Shout out to my wonderful beta and sounding board: paleseptember10

It's a great honor to be able to work with her, and I'm pretty sure I've annoyed the shit out of her at some point lol! Her stories are way more popular than mine so I'm sure you've all read it, if not, what are you waiting for?

Also, the chapter title came from her.

Remember this is a fictional creation, any recognizable real life situations or events can be inaccurate, so please take no offense (but you can still make judgements). I am no expert in any field, so please tolerate any mistakes and inaccuracies so long as it does not obstruct the flow of the story (again, feel free to judge).

This story also comes with a heavy angst warning that will last from the beginning to end. It's realistically dark and it's angsty twisted, hence dark and twisted quarantine tale.

I don't have a posting schedule but the story is halfway done and all planned out, so don't worry about me abandoning it. Just yell at me for not updating.

Prologue

June 2020

All it took for a person's entire life to become completely unrecognizable was seven months.

Before, she thought her world had already been flipped upside down the moment she went and fell on the perfectly polished marble floor. But now, she gathered that all he did for the past year was flip her world back and forth like tossing pancakes.

Sitting here, next to the man she called her husband by name only, in front of a total stranger with a pen and notepad, she wondered if she truly ever had the time to stop and take a breath to reflect on every event since meeting him.

"Here's what I understand," the woman summarized as she put down the final word on her scribble with a flourish dot at the very end. "While you both believe that your actions are justifiable, you still felt betrayed and angry because the other can't seem to understand your perspective. Correct?"

"He turned his back on me first! I thought after everything he's said to me and assured me of, he'd be reasonable enough to sit down and converse with me."

"You made the biggest decision in our life without so much of a heads up coming my way, much less a discussion, and you didn't even plan on fucking informing me afterwards! Who's the bigger asshole now?"

"Okay," the good doctor interrupted before Anastasia could argue back; Christian was smug that at least he got in the last word. "Simmer down, you two."

With one final glare at one another, they directed their harsh stare towards the therapist.

"Let's start from the very beginning of this mess."

…

November 2019

The television played in the background as news of the coronavirus spread and infected more and more Chinese people. It had been months already since its first outbreak, and it still didn't appear like it could be contained. Despite the government's best effort to contain all human activities, there was still too much that was unknown to the public about the virus.

"You think this is going to become a pandemic?" Anastasia chewed her cereal as she asked out of the blue, breaking the silence.

"Hope not," Christian shrugged, his eyes not leaving his phone once.

She sighed, she had been trying everything to engage him in a conversation since they arrived from their honeymoon. The phone call from her OB/GYN effectively burst the blissful bubble around them as newlyweds.

And now, all he could talk to her about was how they had been having unprotected sex all the while not knowing that her shot had possibly ran out as she had somehow missed her appointment.

"You have your appointment with Dr Greene today, do not forget it."

She rolled her eyes and did nothing to acknowledge this constant reminder from him. He had stressed about it enough times that she would remember the appointment whenever she looked at him. It had worked into her reflexes.

So much for a shot in the ass.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" As expected, he reacted with that same intense scowl he wore each time he was mad and caught her eye rolling. At least he looked up from his phone to look at her this time.

"It's rude to roll your eyes at someone, you've lectured me on that. However, you were also being rude to me. So, tit for a tat."

Scraping the last bit of cereal clean from the bowl, she stood up and brought it to the sink without a glance back at him. He was seething mad and she could feel it in her bloodstream, but she wasn't in the mood to placate him.

"Sawyer!" She yelled, heading straight for the elevator without waiting for the man, leaving him scurrying into the lift under the heavy scrutiny from Christian.

"Mrs Grey, it seems like your shot ran out early," Dr Greene announced, reading from her chart.

"So, I didn't miss an appointment?" Relief washed through her as her shoulders sagged learning that she wasn't at fault here; at least, not what he had accused her of.

Then, her entire body tensed and stiffened at the next thought.

"I'm not pregnant, right?"

The pressure Christian had put on her, or made her feel by simply missing the shot was already immense, if added to the possibility that she may be pregnant, she could almost faint at not only being accused of being irresponsible but also possibly watch her husband sue the pharmaceutical company that produced the shot and this clinic. It would be a multiple offense.

It would be embarrassing and humiliating for her, but she knew her man, she cared about him, which was why she knew he would most definitely make this a big deal and she would have to endure the looks of disappointment from him. Not to mention the odd stares from the public.

"Your urine test came back positive, but I can do a blood test and an ultrasound to confirm how far along."

…

"Pregnant?" He paused as did his fork, there was no room for her to say anything, not that she'd know what to say in an atmosphere this thick and intense. It was as if this was her fault, and that he had every right to blame her; it felt suffocating.

She nodded meekly once more as if he needed that reassurance.

"Pregnant! You're pregnant?!" His cutlery dropped from his hold with a loud clatter but she didn't dare jump an inch.

"The blood work is coming back in a few days but she has already confirmed it with the ultrasound," she shifted in her seat nervously, plunging up every last bit of courageous nerve in her. The pictures were still sitting in her purse, they were the physical proof printed in black and white.

"Ana, I had plans for you; for us. We were going to accomplish so much together, and it's all going to be in the past now that you've thrown a baby into the mix."

"You always have plans for everybody in your life, Christian, but not all of them follow it. Whenever something doesn't go according to your master plan, you take your anger out on them, then give me the cold shoulder."

"You barely had any chance to see the world, and we barely spend time together as a couple. We are so not ready for a baby. You knew that! You were aware of our plans for the future, so why did you have to deliberately sabotage it?"

"It's always going to be my fault that when nothing goes according to plan. I'm always the one to fuck it all up. You had plans before I met you, and said plan got altered to fit me in. Then, marriage was never in the plans, but you've somehow managed to throw that in. So, here I am as your wife, wearing your ring and bearing your child, but then again I was the variable so naturally, the problem is me. You've managed to change your life's blueprint for me since you met me, so if you can't face it then why did you pursue me? Why did you marry me in the first place when all I do is ruin your perfectly laid out plans for your life?"

"All you had to do was stick to the plans we've made."

"Plans you've made. Not we, not us. I don't have any plans other than to spend the rest of my life with you, and loving you."

"You agreed to spending time together as a married couple for a few years before considering starting a family."

"I did, and you sound as if I am the only person at fault here. If you're so afraid of knocking me up, you could've simply abstained from sex altogether."

"No, if you just remember your appointment, then none of this would've happened!"

"No contraception method is 100% effective. I'm sure this isn't news to you."

"It would've been more effective than not having the shot at all."

"My shot ran out early! If you were so hellbent on never reproducing why didn't you wear a condom each time? Better yet, why didn't you get a vasectomy when you were younger?"

"You know how much I hate condoms."

"You want a submissive."

"What?"

"What you're looking for isn't a wife but a submissive, Christian. I have tried my best to stick to our agreed agenda for our future. I didn't want to have kids now either, but I didn't get pregnant by myself! You can't possibly fault me for the shot running out early, and I didn't go and steal your sperm to inject it in me."

"I don't want a submissive. I want you. I need you; I just need you to stop screwing up!"

"Exactly, by not screwing up you meant listening to you and following the rules you came up with in your head. Guess who fits this role to a T? Your subs! They won't say a word to you about what they want, or how disrespectful and rude you can be sometimes, and they'll do everything you ask. You get to punish them or take your anger out on them however you wish. They'd never even dream of messing up your plans, and they'd always be there for your pleasure. How fucking perfect does that sound to you?"

"You're being unreasonable, Anastasia."

She dropped her fork and stared at him open mouthed. She was feeling too many emotions right now and she didn't even know what to say other than to stare at him in utter shock; frozen in place as she waited for the words to sink in.

He roughly wiped his mouth and tossed the napkin next to his half empty plate. Without another word, he stormed out of the kitchen.

She stood up numbly only to be met with Taylor scurrying after him and scrambling into the elevator much like Sawyer this morning. Before she could get a single syllable out, the doors slid close the the place was quiet once more.

As her brain caught up to her, she remembered what she was going to tell him before he left—she was going to remind him to grab a coat as it was freezing outside.

…

It was in the middle of the night in November, and Seattle's winters could be particularly harsh, and tonight's was one of those unrelenting nights.

His very first instinct told him to call Flynn. He needed to talk to someone like how a normal person would in a situation like this. However, he was never told what to do if the psychiatrist didn't pick up.

His next thought went to his brother but when he actually ran the scenario through his head, he realized that he had nothing to say to him. Dragging him out in the middle of the night for his woes just seemed selfish and pathetic of him. He needed to man up and be an adult and deal with it himself. He should be able to sort out his own brain like every normal guy out there.

Acutely aware of the almost inaudible footsteps that belonged to Taylor a few feet behind him, he steered himself from the bars that he was itching to enter. He shouldn't turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism, there and to be a better way.

As thoughts began to dissipate from his mind and dissolve into the dark quiet night, his vision cleared a little, and his anger simmered significantly. His eyes scanned the buildings and nothing came to mind; absolutely blank.

He stuffed his hands inside his pockets to keep them warm as he strolled aimlessly on the pavement. It was the first time he had done something without purpose, and the very first time for him to just take a walk down the street like a normal, perfectly healthy guy.

Most window shops were dark as they were closed for the night, as was the hair salon that he genuinely didn't know he stopped in front of.

When his mind finally caught up to his geographical location and his visuals, his entire body tensed up and his posture stiffened. His first thought was to leave the place but on second thought, he thought he could just stand before an empty storefront to let in some evilness that possessed this place.

The owner couldn't possibly still be here, and that was the only sin he needn't a repeat of. He had no intention of seeing her.

A part of him convinced himself that his presence outside of Esclava should not alarm his wife if she truly trusted him and believed that he was done with the woman.

It was like a challenge, but she wouldn't know in the first place. There was no way she'd find out. Unless, the devil herself showed up.

He was never a man with superstition or beliefs that couldn't be seen physically, yet tonight, he was a believer.

A dark figure appeared behind those clear glass doors as if he summoned Satan himself as he stood at the door to hell.

"Satan," he breathed out rigidly as he watched the door being pulled open by both hands, like she had to use her entire body weight to pull it back.

Before the door was completely open, he turned on his heels and started walking. For a moment, he panicked that Ana would be jumping down his throat before he had the chance to explain. Then, he remembered that she wouldn't know about this encounter.

"Christian!" Elena called, and her heels clicked rapidly as she rushed after him.

He prayed in his mind that she'd trip and fall in her effort to catch up with his long purposeful strides. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction by acknowledging her presence, he called for Taylor instead.

When he spun around to see if Taylor had heard him, he was just in time to see Elena twisting her ankle and falling ungracefully to the ground, most definitely scraping her knees in the process. His eyes landed on Taylor's ever stoic face and recognized a tinge of triumph.

"This just made my day." Christian slowed down his pace as he resumed his midnight stroll. His chest felt lighter but only a fraction, because the reason why he was out here at this moment resurfaced to the forefront of his mind.

Ana was pregnant.

His wife was pregnant with his child.

They only met four months ago, obviously they wouldn't have time for a child when they hadn't even enjoyed life with each other.

She had just started having sex… it was all too soon, for either of them.

They did have the option to terminate the pregnancy but something told him that this conversation wouldn't go down well with her, and that she would choose the baby over him. It didn't even sit well with him as he thought about it over again.

He was suddenly very disgusted with himself that he even allowed the thought to enter his mind in the very first place.

Without much debate or internal struggle this time, he allowed his feet to carry him into the bar down the block and across the street.

His intention and his plan was to nurse a drink as he sort the mess out in his brain. He didn't plan on engaging in any conversation, let alone spending the entire night talking to a girl he only knew the name of, and telling her everything as if she was his new psychotherapist.

The only consolation was that she was a constant traveler, and she would be leaving in early March and probably never return.

When the lady sat down on the only stool next to him and ordered a shot straight on, he was suddenly very aware of his surrounding and conscious of his own actions. The beer in his hand didn't seem so manly in that instant.

He twisted his body so that his back was now completely against the wall, and the bar to his side with his hand resting on his bottle. He studied the newcomer, unashamedly observing her every move just to take the edge off of his own self-awareness.

"Staring is rude."

He nodded in acknowledgement at the lady's words but made no effort to redeem himself. Her presence only made him really self-conscious of his own reason for being here all alone. It made him feel somewhat pathetic and pitiful, and he wasn't sure if he wanted someone else to detect that vibe off of him.

"I'm Brie," she stuck out a hand when his constant staring was really starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

He accepted her outstretched hand and shook it but remained mute, only responding with a tiny nod.

"Your staring is making me really uncomfortable," she admitted after a while after downing another shot.

"I'm sorry," he replied, this time averting his gaze back to his beer bottle but her close presence was also getting to him, and he didn't know what to do about it.

It felt so weird to sit in a bar trying to get his thoughts organized, only everything got more messed up, and he didn't even know what to think anymore.

Two beers down and he still hadn't figured anything out, the only thing he seemed to have figured out was that either it was the strong liquor or the spewing of every woe to a complete stranger who wasn't exactly listening that made her visibly more relaxed. Her shoulders deflated and her entire being became less tense by the end of her monologue.

He had no idea what she had been saying for the most part, they were just words that would've made sense to him if it had gone through his brain.

In his pocket, his phone vibrated against his thigh again. He was hoping that it would be Ana but he didn't dare hope, and he didn't want to set himself up for disappointment so he ignored it like he did the previous ones.

"It's your turn." Her voice once again brought himself out of his own thoughts.

His face marred with confusion as he stared back at her wondering if this girl was nuts.

"Why are you here?"

He shrugged, really not the least bit interested in talking to anyone.

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink. Another beer? Or something stronger?" She goaded subtly even though she could read from his demeanor that he wanted to stop drinking.

He downed the last drop of his beer, emptying what seemed to be his third bottle, he could already smell the alcohol on his breath despite not feeling the effect of it.

"Was it a girlfriend?"

"Wife," he held out his left hand showing off the band still tightly leashing him to his self control, forcing him to reason with himself that he should stop with the drinks before it was too late. The last thing he wanted was for the night to go out of hand on top of having to answer Ana why he reeked of cheap alcohol.

Subconsciously he knew he would have to face Ana at one point sooner rather than later to discuss the life they made currently inside of her, and he knew that she was already upset with him. No matter how unreasonable he could be at times, he still didn't want her to be sad, especially if he was the cause of it.

"I'll have another beer," he leaned forward to communicate with the bartender that the lady flagged down.

"Get him a glass of water afterward," she added, making the bartender dart his eyes between them before getting on with his job.

Christian slumped forward with his chin to his chest as he thought of where to begin with his cluster fuck of a life. He couldn't believe he was actually allowing a girl to buy him a drink and telling her shit that he knew he would regret saying come tomorrow.

This story consists of 13 chapters in total.

So, you like?

X

Saph T