đ±đ„ Amber Warns Anthony: âDonât Pay Shaylaâs Rent!â â You Wonât Believe WhyâŠ
đ±đ„ Amber Warns Anthony: âDonât Pay Shaylaâs Rent!â â You Wonât Believe WhyâŠ
(When loyalty meets manipulation, the truth hits harder than the bills đđ„)
đ THE CALL THAT STARTED IT ALL
Anthony had just finished a long day at work â the kind of day where all you want to do is sit down, kick off your shoes, and not think about anything.
But just as he sat on the couch, his phone started buzzing.
Caller ID: Amber.
He hesitated for a second before answering. Things had been⊠tense between them lately, especially since all that drama with Shayla and the DNA results.
âHey,â he said, voice tired.
âHey,â Amber replied, her tone sharp â not angry, but serious. âWe need to talk. And itâs about Shayla.â
Anthony groaned. âAmber, please donât startââ
âNo, you need to listen this time,â she cut him off. âDonât pay her rent this month.â
Anthony blinked, caught off guard. âWhat are you talking about? She said sheâs behind, and sheâs got Kaiââ
Amber interrupted again, this time louder.
âIâm telling you, Anthony. Donât do it. Youâre being played.â
đŁ THE REASON BEHIND THE WARNING
Anthony rubbed his forehead. âPlayed? Shaylaâs got your godson living with her. Why would she lie?â
Amber sighed. âBecause that woman has been lying since the day she met you.â
Anthonyâs voice grew defensive. âAmber, come on. We already went through this. The DNA test proved Kaiâs my son. I have to help.â
Amberâs tone softened â but only slightly.
âI get that. Youâre doing the right thing for Kai. But Shaylaâs using that kid to trap you, and you know it.â
Anthony frowned. âWhat makes you say that?â
Amber hesitated for a second before dropping the bombshell.
âBecause Shaylaâs already got another man living there. And heâs been paying her rent for months.â
Anthony sat up straight. âWhat?!â
âYou heard me,â Amber said. âMy cousin lives in that same complex. She saw Shayla with him last week â grocery shopping, carrying boxes, moving him in.â
Anthonyâs jaw tightened. âWho is he?â
Amber sighed. âSome guy named Iman. Sheâs been seeing him behind your back for a while now.â
đ THE BETRAYAL
Anthony couldnât believe what he was hearing.
After everything â the fights, the tears, the court drama, the DNA shock â Shayla had sworn she was trying to do better.
She had told him she was struggling with rent because Kaiâs daycare was behind on payments.
She had even sent him a photo of the âeviction notice.â
But now Amber was saying it was all a setup.
âYouâre sure about this?â he asked quietly.
âDead sure,â Amber replied. âYou think Iâd come to you with something like this if I wasnât? Sheâs been telling everyone that youâre paying her bills â bragging about it like sheâs got you wrapped around her finger.â
Anthony clenched his fists.
âSo sheâs out here living with another man, while asking me to pay her rent?â
Amber didnât hesitate.
âExactly. Thatâs why Iâm saying â donât send her another dime. Let her figure it out.â
⥠THE CONFRONTATION
The next day, Anthony drove to Shaylaâs apartment without warning.
He needed to see it with his own eyes.
When he pulled up, his heart sank â there was another car parked out front. A sleek black sedan he didnât recognize.
He knocked on the door.
Shayla opened it, startled to see him.
âAnthony? You didnât say you were comingââ
Before she could finish, a manâs voice came from inside.
âBabe, whoâs at the door?â
Anthony froze.
Shaylaâs face turned pale.
âItâsâ itâs just Anthony,â she stammered.
Anthonyâs jaw dropped. âBabe? That what youâre calling him now?â
The man, tall and confident, came to the doorway. âHey, man. Iâm Iman. You must be Anthony.â
Anthony stared at him, his blood boiling.
âOh, I know who I am. The guy she calls every week crying about not having money for rent â while youâre in here playing house.â
Shayla tried to step in. âAnthony, please, itâs not what it looks likeââ
âThen what is it, Shayla?!â he yelled. âBecause Amber warned me. And now I see she was right.â
đ„ THE TRUTH EXPLODES
Iman held up his hands. âLook, man, calm down. Iâve been helping her outââ
âHelping her out?â Anthony scoffed. âBy moving in and letting me pay the bills? Thatâs what you call helping?â
Shaylaâs eyes filled with tears. âAnthony, I didnât mean for it to get like this. I justâ I needed help, and I didnât want to lose Kaiâs home.â
Anthony shook his head in disbelief.
âYou had help. My help. You just wanted more.â
Shayla stepped closer, desperate. âI swear, I wasnât trying to take advantage of you.â
Amberâs words echoed in his mind: âSheâs been playing you.â
He exhaled slowly, trying to calm the storm inside him.
âYou know what, Shayla? Pay your own rent. Iâm done.â
Shayla gasped. âAnthony, pleaseâ Kai needs stabilityââ
âKai will always have me,â Anthony interrupted. âBut you? Youâre on your own now.â
He turned and walked away, leaving Shayla sobbing in the doorway as Iman stood speechless behind her.
đ THE AFTERMATH
Later that night, Amber called.
âDid you go over there?â
Anthonyâs voice was quiet, heavy.
âYeah. You were right.â
Amber sighed softly. âI wish I wasnât. You didnât deserve that.â
âKai didnât deserve it,â Anthony said. âI just keep wondering how many times I let her lie to me because I wanted to believe sheâd changed.â
Amber replied gently,
âThatâs what makes you different, Anthony. You believe in people. You love hard. But now⊠itâs time to protect yourself too.â
Anthony nodded. âYeah. This time, Iâm done saving her. She can save herself.â
đ EPILOGUE: A NEW KIND OF PEACE
Weeks passed. Shayla eventually called â not to ask for money, but to apologize.
She admitted that sheâd panicked, that sheâd made bad choices.
Anthony listened quietly, then said,
âI forgive you. But I canât trust you again. Not right now.â
Shayla sniffled. âI understand.â
And for the first time in a long time, Anthony hung up the phone feeling free.
He looked out at the city lights, whispering to himself,
âSometimes, walking away is the only way to stop being played
