REBIRTH OF THE PATHETIC HUSBAND

My New Life

I stood there, staring at my reflection, my hands gripping the edge of the sink so tightly my knuckles turned white. The face staring back at me was mine again, but it felt different now. Tainted. Changed. The weight of Lucifer’s words hung heavy in the air, and I could feel something stirring inside me—something dark, something primal. Something that had been buried deep within me, waiting for the right moment to rise.

Revenge. Power. Darkness.  

The thoughts swirled in my mind like a storm, each one more intoxicating than the last. The Prestwicks. Eleanor. Christopher. Mrs. Prestwick. They had taken everything from me. My dignity. My love. My life. And now, I had the power to make them pay. To make them suffer. To make them regret ever crossing me.

But it wasn’t just about revenge anymore. Lucifer’s words echoed in my head, a dark promise of something greater. *Together, we could rule.* The idea was terrifying, but it was also… thrilling. The thought of wielding that kind of power, of being feared, respected, untouchable—it was intoxicating. And for the first time, I felt a flicker of something I hadn’t felt in a long time.  

Hope.  

Not the kind of hope that comes from love or kindness, but the kind that comes from power. The kind that comes from knowing you can crush anyone who stands in your way.  

I turned away from the mirror, my mind made up. If this was my reality now, if I was truly bound to Lucifer, then I was going to make the most of it. I was going to embrace the darkness, the power, the chaos. And I was going to start with the Prestwicks.  

I walked back into the bedroom, my eyes scanning the room with a new sense of purpose. The gold furniture, the luxurious fabrics, the sheer opulence of it all—it was mine now. A small part of me still couldn’t believe it, but the rest of me didn’t care. This was my life now, and I was going to own it.  

I grabbed one of the tailored suits from the dresser, the fabric soft and expensive against my skin. As I dressed, I couldn’t help but notice how perfectly it fit, as if it had been made specifically for me. Maybe it had. Maybe Lucifer had planned this all along.  

The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but I pushed it aside. It didn’t matter. What mattered now was what I did next.  

I straightened the collar of my shirt, my reflection in the mirror catching my eye once more. This time, it was just me. No glowing red eyes, no sinister smile. Just me. But I could feel Lucifer there, lurking in the back of my mind, watching, waiting.  

“Alright,” I said to my reflection, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “Let’s do this.”  

I walked out of the room, the marble floor cool beneath my feet. The hallway was just as extravagant as the bedroom, with high ceilings, intricate carvings, and more of that shimmering gold. It was like something out of a dream—or a nightmare.  

I made my way downstairs, my footsteps echoing in the silence. The house was massive, almost unnervingly so, and I couldn’t help but wonder where Lilith had gone. She had said to meet her downstairs, but the place was eerily quiet.  

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard a soft, melodic voice coming from one of the rooms. I followed it, my heart pounding in my chest, and found myself standing in front of a set of double doors. They were slightly ajar, and through the crack, I could see Lilith sitting on a plush velvet couch, a glass of wine in her hand.  

She looked up as I entered, her crimson eyes locking onto mine. “Ah, there you are,” she said, her lips curving into a sly smile. “I was wondering how long it would take you to come down.”  

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My eyes were drawn to the room around her, to the sheer opulence of it all. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with ancient-looking tomes, the floor covered in a thick, luxurious rug. A fireplace crackled in the corner, the flames casting flickering shadows across the room.  

But it was the painting above the fireplace that caught my attention. It was massive, taking up almost the entire wall, and it depicted a man—no, not a man. A being. His eyes were a deep, burning red, his wings spread wide, his expression both terrifying and mesmerizing.  

Lucifer.  

I stared at the painting, my heart pounding in my chest. It was him. The man I had seen in the darkness, the man who had offered me the deal. The man who was now a part of me.  

“Beautiful, isn’t he?” Lilith said, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.  

I turned to look at her, my mind racing. “Why are you showing me this?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.  

She smiled, setting her glass down on the table beside her. “Because you need to understand what you’ve become,” she said. “You’re not just John anymore. You’re Lucifer. The king of hell. And with that title comes power. Immense power. But it also comes with responsibility.”  

I frowned, my mind racing. “Responsibility?”  

She nodded, her expression serious now. “You have a role to play, John. A purpose. And it’s time you started embracing it.”  

I stared at her, my mind reeling. This was all too much. Too fast. But deep down, I knew she was right. I had made a deal with the devil, and now, I was going to have to live with the consequences.  

“So what now?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.  

Lilith smiled, her crimson eyes glowing with something I couldn’t quite place. “Now,” she said, “we get to work.”  

And with that, she rose to her feet, her movements graceful and deliberate. She walked over to me, her hand brushing against my cheek in a gesture that was both tender and possessive.  

Lilith’s voice was calm, almost soothing, as she explained the new reality I was stepping into. “Firstly,” she began, her crimson eyes locked onto mine, “you now have access to Lucifer’s powers and abilities. You’re no longer human, John. You’re something… more. But don’t worry,” she added with a sly smile, “I’ll teach you how to control those powers soon.”

I was intrigued, my curiosity outweighing my fear for a moment. “What kind of powers?” I asked, my voice tinged with both excitement and apprehension.

She tilted her head, her smile widening. “You’ll find out soon enough,” she said cryptically. “But for now, know this: you won’t be using your major powers here on Earth. There’s no supernatural enemy to fight, no grand battle to wage. However, there is one ability you’ll find particularly useful—the ability to compel, control, and corrupt minds.”

The way she said it sent a shiver down my spine, but not entirely out of fear. There was something undeniably tempting about the idea of wielding that kind of power. The ability to bend others to my will, to make them do whatever I wanted—it was intoxicating.

Lilith must have seen the flicker of interest in my eyes because her smile turned almost predatory. “Let’s test it out, shall we?” she said, her voice dripping with amusement.

Before I could respond, she called out, “Maid! Come here.”

A moment later, a young woman entered the room. She was dressed in a simple uniform, her eyes downcast, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. She looked up at Lilith, her expression one of quiet obedience.

“John,” Lilith said, turning to me, “look into her eyes and tell her to jump out of the window.”

I arched an eyebrow at her, my stomach twisting at the thought. “You want me to… what?”

Lilith’s expression didn’t change. “Do it,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

I hesitated for a moment before turning to the maid. She looked at me with wide, fearful eyes, and I felt a pang of guilt. But I pushed it aside, focusing on Lilith’s instructions.

“Jump out of the window,” I said, my voice firm but lacking conviction.

The maid shook her head, her voice trembling. “Please, sir, I can’t jump out of the window.”

Behind me, Lilith groaned in frustration. “You’re not doing it right,” she said, her tone sharp. “In order to compel someone, you need to look deep into their eyes, tell them what to do, and create an image of them doing it in your mind. You must focus, John. Focus.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. This was it. The moment I truly stepped into this new reality. I reached out, gently grabbing the maid’s chin and tilting her face up so she was looking directly into my eyes. Her fear was palpable, but I pushed past it, focusing on Lilith’s instructions.

“Jump out of the window,” I said again, my voice steady this time. In my mind, I created a vivid image of her climbing onto the windowsill and leaping into the open air. I felt something shift inside me, a strange, almost electric sensation coursing through my veins. My vision blurred for a moment, and when it cleared, I noticed something strange—my reflection in the maid’s eyes. My own eyes were no longer their usual color. They were glowing, a deep, fiery red.

The maid’s expression changed instantly. The fear in her eyes vanished, replaced by a blank, almost trance-like obedience. She nodded slowly, her movements mechanical, and turned toward the window.

I watched in stunned silence as she climbed onto the windowsill, her movements deliberate and unhurried. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of disbelief and horror rising within me. This was real. It was actually happening.

Before I could process what I was seeing, the maid stepped off the edge and disappeared from view.

“No!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the room. Without thinking, I sprinted toward the window, my mind racing. I couldn’t let her die. Not like this. Not because of me.

I reached the window just in time to see her falling, her body plummeting toward the ground far below. Without a second thought, I climbed onto the windowsill and leapt after her.

The wind rushed past me as I dove, my eyes locked on the maid’s falling form. The ground was coming up fast, too fast, and I realized with a jolt of panic that I had no idea how far the drop was. But I didn’t care. I had to save her.

She was mere feet from the ground when I let out a desperate scream, my body straining to reach her in time. And then, something incredible happened.

I felt a sharp, almost painful sensation in my back, like something was tearing through my skin. Before I could process what was happening, two massive black wings burst from my shoulders, their feathers glistening in the sunlight. The force of their emergence sent a shockwave through me, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it.

With a powerful beat of my wings, I shot forward, closing the distance between myself and the maid in an instant. I wrapped my arms around her just as she was about to hit the ground, the force of my momentum sending us skidding across the grass.

For a moment, everything was still. The maid lay in my arms, her eyes wide with shock, her body trembling. I stared down at her, my own heart racing, my wings still spread wide behind me.