The Great Big Granddaddy Lie Pt. 2

After I got off the phone with Diamond, I had to figure out how I was going to confront Derik about this situation. I got on the internet and pulled up a list of this R&B artist's songs, and from the song titles and googling, I quickly found that every single song on the CD that Derik had given me was from this singer's most recent album. I just sat there looking up lyrics, googling songs and shaking my head in disbelief.

I knew, though, that I had to have some concrete evidence; something that he couldn't dispute, no matter what. So I got on Youtube and I looked up a video of this artist singing one of the songs on the CD a cappella. I watched it, and it was clear that the man in the video was NOT Derik, and it was clearly the same voice that was on the CD. I had my proof, now all I needed to do was wait for Derik to get home.

I didn't have to wait long. I heard the front door open and close and quickly minimized all the windows I had open on the computer. I turned on the TV and logged onto Facebook and waited for him to come back to our room.

When he walked in the door, he had several bags of stuff that he had gotten from Walmart (bought with my money, of course). He didn't say a word to me and began to put stuff away. I waited for him to say something to me and he didn't. He just ignored me like I wasn't there. Oh great, I thought. It's already starting out to be one of these days. Then, You know what? I don't care! He's the one in the wrong here! I worked up my nerve to confront him.

"Hey babe. Come here for a second. I want to show you something." I said.

He came over to where I was sitting on the bed and I pressed play on the Youtube video and turned the computer around.

It only took a couple of seconds for him to register what was happening. I just sat there and watched the emotions play over his face. First was confusion, then shock, then a little bit of panic and I could see him searching his mind for anything to cover up the fact that I finally caught him in a huge lie. He started to stutter and then exclaimed "That's impossible!"

I stopped the video and said "What's impossible Derik? I want to know what's impossible. Did this guy steal your vocal cords or something? What?!"

He got super indignant and pulled out his phone and said "Crystal, do I need to make a call to my studio manager and let you talk to him?"
"Absolutely. Call him right now."
"Uh..." Clearly he wasn't expecting me to take it this far. "You know what? I don't have to prove anything to you! What are you trying to say Crystal? Just say it!"
"You're a liar!" I yelled. "You lied to me and everyone about this and I seriously cannot believe that you would lie about something so dumb! You need to leave. Get your stuff and go visit your son. I don't want you here."

He got a couple of things and left to go visit his son, who was in town for a couple of days. After he left, I just sat in my bed for a little while reliving the whole fight. I couldn't believe that I actually had to confront a grown man about pretending to be someone else. I went to my mom's room and told Nancy about what had just happened. She listened sympathetically and asked me what I was going to do. I didn't know yet. I was so disgusted with Derik, but at the same time, I had invested so much into this relationship. My feelings for him were all but gone, but I just wasn't ready to end it yet. I needed to talk to him again, but I needed a couple days to process everything. I went on about my business and he continued to text me all day. I told him to leave me alone for a couple of days and then we could talk.

After a couple of days, I told him that he could come over to explain himself, but that he was not staying the night. I would talk to him, but then he needed to leave and he agreed.

So he comes over and we go outside.

"I did lie to you, Crystal," he began. "But not about what you think."
"Really? Ok, explain. I have to hear this."
"Ok. That wasn't me singing on the CD that I gave you. When I first signed on with the label, they signed me to a developmental contract. Do you know what that is?"
"No," I replied. (Primarily because such a thing does not exist.)
"Well, basically, they sign you and then they develop your talents. I wrote all of those songs and recorded all of those songs and then they gave them to <artist> for his new album. I didn't tell you because I was embarrassed that I put in all that work and then it was taken from me."

I listened to all of this and I was extremely saddened, because it was clear that he was just trying to cover up his lie with another lie. I knew this wasn't true. Nothing about it even sounded remotely possible. He was grasping at straws, but rather than call him out on his crap, I let it slide. Again. I just didn't want to argue anymore.

We ended the conversation and I told him that although we could still have a relationship, I needed a couple more days to myself. He left again, and I went to a bar by myself and got drunk. While I was at the bar, I called my ex-boyfriend Chris and told him everything that happened and asked if there was a remote possibility that his excuse could be the truth. He assured me that he was still lying to me and asked me once again, "This is the man you want?".

It wasn't. I didn't want this man anymore. He had proved himself over and over to be a liar and a manipulator and I let him walk all over me. I wish I could say that I made up my mind to leave him right then, but I didn't. I stuck it out with him for another miserable couple of months, but during that time, I had no desire for him and no respect for him as a man.