Page 177 of The Monster and the Masochist

My monster paced its cage in anticipation as I imagined all the ways I could make that man scream before I finally allowed him to die.

I smiled as I made my way to Nolan’s office, my blood red heels clicking on the marble floor, as if counting down the seconds leading up to the end of Reverend Sterling’s pathetic life.

He may be a monster, but so was I.

And I was a much more dangerous monster than he was.

Cass was late coming home, so I ate on my own before making her a plate. To kill time, I screwed around with my Switch for a bit before getting up to do the dishes.

I was wiping down the counters when I heard the elevator ding, announcing Cassandra’s arrival.

“Baby?” she called, and a small smile tugged on my lips at the easy and natural way she always seemed to call me that lately.

“In here!”

She popped her head around the corner, and I glanced up from what I was doing to find her beaming at me.

“Hey pretty girl.” I grinned.

In a very out-of-character burst of excitement, she scurried around the counter and launched herself into me, dropping playful kisses all over my cheeks.

‘Oof!’ I gasped as I struggled to catch my balance while she relentlessly continued to maul me with kisses.

“Wow! You’re in a good mood, princess,” I laughed. Slipping my hands around her waist, I happily submitted to her affectionate attack.

“You’ll never guess what happened at work today!”

“Oh yeah? What happened?” I asked, leaning back so I could see her pretty face. Her cheeks were flushed and warm, and her large brown eyes were shining with excitement.

“Remember that douchebag client?”

My smile faltered, and my stomach dropped.

“Uhm, yeah. Of course. What about him?”

Her smile widened, and she kissed me again, nearly squealing with excitement in my arms.

“I got to fire him! I don’t have to represent him anymore!”

Wait… What?

My eyes widened in surprise as I processed what she’d just said.

Samwell was… gone?

A rush of relief exploded through me, and it felt like something tight loosened deep in my chest.

Holy fucking shit… She… fired him?

“R-Really?” I croaked, nearly too stunned to speak.

“Yep! Nolan and I just sent him a termination letter. He hasn’t responded, but yeah, it’s officially over. The firm is done with him, and I won’t have to represent his pedo ass in court anymore! Man… Today’s the best day…” She hummed dreamily before dropping one more kiss on my cheek.

I stood there, dazed as she made her way over to the fridge to grab a can of sparkling kombucha. Watching her pour the bright pink drink into a wine glass, I frowned.

She hadn’t indulged in her usual glass of wine after work since my last crash out–always opting for something non-alcoholic instead. I realized with a pang of sadness that she probably missed wine.

The relief I’d felt over the fact that she wouldn’t be representing Samwell anymore dissipated, and it was replaced with anxiety.