"Welcome home."

I walk into JB's house.  It's more like a mansion.  It isn't the same apartment that he had with Jackson.  He's upgraded dramatically.  Some of his staff are gathered at the bottom of the stairs.  They welcome me in the house.  I don't smile at them.  I know it's not their fault I'm in this predicament but I can't bring myself to smile.  Not today.

My entire world was turned upside down.  Smiling was the last thing I could do.

"All of your things have been brought here according to your request," one of JB's servants states, "Is there anything else you need done sir?"

I'm not used to this.  I had Nyxx who was still at my side but I didn't have any servants.  The only thing I had was that waiter that Mark broke.  Thinking about Mark breaking that robot when we just met kind of makes me want to smile a little bit.  The idea of Mark is the only thing keeping me kicking right now.  It's the only thing keeping me alive.

"No," I respond bluntly.

"Please give us some privacy," JB tells them.

JB descends the steps.  His home is modern, the stairs are made of glass, and the chandelier is made out of neon lights.  There is a luxury and sophistication about the home.  It's everything that I imagined JB would have had.  It just says JB.

He approaches me.  I'm standing at the door.  Sure enough all of my things have been brought to his apartment.  I had the rest of my property sold.  JB was my new husband.  I probably wouldn't need anything from my condo any longer.  He walks up to me, way too close and all of those memories comes back to me.  I feel so sick to my stomach.

"I'm sorry about Jackson," he tells me.

He can probably see the sadness on my face.  It's been a few days that Jackson was killed off.  Sure enough I was married off to JB soon after.  It's the weekend now.  A week ago I was with Mark.  A week ago I was in a marriage that had love in it.  This marriage had none.  It was dead before it started.

I don't look JB back in the eyes.

"Ok," I respond.

I am as cold as ever.  Truth is it's tearing me up inside that Jackson is dead.  Yugyeom got away.  The news says that he used hostages and probably had help.  What they don't say is that the Aquarian police let him go.  I didn't see it but I know it in my bones.  After Yugyeom killed Jackson they let him leave that place untouched.  He wasn't done killing for the High Liberty. It wasn't his time to be arrested.  They had to make everyone so afraid of the Scorpios.  They had to make everyone run to the High Liberty hoping that he would save them from the Scorpios who rebelled against the system killing randomly.  What the news didn't say was that these deaths weren't random.

Jackson was on the High Liberty's kill list.  He was on there because he was going to vote to convict JB.  He was a threat to the system because of his loyalty to me.

I fight back the tears.

"Come here.  Come here I got you..." JB says.

He walks up to me attempting to HUG me!  I'm shocked.  I push away from him at that moment.  I push away as hard as I can.  I run up against Nyxx.  Nyxx pushes me back towards JB.  I don't imagine it.  The actually pushes me back towards JB.

He doesn't touch me again but the one touch makes me sick to my stomach.  He stands closely.

"Listen.  About our misunderstanding at the movie theaters that day," JB starts.

"Misunderstanding?  You mean ?"

JB stops talking.  Maybe I'm too blunt for him right now.  Maybe I'm too obvious.  I know I shouldn't be talking like this especially in front of Nyxx but I can't help it.  I'm so pissed that I'm shaking right now.  I want to attack him.  I want to kill him.

JB smirks at me at that moment.  It's that confident smirk that he gave me when he was arrested.  He knows he's untouchable because of who he is in the system.  He's loyal to the High Liberty and the system.  The system would protect those loyal to it.

"Misunderstanding," he corrects me, "I apologize for my part and I forgive you."

"OH!  OH you forgive me?" I ask, shocked at the audacity he has.

"Yes.  I forgive you for your part.  It's not every day I spend time in jail for making love to a man who is now my husband.  It was unfortunate but lets bygones be bygones.  What do you say?"

He smiles.  JB is dead serious.  He thinks he can just flash me a smile and everything will be OK.  Just like that.  He thinks he can just do that and things would fix themselves.

"You've been privileged your entire life haven't you?  I get it.  I've been privileged as well.  And it isn't until you see the other side that someone can realize just how stupid you sound right now."

JB raises his eyebrows.  I've never spoken to him like this before.  He's shocked.

"Stupid?" he asks me.

I don't think he's used to people talking to him like that, especially now that he's in a position of power.

"Stupid.  I don't give a if I'm forced into this relationship with you.  I know the High Liberty won't grant me a divorce.  I know it.  Otherwise I'd RUN get one. You're a ing idiot, especially if you think things are just going to go back to normal between the two of us.  So yeah.  You're stupid.  You are the definition of stupid."

His cocky little smirk gets wider, "Stupid huh?  Funny.  How much more money does this stupid guy make compared to your ex-husband?"

"You think that makes me special."

"I know that makes him NOT special," he laughs and grunts a little in a mocking way, "And the fact that you actually liked him is horrible.  I'm going to need you to take a couple of showers tonight to wash off that dirty Ram."

He's getting under my skin.  He's smirking the whole time he's talking.  That is what really pisses me off more than anything.  I'm talking to him seriously and he thinks this is all a joke.  His smile is getting wider the angrier I get.  He's mocking me with it.  He thinks I'm a joke.

"Mark was twice the man you ever will be.  I wish I was still married to him," I explain to JB and slow down my speech so he can really understand, "Your didn't even hurt when you VIOLATED me.  I was screaming because I was disgusted.  You know what?  You want to know something else?  JB.  Every time he ed me I screamed.  I moaned because his is so big.  It's so good.  I can still feel it now.  me, Mark, I would yell.  Tear this up.  It's yours.  It's always going to be yours..."

JB slaps the out of me at that moment.

I don't expect it.  I don't expect the slap until I fall down on the ground.  I get up about to tackle his but I'm tripped!  I'm shocked when I realize that Nyxx is the one who has tripped me. I land hard on my face in front of JB.  I'm more embarrassed than anything.  JB is laughing when he sees me trip.

"Aren't you supposed to be protecting ME?" I ask Nyxx.

She doesn't respond.  She just stands there.  She stares at me silently.  I hate her.  I hate the people who made her into what she is.  I look up at JB.  I look up at his privileged smirk.  Everything has been given to him and he doesn't even realize it.  He actually thinks he earned his position.  He actually thinks he earned this ing house.

Bull.

He didn't deserve the position he had and neither did I.  We had gotten where we were being kissers and following the rules.

JB leans over to me, "You're upset.  I get it.  Go upstairs. Take some time to yourself.  But Jr.  Get over it.  You're my husband now and sooner or later you will start behaving as such.  You're going to be the High Liberty one day aren't you?  It's time you start following the rules.  Take your upstairs and start taking those showers.  Clean yourself up really good.  I don't want to smell that Ram on you.  Here, here's a handkerchief.  You're bleeding."

I walk away from JB.  I feel defeated.  He's used to getting his way.  This is just another example of it.  I do what he says.  I'm not scared of JB.  He's not what is getting to me.  It's Nyxx I'm worried about.  If I don't behave the same thing that happened to Jackson would happen to me.  The High Liberty would take me out.

I knew that.

I'm beginning to wonder if JB knows that as well...

***

A few weeks pass and then a month passes.  I'm in my room.  Luckily JB has been busy most of the day so I don't have to see him.  He "works" attempting to catch the Zodiac killer.  I know it's all a big ing scheme.  Yugyeom is going down the list fast.  He's killed a Sagittarius reporter who was asking a lot of questions that he probably shouldn't be asking.  He kills a Pisces who was writing some controversial songs.  He kills a Leo who was being a little bit promiscuous with some high ranking officials.  Looking at the crimes I want to pull my hair out that no one sees them as suspicious.  The Scorpios wouldn't care about any of these people if they really wanted a revolution.

If they wanted a revolution they would have killed the High Liberty.  They would have killed JB, his personal holder.  They would have killed some of the Capricorns who ran everything or maybe the Taurus who developed all the weapons to make the High Liberty so powerful.  The kill list is clearly everyone who the High Liberty opposes.

And every day I barely go to sleep wondering if Yugyeom would come for me.

I get a knock on the door.  Nyxx is standing right next to the door.  She looks at the door.  She looks at me.

"You are completely useless, aren't you?" I ask her.

She doesn't respond.  I walk to the door to see my husband.  He's been gone all week.  He's been in the slums handling some public disturbancies or something.  That's what he describes it as.  I open the door and just cross my arms.

"Did you go to work today?" he asks me.

"I called out sick."

"You've been calling out sick a lot," he tells me.

"Because I've been sick a lot," I respond bluntly.

I've been sick of the system.  I've been sick of seeing my so-called friends in the so-called Justice building.  I got sick of looking at the High Liberty and knowing this is the guy who is responsible for killing my best friend but being forced to smile in my face because he would kill me next if I showed the slightest bit of disobedience to the system.

"Well I'm going to need you to get over it," he responds, "You are going to have to get back to your old self.  I miss the Jr I used to know.  The one who followed the rules and did what he said.  That's the Jr I fell in love with.  This Jr is turning me off."

"Oh I'm turning you off?" I ask him.

The more I talk to JB the more I wonder how I ever had feelings for him.  I hate him now more than I've ever hated anyone in my life.  I hate him more than the High Liberty and the High Liberty killed my ing best friend.  I despise JB with a passion so deep that I can't describe it.  It's written all over my face.  I know he sees it but he's in denial.  He really thinks this is just a phase.  He really thinks he's so special that I'll forget about the fact that he me.

"Clean yourself up.  We have dinner.  One of the servants is bringing up an outfit for you.  Wear something y...for once. You've been walking around here like you're in mourning.  I gave you your time but after today things change."

"What do you mean things change?"

"Today we are entertaining my best friend.  After that we are headed over to the High Liberty's annual Venus celebration.  You'll be well behaved for both things.  When we come back home tonight...we'll start sleeping in the same bed from now on."

"You can't force me to ing sleep in the same bed with you?"

"Oh I'm not forcing you.  It's your decision.  I just know you'll make the right one."

"You sound so sure about that."

"I'm sure," he smiles flashing his white teeth, "You'll make the right choice.  Not only will you sleep in the same bed as me tonight but you'll be my and giving up some ."

I start laughing.  I can't take this guy.  I really am shocked.  I'm laughing right in his face.

"You have really lost your ing mind haven't you?"

I'm shocked when JB starts right alongside with me.  I really think at that moment when he's laughing that he might have actually gone completely crazy.  I should have known better.  The laughing stops and is replaced with a maniacal smile.

"You'll be the good husband.  Do we make ourselves clear?"

"We?"

Whose we?  Was he speaking for him and the High Liberty now?

"I think I made myself clear," he answers his own questions, "Be downstairs in an hour and smile.  The Zodiac Killer is on the loose, remember?  We have to show solidarity and the rules as they are.  You should know that right?  Solidarity is so important or else the system will break down. Chaos will happen. And who will protect you from the Zodiac Killer then?"

"Are you threatening me?" I ask him.

I'm so upset that I don't know whether to try to attack JB again or to break down and cry.  I feel helpless.  I've lost control of my entire life.

"No. I'm protecting you.  Of course.  You're my husband and I love you.   I've given you your time to mourn and be upset over pettiness.  But that time is over.  It's time you be the Jr I know you are. And I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

The threat has