ADDICTED…. Part 4
The black SUV sat across the street like a threat.
Engine low.
Lights off.
Windows tinted dark enough to make the whole thing feel sinister.
Inside her mama’s crowded little house, everybody was finally asleep.
The TV in the living room was still glowing on low volume.
A baby was fussing somewhere down the hall.
One of London’s cousins was snoring loud enough to shake drywall.
But London?
She was wide awake.
Something in her spirit felt off.
She stood at the bedroom window, moving the curtain just enough to peek outside.
That’s when she saw it.
“That same truck…” she whispered.
Her heart started thudding.
She grabbed her phone and dialed Epiphany immediately.
Epiphany answered on the second ring, voice thick with sleep but alert. “What?”
“There’s a black SUV outside my mama’s house.”
Silence.
Then Epiphany sat all the way up. “How long?”
“I don’t know. I just noticed it.”
“Do not go outside.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Don’t even open the damn door, London.”
London swallowed. “You think it’s Antoine?”
“I think Antoine is embarrassed, cornered, and stupid. That’s a dangerous mix.”
London stared through the slit in the curtain again.
The SUV didn’t move.
“I don’t like this.”
“I know,” Epiphany said. “Text me a picture if you can without being seen.”
London carefully angled her phone and snapped one through the blinds.
A minute later, Epiphany called back.
“That’s not Antoine’s truck.”
London frowned. “How you know?”
“Because I seen that truck before.”
“Where?”
Epiphany hesitated.
And that hesitation was enough to make London’s stomach turn.
“Epiphany… where?”
“At Antoine’s son’s birthday party.”
London’s whole body went still.
“…What?”
Epiphany exhaled slowly.
Damn.
She hadn’t meant for it to come out like that.
“What did you just say?”
London’s voice was barely above a whisper now. Dangerous. Shaky.
Epiphany rubbed her forehead.
“London—”
“No.” London stepped away from the window so fast she almost tripped over a laundry basket. “No, no, no. What son?”
Silence.
Then Epiphany said the words that changed everything.
“Antoine has another child.”
London’s ears started ringing.
For a second, she couldn’t even breathe right.
She laughed—but it came out wrong.
Broken.
Sharp.
“You lying.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re fucking lying.”
“I wish I was.”
London backed up until her legs hit the bed and sat down hard.
The room started spinning.
“How long,” she asked, voice hollow.
Epiphany was quiet.
“How long?!” London shouted, louder this time.
“Almost four years.”
The sound that came out of London then was not human.
It was pain.
Raw, ugly, soul-deep pain.
She slapped a hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t wake the house, but tears flooded her eyes instantly.
“Four…” she choked. “Four years?”
Epiphany’s voice softened.
“I found out by accident a while ago.”
“And you ain’t tell me?”
“I didn’t have proof at first.”
London stood up so fast the room blurred again.
“So you waited until now?!”
“I was trying to protect you until I knew for sure.”
“Protect me?!” London hissed. “You let me lay up with that man, have his babies, defend him, fight for him—while he got a whole other child?!”
“I said I didn’t know everything yet!”
London started pacing again, but this time her hands were shaking so bad she could barely hold the phone.
“What do you mean ‘everything’?”
Epiphany’s silence turned heavy.
That was when London knew.
There was more.
“Say it.”
“London…”
“Say it!”
“It wasn’t just a hidden child.”
London stopped cold.
The room felt like it had no air left in it.
“It was another woman too.”
There it was.
The knife.
Straight through the chest.
London squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears kept coming anyway.
“How long?”
“From what I know…” Epiphany said carefully, “she’s been around before y’all got married.”
London’s face crumpled.
Before marriage.
Before vows.
Before babies.
Before the house.
Before the ring she once bragged about online.
Before every lie he ever sold her.
“Oh my God…” London whispered.
Her knees buckled, and she dropped back onto the bed.
“He made me look crazy,” she said through tears. “Every time I asked him where he was… every time I felt something was off… he made me feel crazy.”
“I know.”
“He called me insecure.”
“I know.”
“He said I was damaged from old relationships.”
“I know.”
London covered her face and cried silently, shoulders shaking so hard the bed creaked under her.
For once, Epiphany didn’t interrupt.
Didn’t give advice.
Didn’t say “be strong.”
She just let London feel it.
After a long time, London finally lifted her head.
Her face was wet.
Mascara smudged.
Eyes red and swollen.
“What’s her name?”
Epiphany paused.
“Kiera.”
London repeated it like poison.
“Kiera.”
“She got a little boy,” Epiphany continued. “He just turned three.”
London’s chest tightened so hard she thought she’d throw up.
Three.
So while she was home pregnant…
While she was sick…
While she was carrying his child…
He was splitting time.
Splitting money.
Splitting love.
Splitting lies.
“Why didn’t he just leave me?” she whispered.
Epiphany’s answer came fast and bitter.
“Because men like Antoine don’t leave what benefits them.”
That landed.
Hard.
“You were the wife.
The polished life.
The clean home.
The respectable image.
The tax write-offs.
The social media family picture.
And over there?” Epiphany’s tone went cold. “That was the secret life.”
London sat frozen.
Then something inside her changed.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just… snapped.
Her crying stopped.
Her breathing steadied.
She wiped her face slow.
And when she spoke again, her voice was so calm it made Epiphany uneasy.
“You knew where she lived?”
Epiphany frowned. “London—”
“Do. You. Know.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Epiphany blinked.
“No what?”
“No, don’t tell me yet.”
London stood and walked back to the window.
The black SUV was still there.
Still watching.
Still bold.
And suddenly…
It all clicked.
“That truck,” she said slowly. “It’s hers, ain’t it?”
Epiphany went silent.
London gave a humorless laugh.
“She know about me.”
“Yes.”
“She know about my kids?”
“Yes.”
London nodded once.
Slow.
Deliberate.
“Good.”
Epiphany’s stomach dropped.
“London…”
“If she bold enough to sit outside my mama’s house, she can be bold enough to speak.”
“I do not like how you sounding.”
London turned from the window.
Her face had changed.
The hurt was still there—but underneath it now was something colder than rage.
Resolve.
“She been hiding in shadows all this time,” London said. “No more.”
“London, don’t do nothing stupid.”
“I’m not.”
“Promise me.”
London looked down at the papers from court still sitting on the dresser.
The same papers that had taken her breath away days ago.
The same papers that made her feel powerless.
Not anymore.
“No,” London said quietly. “I’m done being the only one embarrassed.”
And before Epiphany could stop her—
London opened the bedroom door, slipped down the hallway, and headed toward the front of the house.
“London!” Epiphany shouted through the phone.
But London had already hung up.
Outside, the porch light flicked on.
The black SUV immediately shifted.
The driver’s side window rolled down halfway.
And sitting behind the wheel…
Was a pretty brown-skinned woman with long bone-straight hair, glossy lips, and nervous eyes.
Kiera.
London walked barefoot across the grass in an oversized T-shirt and shorts, her tears still drying on her face, fury making her fearless.
Kiera swallowed.
“London…”
London stopped at the curb.
“You know my name.”
Kiera looked ashamed.
That alone made London want to scream.
“You been sitting outside my mama’s house like you got the right,” London said, voice low and deadly. “So talk.”
Kiera’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“I didn’t come to fight.”
London laughed in disbelief.
“No? Cause you done fought me for four years and I ain’t even know I was in the ring.”
Kiera looked like she wanted to cry.
And for one split second…
London saw it.
This woman wasn’t there to gloat.
She was scared too.
“I came because Antoine is spiraling,” Kiera whispered. “And if he loses everything…”
London’s eyes narrowed.
“…What?”
Kiera looked at her.
“He got more secrets than just me.”
London’s pulse spiked.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
Kiera glanced toward the house, then back at London.
“It’s not safe to talk out here.”
London stepped closer to the SUV.
“Then unlock the damn door.”
Kiera did.
And as London climbed into the passenger seat of the woman who’d been sleeping with her husband for years—
She had no idea the next secret was about to be worse than the child.
Much worse.
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Reading this installment of ADDICTED really resonated with me, especially with how London processes the betrayal and shock of discovering Antoine's other family. It’s an intense portrayal of emotional turmoil and the complexities of trust and deception in relationships. I've experienced moments in my life where uncovering hidden truths completely altered my perspective, and the rawness of London's pain felt so authentic. What stood out most to me was the dynamic between London and Epiphany – how Epiphany tries to protect London but also holds back some knowledge to shield her. This protective friendship highlights how sometimes those closest to us bear the burden of painful information before we're ready to hear it ourselves. Also, the imagery of the black SUV lurking outside paints such a vivid and suspenseful scene – it creates that feeling of being watched, unprotected, and on edge. It reminded me of moments where intuition tells you something is off even when everything looks normal. The revelations about Antoine’s secret child and relationship before marriage add layers to the story that illustrate how complex and messy love and loyalty can be. It underscores an important lesson: sometimes people maintain multiple lives for selfish reasons, and that shatters the image of a perfect relationship. Lastly, London's shift from brokenness to resolve felt empowering. It’s a reminder that even after experiencing betrayal, we can find strength to face the truth and demand accountability instead of remaining silent. Her decision to confront Kiera, although risky, shows a crucial turning point where pain transforms into courage. If you’re interested in stories filled with emotional depth, suspense, and real-life struggles with love and betrayal, this chapter delivers. It’s not just a fictional plot — it captures genuine human experiences that many can relate to. Through this, the story also subtly encourages readers to trust their instincts and seek out the truth, even when it’s hard. I’m looking forward to seeing how London navigates the fallout and what other secrets Antoine might be hiding, as hinted by Kiera. It’s a powerful continuation that keeps you hooked and emotionally invested.
