Chapter 5: The Second Bracelet
Danielle didn't sit down when Tasha invited her inside.
She remained near the doorway, twisting the strap of her handbag around her fingers while the music from the living room played softly behind them.
Tasha stared at her.
“What do you mean, Marcus isn't the only person lying?””
Danielle glanced toward Nia.
“Can we talk without everybody else listening?””
“No,” Tasha replied.
“Nia stays.””
Danielle hesitated.
Tasha's voice sharpened.
“If this concerns my relationship, and Nia is already involved because Marcus decided to message her, she stays.””
Nia stood beside the kitchen island, her arms folded.
Danielle finally nodded.
“Okay.””
Tasha gestured toward the dining table.
“Sit down.””
Danielle sat.
Tasha remained standing.
“You said Marcus told people we weren't together. Who else did he tell?””
“His mother. My aunt. Some of his friends.””
“Anybody else?””
Danielle looked at her hands.
“A woman named Brielle.””
Tasha felt her stomach tighten.
“Who's Brielle?””
“I don't know her personally. I saw her at a family cookout a few months ago. Marcus introduced her as a friend.””
“Just a friend?””
“That's what he said.””
Tasha looked toward Nia.
Nia didn't speak.
Tasha turned back to Danielle.
“Is Brielle the woman in that picture?””
“I think so.””
“You think so?””
“I've seen her social media. I'm almost certain.””
Tasha pulled out a chair and sat down.
The room seemed too bright. Sunlight still filtered through the windows, catching the gold decorations and turning them almost painfully cheerful.
“Tell me everything,” she said.
Danielle took a deep breath.
“About two months ago, Marcus started bringing Brielle around more often. He said they worked together on a project. At first, nobody questioned it because she seemed friendly with everybody.””
“Then what happened?””
“People started noticing they were leaving events together. Sometimes he would tell us he was going home, but his car would still be parked outside Brielle's building hours later.””
Tasha stared at her.
“And you knew this?””
“I heard people talking about it. I didn't know what was true.””
“But you never asked him?””
“I did. He told me she was helping him with work.””
“What kind of work?””
Danielle shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Tasha let out a bitter laugh.
“Of course you don't.””
Danielle flinched.
“I know you're angry.””
“You have no idea.””
“I do, Tasha. I really do. But I didn't come here to defend him.””
“Then why did you come?””
“Because yesterday, I saw something that made me realize I couldn't stay quiet anymore.””
Danielle reached into her handbag and took out her phone.
She unlocked it, scrolled through several photographs, and placed it on the table.
The first image showed Marcus outside a jewelry store.
The second showed him entering a restaurant with Brielle.
The third showed the two of them standing beside a dark blue car, laughing.
Tasha's eyes moved to the fourth photograph.
Marcus was holding a small jewelry bag.
The logo belonged to the same store printed on her bracelet receipt.
Tasha's throat tightened.
“Where did you get these?””
“From a family group chat. My aunt sent the first one because she thought Marcus was shopping for you.””
“Then why are you showing them to me?””
“Because I saw the second bracelet.””
Danielle enlarged the final photograph.
Marcus was holding two small shopping bags.
One was white.
The other was black.
Tasha looked at the date.
It was the same day he had told her he was working late.
She remembered that evening clearly. She had cooked dinner for two and waited until nearly ten o'clock before eating alone. Marcus had sent a message saying his boss needed him to finish a report.
When he finally called, he sounded tired.
He told her he missed her.
He promised they would spend the weekend together.
Tasha pressed her fingers against the table.
“Did he buy Brielle a bracelet?””
“I don't know what was in the bag.””
“Then why are you saying this?””
“Because Brielle posted a picture wearing a gold bracelet the next day.””
Danielle opened the social media photograph.
Tasha leaned closer.
The bracelet was delicate, with a small circular charm.
It looked almost identical to hers.
Almost.
Tasha reached for her own bracelet and turned it over.
The circular charm had a tiny engraved star.
She opened Brielle's photograph again and zoomed in.
The star was there too.
For several seconds, Tasha couldn't speak.
Nia moved closer.
“Tasha, breathe.””
Tasha inhaled sharply.
“He bought us the same bracelet?””
“We don't know that for certain,” Nia said.
“The design could be popular.””
But even Nia sounded less convinced now.
Danielle lowered her eyes.
“There's something else.””
Tasha gave a short, exhausted laugh.
“Of course there is.””
Danielle opened a different conversation.
“This is from a group chat with Marcus's friends. I wasn't supposed to see it, but my brother sent me a screenshot because he thought it was funny.””
“Funny?””
“He didn't know what was happening between you two.””
Tasha leaned forward.
The screenshot showed several men joking about a weekend trip.
One message came from Marcus.
*Marcus: I'm taking care of my situation before I make things official with Brielle.*
Another man had replied:
*Friend: What situation? You mean Tasha?*
Marcus's response was brief.
*Marcus: Yeah. I need to keep her calm until I get everything sorted.*
Tasha felt the room tilt.
She gripped the edge of the table.
“Keep me calm?””
Danielle nodded, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
“I'm sorry.””
Tasha read the messages again.
There was no mention of love. No suggestion that he was confused. No sign that he believed their relationship could be repaired.
Only a plan.
A situation to manage.
A woman to keep calm.
She stood so quickly that her chair scraped backward.
“I'm going to find him.””
Nia rose immediately.
“Where?””
“I don't know. His apartment. His job. Wherever he is.””
“Tasha, sit down.””
“Don't tell me to sit down!””
Nia held her gaze.
“I'm not trying to control you. I'm trying to stop you from walking into a situation where he can turn this around on you.””
Tasha's eyes flashed.
“How is he going to turn this around on me? I have screenshots!””
“He'll say they're out of context. He'll say Danielle is trying to hurt him. He'll say you're jealous of Brielle. He'll say anything that buys him another day.””
Tasha opened her mouth, then closed it.
Nia continued.
“If you want answers, ask questions he can't dodge. And don't go alone if you think he might get aggressive.””
Danielle nodded.
“I'll go with you.””
Tasha looked at both women.
For a moment, she saw how different the room would have felt if she had listened to Nia yesterday. If she had asked questions instead of making accusations. If she had trusted the friend who had spent years showing up for her.
The regret was almost unbearable.
“I treated you like you were the one trying to take him,” she whispered to Nia.
Nia's face softened.
“You were scared.””
“That doesn't excuse it.””
“No, it doesn't.””
Tasha nodded.
“I know.””
She picked up her phone and called Marcus.
He answered on the fourth ring.
“Hey, baby.””
The casual warmth in his voice made her stomach turn.
“Where are you?””
“At home. Why?””
“Are you alone?””
A pause.
“Yeah. What's going on?””
Tasha looked at Danielle.
Then at Nia.
“I need to see you.””
“Okay. Come over.””
“No. You come here.””
Marcus sighed.
“Tasha, I'm tired. We just argued about this earlier.””
“Then you should have no problem answering a few questions.””
Silence.
“What questions?””
“About Brielle.””
Another pause.
When Marcus spoke again, his voice had changed.
“Who told you about Brielle?””
Tasha's fingers tightened around the phone.
“You just answered my question.””
“I'm asking you something.””
“And I'm telling you to come over.””
“Baby, listen to me. Brielle is a friend.””
“Then bring her with you.””
Marcus went silent.
Tasha stared at the phone.
“Why won't you bring her?””
“Because this is between me and you.””
“Then why did you tell your friends you were making things official with her?””
The silence that followed was so complete that Tasha could hear Danielle breathing across the table.
Finally, Marcus said, “You don't understand what you're reading.””
“Then explain it.””
“Not over the phone.””
“Fine. Come here.””
He exhaled sharply.
“I'll be there in twenty minutes.””
The call ended.
Tasha set the phone down.
Her hands were shaking, but her voice was steady when she spoke.
“He's coming.””
Nia nodded.
“Good.””
Danielle looked frightened.
“Tasha, I need you to know that I didn't tell you because I wanted to ruin your birthday.””
“I know.””
“I was scared he'd cut me off from the family. He's always been the person everybody defends. If you accuse him of something, he finds a way to make you look unreasonable.””
Tasha looked at her.
“That's exactly what he did to me.””
Danielle wiped her eyes.
“I'm sorry.””
Tasha reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
“I don't know if I can forgive everybody for staying quiet. But I'm glad you're here now.””
A few minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.
Marcus arrived carrying no flowers this time.
He walked into the living room, glanced at the decorations, and then stopped when he saw Danielle sitting at the dining table.
His face changed.
“What is she doing here?””
Tasha stood beside Nia.
“Answer my questions.””
Marcus looked at Danielle.
“You had no business getting involved in this.””
Danielle stood.
“You had no business lying to her.””
“Stay out of my relationship.””
“You brought me into it when you started telling people you were single!””
Marcus turned toward Tasha.
“See? This is exactly what I'm talking about. Everybody wants to interfere in my life.””
Tasha held up her phone.
“Did you buy Brielle the same bracelet you bought me?””
He looked at the screen.
His jaw tightened.
“Where did you get that picture?””
“Answer me.””
“It's a bracelet. People buy jewelry.””
“Did you buy her one?””
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“Yes.””
Tasha's breath caught.
“Why?””
“Because I wanted to.””
The bluntness of the answer stunned her.
He looked at her as if he were tired of pretending.
“You want the truth? Fine. Brielle and I have been talking for a while.””
“How long?””
“Since the summer.””
Tasha stared at him.
The summer.
Their anniversary dinner. The weekend trip he had promised. The night he had asked her to trust him.
“You've been dating her while dating me?””
Marcus shook his head.
“It's not that simple.””
“Then make it simple.””
He looked away.
“I didn't know what I wanted.””
Tasha's eyes burned.
“But you knew enough to tell people you were single.””
Marcus said nothing.
She stepped closer.
“Did you ever intend to end things with me?””
He opened his mouth.
Then his phone buzzed.
He looked down at the screen.
For the first time since arriving, genuine fear crossed his face.
Tasha noticed.
“Who is it?””
“Nobody.””
“Show me.””
“It's private.””
Tasha laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“Private? You don't get to lecture me about privacy when you've been lying to my face for months.””
Marcus slipped the phone into his pocket.
“I'm not doing this with all these people watching.””
“Then answer one question.””
“What?””
Tasha looked him straight in the eyes.
“When you told Brielle you were going to make things official, did you tell her you loved me?””
Marcus froze.
His silence lasted only a few seconds.
But it was enough.
Tasha stepped backward, tears slipping down her cheeks.
“Get out.””
Marcus stared at her.
“Tasha—”
“Get out of my apartment.””
He looked at Nia, then Danielle, then the birthday decorations.
“You're really going to throw away everything we've had over this?””
Tasha wiped her face.
“No, Marcus. You threw it away. I'm just finally looking at it.””
He turned toward the door.
Before he left, his phone buzzed again.
This time, the screen lit up long enough for Tasha to read the name.
*Brielle Calling.*
Marcus snatched the phone away.
May you like
But Tasha had already seen it.
And as the door closed behind him, she realized that the woman he had been trying to keep separate from their relationship was no longer willing to stay hidden.