Everyone in the neighborhood knew Zack and LaKeisha. They were that couple – the ones who made you believe that love is real. High school sweethearts that was off and on during the college years due to different courses but still kept close to each other whenever their schedules were clear. They were living proof that Black love could flourish, could stand strong against all odds.
Their Instagram was filled with vacation photos, date nights, and candid moments that racked up hundreds of likes. LaKeisha's friends were jealous of how Zack looked at her, like the beautiful woman she. Zack's boys admired how LaKeisha supported his dreams, never complaining when he worked late building his client base.
That Friday evening in June, the air was thick with excitement. The NBA Finals were on, and the city was electric with championship fever. But Zack had bigger plans. The ring had been burning a hole in his sock drawer for weeks – a three-carat oval diamond that had cost him six months of savings. Everything was set: both their families were coming over, champagne was chilling, and their song was queued up on the playlist.
When LaKeisha called, her voice was a bit disappointing but sweet as always. "Baby, I'm sorry, but I’m working late tonight. Kimberly and I have to finish filing these case numbers."
"It's all good," Zack replied, bruising his hair in the bathroom mirror. "Take your time love. I've got some friends coming over to watch the game anyway." He smiled, picturing her face when she walked in to find everyone there.
"You're the best," she said. "Two hours tops. Love you!"
"Love you too."
What LaKeisha didn't know was that Zack had already spoken to her boss that morning. The firm had no late filings due. What Zack didn't know was that Kimberly was there with her.
And what neither of them knew was that their perfect love story was about to unravel in ways that would have all their family and friends and neighbors talking for years to come...
Two hours had passed by. The party guests were getting uncomfortable and started, picking at the catering that was getting cold. LaKeisha's mother kept checking her watch, while Zack's father tried to keep everyone laughing with jokes about the traffic on the highway coming over there. The ring box felt like the weight of his phone in Zack's pocket.
"Maybe we should call the firm," LaKeisha's sister suggested, but Zack shook his head, hitting redial for the twentieth time. Straight to voicemail.
The NBA Finals game flashed on the 75-inch TV. The home team was up by twelve, and the camera was panning through the crowd during a timeout, showing celebrities and fans celebrating.
"Wait—" Someone shouted. “No way!” "Is that—?"
The camera zoomed in on a row of premium courtside seats. There sat LaKeisha, gorgeous in a red dress that I never knew she had. While leaning into a tall man in a custom sports blazer. Kimberly was there too, with another man, all four of them laughing like they didn't have a care in the world.
The room went dead silent. Zack's phone slipped from his hand, slamming on the hardwood floor. On screen, LaKeisha turned to the mystery man, her diamond tennis bracket (Zack's Christmas gift) sparkling under the arena lights as she pulled him in for a kiss for the kiss camera.
"Holy shit!"
"Damn..."
"Oh my God..."
The exclamations crashed over Zack like waves as he stared at the screen, his whole world imploding in high definition. LaKeisha's mother burst into tears. Zack's best friend lunged for the remote, but it was too late – the image was seared into everyone's minds.
Just then, all eyes were on Zack while his phone vibrated on the floor. He picked it up and it was a text from LaKeisha: "Sorry baby, cases taking longer than expected. Don't wait up. ❤️"
The engagement ring box burned in his pocket like fire as Zack stood up, his face like stone. "Party's over," he said calmly, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. "Everyone go home."
But this wasn't the end. Not by a long shot. Because what no one knew – not LaKeisha, not her mystery man, not the shell-shocked party guests – was that Zack had already set something in motion that morning that would turn this betrayal into the talk of the city for years to come...