You Said It Was About the Label! 😤 — Shayla Catches Amber & Anthony Mid-Date as He Promises to Be a Better Dad!
You Said It Was About the Label! 😤 — Shayla Catches Amber & Anthony Mid-Date as He Promises to Be a Better Dad!
Anthony told Shayla it was about business.
That it was about the label.
That meeting up with Amber was for their future, so he could “put their son in a better school,” and Shayla, tired of fighting, tired of the back and forth, tired of Anthony’s excuses, decided to trust him one more time.
But if you know anything about Wayne’s world, you know the truth always comes out, and it comes out messy.
Amber’s Setup
Amber showed up to the Airbnb looking like trouble, wearing that fitted jumpsuit and that big “it’s-just-business” smile.
Anthony opened the door, letting her in, thinking he was about to handle “label talk.” But as soon as Amber stepped in, she started making the room feel like something else.
“Anthony, if we get this label right, you gon’ be able to do everything you said for your son, you know that, right?”
Anthony, who just wanted to feel like a man providing for his son, nodded.
“That’s all I want, Amber. I wanna be a better father than mine ever was.”
Amber placed a hand on his chest, lingering, looking him in the eyes, saying, “And I believe you will.”
Anthony tried to play it cool, but the energy shifted.
Meanwhile, Shayla Knows Something Ain’t Right
Shayla’s intuition been sharp since the day she found out she was pregnant with their son. She didn’t want to pull up, didn’t want to be “that baby mama,” but something told her to stop by and drop off the school forms for Anthony to sign.
Wayne tried to stop her.
“Shayla, just let that man handle it. Don’t go looking for something you don’t want to see.”
But Shayla said, “I don’t go looking, Wayne, it just be there.”
And she was right.
The Door Swings Open
Anthony and Amber were sitting on the couch. She was too close, laughing, touching his hand, letting her fingers stay longer than necessary. Anthony was looking at her like he forgot all about the chaos he put Shayla through.
And that’s when the door opened.
Shayla walked in, holding the envelope, wearing that “I’m tired but still cute” look, and froze.
Amber’s hand was on Anthony’s thigh.
Anthony’s face dropped like a toddler who knows he’s been caught.
Shayla’s eyes got glossy, but she held it together.
“You said it was about the label.”
Her voice was quiet, but it cut the room sharper than a scream.
Anthony Tries to Fumble an Explanation
“Shayla, it ain’t what it look like, listen, we were just talking about—”
Shayla shook her head, “You were promising her you gon’ be a better dad to your son while she rubbing on your leg, Anthony?”
Amber tried to jump in, “Shayla, we were talking about helping him step up, I was just—”
Shayla turned slowly, “Girl, you don’t get to coach him on being a father to a son that’s not yours while touching him like that.”
Amber’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.
The Son at the Center of It All
That little boy loves his daddy, even if Anthony don’t always show up right.
He sits by the window waiting for Anthony’s truck, holding his football, asking, “Is Daddy coming today?”
And Shayla keeps telling him, “Daddy’s working, baby. He’s working so you can have everything you need.”
But deep down, Shayla knows she’s been covering for Anthony longer than she should have.
And this moment right here?
It was the last time she was going to cover for him.
Shayla’s Warning
Shayla dropped the envelope on the table.
“Those are the forms for his school. If you really wanna be a better dad, sign them and show up. Don’t make promises to her about our son when you can’t even keep the ones you made to him.”
She looked at Amber.
“And you? If you really care about him, you would step back and let him get it right with his son before you play these games.”
Amber’s Guilt, Anthony’s Silence
Amber backed up, realizing the “innocent touch” wasn’t so innocent.
Anthony sat there, looking at the papers, looking at Amber, looking at the door where Shayla just left, and realizing the weight of what he was about to lose.
Because it was never about the label.
It was about a man running from accountability, trying to find validation in a woman who didn’t have to deal with the consequences, while the woman who did was home making sure their son had everything he needed.
Wayne’s Porch Reflection
Wayne found Anthony outside later, sitting on the porch, papers still unsigned.
“Bro, you really messed up this time, huh?”
Anthony sighed, “Wayne, I just wanna be a better dad.”
Wayne leaned back, sipped his sweet tea, and said,
“Being a better dad ain’t something you prove to Amber in an Airbnb. It’s something you prove every day to that little boy. You ready to do that, or you still tryna be a part-time man?”
Anthony looked down, tears forming, but he knew Wayne was right.
Shayla’s Strength
Back at home, Shayla tucked their son into bed, kissing his forehead, telling him Daddy loves him, even when Daddy doesn’t show it.
She cried that night, but she didn’t let her son see.
She cried because she was tired, because she loved Anthony once, and because she loved the version of him that showed up for their son, the version he only became for short bursts.
She prayed he would choose to be that man for real.
But if he didn’t?
Shayla was ready to keep going, because her son would not grow up thinking inconsistency was love.
Final Reflection
This wasn’t about the label.
This was about the excuses we tell ourselves to hide the fact that we’re not ready to grow up.
It was about a father who wants to be better but doesn’t know how to get out of his own way.
It was about a mother who is tired of covering for a man who promises change while seeking validation elsewhere.
It was about a little boy who deserves consistency and love from both parents.
And it was about the fact that sometimes, the real flex isn’t getting the bag or the deal or the label.
The real flex is showing up for your child, every single day, whether the world claps for you or not.
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