Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 65: An Inescapable Hell

FOUR YEARS LATER...

---

In a fast food restaurant, just a short walk away from the campus, Orion and his friends were conversing at their table. "So... that was it. Our last day," Emiko sighed as she rested her cheek against her hand. "College went by so fast... I can't believe we're graduating."

"Me neither," Orion said. "But I'm really excited about getting my job."

"You got hired at the Newcrest Aeronautics and Space Administration, right?" Uranus asked with a grin. "I wish I was that lucky. They're super picky with who they hire... I didn't make the cut."

 "I'm sorry. Hey, there's plenty more you can do with science degrees, though. I know you'll find your place." 

"Yeah! And as for me, Sage Silversweater says that I'm the best alchemy apprentice he's ever seen. I knew college would heighten my potential," Emiko said proudly. 

It was then that Orion's smile faded and his gaze fell down to the table below him. 

"...Orion? You okay?" 

"Yeah, it's just..." Orion sighed. "We've become good friends over these past four years. But now, we're graduating and... our paths are leading us all in different directions. We won't see each other almost every day. What if we don't see each other at all? This... this is the last day we can spend together like this."

"Orion..." Emiko was at a loss for words. The reality finally began to hit her, too.

"Hey, why the long faces?" Uranus remained as cheerful as always. "It doesn't matter how busy we get, or if we don't get to hang out anymore. We won't forget each other. As long as we have a place in each others' hearts, we'll be together in some way, right?" 

Orion smiled. "You know what? You're right. Thanks..."

"Don't mention it! And, hey... graduating and getting that job is gonna be good for you. It ensures you eight hours a day away from Tiffany." 

Emiko snickered, but Orion just sighed. "Yeah... I guess I need that, huh?"

"More like a lifetime away from her," Emiko muttered. 

"You guys know I love her... but... I-I don't know. It's always a struggle. We fight a lot--"

"You mean she yells at you for no good reason a lot," Uranus corrected.

Orion paused, but then nodded. "I've tried so hard for four years to save our marriage. But I'm starting to think... maybe..."

"It can't be saved?" Emiko asked gently.

"...Yeah," Orion admitted. "I don't know how much longer I can keep trying to pretend it's okay when it isn't... it's getting to me. I-I've given her every excuse, every benefit of every doubt... and it just... hurts."

"Well, whatever happens, know that we'll be here for you. Always. Don't be afraid to call me. I'll always make time for you," Uranus reassured him.

"Yeah, me too," Emiko agreed. "Your life is going to get better. You'll see."

Orion smiled softly. "What would I do without you guys...?"

"No, what would we do without you?" Uranus laughed quietly. "You're true to your name, Orion Star. You're the brightest one in the sky, and your light... could illuminate this whole world." 

---

To Orion, nights always felt lonely, even when Tiffany was beside of him. Ever since that day with the big fight when he brought home the cat -- now named Sophie, as afterwards she caved in and let him keep her -- things hadn't been the same. As much as he wanted to believe he could trust her, and as much as he longed to know she loved him, he could never truly convince himself of it. But he could never let her suspect that she was slowly losing him; this was something he had to keep bottled up inside. He'd rather suffer in silence than suffer at the hands of Tiffany.

He'd almost managed to drift off  to sleep when Tiffany's phone buzzed on the nightstand beside him --odd, seeing as she almost never left it out in the open. He opened his eyes as it buzzed again and frowned. 'Who would be texting her this late?'

Orion glanced over his shoulder and whispered loudly. "Tiffany?"

There was no response.

"Tiffany, someone texted you," he continued, and turned to nudge her gently. When she still didn't wake up, he looked back to the phone as it buzzed a third time. 'I guess... I should see if it's important. What if it's urgent?'

Decisively, he grabbed the phone from the nightstand. Surprised to see it wasn't locked, he tapped the text notification and froze when he read what appeared on the screen.

***

Unknown Number: hey babe 😘

Unknown Number: u awake? usually i'm more of a one night stand guy, but... last night was great, i kinda wanna see u again...

Unknown Number: i just can't get u out of my head... 😏

***

He sat up and slammed the cell phone down harshly onto the nightstand, trembling as he burst into sobs and buried his face in his hands. 

But as much as it hurt, he wasn't even surprised. 

"Orion?"

Tiffany's eyes fluttered open and she groggily looked over at him. "What's wrong?"

"Tiffany, don't," he rasped, "you already know..."

She sat up. "No, I don't. Why are you crying?"

Orion just shook his head and stood up. "I-I don't... I don't understand. Why?"

She followed him, annoyed, as he began to walk away. "Orion, stop and just tell me what's wrong!"

"F-Fine!" He took a deep, shaky breath. "What's wrong is that someone was texting you about how great it was when you slept with them last night!"

Tiffany froze. "...What?"

"Don't try to talk your way out of this," Orion sniffled. "You've been cheating on me, haven't you?"

"Orion, I--"

He turned to face her, the tears still running down his cheeks. "Haven't you!?"

"What were you doing snooping through my phone, anyway!?" Tiffany snapped in a futile attempt to justify herself. "It's your fault for looking! You wouldn't have seen it if you minded your own business!"

"I-It's my fault for..." He furrowed his eyebrows. "You can't blame me for this! I was making sure it wasn't something important..."

"No, you were snooping!" Tiffany threateningly edged closer. 

"S-Stop trying to turn this around on me! Even if I was snooping, I would never cheat on you, Tiffany!" Orion snapped, but his voice immediately lost its anger as more tears came. "You've always been good enough for me, Tiffany. Why am I not good enough for you...?"

"You know what, Orion?" Tiffany's eyes narrowed. "You're not good for anything. You're worthless. I don't know why I ever wasted my time on you!" 

It was either a surge of desperation or a surge of anger that led to his next words. "I'm tired of this! Y-You always say bad things about me, like you're a perfect angel, but you're not--!"

Orion was unable to finish his sentence and yelped as she suddenly lurched forward, her fist connecting with his face. Everything that happened next was a disorienting blur, her fingers wrapping around his neck until he gasped for air, her nails digging into his skin like daggers.

In an instant his back slammed against the wall, sending a sharp pain through his spine. He tried to scream, but she tightened her grip on his neck and it only came out as a weak, strangled cry. His vision was blurred, from the tears and the lack of air, but he could make out the glowing sapphire eyes of her dark form through the black mist that surrounded her in a cloud.

A low chuckle escaped her lips as she watched him desperately struggling to breathe. "You're wrong, Orion. I know I'm not an angel." 

"T-Tiffany... p-please," He choked, feeling himself begin to grow weak. 

"If anything," she continued, her lips curling into a smirk, "I'm a demon, and this is a hell you will never escape from."

Tiffany sank her fangs deep into his neck, and Orion was too deprived of air and strength to do anything more than whimper and weakly attempt to shove her away with the hand she didn't have pinned against the wall. He finally felt her grip loosen on his neck and he gasped in a deep breath of air, his voice strained. "P-Please... stop... please..." 

 His arm fell limp at his side. His strength was gone. There wasn't any fight left in him, and that's exactly what she wanted. Harshly, she withdrew her fangs, licking her lips for one last taste of blood as she tugged him from the wall and shoved him onto the bed.

"You want to be good enough for me? You want me to want you?" She began to climb on top of him, a taunting tone to her voice. "You're so needy, aren't you? You need me. You need to be wanted. To be used until you're broken."

Weakly, he pushed himself up onto his elbows and met her gaze. "N-No, I..."

Straddling his waist, she shoved him back down beneath her. "Shh, it's okay. I'll break you into as many pieces as I want to," she purred, "and you'll take it, just like you always do..."

"No, please don't do this... please..."

"No?" She laughed, pinning his arms to the bed, unable to suppress a grin when he finally stopped struggling. "Maybe I'm the one that isn't good enough for you. Isn't this what you wanted? Is my attention not what you're asking for?"

He said nothing, tears still running down his cheeks.

"It doesn't matter either way," Tiffany said, "because it's what you're going to get."

---

By morning, the only feeling Orion had left was brokenness; the most painful numbness he'd ever felt, a contradiction that he couldn't explain. He was spaced out, staring off at nothing as the hot shower water slowly ran down his body, intermingling with the tears on his face. But no matter how long he stayed here, it couldn't make him feel clean. After what felt like hours, he turned off the water and finally dried off and got dressed. There was no way he was going back into the bedroom, so he began to make his way downstairs. He hadn't slept at all, but maybe if he got a bite to eat -- despite the intense sickness he still felt -- he could curl up with Sophie on the couch and drift away into blissful dreams, forgetting that last night ever even happened...

But, of course, he wasn't that lucky.

He froze when he entered the living room, not expecting to see Tiffany waiting for him there.

"Orion," she began with crossed arms, "we need to talk."

"I-I don't want to talk," he said quietly. "I can't do this anymore, Tiffany."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "Don't tell me you're--"

Orion looked away. "I'm leaving. I-I want a divorce."

"You're not divorcing me! You can't!" Tiffany snapped. "I--"

  "I can. D-Do you really think I'll just... let you keep doing this to me?"

"You won't," Tiffany came threateningly closer. "Orion, I'm pregnant."

His eyes widened. "...W-What?"

"I'm pregnant," she repeated. "If you divorce me, I'll make sure you never see your child."

He tensed. "H-How do I even know they're mine? What if they're not?"

"What if they are?" Tiffany narrowed her eyes. "If you get that divorce, it will be easy for me to convince the court to give me full custody. You know they always favor mothers. Is that what you want? To never see your children? Oh, and even worse... you're the one that's about to make the income to support them. I'm jobless. Amelia and Onyx certainly aren't rich. I can't afford a child, so I suppose... if you leave, I'll just have to have an abortion."

"N-No, don't," Orion pleaded. "You can't just..."

"I can and I will! But if you stay with me, they'll be just fine. You'll see them every day... Orion, think of the wellbeing of your child..."

"I-I..." Orion stammered, at a loss for words. He knew what he had to do, and the thought was unbearable... but what choice did he have? He turned and ran, unable to stop the tears as he stumbled into their room, slamming the door behind him.

Helplessly, he slid to the floor and brought his knees to his chest, sobbing. It was too late to leave, and if the baby really was his, he would have to live endure this for the next eighteen years. 'Tiffany was right,' he thought. 'This is a hell that I'll never escape from...'