Page 27 of Dominated By Love

“Please tell me this is an April Fool’s prank,” I said once she was done reading.

“Sage, all the parents got this email about an hour and a half ago. I can’t believe they haven’t been blowing your phone up like I have. I was actually on my way over there to shake some senseinto you. Tashay just called me and said she went straight to the studio, and the doors are freaking chained up. What’s going on? Are you having financial problems?”

“Monica, what part of I have no idea what you’re talking about don’t you understand?”

“Well, everyone got it, including the other two dance instructors. It came from your email.”

Jaylen. That was the only explanation. I’d left my laptop home, but that didn’t matter. I’d used his enough that he would easily be able to get into my account. I knew he was a bitch, but it seemed like lately, he doubled down on that title a little more.

“Mo, I would never just close down the studio without warning. Somebody is fucking with me.”

“Were you behind on the payments? Tashay said there was something on the door about revocation of property by owner, J Jackson Sr.”

“Girl, I know damn well he did not!”

“Who would do something like that?”

“Jaylen,” I confessed. I hated to bring anyone else into my business, but Monica was more than an employee. She was a friend.

“You two having problems?”

“Girl, at this point, that’s an understatement. Look, I’m going to figure out what’s going on. I guess we know this is an off day. I’m going to make some calls, and I’ll get back in touch with you later tonight.”

“Handle your business, girl. Let me know if me and my bat need to pull up anywhere.”

That almost made me laugh, almost.

“I will.”

The words property owner rang in my head over and over as I fell against the back of the couch. When we settled in Jade Harbor, Jaylen bought a building for me that used to be a dancestudio. It took about a year for me to renovate it the way I wanted to and the same amount of time to build my clientele.

Since I wasn’t really established, I had to use Jaylen as a cosigner on the building. He insisted on buying it, but I wanted to do something on my own. I paid the mortgage and taxes with the fees the students paid. I paid for the utilities, repairs, everything. The only thing Jaylen did was get the ball rolling. How dare he try to take this from me? Jaylen was a spineless bastard. I should have used that fire poker on his ass. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Once I was sure that I wasn’t about to cry, I called his phone. I shouldn’t have been surprised when Rebecca answered.

“If you think you’re about to speak to my man after the way you behaved, think again.”

“Sweetheart, the only thing that spared you the first time was that baby bump. My mama used to say you might be pregnant, but your mouth ain’t. If you want to find out what that means, keep playing with me. Put Jaylen on the damn phone.”

“Guess again, whore. Just so you know, I don’t want you anywhere near me, my man, or the house he bought me. I took out a restraining order against you. You better be glad you got that hoopty towed before I did. We’re tired of sparing your feelings. Move on,” she spat before hanging up the phone.

Taking a deep breath, I called right back. She was just as petty as I felt right now because she picked up after the first ring.

“What do you want?” she barked.

“You tell that bastard it’s one thing to be a lying, cheating asshole, but he had no right to mess with my personal business. Unless he wants to see me in court, I suggest he move the fuck around and take those chains off the doors before I make it down there.”

She laughed. She actually laughed. “I figured you would be calling and crying about that little dance school sooner or later.I actually didn’t have to go through Jaylen on that one. We are done supporting you. His name is on the building, so we’re selling it as soon as the realtor gets back with us.”

“That is not Jaylen’s business. He has no right to sell it.”

“According to him, he does. He told me years ago that he put it in his name because he knew if he put it in your name, you would lose it.”

“That’s a damn lie. I’m not about to keep going back and forth with you. Put Jaylen on the phone.”

“I’m not letting you speak to my man. Get the hell off his line and move on already,” she said, before hanging up in my face again.

It was a good thing that I didn’t have my car, because I was ready to go over there and pop off round two on both of them. There was no use in me calling back and getting into an arguing match with Rebecca, because, obviously, that wasn’t getting me anywhere but closer to another jail cell.

My chest hurt as I read through multiple parent emails about the disappointment of the studio closing. Just as many parents were asking about how to get their money back as the ones who were asking me to reconsider. I didn’t have the stomach to respond when there was so much uncertainty. The first thing I needed to do was go home and get my paperwork together. If Jaylen and his mistress wanted a war, they could definitely get one.