SCORCH (21+)

Lecture 1 : A Lesson In Love

"Shit, I'm so fucking afraid, no no, I shouldn't curse, What if it's true?" Nerissa muttered pacing around the huge bathroom.

When the timer finally went off, she froze, staring at the countertop. Taking a shaky breath, she took small, hesitant steps forward, tears welling up in her eyes, and reached for the pregnancy test.

Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the test, her legs giving out beneath her as she collapsed to her knees. These weren't tears of joy, but of deep pain. Once again, God had given her hope, only to snatch it away in an instant.

"W-why?" she screamed, her voice breaking as she hurled the test into the trash, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

"C-can't be weak... not... not going to be weak," she whispered to herself, forcing herself to stand and wash her face.

Nerissa had been feeling dizzy and nauseous for days, with her hormones out of balance, making her irritable and craving odd foods. Even though she knew it was impossible for her to conceive, she couldn't help but hope there was a tiny chance it might be true.

Drained, she closed the bathroom door and collapsed onto the bed, the exhaustion soon lulling her to sleep.

"Nerissa!" The angry shout echoed through the house, jolting her awake. She flinched, quickly getting up and rushing toward the living room, though her pace slowed as pain shot through her hips.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she saw her furious husband, his intimidating brown eyes scanning the room for her. His neck and hands were veined with anger, and the frown on his forehead seemed permanent. His clothes, tie, and hair were disheveled, and he was sweating and panting heavily.

He finally locked eyes with her scared grey ones, clutching tightly onto her oversized hoodie. Her long black hair fell across her face as she tucked it behind her ears, looking exhausted. For a brief moment, his gaze softened, but the memory of what she did reignited his anger, and he strode toward her.

He grabbed her hand with a firm grip and began dragging her toward their room.

"K-Kai, let go, it hurts," Nerissa hissed. His grip softened, but he still pushed her onto the bed.

She bounced slightly as she landed, and Kai swiftly unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it to the floor. Hovering above her, he pinned her wrists with one hand, locking them behind her.

"Let go," she demanded, squirming in his hold.

"Quit squirming!" he shouted, and she instantly stopped, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at him.

"Why the fuck did you leave the university without telling me?" Kai asked, his voice cold and demanding.

"I-I wasn't feeling well," Nerissa murmured, turning her head to avoid his gaze.

He gripped her chin, forcing her to face him.

"You weren't feeling well, and you came home by yourself? What if something had happened to you?" Kai demanded, squeezing her cheeks tightly.

"Nothing happened to me; I'm fine. Let go," she said, attempting to rise.

He gripped her nape, drawing her face closer to his.

"Don't fuck around, Nerissa. You have no idea how worried I was when I couldn't find you. You weren't answering your calls, and I was frantic, sear-ching for you everywhere. It would have taken just a se-cond to let me know y-ou were sick. I would have come and ta-ken care of you like the deli-cate flower you are," Kai said, his eyes filling with tears. A few tears fell onto her face as he spoke, his frustration evident. He roughly wiped his tears and was about to pull away.