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  Dear Reader:

  Meet Felicia Spears, the ultimate ride-or-die chick, standing by her man’s side through the ups and downs of his singing career. She goes to all ends to satisfy and cater to Cooper—seeking steady gigs at local venues and promoting his talent.

  Her singer husband eventually rises to the top, thanks to her ongoing efforts. But their relationship turns sour once he walks out. When he later marries his second wife, Evelyn, Felicia becomes enraged as she covets the new couple’s lavish lifestyle, one that she feels she deserves. After all, she was the one who had sacrificed to ensure Cooper’s success.

  Her next mission is revenge. She’s determined to reveal a darker side of the now popular artist. It’s an image that isn’t reflected in his lyrics.

  Pat has the knack for telling stories that often are straight from the headlines. Her novels Daddy by Default and Party Girl focus on legal issues surrounding paternity and Texas laws. Her Guarding Secrets exposes corruption within the walls of a correctional facility.

  As always, thanks for supporting myself and the Strebor Books family. We strive to bring you the most cutting-edge, out-of-the-box material on the market. You can find me on Facebook @AuthorZane.

  Publisher

  Strebor Books

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  "Everybody knows God gives extra blessings to those who date the ugly. I mean, c’mon, Felicia.”

  My BFF’s tone was as stiff as an upper lip as she tried to convince me that I needed to get with a guy from my night job. Yesterday, Jones’ logic was that another man, even one who needed a brown paper bag over his head in public, would help me bounce back and forget about my painful divorce.

  Forget the fact that the man was not attractive in any way; the fact that he was a willing man, should have been enough for me. I was trying to be low-key. I listened, but I wasn’t really feeling her or her logic.

  “Besides, when we close our eyes, everyone can look like Dwayne Johnson, or Denzel,” she said, as she turned the car onto my street. She had a point there, but not enough for me to get with a man whose face I couldn’t stomach. Although Yesterday and I had been friends for most of our thirty-six years on this earth, we rarely agreed on anything.

  She was the only person I could call when I needed a ride back from the airport after my disastrous trip to Los Angeles. But even what I found in that hotel room couldn’t prepare me for what my eyes took in.

  I looked around, and before I could process her advice, I struggled with what I saw. Suddenly, panic attacked my entire nervous system with incredible strength. Yesterday hadn’t even brought the car to a complete stop, but I snatched the door open and jumped out. My heart plummeted to the bottom of my feet.

  “What the hell?!” Yesterday screeched, once she got out of the car and tried to catch up with me.

  But I was already gone. What I saw literally took my trapped breath away and left me hyperventilating.

  Shoes, clothes, old ratty lingerie, everything I owned was sprawled across the grass. Everything, including the old wooden jewelry armoire that belonged to my late grandmother, had been thrown out.

  My head started to swim and my heart was nearly off the chart. I couldn’t find the words or the strength. To my right, from the corner of my eye, a man rummaged through a pile of my clothes.

  “Hey! That’s mine!” I yelled at the homeless man who seemed so startled by the sound of my voice, he dropped the bag he had and quickly scurried away.

  My head felt light as I looked around and tried to take inventory, but it was hard. My eyes wouldn’t stop watering. I swallowed hard and dry, like a dusty cactus had lodged itself down my throat. How long had my things been outside for any and everybody to pick over? Why the hell would Cooper toss my stuff out like everyday trash?

  Yesterday was nearly out of breath when she walked up to me, and then she stopped and looked around.

  “Uh, why is all your shit out here like this?”

  She looked around the space and took in the same heart-wrenching sight that nearly caused me to fall out.

  “I swear, I hate men!”

  Yesterday sprang into action. She grabbed a bag and started to stuff it with clothes, shoes, and toiletries.

  Unable to move, I stood there under Houston’s relentless sun, as warm tears ran down my cheeks.

  How had my life crumbled so quickly?

  Tears might have been falling, but I was more pissed, than hurt. I wanted revenge, and the fact that I didn’t know how I could possibly get it had literally reduced me to a messy puddle of tears. It wasn’t fair that he was still on top.

  “You need to come on,” Yesterday said as she put down a full bag and picked up an empty one.

  The reality of my situation prevented me from moving. I was homeless and would need to completely start over.

  When the golf cart pulled up next to us, Yesterday stopped and huffed in my direction. But the man behind the wheel caught our full attention.

  “You got an hour, Ma’am. We’re gonna need you to clear your belongings off the property or else we’re gonna need to call maintenance to dispose of it,” the uniformed security officer said.

  “What the hell do you think we’re doing?!” Yesterday yelled. She threw enough attitude to him for both of us. I was spent, and couldn’t muster up any energy.

  “There’s no way I can move all of this stuff in an hour,” I hollered at him.

  “Let’s try,” Yesterday said.

  “You have one hour. Whatever you don’t take will be disposed of,” the guard said.

  There was no sensitivity in his voice, and that made me wonder whether he considered Cooper a friend. Yesterday worked to stuff a third bag. My things were everywhere. How could this have happened to me?

  “Where’s the rest of my stuff?” I looked around. Everything that was scattered belonged to me and only me. I wondered about the sofa, the breakfast table, the bedroom suite. Had someone already come by and picked through what they wanted?

  Houston was always hot and humid, but on this day, it felt unbearable. Perspiration rolled down my back, my armpits, and the sides of my head. But I couldn’t be sure whether the heat I felt was from the sun or from the realization that I had lost complete control. My life was barely recognizable, and it scared the shit out of me.

  I turned to the security guard. “Where’s the rest of my things? My furniture?”

  He shrugged, then pulled a radio from his golf cart. He drove up a few feet away from us and pressed a button. I couldn’t make out what he said, but he spoke into the radio, then pulled it up to his ear.

  A few minutes later, he put the cart in reverse. The beeping noise worked what was left of my frayed nerves. I hadn’t moved from the spot he’d left me in.

  “Manager says the guy took what he wanted and left the rest.” He looked around at my life as it was sprawled across the grass. “Looks like he didn’t want your stuff.”

  That made it hurt even more. Cooper never told me we needed to move. We’d stopped talking months ago when it became painfully clear that he was Team Evelyn. I always hoped things would somehow get better between us, but the wedge was ha
rd to overcome. However, I remained optimistic for a long time.

  Yesterday was on her fourth trip from the car to the lawn.

  Suddenly, a man rode up on a bike, hopped off, looked at her, then looked at me.

  “Felicia Spears?” he asked. But the way he looked between us, made it clear he wasn’t sure who was whom.

  “Yeah, who are you?” I eyed him suspiciously.

  Before I could answer, he shoved a large envelope toward my chest and yelled, “You’ve been served.” He hopped back on his bike and pedaled away faster than I’d ever seen any human move.

  I didn’t need to open it to know that Cooper had served me child custody papers. He was lower than the lowest life form.

  “Look, you knew it was coming,” Yesterday said. She huffed, looked around, then went back to work.

  Although I knew it was coming, it didn’t make it any easier to accept. I thought the business trip would help Cooper cool off, not give him time to get his ducks lined up and decide to divorce me and announce plans to fight me for full custody of our son.

  The guard looked at me with pity in his eyes, and that made me feel worse.

  “Listen, I gotta make my rounds. If I cover the entire complex, it’s usually right at about two hours. You think that’ll be enough time to clear the bulk of this stuff out?”

  Warm embarrassment washed over me as I mustered up the strength to nod. I gladly accepted that olive branch he’d offered.

  “A’ight then.”

  He threw his golf cart into gear and drove off. I was disgusted, but more than that, I was ashamed. Cooper had left me, taken our things, and had me served with court papers on the same day he knew I’d come home to find what was left of our life. That was heartless. But I knew that he hadn’t acted alone, I knew who had put him up to this, and there was little I could do about it.

  People gawked as they walked by, and that made everything one thousand times worse.

  Yesterday suddenly stopped what she was doing and threw her hands to her hips.

  “Look, it’s too hot for me to be doing all of this by myself. You need to wipe your tears and help me pack up what you want.”

  She was right. I was grateful she was there to take charge of everything. I was a useless mess on two legs.

  Cooper didn’t even have the decency to face me. He took the coward’s way out even though I wouldn’t have had too many words for him. He was in beautiful, sunny L.A., while my life was crumbling here in Houston.

  “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and c’mon!” Yesterday yelled. I understood her growing frustration, but there was little I could do to fix it.

  “C’mon!” Yesterday repeated.

  I pulled in a deep breath and reached for a pillowcase. As I walked around the lawn near the front door of our former apartment, I still couldn’t believe that this was my life.

  He had won again!

  FIVE YEARS LATER

  Chapter One

  "I wanna shoot him, I mean, kill his simple ass dead! I’m almost positive no jury would ever convict after they heard my story.”

  Yesterday’s head whipped in my direction, and her eyes grew wide. She sighed and looked at me with pity in her eyes. It was an expression I had gotten used to over the past few years.

  Five years ago, my worthless husband went on a business trip that was really a cover for the fact that he had left me. Soon thereafter, he became an overnight singing sensation, but not before my blood sweat and tears set the foundation for his success. I was certain he’d have a different version, but mine was closest to the truth, because the truth wasn’t in him. Others might have forgotten, but I would always remember.

  You know I’ll have to testify to what I just heard you say, if I’m ever subpoenaed, right?” Yesterday joked. Her arched brow went up before she quickly jumped up from her seat and immediately fell under his spell. “Besides, if you killed Coop, millions of women would be devastated.”

  She clutched toward her chest as if she needed to emphasize her statement.

  My stomach began to do that flip-flop thing that made me want to vomit.

  Life wasn’t fair. That was for sure, but how much bad luck did any one woman deserve? I’d had my share and then some.

  “Girrrrrl, I still can’t believe we know a bona-fide star,” Yesterday said.

  Her voice was laced with admiration and wonder. It was like she had no memory of the living hell that her so-called bona-fide star had put me through. My life had crumbled into millions of pieces, and all these years later, I still struggled to pay bills.

  The fact that Yesterday continued to support his work, even a bootleg copy, felt like an epic betrayal. But considering how many so-called friends and relatives I had lost after he’d left me, there wasn’t much I could do about her treachery. If I alienated her, I’d be alone.

  Yesterday was up swaying to the music, her eyes closed and her hips gyrating like she was lost in a wonderful memory. I was disgusted every time I heard his voice blare through the speakers. In my car, I could change the station, but in a restaurant, there was nothing I could do. I was held hostage for the four-minute duration of his songs.

  The sound of his voice crooning, singing all the things any woman would want to hear sickened me. I knew for certain that Cooper only loved himself. Despite the lyrics, I knew the truth. He probably didn’t even write those words; Lord knew he didn’t know what they meant.

  “Oooh,” snap, snap, “this is my jam.” Yesterday’s hips synchronized with the snaps of her fingers as she moved to the music.

  “Ohmygod, I love this song,” a woman said as she passed our table.

  Yesterday’s mood seemed to be broken long enough for her to point at me and say, “That’s Coop, her ex-husband.”

  The woman’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets. She doubled back and stood in front of our table.

  “For real?” She was too giddy. “I knew that was him. I love his music.” She turned to me. “You was married to Cooper Spears?”

  Reluctantly, I nodded, despite that the way she asked told me she didn’t believe it. Her eyes challenged my appearance. She probably wondered how someone who looked like me could’ve been married to such a handsome crooner who had all the right words.

  Having not missed a beat, Yesterday fell back into her groove and picked up where she’d left off.

  I wanted to snatch her back down onto her chair and tell her the damn song wasn’t all that good. Yesterday was doing too much, but if I had said anything, it would have encouraged her to keep up the theatrics. I rolled my eyes and pulled the menu up to try and block her and all of the attention she brought to our table.

  The waiter couldn’t come fast enough. Sometimes I wondered whether Yesterday did all the extras as a way to pour salt on my wound, which she knew was still raw. It was hard, but I ignored her and her antics.

  When the song finally went off, she flopped down into her seat and sighed real hard like it was all she could do to catch her breath. It didn’t take all of that.

  “Girl, I swear I love that song. Coop know good and well he did that with that song.”

  Chili’s menu had never been so interesting. Did she really think I wanted to sit and talk about my ex and his latest hit song? She knew how long it took for me to get over what he had done to me, and it still hurt like hell.

  “What you getting? I’m starving.”

  It must’ve been all the damn dancing. I suppressed another eye-roll, but finally, I calmed enough to move the menu and face her. Yesterday’s eyes were glued to the menu as if she needed to focus on her options.

  My appetite was nearly gone, but I needed to eat. Later, when I sat inside my tiny, one-room apartment alone, I’d be ready to kick myself over the hunger pangs.

  Before I could say anything to Yesterday, a thin, plain woman with stringy hair slid in fro
nt of our table.

  “So, who’s Coop’s ex-wife?” She looked back and forth between Yesterday and me. Excitement was all over her face.

  Yesterday’s finger flew up, and like the barrel of a gun, pointed directly at me.

  “Wow! You were married to Coop? He’s like one of my most favorite singers.”

  Again, the wonder in her voice told me she, too, was a nonbeliever.

  My eyes danced around the restaurant as I searched for her manager. I didn’t know whom I wanted to slap first—her or Yesterday—for being so nonchalant and telling the world my personal business.

  “That’s nice,” I said dryly.

  I glanced back down at the menu and hoped she’d take the hint. When I didn’t say anything else about Coop, she pulled a tiny notepad from her apron and pulled the pen from the side of her head.

  “Do you ladies know what you’re having?”

  “I do. I’m so hungry I could eat two of these rib platters,” Yesterday said.

  “So, you want the ribs, a full or half order?”

  “Umm, let me have the full order,” Yesterday said.

  Yesterday ordered her sides, and a drink, then looked at me. I placed my order and waited for the waitress to turn and leave.

  Once she was out of earshot, I said to Yesterday, “Can you please stop telling people that Coop is my ex-husband?”

  She leaned over the table.

  Now she wanted to be discreet?

  “Girl, why you mad?”

  I studied her face.

  “No, like seriously. Why you mad? Why not tell the world you his ex? So he’s living his new fancy life with the new wifey by his side, and you down here looking in from the outside. Girl, you know that’s supposed to be you up there on those award shows and on the red carpet with him.” Yesterday sucked her teeth like the scenario really bothered her.

  It was hard to ignore her because she’d keep going, but I didn’t need to be reminded that Coop and his new wife were living the life while I just barely lived.