My Precious little Diamond

There's something magical about zoning out in class. Not magical like fireworks or shooting stars, but magical in the sense that you forget where you are and why you even exist. I was halfway to reaching that Zen state when my day imploded.

The chair beside me screeched violently, the sound cutting through Mr. Bradley's monotone lecture. And then she appeared.

My wife.

"Darling," she whispered, leaning in as if this was some kind of romantic movie. "I couldn't resist."

I almost fell out of my seat. "Resist what?" I whispered back, panic rising. "Embarrassing me in front of everyone?"

She smiled, and let me tell you, it wasn't the "I love you" kind of smile. It was the "I'm about to ruin your life, but you'll thank me later" kind.

"Your aura looked... lonely," she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"My aura? What are you even talking about?"

By now, half the class was staring at us, and Mr. Bradley had paused mid-diagram, his marker hovering in the air.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Alex?"

Before I could deny everything, my wife spoke up. "Oh, no problem, sir. I'm just here to make sure my darling husband stays focused."

The room erupted into whispers and giggles. Someone actually clapped. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.

The class finally ends, and Alex tries to sneak off to the locker room, hoping for a moment of peace, only to run into Derek.

Locker rooms are supposed to be places of sweaty misery, not battlefields. But, of course, my life is a soap opera now, so here we are.

Derek, the human equivalent of a brick wall, decided it was time to remind me of my position on the social food chain.

"Hey, lover boy," he sneered, leaning against my locker like he owned it. "How's the wife?"

I ignored him, fumbling with my lock. But Derek wasn't about to let me off easy.

"C'mon, Alex. You can't seriously think she's into you," he said, his tone dripping with mockery. "What's her deal? Charity work?"

"Can you not?" I muttered, finally managing to open my locker.

Derek slammed it shut immediately. "What was that? Speak up."

Before I could summon the courage to tell him off (or run), a familiar voice rang out.

"Oh, what's this?"

I turned and instantly regretted it. There she was, striding toward us like a silver-haired avenger. My wife.

"What do you want?" Derek asked, puffing out his chest.

She tilted her head, her crimson eyes sparkling. "You. To stop being a pathetic worm."

Derek blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," she said, stepping closer. "Do you need me to spell it out?"

Derek scoffed. "And what are you gonna do? Bat your eyelashes at me?"

She didn't even blink. In one fluid motion, she grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the lockers. The sound echoed like a gunshot.

"Do you have any idea who you're messing with?" she hissed, her voice low and dangerous.

Derek, for all his bravado, looked like he was about to cry. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry!"

She let him go with a little shove. "Good. Now apologize to Alex."

"What?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Do it."

Derek turned to me, his face a mix of fear and humiliation. "Sorry."

"Louder," she demanded.

"I'm sorry!"

I waved it off, mortified beyond belief. "It's fine. Really."

She smiled, brushing her hands together as if she'd just taken out the trash. "There. All better."

By lunchtime, the entire school was buzzing about the locker room incident, and Alex's humiliation continued.

The cafeteria is supposed to be a place of refuge. A haven of terrible food and questionable hygiene. But as I walked in, tray in hand, I knew peace was a distant dream.

Lucy was waiting for me.

"Alex!" she called, her voice unnervingly chipper. "Can we talk?"

Before I could respond, my wife appeared...because of course she did.

"What do you need from my husband, Lucy?" she asked, her tone as sweet as arsenic-laced honey.

Lucy didn't even flinch. "Oh, I was just hoping Alex could help me with chemistry. You know, since he's so... reliable."

My wife laughed...a short, sharp sound that made the hairs on my neck stand up. "Reliable? That's cute. But Alex is already helping me with something much more important."

Lucy arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"

"Planning our future," my wife said, looping her arm through mine.

I choked on my drink. "Excuse me?"

She patted my arm. "Don't be shy, darling. Remember what we talked about last night?"

Lucy's face turned crimson. "You're kidding."

My wife leaned closer, lowering her voice just enough to make it sound scandalous. "Not at all. He's... very attentive."

Lucy looked like she was about to explode. "Unbelievable," she muttered before storming off.

I turned to my wife, my voice barely above a whisper. "What the hell was that?"

She grinned, utterly unapologetic. "Just marking my territory."

I still couldn't quite wrap my head around it. She was a demon, forged in the depths of Maltraxus's hellish domain, sent here to stay with me for 18 years to raise his child.

I'd known that much from the start. What I didn't know was that her mission wasn't just about raising a child...it was about something darker, something far more sinister. But at this point, I still didn't realize the full extent of what she was really after.

She had a way of making everything feel… normal. It was almost unsettling how she could act so carefree, even in the middle of all this chaos.

"I've been thinking," she said, her voice soft but laced with something I couldn't quite pinpoint. She was leaning against the wall, her crimson eyes meeting mine with an unreadable expression.

"About what?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"About... us," she replied with a shrug. "It's strange, you know? Being here, living with you. I'm supposed to be raising Maltraxus's child, training them, guiding them to power. But here I am, living this mundane life with you."

I raised an eyebrow, trying to gauge if she was serious. "What's so strange about it? You've been here for how long now?"

She smiled, the corners of her lips curling up ever so slightly. "It's not that. It's just... unexpected. I didn't expect to like it here, to enjoy spending time with you." She took a step closer, her gaze never leaving mine. "It almost makes me wonder if I could forget my purpose for a while."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just nodded, pretending I understood. "I don't know about you, but I'm kind of getting used to this. Raising a kid together and all."

Her laugh was light, almost teasing. "Oh, I'm sure you are. You're so good at pretending, Alex."

I narrowed my eyes, wondering what she meant by that. But before I could ask, she added, "I'll admit... there's a part of me that enjoys this. I enjoy having you around, having you. It's strange, though. In the end, it won't matter, will it?"

I frowned, confused by her tone. "What do you mean by that?"

She looked at me with that same calm expression, as if the answer was obvious. "You know, Alex, we only have 18 years. Eighteen years to... do everything. Raise the child, live this life, but eventually..." She trailed off, her voice softening, almost as if lost in thought.

"What's going to happen in 18 years?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She smiled again, that same haunting smile that sent a chill down my spine. "It's not important right now, darling. But you'll understand when the time comes. I promise."

I stood there, my mind racing. There was something off about the way she spoke, something I couldn't quite place. But for now, I pushed the feeling aside.

"What about the kid?" I asked, trying to shift the conversation to something safer. "How are we going to explain all this to them?"

Her smile softened, almost fond. "They'll understand. They must. And if not, well... we'll teach them."

Her tone shifted then, darkening just enough for me to feel a small knot form in my stomach. She stepped closer, her hand brushing against mine as she murmured, "But for now, let's just enjoy these years together, Alex. Let's make them count."

I could tell she was holding something back. But I couldn't figure out what it was. She was so good at hiding her true feelings, masking her darker motives behind that innocent façade.

I just didn't know how deep the deception ran.

Mom was in the kitchen, humming a tune as she chopped vegetables, while Dad lounged on the couch, flipping through TV channels.

Today was their day off..

The calm atmosphere was shattered by an unmistakable crash and a high-pitched giggle from the hallway.

Mom froze, the knife hovering in mid-air. "What was that?"

Dad sighed, glancing over at her. "I'll check on her."

By the time Dad reached the hallway, the chaos had already begun.

"Daddy!" The demon girl, Alex's child, was standing on top of the coffee table, hands on her hips, grinning like she'd just won a prize. Her glowing crimson eyes gleamed in excitement, her silvery skin shimmering under the lights.

Dad rubbed his face, clearly exasperated. "What are you doing?"

"Watch!" she announced proudly, swaying dramatically before launching herself into a somersault and landing perfectly on the floor. She giggled, thoroughly impressed with herself.

"Sweetie, no more climbing on the furniture," Dad said with a sigh.

"But Daddy!" she whined, her voice rising in dramatic pitch. "I wanna play!"

Mom appeared in the doorway, holding a knife, her face etched with concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Daddy's making me stop playing!" the demon girl cried out, her eyes wide as she pouted, looking more like a spoiled child than an innocent one. "I was pretending to fly!"

Mom exchanged a look with Dad before turning back to their child. "Well, maybe flying is better outside, not on top of the coffee table."

The girl's lip quivered, her eyes shifting between her parents. She was putting on her best "please" face, one that always seemed to work. "But I want to fly here! I want to fly forever!"

Mom sighed. "Okay, okay. Just...just promise me you won't hurt yourself, alright?"

"I promise!" she said eagerly, her grin returning. Then, as if remembering something, she looked up at Mom with wide, curious eyes. "Mommy, what's that word?"

Mom blinked, pausing mid-step. "What?"

"That man on the TV said 'fuck'!"

There was a long, awkward silence.

"What?" Mom asked again, this time with more surprise and less comprehension.

The demon girl repeated, much louder now, "He said it! What does it mean?"

Dad looked like he was about to break down in frustration. "Where did you hear that?"

The girl pointed innocently at the TV, as if the answer was obvious. "He said it right there!"

I had been quietly observing, trying my best not to look guilty, but at this point, I realized I had made a huge mistake. I had let the word slip earlier in passing, but now... now it seemed like everything was falling apart.

"Uh…" I started, trying to think of an explanation that wouldn't raise any more red flags. "She probably heard it on TV. It's not something we use here."

Mom shot me a glare, and I immediately regretted speaking.

"Daddy," the demon girl continued, turning to him with an innocent tilt of her head. "What does 'fuck' mean?"

Dad's voice cracked slightly as he knelt down to her level, clearly trying to regain control. "That word... it's not nice. You don't say that, okay?"

"Why not?" she asked, her voice full of genuine confusion. "It sounds funny!"

Mom took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Sweetie, it's a bad word. We don't use bad words."

The demon girl grinned mischievously. "When I grow up, I'm gonna say it all the time!"

Dad's jaw tightened. "No, you won't," he said firmly.

"But I will!" She bounced up and down with excitement. "I'll say it when I'm big like Daddy!"

Mom stared at Dad, clearly trying to process what had just happened. "We are so not ready for this."

"But what about other words?" she continued, her voice full of intrigue.

Dad groaned, realizing he wasn't going to win this one. "What other words?"

The demon girl's grin grew wider as she whispered, "Like... 'Daddy'?"

Dad blinked, eyes wide. "What? No. We don't say that either."

She frowned, then came back with a clever retort. "What about 'fucker'?"

I nearly choked on my own breath at that point, desperately trying not to laugh.

Dad's face went pale. "No. Absolutely not."

Mom, meanwhile, was trying to keep a straight face. "Okay, enough. No more bad words. Let's stick to... simple words, alright?"

"Fine," she said with an exaggerated pout. Then she brightened up, suddenly eager. "But when I'm older, I'm gonna say them all! I'll teach Daddy!"

Dad sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "Please don't, sweetie."

As the little demon girl giggled, clearly pleased with the chaos she had caused, Dad shot me another glare. "You've created a monster."