Case of the Ex

|Chapter 1|

August 2000

"Baby, do you know what today is?" 22 year old Deanna Jackson said to her boyfriend of 3 years, Steven Howse.

"It's our anniversary, babe," he replied with a smile.

Deanna and Steven had met back in May of 1997, about a year after he broke up with his girlfriend of 2 years, Angela White, who was also known as Chyna. In April of 1996, after learning that Chyna had messed around on him with his best friend, Michael Stevenson, he cut the both of them out of his life. A month later, he met Deanna through a mutual friend of theirs, Kel Mitchell. The two hit it off very well. It started off pretty casual, going out to eat, chilling at the park, even a trip the movies every now and again. After three months, Steven decided to make it official. And now the two were celebrating three years of being together. Things may have been rough, but the two managed to overcome the ups and downs.

"Yesss, plus I have a little surprise for you, well at least this is one half of the surprise," Deanna grinned as she handed Steven a white envelope and a box

Steven opened the box, revealing a gold Rolex. He then opened the envelope, which stored three thousand dollars cash and two strips of paper, which happened to be tickets to the Bahamas.

"Awh hell yeah, a getaway to the Bahamas. I could use a nice little vacation! Thank you babe!"

Steven pulled Deanna into a hug and kiss, and then said, "hey let's step outside real quick, it's too nice outside for us to be cooped in the house."

"Okay."

The loving pair headed out the door. Deanna's eyes ballooned when she took a gander at what was sitting in their driveway (pictured in the MM). Steven smiled.

"Happy anniversary, baby!"

"Oh my god, baby I love it!" Deanna jumped on him and gave him a big kiss.

Sitting in the driveway was a cream colored 2000 Mercedes Benz. Deanna had been involved in a car wreck the year before, even though it wasn't her fault. She made it out with no injuries, but her car was completely totaled! Now, she was excited to be back on the road again!

"Oh my gosh, I can't wait to go driving!! Hey let's go out to eat for our anniversary!"

"Where was you tryna go, babe? I wanted to cook dinner for you."

"I don't know, I just wanted a reason to drive the car."

"Tell you what, we can eat out tomorrow, but tonight, let daddy take care of you."

Steven wrapped his arms around Deanna and gave her a sweet kiss. This was the best anniversary in Deanna's eyes. She had the perfect home, the perfect car, and the perfect man to top it all off! What could go wrong?

~~

"Biiiiiitch, so I was driving past Steven's place, right? And tell me why I saw him give Deanna a brand new Benz!"

You lyin'!"

"Nope, honest to God truth!"

Chyna was on the phone with her best friend Amber Levonchuck, who went by the name Paris. The two had been best friends since high school. When Paris dropped out of school, she found a job as a stripper in order to provide for her family. Chyna soon began dancing after learning about how much money her friend would bring home every night. When Chyna met Steven, he convinced her to leave the stripping alone and that he would take care of her. She left it alone temporarily, but slowly transitioned back into her old ways. Once the two called it quits, Chyna had fully gone into a relapse. She just couldn't give up her old lifestyle, although she did miss Steven and how he spoiled her with things like diamonds, money, any and everything a girl could dream of. But hearing that he was buying things for somebody else didn't sit well with her.

"Oh so he wanna be buyin' shit for that bitch, I see. Ok, I'ma show her. Steven is my man, has always been my man, and always will be my man! She's just there for the moment. He don't love her!"

"I know he still love you, girl, he just goin' through a phase right now," Paris assured her friend.

"I know he is, I'ma call him up soon to check on him, maybe pay him a visit and lay it down like I used to do. I'll show him what he been missing."