DUTCHESS EXPOSES SHARRA’S SECRET ABOUT DRE TO LARRY — SHARRA TRIES TO ATTACK HER!
Dutchess stood in front of Larry, struggling to find the courage to reveal the truth she had been carrying for too long. She knew that once the words left her mouth, there would be no going back. Sharra had repeatedly denied having anything to do with Dre, but Dutchess had reached her breaking point. She could no longer watch Larry remain unaware of what was happening behind his back.
Larry noticed the seriousness on Dutchess’s face and put his phone down.
LARRY:Dutchess, why do you look like something terrible has happened? If there’s something you need to tell me, just say it.
Dutchess took a deep breath and glanced toward the door, making sure Sharra wasn’t nearby.
DUTCHESS:Larry, there’s something about Sharra that you need to know. And before you get upset with me, I want you to understand that I’m telling you because you deserve to know the truth.
Larry leaned forward, his expression becoming more serious.
LARRY:What are you talking about? What did Sharra do now?
DUTCHESS:It’s about Dre.
The moment Dutchess mentioned Dre’s name, Larry’s expression changed.
LARRY:Dre? What does he have to do with Sharra?
Dutchess hesitated. She knew Larry wouldn’t take the news lightly, but she had already decided she wasn’t going to turn back.
DUTCHESS:Sharra has been involved with Dre again. She made you believe that whatever was happening between them was over, but that’s not what I’ve been hearing. She has been keeping things from you, Larry, and I don’t think it’s right for you to be the last person to find out.
Larry stared at her in disbelief.
LARRY:Are you telling me Sharra has been messing around with Dre behind my back?
DUTCHESS:That’s exactly what I’m telling you. I wouldn’t bring this to you if I didn’t believe you needed to know.
Larry stood up and walked across the room, trying to process what he had just heard. He remembered the times Sharra had become defensive whenever Dre’s name came up. He remembered how quickly she changed the subject whenever he asked questions.
Suddenly, those moments seemed different.
LARRY:I gave her opportunities to tell me the truth. I asked her directly if there was anything going on between them, and she looked me in the face and denied it.
DUTCHESS:That’s why I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. You deserve honesty, even if the truth hurts.
Before Larry could respond, a voice came from the doorway.
SHARRA:What truth are you talking about?
Dutchess froze.
Sharra stood at the entrance, staring between them. She had arrived just in time to hear the last part of their conversation. Her eyes moved toward Larry, then settled on Dutchess.
SHARRA:Why are you two talking about me? And why did I just hear Dre’s name?
Larry turned toward her, his anger barely concealed.
LARRY:Maybe you should explain what’s going on between you and Dre.
Sharra’s face tightened. For a moment, she said nothing. Then she looked directly at Dutchess, realizing exactly what had happened.
SHARRA:You told him?
Dutchess lifted her chin.
DUTCHESS:Yes, I told him. Somebody had to.
Sharra let out a disbelieving laugh, but there was no humor in it.
SHARRA:You had absolutely no right to get involved in my personal business!
DUTCHESS:Your personal business? You made it everybody’s business when you started hiding things and lying about Dre!
SHARRA:Watch your mouth!
DUTCHESS:Or what, Sharra? You’re going to keep threatening everybody who refuses to protect your secrets?
Larry stepped between them before the argument could escalate.
LARRY:Both of you, stop! Sharra, I asked you a question. Are you involved with Dre again?
Sharra looked at Larry. Her expression briefly softened, as though she wanted to explain herself, but her eyes kept returning to Dutchess.
SHARRA:Larry, she’s trying to turn you against me. You know how Dutchess is. She always has something to say about my life.
DUTCHESS:Don’t do that! Don’t stand there and pretend I’m making everything up just because you got caught!
SHARRA:I said shut up!
DUTCHESS:Then tell him the truth!
Sharra suddenly moved toward Dutchess, her hands clenched and her face burning with anger.
SHARRA:You think you can destroy my life and walk away like nothing happened?
Dutchess stepped back, startled by how quickly Sharra had lost control.
DUTCHESS:I’m not destroying your life. I’m telling Larry what you’ve been trying to hide from him!
SHARRA:You had no right!
Sharra lunged toward Dutchess as if she intended to strike her. Dutchess quickly moved out of reach, raising her hands defensively. Larry immediately grabbed Sharra’s arm and stepped firmly between the two women.
LARRY:SHARRA! That’s enough!
Sharra struggled to pull away, still glaring at Dutchess.
SHARRA:Let me go! She needs to learn that she can’t keep running her mouth about me!
LARRY:You’re not going to put your hands on her! Whatever problem you have with Dutchess, you are going to deal with it without attacking her!
Dutchess stood several feet away, breathing heavily. She was shaken, but she refused to let Sharra intimidate her into silence.
DUTCHESS:Look at yourself, Sharra! The moment somebody brings up Dre, you completely lose control. Why? If there’s nothing going on, why can’t you simply say so?
Sharra stopped struggling for a second.
The question hung in the room, and Larry slowly turned to face her.
LARRY:She’s right about one thing. You still haven’t answered me.
Sharra looked at Larry, then at Dutchess. Her anger was slowly giving way to panic as she realized that shouting would not make the accusation disappear.
SHARRA:Larry, I don’t want to have this conversation with her standing here.
LARRY:No. You had plenty of opportunities to talk to me before today. Now I want an answer.
SHARRA:You really believe her over me?
LARRY:I’m asking you to tell me the truth. That’s all I’ve asked you to do.
Sharra’s eyes filled with frustration.
SHARRA:You don’t understand what I’ve been dealing with! Everybody keeps judging me, everybody keeps watching me, and now Dutchess thinks she can come in here and decide what happens in my life!
DUTCHESS:Nobody is forcing you to do anything. You made your choices. You have to take responsibility for them.
SHARRA:You have no idea what you’re talking about!
DUTCHESS:Then explain it! Tell Larry why Dre keeps coming back into the picture. Tell him why you get so upset every time somebody mentions his name!
Sharra opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Larry watched her carefully. He had expected her to deny everything immediately, just as she had done before. Instead, she was standing there, unable to give him a straightforward answer.
That silence hurt him more than he wanted to admit.
LARRY:Sharra, is there something you’re afraid to tell me?
She looked down, then quickly raised her eyes again.
SHARRA:I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.
LARRY:I’m not doing anything to you. I’m asking you to be honest with me.
SHARRA:And what if I tell you something you don’t want to hear?
Larry’s expression hardened.
LARRY:Then at least I’ll know where I stand.
Dutchess watched Sharra carefully, sensing that the argument was approaching a turning point. She had expected shouting and accusations, but she hadn’t expected Sharra to come so close to admitting that there was more to the story.
Sharra slowly pulled her arm free from Larry’s grasp and took a step backward.
SHARRA:Fine. You want the truth? You both want the truth so badly?
Larry didn’t move.
LARRY:Yes.
Sharra looked directly at him, her voice trembling with anger and fear.
SHARRA:Then you need to understand something about Dre. What happened between us didn’t start the way Dutchess is making it sound. And if you really want to know why he keeps coming back into my life, you should ask him what he promised me.
Dutchess’s expression changed immediately.
DUTCHESS:What did he promise you?
Sharra turned toward her with a bitter smile.
SHARRA:Now you want to ask questions? You were so confident when you were telling Larry everything. Why don’t you call Dre yourself and ask him?
Larry reached for his phone.
LARRY:Maybe that’s exactly what I should do.
For the first time, Sharra looked genuinely frightened.
SHARRA:Larry, don’t call him.
Larry paused, his thumb hovering over the screen.
LARRY:Why not?
Sharra stared at the phone, then looked at Dutchess. Her face had gone pale, and the anger that had driven her toward Dutchess moments earlier was replaced by unmistakable worry.
SHARRA:Because if you call Dre right now, you’re going to hear something that could change everything between us.
Larry slowly lowered his phone.
LARRY:What have you done, Sharra?
Before she could answer, Larry’s phone suddenly began ringing. The name on the screen made Dutchess gasp.
It was Dre.
Larry answered and switched on the speaker.
LARRY:Dre, you’ve got some explaining to do. Tell me the truth about you and Sharra.
There was a long silence on the other end.
Then Dre finally spoke.
DRE:Larry, I was wondering when you’d find out. But before you blame Sharra for everything, there’s something you need to know about what happened between us.
Sharra covered her mouth, staring at the phone in horror.
SHARRA:Dre, don’t you dare—
DRE:You can’t keep this a secret anymore, Sharra. Larry deserves to know who contacted whom first.
Larry’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Sharra.
LARRY:What does that mean?
Dre took a deep breath.
DRE:Larry, the truth is, Sharra wasn’t the one who came looking for me this time. I was the one who—
The call suddenly cut off.
Larry stared at his phone, then slowly raised his eyes toward Sharra.
LARRY:You have one chance to explain what Dre was about to tell me.
Sharra stood frozen, while Dutchess watched her with growing disbelief.
And then Sharra whispered four words that made Larry’s entire expression change.
SHARRA:He knows about us.
TO BE CONTINUED…