It was 3am when I finally arrived home. It had taken me 2 hours but I did it. I found out who the Bitch is that’s fuckin my husband. My husband of 4 years. The father of my 2-year-old daughter. The father of my unborn child. The man I vowed to love and cherish forever. I had an inkling that something was going on, I guess you could call it women’s intuition. I first felt that something was amiss when his cell phone started ringing in the middle of the night. Well, not exactly ringing, because he had sense enough to turn the ringer off, but the little red light would start blinking and the face would light up. I discovered this when I got up at 2am one night to go the bathroom.

The day before I had just found out that I was pregnant and couldn’t sleep no matter how hard I tried. I was up trying to figure out a romantic way to tell my husband. I crept out of bed to go the bathroom and when I came back into the bedroom, all I saw a faint green glow coming from his side. Now, being a woman that watches too much TV, I though it was E.T. or something coming to get me. When I didn’t hear any funny noises, I tiptoed to his side of the bed and looked at the nightstand. What I saw was his phone ringing and at 2 in the morning!! Now you know I was salty. “Who in the fuck is this?” I thought. I contemplated waking him up for an interrogation, but the curiosity in me took over. I carefully picked up the cell phone and looked at the display. 312-555-9865 is the number I saw. That’s a Chicago area code and we live in Detroit. Now you know I was heated at this point because everyone we know lives in the D. His job does not require him to travel, so who else could it be but a broad? By this time his voice mail had picked up the call, and naturally I had the access code. Therefore, I quietly placed his phone back where I found it and walked over to the dresser where we keep the house extension. I then tiptoed into the hall and down to my daughter’s room.

I called his phone, dialing *69 first, of course and waited. I pressed the appropriate buttons when I was prompted to do so and proceeded to listen. What I heard was enough to make me physically ill. The voice I heard was on there several times. The message she left tonight was a sweet “I miss you, Dre’. I want to see you this weekend. I’m coming there on Friday and would love to spend another nice, quiet romantic weekend with you. Please call me. I love you, TeAndre’.”

UGH!! Who was this bitch and when did they spend the weekend together and why is she coming to Detroit and why is she calling my husband in the middle of the fucking night?? I was so heated that I started sweating. I didn’t let that discourage me. I kept on listening. She had called a few weeks ago and was telling him to call her when he got settled in his hotel room. Now, like I said, his job does not require him to travel, he’s a loan officer at a financial firm downtown. Anyway, he doesn’t travel. It took me a minute, but it came to me that around that time, he and his friends went to Chicago for a concert. Which makes me wonder, how long had this been going on? By the sultry sound of her voice, it’s been happening for a while. And why didn’t he erase any of her messages??

Now that I knew this, what am I to do with my new found information? I’ll tell you what I did. Nothing. I decided to let the bastard hang himself and I wanted to be there to provide the rope.

The following morning I got up and did all the wifely duties like normal. I got up at 7am, like always. I got my clothes out for work, I started my shower, I got my daughter’s clothes out and packed her backpack for daycare, I got in the shower and that’s when it hit me. The realization that my husband was fucking someone else. I lost it. I just crumpled up in the corner of the shower and folded like a ball. I cried so hard I almost made myself sick. When I started gagging, it was then that I remembered that I was 2 months pregnant. What am I going to do, now? I cried harder. I was so confused that it was ridiculous. I took a few deep breaths, finished showering and composed myself before I came out of the bathroom. I opened the door and there he was standing in front of the door with a look of concern on his face.

“Nia? I was just on my way in there. You ok? Sounds like I heard you crying? Baby what’s wrong?”

Oh, don’t be concerned now, you dumb fuck. You wasn’t thinking about my feelings when you were fucking that chick, were you? That’s what I thought, but what I said was, “Nothing, honey. I think I’m getting sick or something.” I rushed past him so he wouldn’t see the tears starting to form again.

“Sweetie, you sure you ok? Are you mad at me?”

I took a deep breath, turned and looked at him. My baby is fine. He’s chocolate, dark brown eyes, bald, beautifully shaped six-pack, and naked. I couldn’t resist. I went to him with open arms. He really got worried then. “Shh, shh. Baby it’s ok. What’s wrong? Nia, you’re scaring me. Baby please.” He was holding me tight and stroking my back in attempt to soothe my sobs.

Once again, I took one of the much needed deep breaths and looked up at my baby. All that kept running through my mind was, ‘Tell him you know. Tell him.’ But what I said was, “TeAndre’, honey, I’m pregnant.”

Silence.

Then he squeezed me tighter. I looked up at him and he had tears streaming down his face. I’ve never seen him cry. Not even when we had Jade, our daughter. He grabbed my face in his soft, huge hands and kissed me. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” He kept repeating as he moved me backwards towards the bed. It was on like Jiffy Pop Popcorn, then.

After that morning, I figured he would break if off with little miss home wreaker. Hence, I didn’t check his messages anymore. And there were no more middle of the night green lights. That weekend came and went. He was with me the entire time. We spent the weekend curled up in the bed, him, and me and Jade, just watching TV and eating ice cream. It was the most beautiful weekend of my life.

That didn’t last long. I was now 6 months pregnant, it was summer and I was miserable. It was a Saturday night and Jade was at my sister’s house for the weekend. I was home alone and was getting antsy. Dre’ was out playing pool with the fellas’ and I had called all my girlfriends to see if we could have a ladies night tonight and everyone was busy with their own family. You heard the saying about idle hands being the devil’s workshop? Well, an idle mind is no different. I picked up the phone and called my husband on his cell. If he answered, I could just say I wanted him to bring me something to eat when he came home. He didn’t answer. His voicemail clicked on.

“Hey this is Dre’. Leave me a message, peace.” Beep.

I pressed the star key.

“Please enter your access code.” The computer told me. So I did. “You have 2 new messages and 6 saved messages.” You could’ve picked me up with a spoon.

“First new message. Received at 8:38pm ‘Hey Dre’ it’s Stephany, call me when you get a chance.'" Who the hell is Stephany? I thought. "To save press 9 to delete press 7." I pressed 7.

“Message deleted. Next new message received at 11:26pm. ‘Hey honey. You told me to call you when I got to the hotel, well, I’m here. I’m at the usual place in suite 204. Call me when you’re on your way. Love you.’ “ I didn’t even want to hear anymore. I hung up.

This time I didn’t cry. I decided to find them, tonight. I hadn’t the slightest idea how I was going to do it, seeing as how Detroit has many hotels, but dammit, I’m going to find them.

My first stop was the pool hall. He and his friends always go to the same one so that wasn’t a problem. I drove around the parking lot looking for his black Lincoln Navigator. I spotted it. I was then looking for an inconspicuous place to park so I could keep and eye on the truck. As luck would have it, I didn’t have time to find a park because there he was. Strolling out the pool hall with his friends in tow. Damn I wish I had one of those things where you could hear a conversation from so many feet away. Damn. Anyway, they all got in their respective vehicles and drove off. All except Dre’. He had started the car, but was just sitting there. I got nervous when I heard music. I didn’t have the radio on. Oh. It’s my cell phone. It’s TeAndre.

“Hello?” I said.

“Hey baby. Where are you?” He asked.

“At Ticia’s. Where are you?”

“Just leaving the pool place. Listen, Kevin got fucked up drinking Hennessy so I’m going to drive him home. I’ll be home late, ok?”

I took the phone away from my ear and looked at it. Yeah right.

“Ok, baby that’s fine. Are you taking him to his house or to his girl’s house?” I’m thinking, watch him say his house because Kevin lives in Pontiac but his son’s mother lives on the eastside of Detroit. “His house. Him and Whitney got into it earlier, that’s why he’s drunk and shit. I can’t let my boy drive all the way to the Yak in that condition.” “Well, if you take him all the way home, where’s he going to leave his car?” I want to see just how fast he can think. “Jason rode with LaVell so he’s gonna take Kev’s car to his house and tomorrow he’ll drive to Kev’s and Kev will bring him back.” Got it all figured out, huh?

“Well, why doesn’t Jason just drive Kevin home and stay over there and Kevin can take Jason home tomorrow?” GOTCHA!!

”You know how Jason is. He can’t sleep if Kim’s not next to him.”

“Hm.” I was out of questions.

“So…I’ll be home late. Love you.” He hung up.

I screamed.

Ok, Nia. Get yourself together, girl. I put the car in drive and waited. I sat there staring at his car for at least 10 minutes before he finally pulled off. I pulled off right behind him.

He got on the freeway and was headed towards Roseville, a suburb of Michigan. I stayed four cars behind him at all times. He turned off and came up on Gratiot Ave. By then, I knew where he was going. It’s only one hotel I know of around there besides Red Roof Inn. The Baymont Inn, or something like that. He pulled into the entrance of the hotel and began searching for a place to park. I whipped my Lexus SC300 around the back and jumped out. I was going to meet him at the entrance. On the way around to the front, I changed my mind. I’m going up there. I know the room number. I walked into the lobby, said hello to the lady behind the counter and sauntered over to the elevator. I got on and the doors had just closed when I heard my husband say, “Hey, hold the elevator, please.” Not this time.

I got off on the second floor and frantically began looking for room 204. I found it and knocked.

“Just a minute.” The bitch said.

She opened the door and I couldn’t believe what I saw. She was my height, dark skinned, long phonytail, wearing a black negligee with the black slippers to match.

“Yes? Can I help you?” She said.

“Yes, you can. You don’t know me. But I sure in the hell know you.” I had fire in my eyes because all I saw was red.

“Oh, really?” She had folded her arms around her chest and copped a little ‘tude.

“Yeah. You’re the bitch that’s fucking my husband.” I pushed her in room and was inches away from her smacking the weave out her head when I heard,

“NIA!!! What the fuck are you doing?” It was TeAndre’.

“You fucking bastard. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” I screamed at him.

“Dre’ who the fuck is the crazy ass bitch? What the hell is she talking about, husband?”

He just stood there looking stupid.

“Answer me gotdammit!! Dre’? Why the hell would you fuck around on me and think I wouldn’t know about it? Yeah, I know it all. I know about the phone calls at 2 am, I know about the rendezvous in Chicago. I know, you fuck! I know!” I yelled at him so loud, my baby balled up real tight and I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. So bad that I had to grab my stomach and sit down.

“Nia, baby? You ok? Calm down. Don’t get upset, I can explain.”

”Hello? Dre’? Did you forget about me? I want some answers, too. Who is this woman?” The lady said.

“Sanya, this lady is my wife. We’ve been married for 4 years, have a beautiful daughter and a baby on the way.” He explained to her. “Your wife? No. You told me you weren’t married. TeAndre’ we’ve been together for almost a year and know I find out you’re married? “ She ran up to him and slapped the shit out of him. She slapped him so hard she broke a nail. She then turned to me.

Here I am, sitting in a chair, still holding my stomach trying to calm down, vulnerable as hell. What she did surprised me.

“Ma’am, are you ok? Do you need to go to the hospital?” I couldn’t believe it, she was being nice!

“Yes, thank you. I’m fine and no, I don’t need to go the hospital.”

Silence.

“So, a year you say?” I asked.

“Yes. A year tomorrow. I met him when I was here on business one week. We talk and commute quite often.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And I honestly didn’t know he was married. Trust me. I would have never even talked to him if I had known that. I’m sorry.” She looked at me with tears streaming down her face. I actually felt sorry for her. She didn’t know. But my husband did.

“I accept your apology.”

”Thank you.”

We both turned and glared at Dre’ looking like he was glued to the wall. I jumped up and walked towards him. We stood face to face for what seemed like forever. The whole world stood still while I saw images of our first date. Images of our wedding, anniversaries, the birth of our daughter, the closing on our own home, the family vacations, the lovemaking and the conception of our unborn child. All those beautiful images. Just images of deception waiting to be viewed. I reached all the way back to Mississippi and punched my husband. I turned on my heels and walked out. Calm, cool and collective, like a lady.