The Prada Plan 2. Ashley Antoinette

he looked at Disaya.

      Enviously, she looked on as he kissed the girl’s cheek. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as her stomach turned in turmoil. Slim was the only father she knew. Her mother had put it in her head since the day that she was born that the smooth-talking player from New York City was who she belonged to, and seeing him so fond of another child broke Leah in two. Anyone with the sense of sight could see that Slim’s adoration for the little girl in his arms was immeasurable, and as Leah’s heart filled with sorrow, she looked up at her mother for answers.

      “Who is that girl, Mommy?” she asked, her voice breaking from emotion. At such a young age, Leah was experiencing heartbreak for the very first time, and the collapsing feeling of her chest made it hard for her to breathe.

      “Is that my sister?” Leah asked, searching for answers.

      Natalie gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. “No, that’s not your sister, baby. That’s not even his blood! That bitch Dynasty is up to the same old tricks, and he is just going along with it. He knows that little girl isn’t his! He can see that she ain’t his!” Natalie yelled. Unable to contain her anger, she grabbed her clutch purse and scrambled out of the car. “Come on, Leah!”

      Obediently, Leah climbed across the seat and out of the car. Her mother grabbed her hand roughly before snatching her down the street. Natalie’s high heels stabbed the pavement as she waved Slim down, just as he was opening the passenger door for Dynasty.

      “Slim! Slim!” she shouted, losing all dignity as Leah ran full speed just to keep up with her. Her voice cut through the air in a high, furious shrill, causing everyone who was out on the block to turn toward the scene she would inevitably cause.

      The hair on the back of Slim’s neck stood up when he heard her calling his name.

      “Who is that lady, Daddy?” Disaya asked as her father put her down on the ground.

      “Yeah, who is she?” Dynasty repeated with an attitude.

      “Nobody. Get in the car,” Slim instructed. He tucked Dynasty and Disaya safely inside, then attempted to walk around to the driver’s side.

      This bitch has lost her damn marbles, Slim thought angrily. I told her to keep a low profile. Now her crazy ass is parading down the street, putting on a fucking show.

      “Slim! I know you hear me, mu’fucka! Don’t you get your ass in that car!”

      The disrespectful tone of her voice caused him to cringe in regret. She was asking to be made an example of. Half of the other players in town were out on the block that day, and if he let one ho disrespect him, they would snatch his entire stable as soon as he pulled off. His business was sloppy, and Natalie was trying his patience.

      “You better handle that bitch. She’s a problem,” Dynasty commented slyly as she put on a fresh coat of lipstick, arrogantly looking at herself in the mirror. She tried to appear uninterested, although she was trying her best to ear hustle.

      Slim stepped away from the car and approached Natalie aggressively, grabbing her firmly by the elbow.

      “Fuck you come here for, Nat? Didn’t I tell you I would come to you?” he asked her, whispering harshly as he jerked her, chastising her as if she were a child.

      “You said you were coming last night, baby. I waited for you. Why didn’t you come by?” she asked sweetly as she reached up to stroke Slim’s face. Slim dodged her advances and looked her squarely in the eyes.

      “Go back to the motel. I’ll be by there later on. Look at you. You’re fucked up! You need to leave that liquor alone. You’re embarrassing yourself. Don’t come around here again,” Slim stated, his voice unforgiving, and his clenched teeth giving away his shitty disposition.

      Leah clung to her mother’s sleeve as she watched the tense interaction between the two.

      “What? Don’t come around here? Embarrassing myself?” Natalie shouted, loud enough for the entire block to hear. “You son of a bitch!” Natalie removed the money she had earned and threw it at him, causing the bills to rain over him. “What, Slim? I’m not good enough because I’m not that bitch?” Natalie screamed as she pointed toward the car where Dynasty sat.

      Dynasty’s eyebrows rose in aggravation. “I got your bitch! Keep talking,” she said without asserting too much energy. She was arrogant and knew her position. There wasn’t another woman in town who could threaten her, but she wasn’t above putting a bitch in her place if need be either. She rolled her eyes as she waved her hand in dismissal, leaving it to Slim to handle.

      Slim’s reaction was instinctive. He wrapped his hand around Natalie’s neck and pushed her against the brick wall outside of Jimmy’s Bar.

      “Me and you, we’re done, bitch. That’s why I cut you loose all those years ago. You’re fucking nuts, and you don’t know how to follow my lead,” Slim stated, shoving her one last time for good measure before walking away.

      Leah looked on in horror as she watched her mother charge Slim, hitting him in the back of the head. Natalie was making a spectacle of him in front of the entire block, and the embarrassment caused him to see red.

      “Mommy! Ma! Stop it!” Leah screamed as she ran up to her and tried to pull her away. Her small arms tugged at her mother’s body in an attempt to stop the madness.

      In a drunken state, Natalie pushed her daughter to the ground with such force that little Leah’s knees split wide open. Blood gushed instantly, but the sting of her mother’s blatant lack of love burned more than the wound itself.

      Slim turned on his heels, and before he could control himself, he punched Natalie with all his might. Her head snapped back so violently that it felt as if her neck had broken, and her legs gave out beneath her.

      “Mommy!” Leah screamed as she began to cry hysterically. She scrambled to her feet and ran to her mother’s side.

      Leah held her mother’s bloody face in her hands as she tried to help her up. Natalie shamelessly staggered to her feet, drunk from the knuckle cocktail Slim had just served her.

      “You’re a dirty mu’fucka, Slim! I’ll never be good enough, will I? Fuck you, Slim! Fuck you! This is your daughter!” Natalie yelled as her face began to swell.

      “Bitch, I told you she’s not my fucking daughter! She’s not my kid! She’s not mine! Get that through your skull!” he hollered, looking at her in disgust before storming away.

      Natalie cried tears from the root of her soul as she watched the love of her life walk away from her. What she didn’t know was that love didn’t hurt, and what she was experiencing…what she was feeling…what she was consumed by was control. He had captured her mind so long ago that his hold over her caused her to do unthinkable things. All she wanted was him—his attention, his affection.

      Shooing Leah off of her, she called after Slim as she ran behind him. She chased his car all the way down the street, while Leah ran behind her, both in tears, until his tail lights disappeared from their view.

      The other working girls on the block laughed at the desperate mess that Natalie had become, but they were all in the same boat. Slim held court over their emotions as well. He had sold them all a dream. It was all a fantasy, a street marriage between a pimp and prostitute that only required one side to remain loyal. Natalie could have easily been any of the young women on the block. They all shared the same circumstance. They were caught up in a man that could never love them back.

      Their taunting comments haunted Natalie as she grabbed Leah’s wrist tightly and spun around wildly. “What the fuck are you bitches laughing at? What are you looking at?” she yelled as blood dripped from her busted lip.

      Leah didn’t know what to say or do as she was forced back into the car. Hearing Slim deny her so vehemently was wrenching to her soul. She didn’t understand why he didn’t want her. Natalie had filled her head with false hope, and now that the truth had come to light, she was crushed