Sherri was over the moon about her new grandbaby. TJ was Tank's twin through and through, and although Sherri never played favorites with her children, Tank was her baby—her last baby—and that meant something special. She had always been protective of him, always made sure he was taken care of, but now, seeing him as a father, her heart swelled with pride.

She scrolled through her phone, uploading fresh pictures of the family of three onto Facebook. Tank, Kayla, and baby TJ—her son, her future daughter-in-law, and her chunky, handsome grandson. She even included the paternity photos of Kayla, making sure to document every part of their growing family's journey.

Within minutes, the post was flooded with comments. Family, friends, and even old acquaintances showered them with congratulations, heart emojis, and comments about how TJ looked just like his daddy.

Lord, you can't deny that baby even if you wanted to, Tank!

He's beautiful, Sherri! You got yourself a little twin grandson!

Kayla did amazing! A ten-pound baby?! She's a strong one!

Sherri smiled, reading through all the love. She was proud. Proud of Tank, proud of Kayla, proud of the life they were building together. She couldn't wait to watch them grow.

But as the notifications kept rolling in, there was one name missing from the comments. One person who hadn't sent a single "congratulations" or even liked the post.

Darling.

Her heart clenched as she stared at the photo of Tank holding his son, Kayla snuggled against him, looking exhausted but glowing. That should've been her reality. In another world, she would've been the one in Kayla's place, the one holding Tank's hand as they brought a baby into the world together.

TJ was the most adorable, chunky newborn she had ever seen. And the worst part? He was Tank's twin. There was no denying that child came from him.

Darling swallowed hard, gripping her phone tighter. Get over it, she told herself. She had spent the last several months trying to heal, trying to move on from everything—the brutal beatdown Coco gave her, the humiliation, the realization that Tank had truly moved on and built a life with another woman. And now, seeing it so clearly, knowing there was no going back, it hurt more than she wanted to admit.

They don't make men like Tank every day. And she had taken him for granted. Now, she had to live with the consequences.

Darling continued to swipe through the photos on her phone, her chest tightening with each image. Tank holding TJ, his big hands cradling the baby with so much love. Kayla, looking exhausted but radiant, tucked against Tank's side. Sherri beaming with pride. It was like the perfect family portrait—and she wasn't a part of it.

As she stared at the screen, lost in her thoughts, Dina walked past her room, barely sparing her a glance.

Dina was upset, but for an entirely different reason.

Her and Tanya—who were once thick as thieves, closer than close—weren't the same anymore. The unbreakable bond they once shared had fractured, and it all led back to Darling. Tanya hadn't invited Dina to the baby shower, hadn't kept her in the loop about anything regarding Tank or TJ, and the reason was crystal clear.

Tanya had drawn a line in the sand.

A line that should have never been crossed.

Darling had been hateful and hurtful toward Kayla, the mother of Tank's child. And Tanya couldn't forgive that. Having Kayla hyperventilating in a bathroom, stressed to the point of breaking, was something Tanya could never look past. It didn't matter that TJ had been born healthy—Darling had put unnecessary stress on Kayla during her pregnancy, and that didn't sit right with Tanya.

And since Darling was an extension of Dina, Tanya had to step back from her too.

Because at the end of the day, Kayla is family. And Dina wasn't.

Dina rolled her eyes at her little sister as she passed by, her jaw tight with frustration. Darling had put a strain on her longest, most important friendship, and that? That was unforgivable.

Darling felt Dina's cold energy as she passed by, but she refused to acknowledge it. She knew her sister was pissed at her, but she was tired of feeling like the villain. All she did was speak her truth—Tank should have been hers. Kayla didn't deserve him, and she still believed that deep down, even if nobody else wanted to hear it.

Still, the tension between her and Dina was suffocating. They had always had each other's backs, but now? Dina barely spoke to her unless necessary. Darling had overheard her on the phone with Tanya the other night, trying to smooth things over, but Tanya wasn't budging.

"I can't rock with you like that anymore," Tanya had told Dina. "Kayla is family. Darling crossed a line, and you still standing by her like she didn't do nothing wrong. That don't sit right with me."

Dina had tried to argue, had tried to tell Tanya that Darling wasn't her responsibility, but it didn't matter. Tanya was done.

And now, as Darling sat there, scrolling through the never-ending stream of photos of Tank, Kayla, and their baby, she felt it—the weight of her own actions pressing down on her. She had lost. Not just Tank, but the respect of Tanya, the closeness with Dina, and any chance of redeeming herself in the eyes of the family.

Darling locked her phone and threw it onto her bed, frustrated. The truth was, she was miserable. Seeing Tank holding his baby, looking down at Kayla like she was his entire world, made her stomach twist with regret. She had taken him for granted, played games, acted like she was too good for him—and now, she was watching from the outside, completely shut out.

Meanwhile, Dina leaned against the kitchen counter, scrolling through her own phone, debating if she should call Tanya one more time to try and fix things. She hated how distant they had become. No matter what, Tanya had always been her best friend, but now? It was like there was a wall between them, and Dina knew exactly who to blame.

Letting out a deep sigh, Dina turned toward the hallway and saw Darling still sulking in her room. She rolled her eyes. "You did this to yourself," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

Darling heard her and snapped her head up. "What the hell did you just say?"

Dina crossed her arms. "You heard me. You did this to yourself. You made your bed, now lay in it."

Darling's face twisted in anger. "So you really just gonna act like I'm the bad guy? You know damn well Kayla don't deserve Tank!"

Dina scoffed. "It ain't about what you think she deserves. It's about what he wants. And clearly, that's her. That's their baby, Darling. Ain't no coming back from that. You need to move the hell on."

Darling swallowed hard, her jaw clenching. She wanted to argue, to fight, but what could she say? Dina was right.

And that was the worst part of all.

Meanwhile, back in Richmond, Janay stared at the photos on Facebook, her face twisted in a scowl as she scrolled. She hadn't been invited to Kayla's gender reveal or baby shower, and from the looks of it, her sister didn't need her there. Kayla was surrounded by love, support, and affection—the very things Janay had never felt she had enough of. And if that wasn't enough, sitting pretty on Kayla's left hand was an engagement ring.

Janay's stomach twisted as she clicked on another picture, this one of TJ.

The baby was Tank's twin, down to the light gray eyes that would darken over time and the features that screamed Carter bloodline. He was chunky and adorable, the very image of a perfect little family. And Kayla had it all.

Tank was fine as hell. Rich. Protective. And deeply in love with Kayla.

Meanwhile, Janay was stuck in hell with Josh.

Josh, who did nothing but want to have sex all day and, even worse, compared her to Kayla while doing it.

"Damn, you don't ride me like Kayla used to."

"Kayla knew how to make me nut fast as hell."

"You gotta arch your back like your sister used to—she knew how to throw it back."

Janay gritted her teeth, her fingers tightening around her phone.

It didn't matter what she did—Kayla always won. Kayla always got the best deal in life. She had the better man, the better sex, the better everything. And that was something Janay could never be happy about.

Janay threw her phone onto the bed, seething. It wasn't fair. It was never fair. Kayla had the love, the stability, the perfect little family, while Janay was stuck with a broke, corny-ass, sex-obsessed man who couldn't go five minutes without bringing up her damn sister.

She ran her hands over her face, exhaling sharply. She wanted to be happy for Kayla—at least, that's what she told herself—but how could she? How could she be happy for someone who had effortlessly fallen into the life she had always dreamed of?

Her phone vibrated on the bed, lighting up with a notification.

Josh: You coming over? Been waiting on you all day, girl.

Janay rolled her eyes. Waiting to fuck, you mean. That was all Josh wanted. He had no ambition, no money, and worst of all, he had no problem reminiscing about Kayla while he was in bed with her. The humiliation of it all made her stomach turn.

Her thumb hovered over the message before she locked her phone and tossed it aside. She didn't even have the energy to respond.

Instead, she got up and walked over to the mirror, taking in her reflection. She looked tired. The weight of always coming second was starting to show.

Her mind drifted back to the photos—Kayla glowing with happiness, Tank looking at her like she was his whole world, and TJ, Tank's twin, nestled between them like a perfect little piece of their love.

Janay's jaw clenched.

She hated that Kayla had won. And she hated even more that there was nothing she could do about it.

Vince leaned back in his chair, his fists clenched under the table as he listened to Martha ramble on about that damn Facebook post. He didn't have social media, but the way Martha described it, he could see it clear as day—Sherri grinning like the proud matriarch she was, Kayla glowing with happiness, and that boy, Tank's damn twin, sitting pretty in his mama's arms.

That should've been his son.

His jaw tightened as the words echoed in his head. He should've been the one to put a baby in Kayla, to claim her, to have her carrying his legacy. But she had run off, straight into the arms of that truck-driving bastard, and now she was his—his fiancée, his baby mama, his family.

"...She don't even acknowledge me," Martha huffed, cutting into his thoughts. "Not a call, not a text. She acts like I never existed."

Vince barely spared her a glance. He didn't give a damn about her feelings. Martha had always been useless—weak, desperate, and pitiful. The only thing she had been good for was helping him run his schemes back in the day, and even then, she was a liability.

"I should be there," Vince muttered under his breath, his dark eyes burning with unspoken rage. "I should be the one by her side, raisin' that boy."

Martha scoffed. "Well, you ain't. And neither am I."

Vince finally looked at her then, his stare cold and sharp. He had plans—big plans. Martha shifted in her seat, folding her arms as she eyed Vince with frustration. "You sittin' here actin' like you gon' do somethin'. Face it, Vince—she gone. That girl got a new family, a man, and a baby. You ain't part of that picture."

Vince's nostrils flared, his teeth grinding together as he fought the urge to lash out. He was already locked up; the last thing he needed was to add more time to his sentence by losing his temper in the visitation room. But damn, Martha had a way of gettin' under his skin.

He leaned forward, his voice low but sharp. "Don't ever count me out."

Martha rolled her eyes. "You ain't got no power no more, Vince. You locked up, remember? Meanwhile, Kayla livin' the good life." She let out a bitter laugh.

Vince's lips curled into a smirk, but it wasn't one of amusement—it was something dark, something dangerous. "Everybody think they safe till they ain't."

Martha frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "What the hell that supposed to mean?"

Vince didn't answer right away. He just sat there, tapping his fingers against the table, his mind already working. Kayla might've thought she escaped him, but he wasn't the type to let shit go. Not when he still had unfinished business. Not when his woman was out there living a life that should've been his.

His time in this prison wouldn't last forever. And when he got out, he'd make sure Kayla remembered exactly who the fuck he was.

Adonis finally settled into his new home with Auntie Gwen, a sense of relief washing over him. There was no drama, no tension—just peace. Martha hadn't put up a fight when he packed his things and moved out, and he knew why. Auntie Gwen didn't play. She owned the house Martha was supposed to be paying rent for, and since Vince was locked up, Martha's money wasn't the same. She couldn't afford to bite the hand that fed her.

But Adonis didn't care about his mother's struggles. She had spent too long turning a blind eye to Vince's bullshit, and for that, he had nothing to say to her. And Vince? That man wasn't even a thought in his mind. Adonis refused to claim him as his father. Not after what he did to Kayla. Not after all the pain he caused. As far as Adonis was concerned, Vince was just another inmate in the system, rotting away where he belonged.

Living with his Auntie Gwen was the best decision he made. She always looked out for him, and with her, he actually felt like he had a home. Plus, they were always taking trips down to Decatur to see Kayla, TJ, Tank, and the rest of the family. Adonis loved it there. Seeing his sister happy, thriving, and surrounded by love made him happy.

And then there was Tank and his siblings.

Tank had taken him under his wing like a real big brother, looking out for him in ways Vince never did. Tamera, Terrance Jr., and Tanya all treated him like family, and for the first time in his life, Adonis actually felt like he belonged. He wasn't just some kid caught in the middle of chaos—he was part of something real.

Sitting on the couch in living room, Adonis scrolled through his phone, smiling at the latest pictures Sherri posted on Facebook. Kayla holding TJ, Tank kissing her forehead, their little family looking picture-perfect.

Yeah. This was the life his sister deserved.

Adonis continued scrolling through the pictures, his heart feeling lighter with each one. TJ was a chunky little thing, a spitting image of Tank, with those gray eyes that would eventually turn into a light brown over time. His tiny fingers were curled around Kayla's necklace in one picture, and in another, Tank was holding him close, his big hands supporting his newborn son like he was the most precious thing in the world.

Adonis smirked. That's how it's supposed to be.

Tank had stepped up in every way. He wasn't just a man who got his sister pregnant—he was a man who cherished her, protected her, and made sure she and TJ had everything they needed. Adonis respected that. It was more than he could say for the so-called men he had grown up around.

Just then, Auntie Gwen came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel. "What you over there grinning at, boy?"

Adonis held up his phone. "More pictures of TJ. Man, he Tank's twin for real."

Auntie Gwen peered over his shoulder, nodding in agreement. "Sure is. Ain't no denying that baby." She took a seat across from him, shaking her head. "Mmm-mmm. And to think, if it was up to that no-good father of yours, Kayla would still be suffering."

Adonis's jaw clenched at the mention of Vince. He was doing his best to move on, to focus on the good, but any reminder of that man made his blood boil.

"I don't even claim him no more," Adonis muttered, locking his phone. "He don't exist to me."

Auntie Gwen gave him a knowing look, her eyes soft with understanding. "I know, baby. And you ain't got to. You got a real family now."

Adonis nodded. He felt it too.

Before either of them could say another word, Auntie Gwen's phone started buzzing on the coffee table. She glanced at the screen and let out a deep sigh.

"Now what this heffa want?" she muttered before answering.

Adonis didn't have to ask who it was—he already knew.

Martha's voice rang through the speaker. "Gwen, can I talk to Adonis?"

Auntie Gwen rolled her eyes. "Girl, what you want?"

"I just wanna know how he doin'."

Adonis scoffed. Now she wanna check on me?

"I'm fine," he said dryly, not even bothering to move closer to the phone.

Martha hesitated, then let out a breath. "That's good. Look, I—"

Auntie Gwen cut her off. "Mom, if you ain't got nothin' important to say, we good over here."

Martha was quiet for a moment before she finally sighed. "Alright then."

The call ended, and Auntie Gwen shook her head. "That woman got some nerve."

Adonis chuckled, but deep down, he felt nothing for his mom. She made her bed, and now she had to lie in it.

His real family was Aunt Gwen and down in Decatur, waiting on him to come visit. And that's exactly where he planned to be.

One more chapter and then we are wrapping this book up and starting book two.