The Perfect Lie

By Shelley Davis

We may never know the true meaning of friendships, love or family. We've always been taught since birth what's accepted or not in the real world. What's really the definition of LOVE? Are we really accepted for whom we are or is everyone for themselves? You may never know because you will always have to live by someone's approval. Accepted or not, some will never experience themselves truthfully.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669827894

Shelley Davis

Shelley Davis is the Author of Dramatic Encounters Temptations. She begin writing in 1997 when she realized that writing wasn't something she had only adore but it was her passion to be able to tell her story and capture the reader attention to the story she's explaining. With her desire to write and the love she has for it, this book will not be her last.

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Copyright © 2022 by Shelley Davis.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/27/2022

Xlibris

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

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Introduction

A s soon as you are born, you’re just this beam of energy and light. You really don’t know anything or anyone except your parents. They are your true first loves. They teach you how to love, read, speak and walk to name a few but as you get older society teaches you about people, finances, the world. Yet in all of these things, no one ever teach you how to protect your heart. You slowly begin to learn this as people, life and movies present them to you. Society teaches you these so-called trends and how much weight you’re supposed to be. Or how much money or how many children you should have, while your parents teach you how to protect yourself. Especially if you come from an darker background. Yet, you learn who to love and become discern with through lessons as you grow from childhood to becoming a young adult.

When you find that special someone who shows you that they do not love you and even though you love them with your whole heart, when is it time to let go? How do you let go? When you’ve done all that you can with friends and family, how can you walk away without feeling bad about letting negative things that aren’t meant for you or your life, go? There is no one to teach you this! Everyone can give their opinion on how to let go but if they have never been through it, can one truly help?

That is what I had to learn and the fact that adulting can become so ghetto but you have to live in order to survive in this world. On top of that, becoming who you really are as a person and not what others think or want you to be. Self love is always the best and correct love. You have to invent you and your own logo for people to respect. Your character is all you have regardless if people talk or spread rumors about you. Your character is the only thing that speaks for itself. I just wish that I was taught this in life earlier than I had learned. Rest assure I know this now and that is all that matters.

Chapter

1

G rowing up in poverty played an important part in my life. From my parents receiving government assistance to provide for us to always protecting us from the scum of the world. Living in the projects witnessing murder upon murders—some people knew how to live with it and some people didn’t.

I remember when I looked up to one of my sisters—I love her dearly. I thought that she couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything wrong. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. She always spoke her mind. She was my superwoman! She wouldn’t let anybody mess with her siblings. The only thing that was different between us was that I thought I could never be like her. I never spoke my mind as a child. I always tried to keep the peace. Joking, acting goofy all the time so I wouldn’t have enemies. I use to let people walk all over me and intimidate me—but who cared when you had a sister that you thought could beat anyone in the world.

I recall the day I was only about six maybe seven years old, playing outside in the front of the house eating my chocolate chip cookies—minding my own business. The only business I knew of as a child. My sister yelled out to me Reign! Are you okay? She said. Yeah!" I replied. Before I knew it, I had awaken in the hospital. I could only remember very little as to what happened but I was more worried at what happened to me.

I remember screaming and crying for help. I do not recall the pain or how it felt but I knew my super hero was there to protect me. My sister was going to beat that chick down!! Mike Tyson style. I mean she turned into the Incredible Hulk. Now, I do not condone such behavior but that chick needed her butt whipped for messing up my beautiful, black face.

There were other incidents that happened and she was there for me, but no one can fit her title. I remember one time I tried to get brave and try to fight her—no—that didn’t work as plan, lol. Yeah sisters will fuss, fight and even may not speak to each other for a while but we always find our way back to forgiving each other and continuing on with our lives as if nothing ever happened. It doesn’t matter if we aren’t as close as we use to be—as long as I have her back in my life, that’s all that matters. She will forever and always be my superhero. I love you Toya forever and always!

They say you have someone in the world that either look or act similar to you. I didn’t think that was true until I open my eyes and noticed that the one person was standing right in my face. Well, I’m very outspoken now (thanks Toya) but at this point and time in my life, I can say I act like one of my four siblings. Quiet, observant and kept to myself.

She had been my best friend for a while until my stubbornness got in the way. How could I let go of a friendship from a person that is so beautiful from her heart as well as her actions. The sweetest person you can meet but do not let her sweetness fool you! She can get very upset and when she does—everyone needs to watch out. Yes, I guess that’s how I was too but it is so much that you can take from anybody before you start raising hell. You know what I am saying?

I remember when I had no place to go after a serious point in my life that I was involved in and she opened her door for me and my children that I had at the time. She didn’t pressure me about anything and always treated my kids as if they were her own children. You will never find someone with such a beautiful heart and if you do, do not take that person for granted .Always remember that a beautiful heart can turn cold!

A best friend is someone who knows everything about you. Even though you may get upset with each other and not speak for a little while, that secret that you told them will never leave their heart. It would be taken to the grave. Well, I broke that friendship. I’m working on trying to get it back but it’s like trying to get me to be in the presence of dogs. I do not care for those too much. You talking about a sister scared—shucks I’m delusional when it comes to dogs. I know that I have a lot of work to do to even get back to where our friendship was at least, but it is worth taking that ride.

She taught me that you can speak your mind and still be that beautiful person that God made you to be without being rude to people. Don’t lose your personality trying to be someone that people want you to be. Just being yourself is that special part of being you—of who you’re actually are. That’s the meaning of being beautiful in and out. That’s who she is—my sister Rosa will always be beautiful in and out. Thanks sister for showing me that I can become that beautiful woman again by not losing myself or my beauty. Beauty will always be within, you just have to unleash your true value!

Who says that you can’t have two mothers? True, you will always have your biological mother and no one can take her place but you can also have that special person in your life whom act like that mother figure. Well, I have that and good thing that she will be in my life forever!

Instead of wanting to hang around my mom all of the time, I wanted to be with this lady all of the time. I mean I really looked up to this lady as a mother. I used to try and go everywhere with her. It may have been too clingy at times but I didn’t care and she was okay with it. I’d met my first celebrity with her. I didn’t go to school that day because I pretend as if I was sick. I think she knew I wasn’t but let me stay home anyways. She wanted to go to Serenity Mall because it had just opened. Everybody was saying that they had met this celebrity or that celebrity, but I knew for sure it was just their luck because I had never met a famous person before. Besides, I didn’t go there to try and meet anybody, I was trying to get her to buy me something.

We were in Foot Locker looking for shoes for her kids while I was looking for shoes for me too, lol. I kept trying on different shoes trying to get her to buy them, yet she kept saying no! I really wasn’t taking that for an answer though. I knew that if I kept asking her, she would eventually give in—like she did. Anyways, as I was checking these Pumas out, I heard someone behind me say PISS. I turned around to give that person a piece of my mind because the last time I checked, my mother didn’t name me that.

As soon as I turned around to fuss this person out, I noticed that it was N-Tity from The Hill! I started screaming Oh shit, Oh shit. This chick talking about watch your mouth. I didn’t want to hear nothing this chick was saying, shoot I just saw a member of the group The Hill! I went running behind him and left her right in Foot Locker. Running full force screaming to everyone in the mall "The HILL! Nobody was listening, lol and I wasn’t paying attention either because if I were, I would have seen that clothes line I was about to get from his security guard. I stop dead in my tracks and checked my throat.

This big black man had just clothes line me! There here goes N-Tity turning around telling him to let me through. He was shorter than he had looked on television. He had this light skinned girl with him that was way taller than him. I really didn’t care to see her but she did make her presence known. Well, maybe I was just upset that it wasn’t me.

Lisa comes up behind me after it seems like forever. I really don’t think that she noticed that I was gone. Lisa, I said. It’s The Hill!’ I yelled at her. Now her response wasn’t what I had expected. I thought she was going to be amazed like I was but no. This chick said, He is ugly and have all of those bumps on his face. Shit, he is shorter than you Reign! I was about to fall out dying laughing. Well, she did speak her truth—dead in his face. I knew that he was mad. His expression gave it away. I remember when she used to work at the night club and on my eighteenth birthday I had the most fun. I think that’s when I started partying every weekend. She had to calm me down from clubbing but if you can get in free, why not go? That’s until she started making me pay at least, lol. Now that calmed me down a whole lot.

Till this day if I party like I’d use too, she will be down no questions. She still looks younger than her age but always kept it real with me like a mother would do her child. A mother who wouldn’t only be a parent but a friend. Down to earth, laid back and cool. Yes I love this girl to death.

You never thought that you would have someone in your life that you couldn’t stand to be around. Fighting over purses to making lines in the middle of your room that both of you shared because you both can’t get along type of person. Yes, that was one of the things that me and my stubborn sister would do. It’s funny how we were so much alike and didn’t realize it. We use to fight about everything.

She used to pick with me about not having the body that she used to have when we were younger. Little did she know that those words really affected me back in the day! Not only did I have to deal with it in school but to have to come home and hear it really got on my nerves. It’s kind of silly now, back then I didn’t like it one bit. I remember we were arguing (about something stupid probably) and our mother had called us downstairs. You both want to keep fighting? She asked. Well fight! The one that lose, I will punish. She continued. I had thought to myself Oh yes, I have this". Little did we know that all of that fighting we had done, she will turn around and still punish both of us. I mean she really let us fight until we got tired. All of that and it was a set up. If I knew that I was going to get my butt whipped anyways, I would have just went back upstairs and kept picking at her.

The point of the whipping was that we shouldn’t have been fighting in the first place. My mom always said Fight the kids in the street—not each other. We were mad as I don’t know what and still had a month of being grounded, geesh! That was the worst fight we ever fought and lost on a count that we were going to be punish anyways, lol. I hated punishments! Looking out of the window at all of the other kids playing outside and I couldn’t. I’d wish somebody had come and grounded them too.

Now we talk almost every day. Her children, I love so much. When we were younger, she was just my big sister—now I call her my baby mother. I always told her that her youngest son was my child, that she had just carried him for me and that if she didn’t let me see him often, I wasn’t paying child support. I love this lady so much and when I call her at seven o’clock in the morning to talk about my problems, she doesn’t hang up on me. Yes, Sue! I know that you fall asleep on me sometimes but thanks for letting me vent even though you may not hear anything that I’m saying. I tune you out too sometimes. Especially when you call around seven in the afternoon and I’m trying to watch Meet the Browns Friendly reminder—from seven pm to eight pm I’m not listening either, lol.

Out of all the people in the world, how can I forget about my big brother! Well, that’s what he thinks he is. I mean I couldn’t get this shadow to leave. He always reminded me of how I treated my oldest sister when I was younger. We were like two peas in a pod. From going to school together to playing outside in the neighborhood, when you saw me, you saw him.

He taught me quite a few things while we were young. Like tumbling—something that I probably couldn’t do now, to trying to rap to a brush and playing football. I remember when he wanted to go with me everywhere and I wouldn’t let him. I was growing up and hanging around my little brother was the last thing that I wanted to do. Somehow, he got my mother to convince me to let him go.

You know, as a young lady around the age of fifteen you need—you want your privacy. Why was it so hard for him to understand? I had to decide whether to take him with me or stay in the house to watch him. Shucks, we were out—he went with me. From that day on, we had really grown to accept the fact that I couldn’t go over my anywhere without him. Oh and I was going, lol.

My boyfriend at the time grew attached to him. So whenever I went out Dansville, Jimmy went also. I don’t understand why we had become so distant in the last few years, but when I see him it reminds me of all the fun we used to have when we were children. I don’t know, maybe it’s because now I have to share my space with the women in his life. It’s okay though, I still love him.

He always called me his little sister which I couldn’t understand because I am older than him. If it makes him feel better than I can be the little sister. Just know when your little sister start asking for money—don’t say no. He did give me beautiful nieces and a nephew that I adore. I just wish that I saw them more like I use too. Times are getting shorter and no one is promised tomorrow so live like it’s your last day and always tell your siblings that you love them. My brother reminds me a lot of my dad. That’s what keeps my dad alive in me. When I look at my brother, I’m forever reminded of him.

You never get to choose the people that come into your life but everyone that you meet are in your life for a reason. One thing for certain, you can’t choose the life you have been dealt. God knew who he wanted you to belong to on this earth even before you were conceived. I’m glad that he chose my mom Tracey to become my parent.

This lady is a prime example of a beautiful, strong, black, educated woman. She has done so much in her lifetime that I couldn’t understand how she had done it while I were growing up. I never knew how life was when I was a child. I didn’t have to worry about paying bills, where the next meal was coming from, how was I to get clothes so I could wear? I didn’t have to worry about those things.

I used to come in the house from playing outside to see my mother sitting in the living room crying. I’d go to ask her what’s wrong, but she would just wipe her tears and tell me to go play. I never knew what those tears were for until I had children on my own. Regardless of what was going on, she always motivated me to become a better person than anyone in this world. Always protecting me and helping me like a mother should.

I don’t remember much from the accident that I was in but I know that when I had awaken her face was the first that I saw. My accident had happened in another state but here goes my mother sitting right by my side. I learnt a lot from my mom about raising my children and even though I do some things differently than what she thinks, she still let me learn and raise my children the way I would like too. She was always there cheering me on when I published my first book.

I love my mother and will never want anyone to take her place. Yes, the things that I had when I was growing up wasn’t what I wanted but it was what I needed at the time. God created me for her and with the blessings that he gave her, she raised such beautiful children and I will forever honor her as God told me too. My siblings and parents are the ones I would love forever.

Every family will have their ups and downs. They will help each other through hardships and deaths. Just to know that when you need them the most—they will always be there. That’s the meaning of family. It doesn’t mean to help you with money or a place to stay…you know material things but just to call and say hello or check up on you will brighten your day. Everyone need that one person that you can go to without judging you and talk too. Thanks mother for being my protector, doctor, lawyer, friend and most importantly thanks for never giving up on your children when times were hard. Love you!

You see, these people played an important part in my past. They help build the structure of my life. The events that I’ll have to deal with on my own….well, that’s another story.

Chapter

2

H ave you ever had that one person who made you feel as if anybody else opinion never matter? That you were the only one on earth that matter to them? Yet, in a blink of the eye that feeling passed like it was only a dream. That was me once.

A young man that I thought wouldn’t look at me twice made me feel like I was the most beautiful, amazing woman on earth. You know a girl like me needed that. I never had that father’s love so I looked for love everywhere else. Now what love you find—that’s another question. I thought I had found the one. Yes, I was only fifteen but fifteen or not, I thought he was the one I would spend the rest of my life with.

I met this young man at a local store near my home. When I first saw him, I knew that I had to do everything in my power to get this dude. I actually threw pretend parties so when he came it would only be us at this party that wasn’t going to happen. Telling him that I was going to be someplace where I knew that I couldn’t go, lol. There was nothing stopping me! Really, it had gotten to the point where I couldn’t stand him because he wasn’t picking up the clues. I showed him on several occasions that I was interested in him but he wanted the different cultures of girls. Basically any girl who wasn’t black. He actually made me start