Enhanced (first draft)

Chapter 2

"Soren, why did you marry me?" I ask, looking out of the window rather than at Soren. I knew what he would have said right after we got married, but I am curious as to what he will say now. I am expecting the worst, something the exact opposite from his original reason. It used to be because we actually agreed on things, we gave the other somebody to confide in.

Soren leans in closely and kisses my neck. Shivers run down my back and I almost move away from him. "You are beautiful," he whispers in my neck.

I start to back away in disgust. This is not what he used to tell me. My assumption is right. "And?"

Soren comes closer to me again, desperate for contact. "And I didn't need any other reason. That's why everybody else marries. Why should it be wrong that I marry you for the same reason?"

"What about my personality?" I look straight into Soren's eyes. I know his violet eyes by heart. I can tell by them when he is lying and right now is not one of those times.

"That's just a supplement."

"No, judging by what you said about me earlier, you don't even know what I am like. I am not subservient, nor do I have a bubbly personality."

"Well, that's just how you act around me then." I have no clue what is prompting Soren to say this. Never did I do what he asked me to do without questioning him.

Soren wraps his arms around me. I push away from him. His face darkens for a second, but it soon replaced by an expression of even more intense desire. He smiles at me playfully, he must think that this is just a game. 

"Do you care about anything but sensual pleasure anymore? Do you even care about how I feel?" The nights where we would talk for hours on end rather than go to bed were long gone. What replaced them were just nights of fake emotion and desire. 

"Of course I do. Why are you asking me this? You know I care about you. That is why I married you."

"No that is not why. You just said that you married me because I was beautiful. I am just a status symbol for you now. I am just a play thing." I had never said this to Soren before. I had never really even thought to much about it, but as I say it I know that it is true. I gain more confindence in my words. 

"Where did you get that idea?" Soren's voice is getting louder. We both are becoming angry at each other. As of lately, it wasn't an uncommon experience. I hate it whenever it happens, but I can't help it. 

"It is the truth, with both you and society in general. The only reason that you keep me around is for the pleasure that I give you. You don't care about me anymore. Hell, you don't even care about women in general. You are a freaking idiot for conforming to society and their standards! What happened to the old you, the one that would have lengthy discussions with me about how screwed up society has become? We vowed that we would not conform like everybody else, but then your old friends came and turned you around. How did they make you change? You are a different person now. You don't care about me like you. They changed the way that you think. Did they operate on you? What did they do?"

I am getting hysterical as I start to get to that conclusion. I have only heard of behavioral implants for criminals. I did not think that they would do it to somebody that just didn't want to conform to society, but now I'm not quite sure. It seems like the most plausible explanation.

This whole thing happened about two years ago and I had never really brought it up before. Afterwards, though, there was always more tension in our relationship. I knew something went wrong that day, but I never quite knew what it was.

"I changed for the better, Nyx, you just don't realize it yet. I didn't see how wonderful this society was until they truly showed me. I can show you if you want. We will be happy again. I will show you tomorrow, I promise. You will thank me, I know it."

Soren starts to kiss me but I push him away and slap his face. He looks hurt. I am happy.

"I will never let you change me. You are just delusional. You changed for the worst, but I won't let you change me the same way."

I am about to get up and try to cool down away from Soren when he grabs me by the wrists. This catches my attention. He had never hurt me before, even though we were often arguing. I must be pissing him off pretty bad. He pins me down on the bed. I wriggle my arms, trying to get free, assuming that he is just messing with me. He doesn't let me move. His eyes permeate coldness.

"I will make you see the truth, whether you want to or not. You think that I didn't know your objection to changing your daughter? I did see it, as clear as day. You don't know how ridicululus your objection is. Without altering her, she will lead a miserable life. She will never have any friends; she will always be ostracized. If you see that, you will regret the fact that you didn't want to change her. You need to learn that sometimes it is better to conform to society, and if you won't learn it yourself, I swear that I will make you."

Soren gently lets go of me and gets up. He looks for a second at me and then turns around, as if contemplating if he should apologize to me about his rough behavior. His feet thunder out of the room, and I lay down on my side of the bed. I look out of the window, thinking about what is ahead of me. Soren is going to make them do the same thing to me that they did to him. I will not let them, though. No matter how much I love Soren, or used to love him, I will not give up my free will to get our love back.

I have only choice, but I have to wait for the right opportunity. I will take control of my, and my daughter's, life once and for all.