Checkmate: The Baddest Chick by Nisa Santiago

small belly was still growing. The world around her was so fucked up and unpleasant, she didn’t have time to notice too many things. Her eyes grew wider as she thought about the possibility.
    “Mami, you okay? What’s wrong?” the man said. “I need to finish.” He approached her, placing his hand on her shoulder gently.
    Apple went berserk. She yanked away from his touch and screamed out, “Get away from me!”
    The man jumped back.
    Apple ran toward the wall and coiled up into the fetal position.
    The man she was fucking became nervous. He grabbed for his pants and started to dress quickly. “You crazy!” he shouted. “Locà.”
    Apple remained in the corner looking paranoid.
    Soon, Shaun came rushing into the room. He looked around, saw the trick getting dressed, and Apple in the corner looking shocked.
    “What the fuck?”
    “That whore is crazy,” the man said. “I want my money back!”
    “You ain’t finish?”
    “She just suddenly stopped.”
    Shaun’s face turned into a scowl. He marched over to Apple, grabbed her by her hair, and began pulling her toward the mattress.
    “Bitch, you gonna finish fuckin’ him!”
    Apple screamed and kicked. “I’m still pregnant!”
    Shaun suddenly stopped. He let go of Apple’s hair and looked down at her unpleasantly. “What the fuck did you say?”
    Apple peered up at Shaun with watery eyes.
    The trick said, “Forget the money. You people is crazy. Crazy!” He rushed for the door, leaving Apple alone in the room with Shaun.
    Shaun stared at her slightly round belly in astonishment. “Impossible! I paid that muthafuckin’ doctor enough money to get rid of the fuckin’ baby. How the fuck you still pregnant?”
    Apple remained silent.
    Shaun looked like he was ready to strike her out of pure frustration. His fist was clenched and his eyes were narrowed in annoyance at Apple’s belly. He had the urge to kick the baby out of her himself.
    Mary suddenly walked into the room and saw Shaun towering over Apple with a posture that said he was ready to hit her. She stared down at the naked Apple, holding her pregnant belly.
    The two women locked eyes. Apple had tears streaming down her grief-stricken face.
    Mary instantly understood the predicament. “She was carrying twins.”
    “What?”
    “Your doctor messed up. He didn’t know. He got rid of one, but not the other,”
    Mary said.
    “This stupid muthafucka!” Shaun screamed out. “What the fuck am I gonna do with this bitch now?”
    But then Shaun gazed down at Apple with a different look. “Fuck it! Niggas will pay for anything nowadays . . . even for some pregnant pussy. You gonna still make your ends in this house, pregnant or not! I can even charge muthafuckas more for it.”
    Apple didn’t respond. She stayed on the cold floor near Shaun’s feet thinking about what she’d have Chico do to him once he found her. Visions of cutting off each finger and toe were running through her mind.
    Mary didn’t respond to his statement, knowing that men would flock to have sex with a pregnant woman, raving about how different and more pleasurable the experience was. She had been in the predicament many times herself. Apple was in for one whirlwind of a ride.
    Apple found out that she was almost five months pregnant—she was carrying small, and that gave Shaun a four-month time span to profit from her condition. It didn’t take long until word started to spread about Apple’s condition and about the botched abortion. Some of the girls in the house started to name Apple’s baby, “Miracle Child.” They started proclaiming that Apple’s botched abortion and continuing pregnancy was only a clear sign from God saying that she was meant to have this baby.
    Some of the whores started to warm up to her more, and the tension of her being an outsider, an American, slowly started to fade, but with the help of Mary also, who took to caring for Apple.
    But Shaun was relentless. His attitude toward Apple didn’t