From her vantage point in the void, Elvira studied the human vultures gathered around her. She heard their cruel words and saw their casual disregard for her very life. She wondered how she had gotten to this point in her life.
She'd always been driven, but she truly cared for her family and had given them every opportunity to share in her success. But it seems they took her generosity for pity. In a strange contradiction, they acted as though she was demeaning and patronizing to them and yet, they still felt as though they were entitled to more. That she owed them. That her success should be theirs and not hers despite the fact that it was her talent and hard work that created it.
But they had contributed nothing to her businesses. In fact, their laziness and sometimes downright incompetence, was at best a hindrance to her success and, at worst, detrimental to them. Yet, she continued to make excuses for them and give them additional chances.
Even her parents, who were successful business partners, contributed little to her success. Yet, she still longed for their praise. Praise which they never gave her but lavished upon her younger siblings.
As she thought about this, she again considered the possibility that her independence had brought this on herself.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Elvira was not the only one watching the drama unfold in real time. The avarice and selfishness on display the attention of several sin devils. Their excited chatter, in turn, caught the attention of a Cardinal Sin Demon named Sathanas.
Sathanas was a demon of Wrath. Normally, he didn't pay attention to the endless chattering of minor devils, but he was bored. And snippets of their babble had caught his attention.
It appeared that a human was dying and the so-called family that gathered around her were dripping with the stench of various sins. The air was so thick with it, that even the Imps were getting a secondary high.
A Cardinal Sin Demon, he could feed on any Sin. Of course, those that involved Wrath were his favorite. They were like gourmet food, fine wine, and decadent desserts to him. Other Sins were filling, but not fulfilling.
However, humans' petty sins no longer excited him. He had long since lost interest in their feeble attempts to take their anger out on others. Their revenges were trivial and not very creative. And they were often simply enacted for the silliest reasons such as someone looking at them wrong, forgetting their 1-month anniversary, or failing to 'like' something on social media.
Even the taste of their sins had lost its once exquisite flavor. It was as bland as toast and water now.
Hurling insults, gossiping, unfriending on social media, bullying – were the go-to methods for most humans to show their anger towards one another. To a gourmand such as himself, it simply failed to impart any flavor to his sensitive palate.
The showed their Wrath by having tantrums like children – complete with kicking, screaming, and throwing objects. But they rarely did more than that. And it made their sins overly salty and not very palatable.
He longed for the excitement and the deep rich flavor that came from well-crafted, intricately designed, and flawlessly executed plans. Long-term plans, provided they were well-plotted and implemented, made the Sin well-seasoned and a delicacy that delighted his tongue.
With nothing better to do, he decided to investigate. Maybe he should just relax and enjoy the show.
There were many Wrath demons, but he was an Archfiend, the highest rank though not the only Wrath demon of such rank. Therefore, it took something exceptional to get his attention. And something even more extraordinary to keep it. While watching the hospital scene before him, he wondered if he'd actually found it.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
As Elvira contemplated the events she'd just witnessed, she was still trying to wrap her head around it all. She couldn't understand why her family hated her so much. Nor could she understand why they would betray her so thoroughly.
As she tried to make sense of it all, she had the vague sense that she was being watched. This made even less sense to her as she knew she was still in spirit form.
She looked around but of course could see nothing in the void but blackness. And the only thing in the real world she could see was her hospital room. Although, in truth, she hadn't tried to go anywhere else. She had no idea if she could.
But as it stood now, she was afraid to venture too far from her body in case she couldn't get back. This was all too new for her to want to experiment just yet.
Besides, she still held out hope that her husband Paul would arrive and make everything alright.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Sathanas was intrigued. Had she really sensed him? Humans usually weren't that observant. Perhaps, he'd grown complacent and didn't disguise his presence well enough.
Well, that was an easy enough fix. He retreated further into the Veil Between. He could still observe her, but he could tell by the way she returned to her previous thoughts that she no longer sensed him.
The more he watched her, the more intrigued he became. She was extraordinarily beautiful for a human although she didn't seem to recognize that. He was used to succubi and other lust demons whose entire existence was based on using their beauty and sexuality. He was confused as to why he was actually attracted to this woman.
It wasn't her spirit form, or her pale corpse-like body hooked up to so many machines that attracted him, it was her intelligence and resourcefulness. He could sense those qualities within her. But what he didn't sense was anger or wrath. At least not yet.
He decided he would wait and watch a little longer.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Paul came in a few days later having been briefed by Priscilla on their plan.
He glanced around the room with a neutral expression. His impartial gaze took in everything until it fell upon his wife's lifeless form hooked up to a bunch of machines.
His lips curled up in a sneer as his expression darkened.
"Still hanging in there, aren't you dearest." He said with barely concealed contempt.
"Still, I suppose I should thank you for all of the businesses you gave me" he said with an arrogant smirk. "And the lifestyle you provided for me. Of course, I deserve it for putting up with you. And you being in a coma means there are plenty of women trying to...console me."
As she watched him, she began to wonder what she'd ever seen in him in the first place. She could see clearly now that he was an arrogant, lazy, greedy, narcissistic sociopath. He had coasted all his life on his devastating charm. He won the lottery when he met her.
"I don't mind being a kept man" he said with a smirk. "Well, as long as no one knows it."
"And since you were always good enough to let me take all the credit for your creativity, talent, and hard work. I'm so lucky you hated public appearances. I should thank you for that. The world views me as the creative genius and you as just a hired servant."
'He really is disgusting' she thought to herself. 'He never really cared for me' she thought sadly.
She supposed she'd always known it, but she was blinded by love. Lots of smart and successful women make foolish choices when it comes to the men they put their faith and trust in. And her family had adored him, which, in hindsight, should have been another red flag. This allowed her to blithely smooth over the occasional doubts she expressed.
And he had seemed so supportive of her and her dreams. She saw now that it was just part of his long con game. He knew she had the potential to be successful and, if he hung in long enough, she would succeed beyond even his wildest greediest dreams.
The only ones who weren't impressed with him were her grandparents. However, they indulged and supported her despite any misgivings they might have felt. They never openly expressed their dislike of him. They only asked her if she was sure about what she wanted. They supported her no matter what.
Her heart swelled with sadness as she thought of her grandparents. All of them had already passed away except for her paternal grandfather. This brought her back to what her family had said about their plans to harm him. She had to find a way to save him!