Free A Scandalous Philly Love Story (Part 1) by Charisee Irons

be out in the public. My house phone rang, and I let voicemail pick up. “Hi, mommy we miss you. When you coming over to see us?” I started crying again because I hadn’t seen my babies in three weeks. I couldn’t believe how I had let my life get so out of control. I lied here, thinking of how fucked up my life was. I was neglecting my kids, lying around on my back, and accepting money from men for sex as if I were some common whore. Here it was, I raped by a man I had fallen for, who just so happen to be one of best friends’ ex-boyfriend. I knew it was time to get my life together. My daughters needed me, and it was time I started acting like a mother.
    “Oh, God! Please give me strength, show me mercy and forgive me. Please fix this!” I just sat in the bed, crying and talking to God.
    I knew life had to get better.

Chapter 11
    Eric
     
    This damn case had gotten me stressed the hell out. I’d been working late hours here at the office, trying to put together this appeal. Carter Barnes really thought his money was that long. He’d been serving time for drug trafficking, possession of drugs, possession of an illegal firearm, attempted murder, corruption of a minor, and several other charges. To think this was the motherfucker, who violated Dawn when she was a young girl. Jerry Kindred, one of the partners here, had passed his cases onto me when he took ill. After reading over Mr. Barnes’s file, I learned that his crime sprees began when he was just eleven. As a juvenile, he stayed in trouble, from stealing cars to assault. He’d been locked down for over fifteen years now, and every time he filed an appeal, it was denied. He was ordered to serve twenty-five to life. At the time of his arrest, the gun found on him had two bodies on it. I was set to pay him a visit in a couple of days. Jerry warned me that he could be an arrogant son of a bitch. Even though he claimed his innocence from the beginning during his murder trial, he was still guilty of something. It was said that he was a big time drug dealer who ran the whole tri-state area. Plus, he never got his hands dirty unless he needed to. He knew to have other people handle his dirty work. He was one ruthless motherfucker.
    It had been over three weeks since I heard from Marcy. I had tried contacting her, but she changed her number. I knew what I had done was wrong, but she needed to be taught a lesson. Dre hadn’t been blowing up my phone, and Cyn moved. Somehow, I was losing control of my personal life. I started drinking heavily, and it was showing in my work and in my appearance. My boss was threatening to take me off of this case. He said, “Greyson, either get your shit together, or you’ll be unemployed. Do you think you need some time off? Is this workload too much for you? Whatever it could be, I advise you to fix it, and quick.” I figured once I filed this appeal and the jury came back with their vote, I was going to take some time off. I needed a vacation.
    I received a text from Dre, asking me to come by this evening. I was up to my eyeballs with work, and I wasn’t sure when I could get there. Let’s just say, he wasn’t too happy with my response. I asked him if he could give me until the weekend, but he never responded.

Chapter 12
    Three Months Later…
    Dawn
     
    Business had been flourishing. I was getting big as a house, and just last week, I found out we were expecting a baby boy. Ant couldn’t have been even happier. At this point, it was just a question of what we were naming him. Anthony Lamar Hunter Junior. Once I learned the sex of the baby, I contacted my mother, so she could start decorating. She had been quite busy, getting prepared for her wedding. She came by the house to take measurements of the nursery and to check on me as well. I fixed some lunch and we talked. She informed me that she received a notice in the mail from the DA, stating that Carter had filed for another appeal. She was telling me how his last two