A Rich Man's Wife is a story of a well-kept woman, Zuri Turner, who is married, but for all the wrong reasons. Throughout the story Zuri is given plenty of signs, alerting her that her marriage may not be worth any of the trouble she's endured and is continuing to endure. In this blog post I'm going to list all the times Zuri should've packed up her things and left her husband and everything that came with him behind. So, if you're allergic to spoilers, now would be a good time for you to exit. And if you've already read this book, let me know in the comments if you agree with my reasoning.
1. When she received the phone call from his side chick on her wedding day.
"'Did you get the picture that I sent you?' She actually sounded surprised that I was so angry. 'Yes, I got the fucking picture. Is that why you called me? To make sure that I got the picture of you laid up with my fiancé?' 'I just wanted you to know.' 'Well, I know,' I griped. 'Thank you!' 'I didn't know he was engaged.' 'Well, now you do.' After hanging up, I blocked the number and hurried out of the bathroom."
Talk about foreshadowing! God had given Zuri the perfect sign to run in the opposite direction of Rashaad, but she was blinded by the lavish lifestyle Rashaad afforded her. Not only did he have a side chick, but the chick also had the audacity to ruin her wedding day. Albeit, she didn't know, but I'm sure it hurt Zuri, nonetheless.
2. Rashaad cheated on her throughout their marriage.
"I had caught Rashaad cheating three times during our marriage. Each time, his infidelity was crippling because of the extent of the relationship with each woman. He didn't just have random sex with other women. They shared feelings for one another, so many feelings that it pushed these women to call me and give me information about their affairs with my husband. They even provided me with proof, like screenshots of their messages, pictures of them on vacation, and other evidence that should have forced me into divorce court a long time ago."
Now, I'm all for standing by your man, but c'mon sis. Thanks to Steve Harvey, we learned a long time ago that men don't necessarily have to have feelings for the other woman to step out on their spouses. But like the passage says, Rashaad was sharing feelings. That was a sure sign that if their marriage didn't start as fraudulent, it damn sure had reached the fraudulent point now.
3. Rashaad had started sexually rejecting her.
"I then put it between my legs, laying his thick, long fingers atop the satin of my thong. 'I'm so wet, baby,' I purred. 'I'm at work,' he said as if I didn't know. I shrugged. 'So. We've fucked in your office before.' 'I can't baby,' he said, taking his hand back with a strong jolt. He then stood, took my waist in his strong grasp, and picked me up. Even him picking me up so effortlessly made my center ooze with anticipation of his penetration. 'I'm busy babe.' I pouted. 'Tonight then?' 'I can't tonight. I have a thing after work, and I will most likely be out late.' 'What thing?' 'It's business.' Frustrated, I gave up. The lust scurried away and was replaced with disappointment. I stood, my arms folded tightly as I stared at my husband. 'Who is she this time Rashaad?'"
I've never read a book where the male character wasn't down to get busy in his office. Him rejecting her was a definite red flag, so much so, that it prompted her to ask, 'Who is she this time?' Instead of heading straight to her attorney's office to have them draw up her divorce decree, Zuri continued to stay and bide her time.
4. Even her daughter knew he was cheating on her.
"'I'm fine,' I continued to lie, despite her knowing better. 'I hate when he leaves you alone.' I regrettably gnawed on my bottom lip. My baby girl had grown up so much that I couldn't hide the truth from her anymore. She was a big girl with her own dealings with the opposite sex. So, even if I didn't tell her every single detail, she could've put two and two together."
Currently readers are unsuspecting of Zoey's part in her mother's failed marriage. But the thought of her teenage daughter knowing she was being cheated on was embarrassing, just not embarrassing enough for her to leave.
5. They worked at the same place and didn't even ride to work together.
"Rashaad and I were so distant that though we worked at the same place, we drove separate cars there every day."
This was another clear red flag. I'm sure they may have worked different hours and Rashaad had way more social obligations than Zuri, with him being the warden and all. But some days, they should have been able to carpool. To me it didn't even seem like the thought had crossed Rashaad's mind to carpool with his wife. I'm sure to keep his philandering ways that much more a secret.
6. Zuri's lack of attention had her head over heels about anyone that noticed her.
"Two hours after my counseling session with Aanan, I was still daydreaming about him. Sitting in my office, I was staring into space as I listened to Summer Walker. I re-lived Aanan and my flirtation and conversation over and over again. I was blushing as if I had just been dropped off after the best first date. Behind my girlish smile was a lot of shame. I blamed Rashaad for leaving me so desperate for attention that an inmate on trial for murder was making me giddy."
Zuri's thoughts mirror mine. Sis, you are so desperate for attention you checking out inmates.
7. Zuri risked her job and freedom to fuck an inmate.
"That confession was like immediate approval for him to take me. Instantly, I was being picked up into the air. Gasping, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. He began to tongue kiss me. My head fell back against the metal door as my eyes looked towards the ceiling. As my pussy began to melt with every lap of his tongue, I wondered what the fuck I was doing."
Zuri didn't just work at the prison; she was a social worker for the inmates. Her usual task of helping inmates had transformed into helping a certain one a little more than she should have. Not only would she be fired if she was caught, and not because her husband was the warden either, but she would be facing jail time. And I just can't wrap my mind around any dick being worth that. For her to stoop so low, meant that Rashaad wasn't giving her what she needed, and she needed to be single to explore her dating options outside of a prison.
8. Zuri had become numb to Rashaad's cheating.
"'I followed him after work.' I sat back on the couch, giving all of my heavy weight to it. Yet, I still felt it bearing down on my shoulders, causing them to sink with insecurity and heartbreak. He had cheated so much that it no longer broke my heart. It was the fact that he was becoming so careless with his disrespect that he obviously was not long threatened by me finding out. 'What did you see?' 'Him being dropped off at the Drake by an Uber. He left his car in the parking lot at work. Most likely because he was supposed to be having a 'meeting with the mayor'.'"
I'm not well-versed on catching cheating husbands, but I'm pretty sure me texting him my dinner order to see if he would respond would not be my approach on the matter. I'm sure Zuri more than likely numbed herself to his cheating because she was always anticipating it. But her having her own cheating notch on her belt should have helped her make a decision on divorcing Rashaad much faster.
9. Zuri was having sex with Rashaad and thinking about Law.
"Thinking of him made me recoil in shame. The night before, we had actually had sex for the first time in a very long time. When he crawled in bed, I could smell the liquor coming from his pores. But I had missed Law so much that when he slid into me from behind, I let him and imagined that he was Law. When he came fast and pulled out without saying a word, I remembered that he was still my emotionless ass husband."
I mean, do I really need to give my input here. You’re having sex with your husband, the thought of him makes you recoil, but when you think about your prison bae, you're turned on. At this point I was ready to hop in the book and slap Zuri and draw up the damn divorce decree myself.
10. Rashaad leaves Zuri before she gets a chance to leave him.
"'You shouldn't have done that,' Rashaad said, sighing. 'Why?' I asked, batting my eyes slowly. 'You were the one that said I shouldn't have been working there in the first--' 'I'm leaving you, Zuri.'"
In the words of Madea, "Well when you gettin' 'got' and somebody done 'got' you and you go 'get' them, when you get 'em everybody's gon' get got." Rashad is leaving Zuri for another woman, and not only is he leaving her, but he professes his love for this woman to Zuri. She's mortified, embarrassed even, that he's found someone that he loves more than her. When the other woman is revealed, at the very end of the story, I'm sure that Zuri will have a reaction similar to the Madea quote.
This book ends on a cliffhanger and part two does not have a scheduled release date yet, but I will definitely be tuned in to see if these characters get the resolve they so desperately need.