Copyright © 2026 Shamar Phillips. All rights reserved. The Wife, The Bestie, & The Side Chick and its contents are the property of Shamar Phillips. No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, or republished without the author's permission.

CHAPTER TEN

"When were you gonna tell me you were kicking it with Nina!?"

"Um, I didn't know I was obligated to inform you who I date. It’s not like you came out your face and said, By the way, I'm going to fuck our son's principal.”

“I don't want her around my son, Deon. I mean that shit.”

Rose called him the minute she left Zoey’s meeting. After finding out that he was kicking it with Nina, she was fuming. She had no right to be mad after the shit she pulled on him, but when it came to her family, she refused to let any bitch push through the door.

“Whoa, whoa, wait, hold up,” he frowned at the phone. “Where you coming from with all this? And don't give me no damn lecture about what you want around OUR son when you, your damn self, didn't give me the option of shit.”

“Are you fucking her?”

She bypassed everything he said and got right to what she really wanted to know.

“Man, go somewhere with that,” he chuckled.

“Just tell me that. Are you fucking her?”

“No. I’m not fucking her.”

“Do you plan on it?”

“Rose, listen, I'm really busy right now, and I don't have time for this. YOU fucked up, not me. What I do with who I do it with is my business, just as what you do is yours.”

Deon hung up the phone and continued to sketch up one of his latest designs, but Rose wasn't letting him off easy.

She called and texted his number so many times that he ended up having to turn his phone off.

He knew when she got there to pick up their son she was going to go ape shit, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with her temper tantrum. It was beyond him how she felt like she should be able to gallivant around with whoever she wanted, but he was supposed to sit around and twiddle his thumbs.

As he worked on his sketch, he silently anticipated her arrival. While tracing the edge of his ruler, he let out a small laugh, followed by a deep sigh because he regretted ever dealing with her. Then, he made himself put down his tools, go to his trusty bottle of Patron, and take a shot. 

Realizing he might need another to handle her attitude when she got there, he poured up.

Just as he downed his second shot, Rose was pounding at the door and ringing the doorbell at the same damn time. He did a slight jog to the door, popped the latch, and there stood the wicked witch of the West.

“Yes, baby mother, how may I help you?”

“I don't find shit funny!” She pushed past him and let herself inside, looking in every crack and crevice for any sign of her enemy. “How long? And is that who you had to follow home Saturday night?"

Deon thought she was the funniest thing on earth at the moment.

“I don't understand why you mad. What, you think I'm supposed to stay single forever? You the one fucked up, remember?”

“Yes!” she blurted out. “ I mean… no. But out of all people, Nina? Do you know I work with this bitch!? I don't want her at my damn job parading around the fact the she fucking my baby daddy! I already don't like the bitch.”

“And whose problem is that?”

“You know what…” Rose flinched at him, but thinking twice, she slammed her fist into the palm of her hand. “Where's my son?”

“Upstairs. I'll get him once you calm down.”

“I am calm. Grab him so I can go, please."

She was fuming inside. But as she watched him climb the stairs, topless, with only a pair of sweats and his favorite brand of socks on, she felt her cat purring in her panties. That made her even more mad because she wanted to hate his guts. However, watching him come down the stairs with their son cuddled in his arms made her weak. She almost wanted to cry, but she sucked it up and showed no emotion.

That was one thing Deon couldn't stand about her: she was too tough for her own damn good. He understood that she had been through a lot in the past, and he tried his hardest to love her through all of it, but Rose just would not budge. That was something they fought about constantly.

“You want me to get him from school tomorrow?”

“Yes," Rose said, as she snatched Jr.’s bag and walked out the door.

Deon tugged at his bottom lip as he watched her ass jiggle in her uniform pants replied. No matter how bad they fought or how much he regretted getting her pregnant, he couldn’t deny the fact that she was still as fine as wine.

“I ain't gon’ have no problems with ya girl, right?” he asked. “This why they say don’t mix business with pleasure.”

With a tired sigh, Rose answered, “Shouldn't. Ty knows I ain’t on her like that. That was nothing but a fling.”

Once getting their son in the car, Deon kissed his head and buckled him in his booster. After closing him in, he opened Rose's door and pulled her out of the car for a little TLC.

Smoothing her hair from her face and wiping a tear from her cheek, he thought about telling her he loved her. Instead, he wrapped her up in his strong arms and hugged her tight. Rose put her hands in the pockets of his sweats, just like old times, and laid her head on his chest. Listening to his heartbeat sent her to a place where she felt safe, loved, and beautiful.

She knew that there was nothing he wouldn't do for her, but she also knew where they stood after everything. Ending the hug, Deon told her to let him know when they made it home safely, and he would speak to her tomorrow.

Once she made it home, she texted him and let him know. Then, she just sort of sat in her driveway, reflecting on their relationship.

In the midst of her little out-of-body experience, she didn't notice a car had pulled in behind her. The tapping on her window scared her half to death, and when she looked up, there was Ty.

Rolling her eyes, she let down her window to see what the fuck Ty wanted from her life at damn near 4 in the morning. Especially after she found out all of her dirty little secrets.

 “What?”

“Damn!” Ty flinched. “What's wrong with you?”

“I'm not in the mood. And why are you just popping up at my house like you got it like that? You know I don’t play that shit.”

“I can't wanna see you?”

“Not anymore, you can't. So I would advise you to put your left foot in front of your right foot, and step.”

Rose was disgusted with Ty. Zoey made sure of that. She wasn’t even fine to her anymore.

As she stood there, half drunk, looking pitiful, Rose wanted to punch Ty all up in her grill.

“It’s like that? You must've got some dick from that nigga.”

“And you must've thought I was Lyrica or Nina,” Rose shot back.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said, Ty.”

She pushed Ty backward with her door, then got out and proceeded to get her son from his seat.

“I'll get him,” Ty said, getting ready to open his door.

“No, you won't.” Rose slapped her hand away. “Get the fuck out of here, Ty. I'm not even joking with you right now.”

“You really tripping,” Ty frowned. “What's up?”

Rose couldn’t believe Ty’s nerve. She stood there acting like she was completely innocent and had nothing else going on outside of them.

In the heat of the moment, Rose wanted to send her son inside, kick off her shoes, and tussle the bitch. But instead, she turned around and let Ty have it. She gave her the read of the century—called her out about her secret love life and carrying a child while acting like a man—and then slammed the door in her face.