Worst Case Scenario Read online

  Copyright © 2019 Chenell Parker

  Published by Chenell Parker

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent of the publisher, except in brief quotes used in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to the real locals are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents are entirely coincidental.

  OTHER TITLES BY CHENELL PARKER

  (In Order):

  HER SO CALLED HUSBAND PARTS 1-3

  YOU’RE MY LITTLE SECRET PARTS 1-3

  YOU SHOULD LET ME LOVE YOU

  CHEATING THE FUTURE FOR THE PAST

  PARTS 1-3

  YOU’RE NOT WORTH MY TEARS

  WHAT YOU WON’T DO FOR LOVE

  CREEPIN’: A NEW ORLEANS LOVE STORY

  PARTS 1-3

  COMPLICATED PARTS 1-3

  NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS PARTS 1 & 2

  HATE THAT I NEED YOU

  I HEARD IT ALL BEFORE

  I DON’T WANT YOU BACK

  AS LONG AS I’M THE ONLY ONE

  TWO MILLION REASONS WHY

  HEARTBREAK AND PAST MISTAKES

  THREE IS A CROWD

  T ears came to Stori’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her mother, Latoya or Lady, as she was known to most people, was one of the most selfish bitches that she’d ever had to encounter. Nothing that she said or did should have surprised Stori, but she always seemed to amaze her. Stori had been taking care of herself since she was tall enough to reach the stove. When Lady gave birth to Toi when Stori was eleven years old, she stepped in and started taking care of her too. Lady was always there financially, but that was about the only good thing that Stori could say about her. She was all out for self and she never tried to hide that fact.

  “I know you love to cook, so maybe you can open up a restaurant or something. You already got your culinary certificate,” Lady said.

  “I’m only eighteen years old. I can’t open up my own business. Besides, I just started cosmetology school two months ago,” Stori reminded her.

  “Okay, well, maybe Richard and I can buy you a hair salon,” Lady said, speaking of her older, rich, white husband.

  “How the fuck can I do anything while trying to raise a seven year old child?” Stori yelled angrily. She didn’t care about being respectful at this point. Lady would never scold her on her use of language anyway. She never did.

  She didn’t even know how to feel about what her mother had just told her. Only two weeks after being married, Lady was telling her that she was leaving her seven year old sister in her care while she traveled from state to state with her husband. Richard was an entertainment lawyer, but he was nothing more than a fixer for most people. He was who rappers, producers and other famous people called on to fix the messes that they’d gotten themselves into. He made millions traveling all over the world to assist his wealthy clients. Lady met him at a concert in New York when he was there on business. He flew her out to wherever he was for months, while Stori stayed home and took care of her little sister. After a year of dating, Richard flew Lady out to Paris and married her in an intimate ceremony that her kids weren’t even there to witness. She had just come back home after being on a two week long honeymoon and hit Stori with some more bullshit.

  “You know that I don’t trust her with just anybody Stori. Lorraine would be happy to do it, but the bitch already hates me,” Lady noted.

  “I wonder why,” Stori said while rolling her eyes.

  Lorraine was Stori and Toi’s paternal grandmother, but she was more of a mother to them than Lady ever was. Lady and Stori’s father, Shawn, were together for years until he got killed when Stori was nine years old. He was a dope boy and Lady was his kept bitch. She never had a job in her entire life that Stori could remember, but they always had the best of everything. Lady was beautiful with her honey colored skin and slanted eyes. Her lips were full and she had the cutest button nose. Her teeth were perfectly straight and she had her hair cut low and chic. Her beauty was only a small part of why she was desired by so many. Lady’s shape was to die for and her body was all natural. She didn’t have huge breasts but they were enough to grab at least a handful. Her waist was small and her ass stuck out just enough to complete the package. She hated Nicki Minaj but that’s who a lot of people compared her looks to. Both of her girls looked exactly like her but their personalities weren’t the same. Stori even had Lady’s shape but that’s where the similarities ended. She remembered how her father doted on her and Lady and always saying how beautiful they were. When he got killed, Lady was devastated but not more than Stori was. She was a daddy’s girl and a part of her died with him.

  About a year after he died, Lady started messing with Shawn’s younger brother, Troy and that’s when Toi came along. Stori always assumed that her uncle was coming around to make sure that they were okay after her father’s death. He used to spoil her and Lady and they never had to ask for anything more than once. When Stori first saw them kissing, she was confused and they never tried to explain things to her. She just knew that her mother went from one brother to the next and she now had a baby sister. Her grandmother was livid as were the other members of the family. Troy got killed when Toi was only two years old and Lorraine has hated Lady ever since. She had two babies by her only two sons and that was the only good thing to ever come from her. Lorraine always said that she was happy that she didn’t have any more sons left for Lady to sink her claws into. She only had her three daughters left and they hated Lady just as much as their mother did. Because their mother wanted to be a hoe, Stori and Toi were not only sisters, they were first cousins too.

  Lady stayed on the arm of a dope boy and she was as hood as they came. When she met her suit wearing white husband, she became an entirely different person who Stori no longer knew. The hood still came out of her when she was upset, but she was prim and proper any other time. Lady’s mother was a twin, but she was an only child. She had always been spoiled and selfish and not much had changed. Her two girls were really the only family that she had besides a few aunts and uncles that she rarely saw. Stori and Toi were close with their fathers’ side of the family and they were all that they knew. Lady’s mother died when Stori was five, so she didn’t really remember her. From what she’d heard about her, Lady got her attitude the honest way.

  “Richard travels too much and we can’t do that with a small child,” Lady said, pulling Stori away from her thoughts.

  “Why can’t he travel by himself while you stay home and raise your own child?” Stori asked.

  She loved Toi more than anything in the world, but she was too young to take care of her all by herself. It was different when Lady was out of town because Stori knew that she would eventually be coming back. Now, Lady was talking about giving her full custody and she was scared to death. Richard didn’t have any kids and he made it clear that he didn’t want any. He treated Stori and Toi very well, but they weren’t his kids. Throwing money at them was the only way that he knew how to show them love.

  After only six months of dating, Richard had purchased Lady a beautiful five bedroom home with a huge finished basement. He was over sixty years old and he never stayed in one place for more than a few months at a time. Richard had never even owned a home because he traveled too much. The home that he got for Lady was where he stayed whenever he was in town. Since they were never there, Stori basically ran the house however she saw fit. She helped Toi with homework and made sure that she got to and from school every day. She cooked her breakfast and dinner each day and tucked her into bed every night. If she were being hone
st with herself, she’d been having full custody of her sister for years. The only difference was that now she would have the paperwork to back it up.

  “We’re married now Stori. He wants me with him when he travels and I want to be there for my husband,” Lady said.

  “Your husband? What about your children? We need you here more than he needs you on the road,” Stori replied.

  “I’ll still be here for you, Stori. All you have to do is pick up the phone and let me know whatever you need. Haven’t I always given you whatever you wanted? You were still in high school when you begged me to let you take culinary classes at night and I did. When you decided that you wanted to do hair, who was it that wrote the twelve thousand dollar check to make that happen? I’ll never leave you hanging and you know that,” Lady noted.

  Lady had unlimited access to her husband’s money and she had no problem spending it. Richard was borderline obsessed with her and he always let Lady have her way. Money didn’t fix every problem, but Lady thought it did. She was speaking on material things, but Stori needed her to be there physically and emotionally. Still, no matter how she felt about it, she knew that she didn’t really have a choice. They had a big family on their father’s side, but she would never trust any of them to keep her baby sister. Toi was spoiled and Stori was the one who spoiled her. She couldn’t imagine her baby sister being mistreated in any way. The thought alone made her physically sick. Toi used to cry every time Stori left the house and that broke her heart. She didn’t even like to be left alone with their mother. It was crazy, but she barely even knew her.

  “I don’t know about this ma. I already have enough on my plate as it is. I just need more time to think about everything,” Stori sighed after being quiet for a while.

  Stori had always been fascinated with doing hair. Her grandmother used to let her practice on her hair and she had at least fifteen mannequin heads in her closet. Aside from that, cooking was something that she loved to do as well. Stori loved to create new recipes and put her own spin on older ones. Toi loved when she made her heart shaped pancakes with sprinkles on top. Everything that she did was to put a smile on her sister’s face. It wasn’t fair that Toi was being robbed of having her mother there to care for her like most girls her age.

  “We need to finalize this within the next week Stori. Richard has a very important case coming up and we’ll be in between California and New York for the next three or four months. One of his friends is a family attorney and he’s agreed to do all the paperwork for us. The house is yours and we’ll have the paperwork changed over to reflect that. Richard and I will still take care of the bills and cover whatever other expenses you and Toi have. I want to set up a bank account in your name, so we can deposit funds in there every month. I’ll get Toi during her summer breaks and holidays to give you a break,” Lady said, speaking as if Stori was Toi’s mother.

  There was no need for her to even reply. Lady’s mind was made up and Stori really had no say so in the matter. She’d put a lot of thought into her decision and Stori had no choice but to go along with it. Her little sister was her heart, so the thought of someone else raising her wasn’t an idea that she wanted to entertain.

  “Just let me know when we have to meet up with the lawyer,” Stori replied as she stood up from the sofa.

  “How about we take Toi out to lunch and then we can do some shopping?” Lady said, happy that Stori was on board with her plan. She knew that she would be because she was so overprotective of Toi.

  “How about you show yourself out and let me process the bullshit that you just dropped on me?” Stori said as she walked away and headed downstairs to the basement.

  Stori put a sofa set, tv and radio in the basement for whenever she had company over. The space was huge and looked like a small studio apartment with a bathroom attached. She heard the front door when it opened and closed, letting her know that Lady had left. She never even bothered to say goodbye to Toi.

  When Stori got to the basement, her boyfriend, Corey, was down there watching tv while her best friend, Kalani, helped Toi put a puzzle together. They were both already there when Lady came home and told her that they needed to talk. Kalani kept Toi occupied while Corey did nothing, just like always. Over a year of being with him and Stori was over it. Corey was a corner hustler who added nothing to her life or their relationship. He always wanted to stay the night at her house, but he never even offered to contribute anything. Stori didn’t need his money, but it was just the principle. He always joked about her mother marrying a rich man, so maybe he didn’t feel like he had to. He used to be very attentive in the beginning, but the nigga got too comfortable. Once Stori gave him her virginity, he stopped doing the things that he used to do before. Like now, Stori was standing there with tears in her eyes and he didn’t even bother to ask if she was okay. Kalani noticed immediately. She jumped up from her place on the floor to make sure her girl was okay.

  “What’s wrong Stori?” Kalani asked as she looked into her best friend’s eyes.

  Instead of replying, Stori burst out in tears as realization set in. She didn’t have any kids, but she was about to be a full time guardian to a seven year old. She should have been out there enjoying life, but her mother had other plans. Lady was thirty-eight years old and trying to live life as if she didn’t have any responsibilities at home.

  “What happened boo?” Kalani asked as she led her friend to the sofa and sat down right next to her. Toi stopped doing her puzzle and sat on her big sister’s lap.

  “Don’t cry Stori. It’s okay,” Toi said as she wiped her eyes. When her baby sister kissed her cheek, it seemed as if everything really was okay. Toi was so sweet and innocent and she loved Stori just as much as she loved her. She was so smart and wise beyond her seven years.

  “As long as you’re around, it’s always okay.” Stori smiled as she hugged her.

  “Yep, because I’m your best friend, huh?” Toi asked.

  “Excuse me,” Kalani said as she looked at Toi like she was offended.

  “Yes, you and Kalani are my two best friends,” Stori said as she laughed.

  When Toi got up to finish her puzzle, Stori took a few minutes to whisper to her friend about what was going on. Kalani was just as upset as she was, but she would always be there for her girl.

  “We got this friend. You know I’ll do whatever I can to help. I’ll babysit whenever you need me to and you know that my mama will too. We love Toi just as much as you do,” Kalani assured her.

  “Thanks friend. You know I appreciate you more than anything,” Stori said as she wiped a few stray tears from her eyes.

  After a while, she felt better about the entire situation. As she watched Toi on the floor putting her puzzle together, she realized that things weren’t all that bad. Not only did she have help from Kalani, but she had her grandmother, aunties and a few cousins who loved her baby sister too. She might not have given birth to her, but Toi was still her baby.

  “What you cooking today?” Corey asked as he finally tore his gaze away from the tv screen.

  Stori looked over at him with disgust written all over her pretty face. She was a mess just a few minutes ago and he never even bothered to see what was wrong. Even her seven year old sister tried to comfort her and her own boyfriend didn’t give a damn. Stori saw the direction that their relationship was heading and she had to put a stop to it now. If Lady showed her nothing else, she showed her how a man was supposed to take care of his woman. Stori could just see Corey trying to lay up on her while he did whatever he wanted to do with his money. She didn’t care if Richard did pay all the bills, he wasn’t going to reap the benefits. He had her fucked up and she was over it. She didn’t even love him, so there was nothing to hold on to anymore. The idea of having a boyfriend excited her more than actually having one.

  “You need to leave,” Stori said, shocking Kalani and Corey with her words.

  “For what? I didn’t even do shit,” Corey replied.

 
“That’s the whole problem nigga. You never do shit. Buying me shoes and something to eat every now and then ain’t gon’ cut it. I got a baby and bills now and I don’t need no dead weight,” Stori snapped angrily.

  “Come on Toi. Let’s go upstairs and get something to snack on,” Kalani said as she grabbed Toi’s hand and led her upstairs to the kitchen so that Stori could talk freely.

  “Why would you even come at me like that in front of your friend? I ain’t no bum ass nigga. If you needed money, all you had to do was ask,” Corey fumed. He didn’t have it like that, but he would make something shake for Stori.

  “I shouldn’t have to ask you for shit. You’re here more than you’re at your own house. Common sense would tell you to offer your assistance. As of today, my mama no longer lives here. This house belongs to me and Toi now and I refuse to have a nigga laying up on me,” Stori pointed out.

  Hearing her say that had Corey both happy and scared. Stori’s house was nice as hell and he’d basically moved in without asking. Lady and her husband paid all the bills, so he got comfortable. They were never home and Lady didn’t care who Stori let in there. Corey sold a little weed, but it wasn’t enough for him to be paying bills. Shoes, clothes and a nice dinner every now and again was about all that he could afford to do for her. He didn’t want his financial status to be the deciding factor in their relationship though. Stori was a hot commodity and all of his friends wanted her. He felt privileged to be the one that she chose and he wasn’t trying to end things. Stori was beautiful and had a shape that was even better than her mother’s. Niggas used to line up trying to get at Lady and Stori had them feeling the same way.

  “Just give me a chance to get my finances straight Stori. You act like I’m pushing some serious weight. I got you just as soon as my money gets right,” Corey promised.

  “Nah nigga, I’m good on you. You had a whole year if you really wanted to do anything. I can’t even get mad because I let you get too comfortable. I’m up in here fucking you and making sure you got a hot meal like that’s my responsibility. I gave you husband privileges when you barely act like my boyfriend. Come get your stuff and be on your way,” Stori said as she stood up and headed for the stairs.