—I don't know what you're talking about, so start explaining or get out of here.
—All in due time, Stolas.
Octavia was too shocked to say anything; she just stood there and looked at her mother, trying to understand what was going on and how she knew about them. Stella started to walk towards Stolas in a somewhat threatening way, but suddenly Octavia stepped between the two, stopping her by placing a hand on her chest.
—Don't you dare touch me. —Stella said when she was stopped by her daughter—. You know very well what I'm talking about. Stolas, you can't go a day without being an embarrassment to your family and now you're dragging your daughter into the mud with you.
Octavia, insulted by Stella's attitude, grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back.
—I told you not to fucking touch me! —Stella yelled, slapping her with all her might—. How dare you?! Who the fuck do you think you are, Octavia?
—Get out of here, Stella, —Stolas shouted—. And you, go to your room Octavia. I will deal with your mother.
But Octavia refused to leave.
—I think it's time for you to get out of here, Stella. —Stolas said once more—.
—I've never met a wretch like you before, so no –I'll stay here.
—You are so arrogant. so selfish. —Stolas replied—. If you are not happy nobody can be, right?
—But look who wants to have the moral high ground. You're a liar and a joke!
—As if I care what you think of me, we're divorced. And Octavia will be 18 very soon. Face it! You are no longer part of this family!
—You're the one who doesn't want to face reality, Stolas. —Stella yelled—. I had to do it 20 years ago!
—Oh, so now you're the victim here. —Stolas answered—.
—You know what I hate most about this whole situation? —Stella said as she looked at her daughter—. How you always find a way to blame me for everything. What did I do to deserve that treatment? What did I do to deserve to have to put up with you and your mediocracy?
—You did everything wrong, mom. It's your fault. Dad was the only one trying to give me a normal childhood. He supported me in every step of my life while you only knew how to criticize him.
—Lies! This is all Stolas' fault. For being an excuse of a man. —Stella said without flinching—.
—I told you before, Stella. I tried to fix things between us, but you never let me! —Stolas answered, losing his temper—.
—Also, mother. —I'm still waiting for proof of what you say. —Octavia stepped forward—.
—I have a lot of evidence. And I swear to Lucifer, Stolas. If you touch Octavia again, I'll finish you off myself.
—Do not threaten me. You are nothing compared to me. —Stolas said as he approached her, but he was stopped by Octavia who still stand between them—.
—What are you doing? —Octavia asked her father as he approached her—.
—I'm sorry, honey, I love you, but we'll talk later, okay? Please go to your room.
—I stay here.
—To your room, Octavia.
—No.
—Octavia, it's an order.
—I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE! —Octavia yelled at him—. And you, mom, if you're not going to show any proof, then I don't care what you have to say. Leave me and dad alone.
— There's no point in arguing with you anyway. So, I'll go straight to the point. Let's start with the boyfriend, Stolas. —She said looking directly at him—.
—Me?
—Tell me something, how long have you been together?
—I do not know what you're talking about.
—Are you sure? —She asked again—.
—I'm sure. —Stolas replied—.
—Okay, so why were you so surprised when I mentioned sex with her?
—Because you love planting gossip wherever you go! Anyone would be surprised by your far-fetched inventions and stories. Anyone who gets blamed for something like this would be shocked.
—You cheated on me with our own daughter!
—It's not cheating if we're not married! —He denied—.
—So, you admit you fucked her.
—Of course not. —Stolas continued—. Stop changing my words at your convenience, besides, we are still waiting for you to prove your accusations.
—Okay, I'll show you. —Stella said—.
Stella was losing ground in the discussion; she knew that she finally had to expose the evidence she had.
—Octavia, I need you to look at this photo. —Stella said, showing him her cell phone with the photo on the screen—.
The image was of Stolas and Octavia on their date in Gluttony. Holding hands tightly. They could be seen in the park where they were walking. The photo was in fact a selfie. A blurry face could be seen in the corner, someone was pretending to be a tourist taking photos like any other creature, but framing them in the photo instead. Stolas' impotence made him seethe with rage, not having realized that they were being followed and even more so; not realizing they were being photographed.
—Well, well… —Stella said sarcastically—. Looks like they both really enjoyed it that day.
Octavia didn't reply. She stared into space, tears in her eyes as she saw herself and her father in the image.
—Do you want to see the other photos? Each one is juicier than the last.
—This proves nothing! No wonder you're so angry. You're jealous that, unlike you, I actually get to spend quality time with my daughter!
—I'm not jealous of you nor of my own daughter!
—You are. You've lost your freaking mind.
—Shut the fuck up! —Stella yelled—. I am sick and tired of hearing these stupid comments.
—You're acting like a child. —Stolas argued—.
—I am no child.
—That's exactly what you are. —Stolas added—.
—Fuck off! I'm going to tell everyone about this. Wait till Andrealphus finds out.
—I told you before and I told you now, Andrealphus doesn't intimidate me, and you know what? just so that you're aware –he fucks better than you do.
—You can go to hell! —Stella answered furiously—.
—You have nothing more to show, Stella!
—You're lying again. —Stella said—.
She goes to the next image to prove him wrong, in the next picture it's Octavia and him giving each other a passionate kiss, you could see the same structure again, a somewhat blurred face in the corner and them in the center of the image, somewhat in the distance; the person who took the photo was sitting on the opposite side of the road from which they were. Without giving much time to continue analysing the image, she went on to the next one that showed them in their evening finery, and the last photo showing them both in bed that morning, you could see that the image was taken from outside the window. The image shows Stolas on top of Octavia as she grabs her breasts, just like he did earlier that day.
—What the hell is this? ... How did you take these photos?! —Stolas was beginning to worry about the situation—.
—You're finished Stolas, you've sunk so low that you have to abuse your daughter to feel like a man again.
Stolas no longer saw any escape; they had been cornered for not being caution when beginning their sentimental affair.
—I'm not ashamed of my relationship with her.
—Really? Well, maybe you shouldn't be. —Stella looks at Octavia—. Maybe she should be instead of you.
Stella finally shows one last image, of the salve Octavia was using to drug her father into having sex with her. The image also shows the exact moment Octavia entered the room earlier today to prepare for the date, showing the veracity of the image. This image was the straw that broke the camel's back; as it was now shown to Stolas that he was never really interested in her daughter, but rather she forced him to.
—You're pathetic, Stolas. You are a fucking joke.
—You're a bitch! —Octavia yelled at Stella—.
—Make sure you're not looking at yourself in a mirror, honey. —Stella told her, then she looked at Stolas—. That's right Stolas; your daughter drugged you and raped you.
Both Stolas and Octavia were surprised by this unforeseen development.
—You two are the biggest disappointments of the Goetia Family. —Stella yelled at them—.
—Shut up Stella! Besides. —Stolas interrupted—. I don't even know what that thing is, and from the looks of it, all of your «evidence»... This can all be made up. You knew you couldn't do anything just to prove our relationship; So now you're trying to plant evidence on my daughter to turn me against her.
—Do you think it was planted? —Stella laughed—.
Stolas had never paid attention to such a big lie and even less about his daughter. He was sure that it was a huge lie, because he would never have imagined that his daughter would have the malice to do something so vile with him. For that he would need to deal with things, which were surely bluntly falsified. If he could prove his daughter's innocence, then they would be closer to getting Stella out of the palace. However, the idea that she was speaking the truth about Octavia bothered him greatly. Both are quite nervous; Octavia does not want to be caught and Stolas does not want to believe that her daughter has manipulated him from the beginning.
The conversation went on for several hours without concrete results. For Stolas, if this is a lie, she must be behind it. But why? What reasons would she have for doing so? Why would she go so far?
However, the solution to his problem was still not found.
—You are crazy. —Octavia said to Stella—. And we are willing to do everything possible so that you do not come here again with your unsubstantiated statements.
—Well, Stolas, if you really want to believe your whore daughter's lies, go right ahead. —Stella replied sarcastically—. Who knows, maybe at this moment you are also under her influence. I wouldn't be surprised.
—Fuck off! —Octavia pushed Stella away—.
—Don't you dare, Octavia! —Stella yelled, raising her hand after taking a few steps back—.
All this conflict ended up causing Stolas and Octavia's entrance to the palace. Stella was still screaming as they left, she called her ex-husband and told him to search her daughter's room, and after that, he would see the truth.
Octavia went back to her room and blew her dad a beautiful kiss. The love of both manifested itself with great intensity, even in this difficult moment.
The next day Stolas met with Octavia and explained to her that he didn't want to think of any lies. Although the questions raised by their relationship had not yet been resolved, there is still no reason to believe that his daughter is involved in such evil. Apparently, Stolas would have dreamed about the possibility regarding Stella's words.
While they both had breakfast, Stolas was reading the newspaper, Stolas realized that Stella had published the news in which she says that Stolas had cheated on her with Octavia. Reading this Stolas was totally devastated, the column included images of the date and the balm used by Octavia.
—What the fuck? —Octavia almost shouted at Stolas, when he showed her the paper—.
—What are you doing, Dad? —Octavia asked worriedly—.
—Even in the divorce, even with our separate lives... —Stolas was losing his sanity as he thought about the consequences this was going to bring to both of them—.
—And I... —Octavia said—.
—You are not to blame for anything my starfire.
—Don't lie to make me feel better dad. It was my fault; if I had gone with her like every weekend, this would not have happened. I'm sure.
—No, my little owlet. There was no way to predict this. —Stolas answered—.
That day, Octavia and Stolas talked a lot, although neither were they able to satisfy their concerns or their expectations. Stella's presence was constant in these conversations. While trying to plan countermeasures for any other occurrences of her mother, they were looking for a way to prevent the Goetia family from separating them in any way; like having Octavia sent to Stella permanently.
While these discussions continued, at times Stolas thought about the photos and Stella's words, and a disturbing curiosity led him to want to prove his daughter's innocence once and for all regarding the manipulation. Well, even though it is true that he did not believe that this was possible, a part of him accepted that everything had started very abruptly and out of nowhere. And that he had never in his life been in the situation he was in.
—Dad, we already know that Stella just exposed us. But I feel that we have the right to contest things. Because if not, it will be a matter of time before they separate us. It seems to me that we should try to create something to protect ourselves. And thus, avoid being far from the other. —Octavia told her father—. Because suddenly, at this point, Stella could come up with a trap again and we will have a huge problem.
—And how are we going to defend ourselves? —Stolas asked his daughter—.
—I'll think of something. —Octavia replied to her dad, and though she was pulling away from her hands and looking back, her eyes rang with a gravity that kept her on board—.
—Forgive my little starfire… —Stolas commented, resigning himself to his own words—. We'll get out of this, I promise you.
Stolas made it look like he retired to his room, leaving Octavia in the dining room to contemplate her options. But the truth is that he was going to her daughter's room to see if he really could find that balm that Stella had shown in her photographs. If his memory served him right, it would be under his daughter's bed.
Upon entering, the bed was the first place he assaulted. It is true that he did not believe that it was going to be such an easy task to find the existence of this cursed product, but sometimes the place you least think of is the best one to hide things on.
As expected by Stolas; it was not under the bed, nor under the pillows. In fact, it was nowhere near the bed or dressers. This brought him comfort; even if there was a possibility that Octavia had thrown it away, or hidden it somewhere else –the fact of not finding it on the first try gave him room to breathe and still have the inner strength to believe that everything was Stella's invention, trying to discredit them one more time.
At this point he was already tired of Stella's harassment, even in the divorce she was still on top of him at all times, tormenting him at every opportunity and he couldn't find peace anywhere. If it is true that he had already gotten used to these constant attacks from his ex-wife, and really publicly betraying him in the newspapers was not really what affected him the most –unlike Octavia who was devastated. He was affected by the effects of this on his daughter, that she could not have a life in peace, that he, no matter how hard he tried, could not achieve some kind of comfort in his life that would allow him to really cleanse his body and mind.
The first days dating Octavia had given him the opportunity to do so, and he treasured it with every part of his being, that's why he fought with himself to find his daughter's innocence, which was all he had left.
He knew that he could bear the hatred of the Ars Goetia, he knew that he could bear the insults and criticism of others, and he had the maturity not to respond immaturely to baseless provocations.
As he continued to search the room among drawers and furniture, among clothes and ornaments, Stolas saw his daughter's things and they brought even more sorrow to his being. Again, he questioned maintaining such an intimate relationship with her, he questioned the innocence and purity of his daughter, he questioned all the standards in which he had his little girl and how he had broken each and every one in order to fulfil his sudden whim.
To tell the truth, it is impossible to know how long he searched, and how long he felt guilty for doubting his daughter. In the end he decided to retire.
—Hello Dad.
It was Octavia who was outside her room who greeted him as he left. The time he spent searching was long enough for her to finish her breakfast and head back to her room.
—V…Via, it's not what it looks like. I just wanted proof that Stella was making things up.
—First, we already knew that. Second, how do you plan to prove it? They wouldn't believe you anyway. Did you really believe mom? —Octavia said on the verge of anger—.
Octavia's confidence was shattered.
—Get out of my room... NOW! —Octavia yelled at the top of her lungs—.
—Via… I… sorry, I didn't think… —Stolas panicked with fear of being on bad terms with his daughter who little by little began to break down in tears—.
Octavia's furious face mixed with the few tears that began to escape from her eyes filled Stolas with terror, he had lost control of the situation for having distrusted his daughter, and in a certain way, himself.
—I said go away!
Stolas left the room frightened and stammering incomplete words trying to know what to say while his daughter locked herself in her bedroom slamming the door in her father's face.
—Octavia, please. Let me explain.
Furious, Octavia backs away from the door walking to her bed.
—Why should I? You believe that bitch more than you believe me.
—You know that's not true, Via. I would never doubt you.
—So, what were you doing in my bedroom?
Octavia was frantically searching under her bed for her salve. The truth was that it was still there. But not just under the mattress as the photo made it look. If not inside. The mattress had a hole in the bottom of it, and it was hidden inside. This hole she had made the night before after being discovered to make sure she wouldn't be discovered again.
—Pondering, Octavia. I was meditating.
—And why the fuck do you need to meditate in MY room?
—Via. It was just last week that we started all this. From the beginning I have felt guilty about everything. —Stolas began to declare everything he had felt those days—. One day out of nowhere I took advantage of you and took your body, then again the next day, and from then on it was you who approached me. It's clearly my fault that you see me that way now. If I had been able to control myself none of this would be happening.
—So, these days... you haven't been happy with me?
—Octavia. I am immensely happy with you.
—Then why do you say things as if they were an accident or something bad?
—Because that's not how love is built upon. It does not work like this.
—Well, I love you dad, but I don't know if you really love me.
—I love you Via.
—I don't believe you dad. I don't want to continue this conversation. Please leave.
—I'm so sorry Via. I'll be in my room if you need me.
Stolas retired to his room. He went to his chambers and stayed there for a long time. Expecting his daughter to walk through his door at any moment.
Octavia, on the meantime, laid on her bed in a foetal position trying not to break into tears, but it wasn't a cry of sadness, it was one of anger and violence, she was furious at what Stella had done, convincing her father to doubt her. –almost discovering the truth.
A part of her also felt terribly guilty, she had been very open and direct with her father since they began to take their feelings more seriously. She hadn't been careful and that was costing her relationship with Stolas, which she didn't want to lose for anything in the world.
Again, those negative thoughts returned to her where her mind plays the heavy joke where her father disappears from her life. And she believed it as if they were real images of a disastrous premunition.
She strongly embraced that product that had allowed her to connect with her father as she wanted and saw it as her only tool to correct the situation. If she could convince him to sleep with her one more time—perhaps he would once again forget his doubts and make him believe that his feelings for her were genuine. But she didn't know if it would work with Stolas being in such a heightened emotional state.
It has always been known that the use of substances like this in a bad emotional state is the main step for a terrible accident. But she didn't think about that for a second. She was focused on taking matters into her own hands and making sure she never lost him again.
Also, in his mind began to wander ideas of how to get rid of her mother, or where to go that she could not find them; or in any case, where she does not deign to set foot on.
In that instant she knew she had to do something to save her relationship with her father. And there came a time when she finally made up her mind that she had to do something about it. The idea came about in a rather strange way. Everything pointed to her having only one chance, and she had to make it count.
—Don't worry dad, I'm going to make sure they can never divide us. —She murmured to herself—.
Then she took the balm one last time and placed all that was left of it around her body, so that no matter what contact they had, Stolas would once again be anesthetized by this mixture of plants, narcotics and passion that emanated from it.
But one thing Octavia didn't count on was that there was too much left. Much more than she normally wore in the past. She simply put it all on to «ensure» the results, but too much of it was bad, and this would show.
Thus, the effect also began to fall on her, while she was putting it on, she began to feel how her body went numb and then began to sweat. An intense sensation in her cloaca as if she had a slight tingling made her lose her balance with each hit of sensation, and her mind was filled with lewd and sinful thoughts.
Little by little she managed to compose herself enough to be on her feet again and went immediately to her father's room, who was sitting on the edge of his bed breaking down in tears.
But Octavia was already so far under the effects of her own spell that she ignored this detail, which Stolas interpreted as indifference when he saw her enter the room.
—Octavia, my little starfire… —Stolas murmured in a hopeful voice—. Will you forgive me?
—Do you love me daddy? —Octavia asked coldly—.
—Of course I love you.
Octavia lunged at her father, slamming him to the bed as she lay on top of him, breathing heavily and staring into space, her composure almost as brittle as it was stoic.
—Then take me one more time. Fuck what other people say, what mom says. —Octavia forcefully kissed Stolas—.
He was shocked by the sudden change in mood in Octavia, and for the first time; and because of the abuse of this substance, he was able to detect the scent of this cursed balm.
—Via, this smell... that... —Stolas immediately began to fade with the same intensity as his daughter—.
As the two succumbed to the power of this spell, the kiss turned romantic, then lustful and full of desire, ending in a violent kiss of biting and abuse. Both pushing their bodies against each other with force, passion and rage. What was seen no longer even looked like a kiss, they were two creatures fighting in bed to take possession of the other.
And neither could beat their opponent.