Reaching the third floor, I went across the hall and pulled out my keys. After a close inspection, I found the correct key and entered the apartment.

To my surprise, I found a woman and man on the couch just a couple of paces away. The woman wore a kimono dressing gown that exposed some skin from being partially unbuttoned. She stumbled to her feet as the man let his hands drop from her waist. I noticed his eyes bulged and fear filled his face.

“Dagger? You can’t...”

The pregnant pause among us made me sneer as I looked them over.

“Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt the party. I wasn’t expecting a whore to be living here.”

Their venomous glares erupted at my comment.

“How dare... What the hell are you doing here?” The woman’s face turned red with embarrassed rage.

Obviously, Lane’s black book didn’t explain the marriage problems to this degree. As I stand there, I’m trying to figure out a witty reply.

“Ah... I’m hungry? Oh, and tired.”

It was the best that I came up with.

“Get out now! You’re not welcome here. You have the divorce papers, you bastard.”

That was news to me. Maybe I should have opened that letter from the lawyer, but I had other problems going on.

She’s pretty as hell!

My first impression of Adele kept me staring at her while her boyfriend rose from the couch. To me, the guy standing near the couch came off like a weasel. You know the type with the effeminate face and sandy hair. On top of that, his beady eyes and handlebar mustache instantly make a guy dislike him. I noticed his jacket was lying on the back of the couch with his tie while his partially unbuttoned shirt showed me the evening’s progress. I guess I should thank the gods for not arriving a few minutes later. I’m not into watching that much.

Apparently, the man finally recovered from the initial shock, and he steps toward me. I’m not a big guy, but this thin bastard who has to look up at me will not intimidate me.

“You heard the lady. You’re not welcome here!”

“Who the hell are you?”

The man stopped in disbelief as his face screwed up in anger.

“Lloyd Childress, you stupid bastard. Listen, Adele asked you to leave. Now I’m telling you the same thing. The police don’t take kindly to trespassing.”

His name is in the black book, but I’m pissed off. So, I didn’t care to remember. Plus, something else bothered me for no apparent reason. Seeing this asshole trying to act like he’s the big man in front of the pretty woman who’s supposed to be my wife made me livid.

“Looking at you, I’m guessing that your mother fucked the first thing that jumped over the fence,” I smirked.

Lloyd’s expression changed at least three times over the half a second he came at me as I secretly hoped. I punched him with a quick hit to his nose, just like dad taught me. The impact hurt my fist, but the damage to Lloyd’s nose made it quite satisfying. He immediately fell to the floor with his hands covering his face. Blood streamed between his fingers as he cried out in pain.

“Damn, that felt good,” I stated with a vicious smile.

Guilty pleasure shot through me as my brain suddenly encouraged me to give the bastard on the floor a few more punches. The thought warmed me, but I paused after I glanced over at Adele. She had her hand covering her mouth in shock and her blue eyes stared at me. Again, I had the strange thought that she looked familiar.

“You bastard! You hit him. I’m calling the police,” she finally blurted out.

Of course, I’ve already considered the possibility that I was heading to jail. Still, it felt good when I looked down at Lloyd, who’s just moaning now while holding his face. Then I suddenly grinned, not really noticing the woman hadn’t moved. Her white bra remained exposed, and I realized a weak spot for them.

“Feel free to call them. But you won’t like what happens when they arrive.” I stepped toward her, and she took a half-step back.

Her pretty eyes widened. I thought how damn good looking she looked, frightened and vulnerable. Sure, you might consider me a creep for thinking that way, but I told you I was pretty fed up by this point in the night. Still, I kept going, desperately agreeing with the urge to see her reactions while I came up with a story.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

“You see, my story is that I found the bastard raping you. Hell, you’re half-undressed.” Of course, I exaggerated a lot while making up the story. But her quick adjustments concerning her open dressing gown made a sneer come across my face.

“Now, who are the cops going to believe? Your dear husband who is inside his apartment,” I lifted my hands in dramatic fashion before I pointed to the man. “Or will they believe that piece of shit rolling around on the floor? Either way, nobody is leaving the police station until it’s morning.”

My uncharacteristic performance while thinking on my feet, along with a demonic grin, must have unnerved her. Her expression reveals that she’s suddenly unsure of what to do next. I shrugged, deciding on a path for her. I glanced down at Lloyd as I stepped past her.

“Just get that son of a bitch out of here before I use him as my punching bag. I’m hungry and still pissed off. He’s not fucking you tonight.”

Going into the dining room, my focus centered on a door which I expected to lead into the kitchen. My hunch was correct as I pushed the swinging door open to see a green and white checkerboard linoleum floor, along with white enamel counters and shelves in the next room.

I glanced back to see my sweet wife helping her lover to his feet as he’s holding a white handkerchief over his nose. Curious about why she didn’t run to her boyfriend after I punched him, I watched her. I also wanted to know if someone went to the telephone. I stood there while they talked for a moment. I didn’t hear much but Lloyd kept glancing at me with a suitable fright in his eyes. Pretty soon, the rodent scurried out the front door after my wife handed him his coat and tie.

As she closed the door, I entered the kitchen. The fridge was a small thing with something that looked like a metal chief’s hat sitting on top. I heard the whirring noise and decided that’s where they put the electric motor back in the day. While rummaging through the refrigerator, I came upon pieces of fried chicken, which I pulled out, along with a glass bottle of milk.

Glass bottles, wow!

I heard milkmen used to come to the door and drop off milk in a bottle. For some reason, I thought this glass container was pretty cool with a paper wrapper on top. As I’m filling my mouth, my wife steps into the kitchen.

“I’m glad you made yourself at home,” she tells me with sarcasm coming out like poison. “You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t sue you.”

“Mmm... I figured you’d follow him, mmm... since I don’t seem to be on your good side.” I got the words out between bites.

“I live here,” she retorted quickly.

“Tell me something. Are we divorced or not?”

Her expression darkened.

“You know it’s not official until you sign the letter that was delivered to your office.”

“Humm, I noticed a letter from a lawyer, but I didn’t bother to open it,” I admitted without guilt. Of course, I didn’t explain the real reason.

I guess we’re not officially divorced yet! That’s good.

But I still had the problem of Lloyd in front of me. Now, according to my little black book, Lane married Adele for her money. Aside from her beauty, the guy didn’t care for her; she was a target for him. He dismissed the woman as too needy and dependent on him while she acted like a stuck-up snob.

Unfortunately for her, Lane did a good job of worming his way into control of Adele’s fortune. Reading through the book, it I learned this guy Lane Dagger had a reputation because he acted as a true asshole. She certainly had a reason to dislike him and get a lover.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. I need to survive and make this world turn the way I wanted. That’s why I planned to play some of Lane’s trump cards to keep our marriage together, at least long enough to get away from this place. My plan required Adele. I’m young, but not that dumb. Any place with humans requires money for influence and power. Adele carried that in spades, according to my book. At the end of the day, I guess that I’m just as much of an asshole as the guy I’m playing.

“Adele, did your lawyer explain what happens if I sign those papers?”

Her expression replied with a sneer, but she refused to answer.

After finishing the second chicken leg, I looked over.

“I’m sure he told you I’m taking half of everything you have. It wasn’t my fault that he’s a terrible lawyer who made side deals against your interests. Now, do you really want that? Because I’m willing to give you a better deal.”

The woman’s face went pale at the news. I had no intention of telling her that Lane Dagger did a side deal with Lloyd Childress to split the money. The black book told me that Lloyd intended to become Adele’s next husband and Lane helped him.

Did I mention that Lane is a complete douchebag?

“You need to leave my apartment!” Adele stammered out. It was clear she didn’t know what to believe now, but she tried to take charge.

“I told you that you can sleep in your office from now on. Go there and sign the papers so I don’t have to see you again.”

I gulped down my milk directly from the bottle. Sure, Lane Dagger deserved her spite, which included me, I guess. But my brain felt ready to split open. On top of that, her damn attitude really pissed me off.

So, what if you didn’t get laid tonight?

“You know what? Considering that my whole shitty day has been like this, I don’t give a damn what you tell me. You’re the one acting like a bitch in heat. So, I don’t really give a shit about how embarrassed you are right now.”

I turned to her, holding the milk jar in my hand.

“You pissed off the wrong guy. That’s why I’m going to let you have it with both barrels. I caught my wife screwing a guy before we completed the divorce. Seriously, I don’t give a shit about your morals, but it means more money to me if I get a lawyer on my side involved.”

Of course, I couldn’t know the truth behind any of the shit spewing out of my mouth in frustration. It just felt good to watch her reaction, so I kept pushing it.

“Hell, I’m thinking about putting the news of what I saw in front of everyone in this shitty town. Your lawyer told you to keep this nice and quiet. Do you want Stull Junction to know the dirty little secrets inside my wife’s dark heart? I’m sure that you’ll enjoy the whispered talk with your social meetings at the country club.”

I placed the bottle down on the counter while keeping my stare on her. Yes, I’m trying hard to make the best impression of a demon. But there was a reason. It could only work because one of the trump cards I learned from the book.

Adele cared, I mean she really cared, about her reputation. People with money typically act that way, I guess. Lane Dagger’s poor reputation in public became too much for her and was a reason she wanted out of the marriage. I also surmised that she didn’t want the other respectable men to hear about a messy divorce getting in the papers. Somewhere I read that cheating brought more shame to people back in the good old days. The drastic change in her expression confirmed my belief.

I’m glad I hit her with that.