Second In Command
Chapter 4
by ConsciousControlFreak
It was late in the evening.
Katherine blew her nose and tossed the wadded-up tissue into the small mountain she created—right beside the almost-empty tissue box, right next to the neatly stapled stack of divorce papers.
Katherine blew her nose and tossed the wadded-up tissue into the small mountain she created—right beside the almost-empty tissue box, right next to the neatly stapled stack of divorce papers.
They had just been left there, for her to find after work…
There was no way of legally fighting the process—even if she wanted to—as Katherine had already signed them. She-and-Brian, having already gone and filled out all the paperwork a year prior, after a particularly-harsh argument.
Even the sight of them made her chest tighten.
The most insulting part?
This was just a copy. A copy that Brian was generous enough to have made, and left behind in the condo as some rudimentary form of closure.
The original was already submitted. Out there in some notary office, with her signature there, ink dried.
They promised to never, ever, entertain the thought of divorce ever again…
But apparently, Brian was not a man of his word.
This was just a copy. A copy that Brian was generous enough to have made, and left behind in the condo as some rudimentary form of closure.
The original was already submitted. Out there in some notary office, with her signature there, ink dried.
They promised to never, ever, entertain the thought of divorce ever again…
But apparently, Brian was not a man of his word.
Katherine blew her nose again—harder this time, her face now red.
Slamming her fist on the table, pain shot through the edge of her hand as she accidentally struck the glass vial, tucked away, hidden in the front pouch of her purse.
“SON-OF-A—” Katherine exploded, her already vulnerable emotions, reacting overdramatically.
Her hand throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her chest.
Her hand throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her chest.
Furiously, she snatched up the vial and examined it.
What was the damn thing, anyway?!
Supposedly, a chemical, designed to awaken a human’s subconscious mind.
*It honestly sounded like a bad joke.*
She never expected this dumb thing to even pass chemical testing!
She had never expected this chemical to even get *sent* to animal trials…
Let alone pass them, and wind-up on the Vice President’s desk!
*Could this really work?*
Katherine sighed and examined the vial for a split second further.
Maybe if she wasn’t overwhelmed…
Maybe if she hadn’t felt so defeated…
Maybe if she didn’t get divorced on the SAME day she swiped the vial…
Perhaps, Katherine would’ve made a different choice.
But teary-eyed, and craving relief in any way possible, she tilted her head back and swallowed the contents of the vial in one gulp.
As it passed the back of her throat, Katherine felt the intense bubbling sensation of the previously calm liquid.
It burned—but not in a painful way.
Like drinking a soda with way too much fizz.
After swallowing, she waited cautiously for several minutes…
But nothing changed.
She was still Katherine—still heartbroken, still alone, still reeling from the disaster that had become her life.
But nothing changed.
She was still Katherine—still heartbroken, still alone, still reeling from the disaster that had become her life.
A hollow laugh escaped her lips, bitterly self-deprecating and cynical.
*What did you expect, Katherine? A magic fix?*
If only life were so easy.
Her shoulders sagged as she let out another, heavy sigh.
After eating a quiet, sad, solo-dinner, she dragged herself to her feet and made her way to her bedroom.
Her bed felt unbearably empty now, too cold and large for just one person.
Crawling into it, Katherine hugged the blankets tightly around herself, as though they might fill the void left behind by Brian’s absence. Tears welled in her eyes again, but this time she didn’t bother trying to stop them.
And as sleep began to creep in, the only thing Katherine could think was how lost she felt. How she had no idea where she would go from here.
Single. Forty. And childless.
All that was missing was a bundle of cats, and her stereotypical miserable life would be complete.
Tears streamed Katherine’s face as she—quite literally—cried herself to sleep.
*What did you expect, Katherine? A magic fix?*
If only life were so easy.
Her shoulders sagged as she let out another, heavy sigh.
After eating a quiet, sad, solo-dinner, she dragged herself to her feet and made her way to her bedroom.
Her bed felt unbearably empty now, too cold and large for just one person.
Crawling into it, Katherine hugged the blankets tightly around herself, as though they might fill the void left behind by Brian’s absence. Tears welled in her eyes again, but this time she didn’t bother trying to stop them.
And as sleep began to creep in, the only thing Katherine could think was how lost she felt. How she had no idea where she would go from here.
Single. Forty. And childless.
All that was missing was a bundle of cats, and her stereotypical miserable life would be complete.
Tears streamed Katherine’s face as she—quite literally—cried herself to sleep.