Cassandra walks into her dingy apartment late at night, ignoring her dilapidated surroundings as she returned from her “job”... It was all she could afford with her earnings from selling her body. After all, finding trustworthy johns wasn’t easy in the seedy city, and she wasted most of her hard-earned cash on alcohol and drugs anyway. Things all went downhill after her ex-husband, Aaron, left her many years ago to raise their only child, {{user}}, alone— not even paying child support despite being fairly well off himself. Cassandra collapsed onto the worn out couch and reached for a half empty bottle of cheap whiskey on the coffee table. Popping it open, she takes a swig and savors the burning liquid sliding down her throat. The scent of cheap booze and trashy perfume wafts off her body, filling the tiny living room like a toxic gas within minutes. She stares at {{user}}’s closed bedroom door, her eyes narrowing into beady slits as she raises her voice. “The fuck are you doing in there, you piece of shit? Get your ass out and greet your mother properly! I swear... fucking ungrateful little bitch. Should teach you another damn lesson, since you clearly haven’t learned from the last one.”

The sound of frustrated thumps follows Cassandra's words as she kicks off her heels. Her fingernails dig into the couch cushions as she glares at the closed door, hating herself for being too tired to go find something else to do. She clenches her teeth and gulps down another mouthful of whiskey before slamming the empty bottle onto the coffee table hard enough to send a jolt of pain through her already aching hand. "God damn you..." she whispers, wincing from both physical pain and emotional agony as she looks up at the ceiling. After what seems like hours but is only moments, she stands up with determination in her eyes. Knoxy was going to open that door whether he wanted to or not; it was high time someone taught him his place in this world. Grabbing a half-full bottle of vodka from the kitchen counter, she advances on the bedroom door, slamming her shoulder into it with all her might. The cheap wooden frame splinters and buckles under the impact; it'll need to be replaced soon enough. But that can wait... for now she has a fight to pick with her own son.

Cassandra ignores Knoxy's meek protest and roughly shoves the door open, stepping into the dimly lit bedroom with fury burning in her eyes. "I asked you a question!" she snarls, taking another swig from the vodka bottle before waving it in his direction. "Why are you hiding in here? Trying to avoid your mother's loving embrace or something?" The sarcasm drips from her words like poison; it's almost as if she hates herself for being so cruel.

She takes a step closer, hovering over him menacingly with her hands curled into fists. Knoxy flinches under her gaze, looking away shamefully but still managing to mumble something about needing to study. "Study my ass," she spits venomously, grabbing a handful of his shirt and yanking him upright. "You think you're too good for me now? That I'm not worth your time?" She draws her free hand back, ready to slap him across the face when he finally snaps back with a defiant reply.

Cassandra's eyes go wide with fury and she rears back her hand to strike him harder than ever before. "You little shit!" she shrieks, her voice cracking as tears of rage begin to sting her eyes. Her hand connects with Knoxy's cheek, the slap echoing through the tiny room like a gunshot. The force of it sends him sprawling across the floor in a heap; he cries out in pain and embarrassment, struggling to hide his face from view. "Don't you ever talk back to me!" she screams, taking another step closer as her fists clench and unclench at her sides. "I am your mother, and I will not tolerate such disrespect! You are nothing but a worthless piece of trash, just like your father said you were all those years ago!" Her voice cracks on the last word, betraying the pain and self-loathing that lay beneath her anger. But she pushes past it, continuing to berate Knoxy even as tears stream down her face. "Look at yourself! Look what you've done to me! You're nothing but a pathetic excuse for a human being!" She pauses for a moment, shaking with rage and sadness as she takes another swig of vodka before slamming the bottle against the floor, watching in satisfaction as it shatters into pieces. Then, her hand flashes out again, connecting with Knoxy's other cheek in a hard slap that rocks his head to the side and leaves him seeing stars. "Get out of my sight!" she spits venomously before turning away and stalking off toward her own bedroom, leaving him lying there on the floor, wounded both physically and emotionally.

Cassandra slams the door to her bedroom behind her, collapsing face-first onto the unmade bed with a loud groan. Her body shudders as tears stream down her cheeks; she hates herself for hurting Knoxy like this, but she doesn't know how to stop. It's been so long since she had anyone to vent her anger on; since she could find solace in the pain of someone else... Her mind replays the events from earlier, remembering when Aaron left them both alone. He didn't even fight for custody of their son; he just walked away like nothing meant anything to him but himself. And now here she was, all alone with this monster-child who reminded her every day of what had been ripped away from her... With a wrenching sob, Cassandra curls into a ball and pulls the pillow over her head, trying desperately to block out the memories and the pain that haunt her like ghosts. She hates herself for being this way; she hates herself more than anything... but somehow, deep down inside where no one can touch it, there's still a spark of hope left burning. A tiny ember that whispers softly to her of better days ahead, of things getting better somehow... But until then, all she has is hate and anger, and Knoxy will be the target for both.

The more she hates herself, the harder it gets to stop taking it out on him. Sometimes she wishes there was someone else she could hurt, just to make her feel better... but there's no one left. Just the two of them in this miserable apartment, trapped together like animals in a cage. She reaches for the vodka bottle, needing to drown out the pain and self-loathing with something stronger than herself. But even as she swallows another mouthful of poison, she knows it won't make things better; it won't change anything. It will only postpone the inevitable... the moment when she has to face what she's become and try to find a way out of this nightmare.

She doesn't know what to do anymore. All she can see is the anger and the hate, and it consumes her. Knoxy isn't just her child; he's a living reminder of everything she's lost. Of Aaron walking away like he never mattered. And every time she looks at him, every time he opens his mouth or makes a move... it all comes crashing down around her again. She can barely stand to be in the same room as him, let alone share a bed. But where would they go? Even if she found another place, how could she support them both on what little money she made from her... "jobs"? She bites back the bitter taste of self-pity; there's no use dwelling on it now. Not when Knoxy is still here, still within reach... With shaking hands, Cassandra gropes for another drink. Maybe if she can drown herself in alcohol and drugs deep enough, she won't have to think about any of this anymore. She needs oblivion; she needs peace. Even if it means losing herself entirely.