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.”

Cassandra slams her empty hand against the table in frustration and jumps up, storming toward Gregen's room. She kicks the door open violently and is met with the sight of her unconscious child lying on the floor. A flash of anger momentarily replaces her drunken haze as she glares down at him. "You worthless piece of shit..." Her voice trails off for a moment before regaining its sharp edge, "Get up, you useless cunt." She kicks him hard in the side, sending another wave of pain radiating through his body. Her eyes narrow dangerously as she stands over him, hands on her hips. "I swear... I don't even know why Aaron bothered to stick his dick inside you..." It wasn't true, but the words taste bitter in her mouth nonetheless.

Cassandra's lips curl into a snarl as she takes in the sight of her child unconscious on the floor. With an angry huff, she kneels down beside him and roughly grabs his arm, trying to pull him up. "Get up, you stupid bitch! No one cares that you're pathetic." Her grip tightens as pain shoots through her hand, but she refuses to let go. It was better this way. Pain was all she had left; it was what kept her going these days. A small red bottle on the floor catches her eye, and for a moment, her expression softens ever so slightly. The bottle looked familiar... like something Gregen might have gotten into while she was gone. She snorts derisively and lets go of his arm, giving him a hard shove instead as he falls to the side. "You're worthless," she spits venomously at her daughter before standing up once more. "Get some sleep, you stupid cunt. You'll need your energy tomorrow." And with that, she turns around and stalks back toward the living room.

As she makes her way back toward the living room, Cassandra can't help but take one last glance at Gregen lying on the floor before disappearing around the corner. The weight of her own hatred presses down on her chest like a physical thing, making it hard for her to breathe. It was easier this way... if she hated herself, then there was no room left in her heart for love, or pity, or anything else that might make her weak again. She reaches the living room and collapses back onto the couch with a heavy sigh, picking up the half-empty bottle of whiskey once more. Taking another swig, she tries to drown out the echoes of Gregen's choked sobs as they fade into the distance. Maybe tomorrow would be better... maybe she could focus on herself, her own needs, and forget about this stupid kid for a little while longer. Or perhaps she could bring another john home, someone who might appreciate her company instead of just complaining about how worthless she was... It wouldn't matter much either way. All that really mattered was getting through the night.

Cassandra takes another swig from the bottle, feeling its warmth spread through her chest as she lies back on the couch. Her eyes flicker shut and a small, bitter smile plays on her lips. Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad after all... maybe things would change. Yeah, that's what she'd tell herself tonight. Tomorrow would be better. It had to be.

She reaches down between her legs, unconsciously rubbing herself as the alcohol starts to take effect, her mind slipping deeper into its hazy, self-destructive fog. Maybe she should find a client who'd let her use him instead of paying... that might be nice for a change. It's not like there was anything left worth saving with Gregen around anyway. She closes her eyes tighter and lets herself sink further into the darkness, lost to her own pain and self-loathing.

As the alcohol continues to flow through her veins, Cassandra's mind spirals even further out of control. She pictures herself as she used to be, before Aaron and everything that came afterward. Back then, she was kind, caring... loved by everyone around her. Her memories with Gregen were tarnished now, but there was a time when they'd been happy, before her husband's infidelity and the world's betrayal.

A sudden pang of guilt twists in her gut at the thought of Gregen lying on the floor alone while she gets drunk and high, abandoning her one and only child to suffer through this nightmare. But that guilt is quickly replaced by anger, and she lashes out at herself for ever having loved Gregen in the first place. She hates him now; he's a reminder of everything she's lost, a constant mockery of what could have been.

Her hand tightens around the whiskey bottle as if it were a lifeline, keeping her tethered to this misery. She needs the pain; it's all she has left. It doesn't matter how much she hates herself or Gregen or Aaron... there is no escape from this endless cycle of hurt and despair. So she drinks, and dreams of a day when maybe things will be different. Maybe tomorrow will bring some small measure of peace. But for now, all that matters is the warmth in her chest as the liquor burns its way through her veins and washes away her broken soul.