Hollywood's Bleeding - Post Malone

Ophelia

"Can we just talk about this, Jim? Please?"

"We are talking about this, Ophelia."

"No. You are packing your bag while I am running around after you trying to get you to communicate with me."

"Communicate? Ok, I will communicate with you," Jim says. He has a nasty chuckle in his voice and Ophelia steadies herself. He is going to be vicious. It's what he does, she thinks he gets off on it. But he says he says these things so she can reflect on her many flaws. Last week he spent an hour lecturing her about how dull and boring her ash blond hair is. Given, she has had the same hairstyle since high school but she is not a fan of change. Jim does not stop packing, not even looking at her when he talks. Five years of marriage and he can't be bothered to look at her as he puts an end to their relationship.

"You are boring. I want to kill myself from just being around you...did I communicate that well enough for you?" he throws over his shoulder as he shoves countless designer items into the designer bags that she had bought him. Never once in their five years of marriage has he ever held a job. Loving her - that's what he said his job was. He tries to open the draws that hold his watches and other personal things but it's locked. He spins around and for the first time that day, he looks at her. "Where is the key for these draws Ophelia?" he asks through clenched teeth. "I-I have it and I am not giving it to you until we talk about this," she says trying to keep the shake out of her voice.

"Give it to me," Jim says annoyed now. "N-no," Ophelia says trying to calm the shake that has now spread to her whole body. She has never spoken back to him, she has never spoken back to anyone. This is new territory. She tightens her grip on the key that's in the palm of her hand. The movement catches Jim's eye and he lunges for her. Ophelia turns on her heel and runs out of the oversized closet that Jim had insisted on having. She runs as fast as she can but she has no destination and when she peeps over her shoulder she can see Jim is gaining on her. He tackles her from behind and luckily they are close enough to the bed for Ophelia to go tumbling onto it, taking Jim with her.

He immediately starts to pry her hand open. He is much stronger than her, only because while she is out working long hours he is home pumping irons in the gym that she paid for. He was a skinny little runt when she first met him now five years later he has a chest and abs that he claims are chiseled by the gods and his dedication to hard work and gym but Ophelia has the plastic surgeons bills, it's next to the bills for his lip fillers and permanent hair plugs. She paid for those too.

She can feel as he prys each finger open, one by one. He is not being gentle and she is sure by the time he gets to the last finger he would have broken at least one of them. She does not know why she does it, it's unsanitary at best, but she reaches across with her free hand and grabs the key then swallows it. Jim freezes in disbelief at her actions for a second then his anger takes over and she can feel his fingers in her mouth as he frantically searches her mouth for the key. "No, no, no! You stupid bitch!" he screams while still digging in her mouth, she can feel his fingernails tearing up the soft skin on the inside of her cheeks.

Defeated, when he finally comes to terms with the fact that she had swallowed the key. He takes his fingers out of her mouth and drops his head as he lets out a heavy sigh. He is straddling her so she can't move but this is what she wanted, not the ripped-up skin in her mouth, but she wanted him to stop and just talk to her. The room is quiet, except for their heavy breathing, but the silence that has always been in their beautifully decorated twelve-bedroom house has never been comfortable. It's always carried a hollow echo that makes the hairs on the back of Ophelia's neck stand up. She hates this house, this over-the-top show house. But it's what Jim wanted so he could bring his friends and family here. He said he wanted to show them how successful he had become.