Ex-Terminator Life After Marriage Read Online Free PDF Page B

were taking medicine for the cold that I had. I was so mad. I was freaking mad .”
    Rachel jumped out of the chair. Her hands flew left and right, then around in a circle to prove her point.
    “I was soooooooo mad that I started swinging. I hit Reuben upside his head, and the stupid girl he was with started to cry which made my head hurt worse. And when your head hurts, you’ve got to hurt somebody.
    “Yeah, they thought I was crazy. I hauled off and hit a home run on that girl’s head. ‘That’s Mary’s baby,’ somebody said, ‘and I said I don’t care whose baby it is.’ She had to get up out of my house. In fact, all of y’all get up out of my house. I laid some cussing and swinging on those folks, and before I could count to ten nobody was left in the house but me and Reuben—he wasn’t gonna be there for long.
    “I snatched whatever I saw of Reuben’s stuff, opened the door, and threw it to the wind. You know the nig…I mean the brother had the nerve to try and raise up on me, pointing his finger all up in my face and shouting obscenities at me in my house. But yours truly pushed his ass through that open door, closed it, and wiped my hands of him. I know some of you didn’t think gullible little Rachel had it in her, but it took a whole lot of being used, being walked over, pretending that it wasn’t so, pretending that our marriage was real and denying what everyone was trying to tell me…that the man I had married was a no-good drug addict and I was his meal ticket for all his vices before I sent him packing.”
    Rachel took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. She was exhausted, emotionally spent. She took another deep breath and placed her hand across her chest.
    “I tried,” Rachel cried. “I tried to be a good wife. All I wanted was for someone to love me.”
    Sylvia was at her side as Rachel wept openly. Another group hug was in order—even Marvin joined in.
    The room was silent. When Rachel’s sobs subsided, Sylvia helped her back into the chair. Rachel looked up, her head moving from side to side. She took another deep breath and sniffed.
    “I didn’t tell anyone; I knew they’d find out soon enough. And the streets proved me right. I know that I’ve been called everything from crazy to stupid to don’t have good sense, but that was the old Rachel. Today, I’m taking my life back. I’m going to close my Ex-Files for good.”
    “Good for you,” the women shouted.
    And then there was this handsome man sitting in front of her named Marvin who had come to join their group. Rachel wasn’t sure what the look on his face meant, but she wasn’t going to be sidetracked by a friendly smile, a seductive wink or even a well-maintained body. She wasn’t going to put up with any more crap from any man. Sylvia’s voice brought her out of her daze.
    “It’s time to take a break. Let’s close the Files for a moment. We’ve got a long way before they will be completely clean. This is a start. Now let’s eat up. I’ve got plenty in the kitchen.”
    “I’m starved,” Claudette said, “and I need a cigarette.”
    “Me, too,” Ashley chimed in, “but I can do without the smokes.”
    “I know something smells good,” Mona said.
    “You ready to eat, Rachel?” Sylvia asked. “It might be a little messy, but I’ve got ribs.”
    Rachel shook her head no. She closed her eyes for a second. When she looked up, Marvin was standing in front of her offering his hand.
    “I think if you eat a little something, you might feel better,” came his baritone voice.
    Rachel’s hand shook like a palm tree in a hurricane as she tried to take his outstretched one. She wiped her eyes with the back of her other hand and said, “Okay.”

EX-cuses don’t count
    “Girl, these ribs are kicking,” Claudette said, swinging a braid out of her face to keep it out of the sauce.
    “She didn’t cook them.” Mona groaned. “The least you could have done was asked me to cater this event for