His Destructive, Toxic Love

Stepping out of the police station, Casper sank into his car and chain-smoked an entire pack of cigarettes. When the sunset finally kissed the horizon, and the autumn leaves whispered in the wind, he snapped out of his daze and floored the gas pedal.

Back at Welton Estate, the bedroom on the second floor was pitch black. Casper sat in the darkness, the only light coming from the embers of his cigarette. His phone rang. It was the hospital. He ignored the first call. After the phone rang two or three more times, he sighed, crushed the cigarette, and answered, "Yeah?"

"Mr. Casper, Ms. Nova is very agitated. You need to come see her immediately," the nurse's voice quivered with urgency.

"Just give her a sedative. Do I look like a doctor?" he snapped and hung up.

Casper stumbled downstairs and grabbed a bottle of red wine, pouring glass after glass. Marian, unable to bear it any longer, approached him quietly. "Sir, you should stop drinking. It's not good for you."

"Mind your own business," he slurred, collapsing onto the sofa. "This house is dead. Might as well be."

"Sir, are you okay? Maybe you should rest. Let me help you upstairs," Marian offered, reaching out.

He shoved her away. "Don't touch me."

"Sir..."

"You're just as annoying as Eliza. Get lost."

He hurled the bottle and glass to the floor, shattering them. Marian quickly fetched a broom and dustpan. "Sir, you're drunk. You need to rest."

"Marian," he hiccupped, closing his eyes. "...isn't Nova more suited to be my wife than Eliza?"

Marian was at a loss for words. If Casper divorced Eliza and married Nova, she'd resign and leave, no doubt about it.

"Sir, why are you asking this now?"

"The first time I saw Nova was right before her final exams. She was in a white sun dress and cap, ponytail high, riding a mountain bike. Her legs were so long. She glowed in the sunlight. I really liked her, so much."

In Marian's memory, Nova was always chauffeured everywhere. When did she ever ride a mountain bike? It was Eliza who had one. Back when they first married, Eliza rode it every morning and evening. After her family faced multiple crises, the bike ended up in storage. Casper was rarely home then; he probably never

even saw the bike.

"Sir, you're drunk."

"Marian, isn't Nova the perfect Mrs. Welton?"

"Sir, do you really like her that much?"

Nova wasn't as kind or as beautiful as Eliza. She was deceitful and harsh to the staff, and she loved putting on a show for Casper-nothing like the kind girl he described.

Marian turned back to see Casper

had already fallen asleep. She sighed softly, murmuring, "Sir, can't you see how good your wife is? If she's not fit to be Mrs. Welton, Nova is even less so. I wish you'd install some cameras at home one day. Then you'd see the real Nova."

Shaking her head, Marian finished cleaning up and covered Casper with a blanket before leaving.

The next morning, Aaron met Eliza. She looked exhausted.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine," she replied, her voice flat.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Aaron's face clouded with concern. "What happened? It's so strange for you to get arrested out of the blue."