Chapter 4 Three

Chapter 3

Nakia's Pov

My world slowly starts to crumble. I felt like I was just losing it. My confidence has hit rock bottom. It was affecting every aspect of my life. At work, my pitch was given to a man Who didn't know what he was doing. I was tired of being overlooked so I quit. I was the best that company had but because I didn't have huge balls between my legs I was stepped all over. It was about damn time they realized it was a woman's world.

I had money saved up, so I had time to figure my shit out and see what was next for me. Maybe I would start my own advertising company. I was good at what I did. I just knew I could do this. Maybe hire all women and show these men that they are wrong to overlook us.

My mother was so mad she wasn't talking to me. She, of course, blamed all of this mess on me. Saying I did something to make Trent change his mind. That I should have never made him leave because now I was going to be alone for the rest of my life. That no man wanted an opinionated woman. Was she for real with this bullshit?

I'm 30 and think it's about damn time I let go and has some fun. I have always been prim and proper but now it's time to figure out who I am. What I want, and not be the woman people keep trying to get me to be.

I cut my long hair short and dyed it red. I started going out to the clubs and even tried to be a party girl. That didn't work out too well either. I just wasn't the party girl type and didn't want to hook up with some random guy for the night. I was trying to find my way not find a man.

I went home and decided to just get rid of everything. I got rid of my fancy designer clothes and the shoes that no matter how much I wore them killed my feet. For the first time, I felt truly free. Through my weakness, I found a strength I never knew. I could finally figure out who Nakia truly was.

Trent kept calling me, but I realized he was not the man for me. He's the perfect man for my mother, but not me. I was happy being single. My best friend Layla was over tonight and telling me how strong I am. We even talked about opening up our own advertising business. It felt good to have someone on my side. Someone believing in me.

I knew sooner or later I would have to talk to Trent as well as my mother but right now they just needed to back off. Right now, I just needed some time to focus on myself. Put me first for a change. I didn't need all these other voices inside my head when I was trying to get to know who I was and what I wanted. It's time I put on my big girl panties and took back control of my own life.

Nola's Pov

I had lunch with Trent and he told me a lot. He told me he felt as if Nakia was fake. Like she wasn't being her true self with him. I showed him the error of his ways. He either wanted her to be real or he wanted her to be perfect. A black man with his standing in the community needed a flawless woman on his arm. One that would always be at his side and stand by him through thick and thin.

He promised to call her and fix all of this. That wasn't enough for me. I wanted better than that. He has been dicking around for far too long. He better get with the program. He was failing as the right man for my daughter. He asked me what he should do. I loved when things went exactly how I wanted them to.

I immediately took him to my jeweler and told him which ring he needed to get to impress her. I told him to call her and say he needed to talk to her. He better get this right because this was his only chance. He had to show Nakia that they were meant to be together.

My daughter needs to be with this man. He will give her the kind of life I only dreamed of having. I had to do things a lady should never have to do just to get by. I wanted more for my child. I was hard on her because I loved her so much and didn't want her to suffer. I just wish she could see that everything I have ever done was for her.

I know Trent is good for her. He is a good man and does seem to love her, and since she wanted that ring, she loves him too. They just needed a little push in the right direction. That was where I came in. I showed Trent what he wanted but couldn't grasp himself. Now it was time to work on my daughter and get her right again.

She turned thirty and lost her damn mind. She talked to me all crazy. She has never talked to me like that before. It's as if she blamed me for everything. She was the one who said he was getting her a ring. She never should have jumped to conclusions like that. Never count your blessings until you know for damn sure.

If you ask me it kind of sounds like she has been pushing him away for years. You can't keep a man when you have one foot out the door. They can tell when something ain't right. See we think they don't pay attention, but they do. They are smarter than we give them the credit for being.

Even though I was angry with my daughter I decided to reach out to her. She needed to have her hair done for Trent. She needed to look flawless when he gave her that ring. If she wanted to let herself go once they were married that was on her. Once she gets him my job is done. I will have succeeded in a way no one thought I would. I needed this.