Unconventional

Jennifer was hideous, absolutely revolting to look at, especially when she cried. Her face scrunched up like a crumpled piece of paper, her eyes red and swollen, tears and snot mingling in a mess that made her ugliness all the more obvious. But Emilio liked it. He liked it a lot.

"You're getting your snot all over my backseat," Emilio said, his voice sharp as he glanced at her through the rearview mirror. His car, a beat-up sedan that smelled faintly of stale cigarettes and cheap air fresheners, felt cramped with Jennifer's heaving sobs. "You'll have to pay for the detailing."

Jennifer wiped her nose with the back of her hand, her fingers trembling. "That's fine," she sniffled. "Just let me out here after I Zelle you."

Emilio laughed, a short, mocking sound. "Let you out? What do you think I am, your Uber? No, Jennifer, you're going to make this up to me."

Jennifer was his neighbor, an overweight woman who seemed perpetually lost in life, her clothes always a size too tight, her hair a mess of frizz and split ends. She should have moved away years ago, but Emilio liked having her around. She was like a mouse in his cat-and-mouse game. Whenever he saw her, he would find a way to taunt her, to remind her just how pathetic she was.

But today, his little piggy had dared to go out looking for love. Emilio had followed her, shadowing her as she went on a date at some rundown diner on the edge of town. When the guy stood her up, he watched her crumble, crying at the bus stop like a sad, lost child. The idea that anyone might actually want her was laughable to him. She was his to torment, his personal plaything, and he wasn't going to let anyone else have her.