that night we met, the texts, the calls she’d been sending me ever since, never mentioning a word about Dad. She’d played us—played me. She wanted in, and she’d found the perfect way, hooking herself to my father and securing a place in the family by any means necessary.
As I stormed out of that meeting, my thoughts were in a thousand directions. I couldn’t shake the image of Natasha’s smirk, couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d been set up from the start. And now, every move I made, every deal I signed, would be tangled with the woman who almost ruined me—and was now my stepmother. To be continued
- What would you do if you were in Trevor's shoes—would you confront Natasha, or try to keep the peace for the family’s sake?
- Do you think Trevor and Jerome will ever accept Natasha as part of the family, or is the betrayal too deep to forgive?
- What do you think is going through Natasha’s mind with that smirk? Is she in it for love or something else?
- Do you think there’s any chance the baby is actually Trevor’s, or is Natasha playing games?
- Is it possible that Trevor’s dad knows more than he’s letting on? Could he be aware of Trevor and Natasha’s past?
- How do you think Linda would react if she found out about Trevor’s past with Natasha? Would she stand by him, or is this a dealbreaker?
"Can you feel the tension brewing? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop your answers in the comments below—do you think the baby is really Trevor’s? Does Dad know about Trevor and Natasha’s past? And what would Linda do if she found out? 👀
Make sure to follow Soulful Exhortations so you don’t miss the next part of this story! There’s so much more drama to come, and I can’t wait to share it with you. 🌟"
