°Part 4  DNA & Dirty Secrets

Dennis sat in his car outside a tire shop gripping the steering wheel like he wanted to rip it off.
Marcus finally walked out twenty minutes later.
Tall. Light-skinned. Gold grills. Muscular. The type of dude who stayed in trouble but somehow always had women obsessed.
Dennis stepped out the car.
“Marcus?”
Marcus looked him up and down immediately.
“You Dennis?”
Neither man shook hands.
The tension was instant.
Dennis got straight to it. “You was messing with Vita?”
Marcus laughed. “Man which week?”
Dennis’s jaw tightened.
“This serious.”
Marcus smirk faded a little. “Aight… what she tell you?”
“That she pregnant.”
Marcus whistled low. “Damn.”
Dennis stared hard at him. “You could be the father?”
Marcus looked away for a second too long.
That was answer enough.
“Man…” Dennis muttered, pacing.
Marcus shrugged. “Look I ain’t know she was still fooling with your old ass too.”
Dennis snapped instantly. “Watch your mouth.”
Marcus lifted his hands. “Aye I ain’t the one sleeping with my girl mama.”
Dennis lunged forward.
“Whoa whoa whoa,” Marcus laughed backing up. “Touchy subject huh?”
Dennis stopped himself before things got worse.
Marcus leaned against the wall.
“Truth is… Vita was playing everybody.”
Dennis frowned.
“What you mean?”
Marcus pulled out his phone.
“She liked drama. Attention. Competition. Whatever make people chase her.”
He scrolled a second then showed Dennis messages.
Marcus: “You still with ya mama boyfriend?”
Vita: “He obsessed with me now.”
Dennis’s stomach twisted.
Another message.
Vita: “My mama finally gon’ know how it feel.”
Dennis looked sick.
Marcus shook his head. “She used to talk about your girl all the time. Said Lesa treated her like competition instead of a daughter.”
Dennis handed the phone back slowly.
“So you still slept with her.”
Marcus laughed. “Brother look at her.”
Dennis hated that he understood.
Back across town—
Lesa was drunk.
Not tipsy. Drunk drunk.
Wine bottles covered her kitchen counter while Anita Baker played in the background.
She sat at the table crying and stalking Vita’s Instagram page.
Every picture felt like disrespect.
Especially the newest post.
Vita standing in Dennis hoodie.
Caption: “People gone judge anyway.”
The comments were ruthless.
“Your mama stronger than me.” “That baby finna need therapy.”
Lesa slammed her phone down.
Then picked up her keys.
Bad idea.
Very bad idea.
Miss Lorraine had warned everybody not to leave her alone tonight.
But nobody listened.
And now Lesa was crying, drunk, and driving across town with one destination in mind.
Dennis apartment.
Meanwhile—
Vita sat at her friend Janae house scrolling nervously through her phone.
Then suddenly—
PING.
Her face dropped.
“Oh hell no.”
Janae looked up. “What happened?”
Vita stared at the screen horrified.
Tyrell posted the screenshots.
Her ex-boyfriend.
MESSY ASS TYRELL.
He uploaded old messages between Vita and Lesa from months ago.
And they were ugly.
Real ugly.
Lesa: “You always trying to take attention from me.”
Vita: “You always jealous of me.”
Lesa: “At least I know how to keep a man.”
Vita: “Please. They only want you cause you pay bills.”
Then came the worst screenshot of all.
Vita: “One day imma take somebody you love just so you can feel what I feel.”
The internet went CRAZY.
Comments flying. Shares climbing. People tagging everybody.
Janae covered her mouth. “Oh bitch…”
Vita looked pale.
Because now it didn’t look like a mistake anymore.
It looked planned.
And at Miss Lorraine house—
the old woman sat quietly in the dark while Cousin Monique paced the floor.
“This family cursed,” Monique muttered.
Miss Lorraine sighed deeply.
“No… just built on lies.”
Monique sat down slowly. “What you mean?”
Miss Lorraine stared out the window for a long moment before speaking.
“Leon ain’t Vita daddy.”
Monique froze.
“…what?”
Miss Lorraine finally looked at her.
“Lesa never knew for sure.”
The room went dead silent.
Monique blinked repeatedly. “Hold on… hold on…”
Miss Lorraine nodded sadly.
“Back then Lesa was dealing with two men around the same time.”
“Oh my GOD.”
“One was Leon.”
“And the other?”
Miss Lorraine hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Dennis father.”
Monique SCREAMED.
“AINT NO DAMN WAY.”
Miss Lorraine covered her face.
“I prayed that secret stayed buried.”
Monique looked physically ill now.
“You telling me Vita and Dennis might be—”
A loud crash interrupted her.
TIRES SCREECHING outside.
Then screaming.
Everybody rushed toward the window.
And Miss Lorraine heart nearly stopped.
Because outside in the street—
Lesa’s car had slammed directly into Dennis parked vehicle.