A Whole New World

Roselle had recently begun school. She was very scared at first. "Will the other kids like me? Will I be able to keep up?" She questioned herself as she paused at the bus. She looked back to the house, seeing her mother standing at the doorway. Sophia sat Roselle down the day before and reassured her that everything would be fine. Sophia knew she raised Roselle well. The girl would be fine. Besides, she had to encourage the young girl to attend school regularly. The constant watching as men entered and exited the house probably wasn't good for her. In the end, Roselle boarded the bus and was on her way.

Shaun arrived home some time later. Luckily, Sophia had all of her "friends" gone long before. So when he walked into the house, she was the perfect picture of a housewife, sitting on the couch reading. He seemed exceptionally happy. He hugged her tight and spoke of a promotion. Sophia smiled, praising him. This one was far more useful than the others. With his help, there was a large sum of money coming into the house. It was very much appreciated. Sophia enjoyed all the cute things she was able to buy with it. Expensive art really made the house alive, you know.

Of course, a promotion meant more hard work. It really motivated Shaun to take extra hours. This left him gone for longer periods of time and that gave Sophia more time to romance. Lately, though, her mojo had been on the low end of the dial. The men she kept never seemed to give her a boost anymore. So she tried something new: women. It was all timed well. The research center in town was paying several women to experiment new drugs made to help same-sex couples conceive. If she played her cards right with this one, she'd be able to get a lover, a baby and a nice bundle of cash.

Shaun remained completely unaware of his beloved's plans. When he wasn't at work, he was busy with the children. He kept Daniel fed, bathed and happy with the new block set her bought him. He helped Roselle study. Despite not being her father, he was very good with Roselle. But he couldn't help but notice her resemblance to Sophia's "brother".

Daniel was growing into a beautiful young boy, with a very active imagination. He took to the activity table like a bee to honey. Whenever Sophia walked by the nursery, she often found him either drawing portraits of birds or building small castles. She watched him with a greater fondness than she had with Roselle. Perhaps it was because he looked much like her?

His birthday came and it was once again a celebration not to be missed. Though, Sophia had to question Shaun's choice of theme. Seeing her son in a pink dinosaur costume was...strange. Couldn't he have gotten the blue one? Daniel was happy all the same. There was cake to be had!

Just as they had when he was a child, Daniel and Roselle got along swimmingly.They did everything together. Daniel helped Roselle with the train set. Roselle helped Daniel with his painting. The both of them also shared a love for making fun of their stepfather. Children will be children.

Soon, they had another one to share their secrets to. Sophia gave birth to a second son, whom she named Gabriel. This one was a nice mix between Shaun and Sophia, though he seemed to take after his father more. The nursery was once again filled.

That meant it was time to bid Shaun farewell. Sophia thought he would enjoy the final show. Men often fantasized about their woman in bed with another, right? Shaun was apparently one of the 2% of men who didn't enjoy that sort of thing. He cried and screamed like a little girl when he saw two naked women in bed together. At least the children were at school...

Sophia was honestly sad to see Shaun go. She really was. He was cute. He was a good worker. He was good with the kids. He was a decently good guy. But things had to happen for a reason. With him in the picture, she couldn't continue her ways. So she convinced Shaun to do one last favor for her. "Fix the TV, would you, dear? Daniel wants to watch some Spongebob..."

Casa de Hess suddenly got a vacancy. And so, it was time to let someone occupy it. Sophia invited her lady love over and after a bit of sweet talk, had yet another mouth to feed.

Samantha Turner
Family Sim
Captain Hero
Lab Assistant
Brought 5k

Into The Groove

After the loss of Don, it was time to introduce a new mate to Casa de Hess. Naturally, the blonde one was the next in line. He was the best looking yet, Sophia noticed with glee. He also had a sweet demeanor underneath his somewhat overbearing ways. He would be very welcomed and maybe even mourned when his time came to an end. But let's not think of that, shall we? Welcome, Mr. Guevara.

Shaun Guevara
Family Sim
Marry Off 6 Kids
Intern
Cancer
Brought 6k

Using some of the money brought with him, Shaun finished the upstairs balcony and made it into his own personal observatory. Yes, he began spending many a night staring out into space. Sometimes he counted constellations, sometimes he focused on the planets. He even claimed to have seen an UFO. But Sophia merely drowned him out. Aliens weren't something she found interesting.

Shaun was also good with the kids. Like Don, he was a bit of a family man. So when it came to Roselle, he insisted that a huge party was to be thrown for her. Sophia agreed. Her first born deserved a huge celebration after all. A small group of friends was invited and the party was generally successful. Still...there was something lingering in the air...

Sophia figured Shaun was off his knocker just a bit. But to be seeing ghost? Hah! That's a new brand of crazy. She just rolled her eyes as he blabbed on about seeing the ghost of her "brother" during Roselle's party. The poor boy needed to lay off the Sci-Fi channel.

Roselle, despite looking like Sabastian, had many of Roselle's qualities. She loved creativity in all its forms. She was always either painting beautiful images of grinning silver-haired men or playing songs on the violin. She was very talented, Sophia noted. Even moreso than her.

Shaun introduced her to science and sports, while Sophia introduced her to dancing and cuisine. It was unsure of what was going to be her life's passion but it was heartwarming to watch her excel in everything she tried.

Not long after Roselle's birthday, Daniel's arrived. Once again, there was a small party with the family and close family friends. It was already clear that unlike his sister, Daniel looked like Sophia. If he kept this up, he'd be as much of a heartbreaker as his mother. Think about it. Who can say no to those looks?

Roselle got along wonderfully with her little brother. She helped with his feedings and his education. She was the one who taught him the nursery rhyme her mother had taught her. Like his sister, Daniel was a fast learner. Also like his sister, he seemed to adore the activity table and the xylophone, showing an early love for the arts as well. Why, this entire little family seemed to just exude creativity!

Sophia decided it was time to profit from all that creativity. Her previous investment in renovating a room in her house would soon pay off. Sophia began showing off some of her creations, selling them all at modest prices. It was a good way to make money and pass the time. Once again, she was pregnant and found herself too tired to venture out to seek out new potential playmates.

But it was a nice experience all around. One of her customers noticed Roselle dancing about the front yard and immediately took an interest. It seemed the woman was a dance instructor and offered a membership to her dance classes to Roselle. The little girl was so thrilled. To dance with professionals was so exciting! Sophia couldn't have been more happy for her little angel.

They began spending alot of time together. While Shaun was at work and Daniel was asleep, they often cuddled up on the couch and watched reruns of Full House. Sophia even purchased a large train set for the two to work on together. She watched fondly as Roselle planted little trees into it. Sure, she enjoyed chatting up cute boys and rolling amongst the sheets but...she also enjoyed times like this, times where she could just engulf herself in innocent motherhood.

Plus, the men bought the sweet mother act like hot cakes.

Welcome Home

Life as a mother wasn't all that bad. It was actually pretty nice. Roselle was very intelligent for her age and already had a deep love for art. Sophia had purchased an activity table to put in the nursery and Roselle immediately took to it, drawing various little pieces of art. Sophia put one on the wall of the nursery and kept the others for future generations. When she managed to drag Roselle away from the table, she began teaching her little nursey rhymes. Together, they'd spend entire afternoons just singing together. It was very sweet.

It was a nice way to balance out the rest of her life, which was slowly going downhill. Don had made some poor decisions in his job (against Sophia's correct judgement, of course) and was subsequently fired. This was terrible! Not only was he the only current breadwinner, it meant he was home all day now. How was Sophia supposed to continue her escapades when the cat was in the kitchen? This mouse had to do something to fix this. She began begging his boss to take him back and luckily, the old geezer was easily swayed by a pair of long legs and a smile.

So her adventures continued. Her next victim came by often these days. He was still unaware of her status as an engaged woman. Luckily, he never saw Don leave or enter the house. She didn't want to have to think of an entirely new explanation. This boy might've been blonde but he was far from stupid. He'd figure out she was lying.

Soon, he became aware of the situation he was in. Don came back from his first day back to work and was so estatic. Sophia's persuasion managed to get him a promotion. He was so thrilled, he had to go and thank her! Not seeing her downstairs, he figured she was in bed. He walked upstairs and was shocked to hear strange sounds. Sounds only he made with...no. It couldn't be! But it was! His beloved fiancee was in bed with another man! He should have known! He had been in the exact same spot some months earlier...

There wasn't much time to be mad. Sometime later, Sophia went into labor. She gave birth to her first son, whom she named Daniel. He had Don's eyes and both of their hair colors but his skintone was unfamiliar. Hm. Perhaps Don's side of the family had lighter skin than he himself? Nonetheless, he was an adorable addition to the nursery. Roselle was most pleased to have company.

Despite being utterly mad at Sophia, Don kept himself strong in front of the children. He continued to care for both of them, feeding them and keeping them happy. He couldn't help it. It was simply who he was. Sophia noticed his dedication to them. It was a shame to lose him but...such things must be done.

Death seemed to have notice her plans and was on her side. Strange things began to occur, just as they did with Sabastian. Don became withdrawn, even moreso than after discovering Sophia's secret love life. He started to spend alot of time outside. It was eventually his love for cloud gazing that did him in...
And there wasn't any way to put the blame of Sophia. Hahaha. God bless catastrophe.

Nasty Girl

Ho hum. With Sabastain working, Sophia worked on finding her next lover. She had two choices but only one would work for now. Hm. Who to choose? There's Shaun, the pretty blonde who played hard-to-get or there is Don, the strange-looking bartender. Both would end up the same. They were just two roads to the same destination. After failing to contact Shaun (boy must have a day job) she decided it was easier to get Don in her midst. So she proceeded in inviting him over while Sabastian was out work.

The two chatted for a bit. The boy had a shared interest in the arts, so they mostly talked about local art galleries or painters. But then she stopped him, as he was about to go on about a modern artist. "Shall we move to the bedroom?" She asked in that soft voice that almost guaranteed a positive answer. They made sure to be quiet, for baby Roselle slept in the next room.

But somehow, even in their silence, Sabastian found out about their tryst. Sophia must've lost track of time. She had dozed off a bit, but awoke when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She looked over at the clock. "3 PM already?! No!" There was no time to try and hide. The door opened and it was obvious to Sabastian what happened. His first response? Take out his anger on both his wife and her lover. He shoved her, slapped her a bit and was only derailed from full-on domestic violence when the cries of Roselle reached him. Sophia glared as he left. No man dared strike her...This would be the last time.

They avoided each other like the plague after the incident. Sophia spent her time caring for Roselle. Sabastian kept the house from getting dirty from "Sophia's filth". Sometimes he'd get so caught up in his own thoughts, he'd forget about the small things. Such as the pot of spaghetti that was currently being burned on the stove.

Due to his distractions, a fire broke out in the kitchen. Sabastian tried to get the fire extinguisher out from under the counter but it too caught fire. He screamed, hoping his whore of a wife would care enough to call the fire department. As she walked slowly to the kitchen to help, Sophia couldn't help but think this would be a lovely way to go and she couldn't even be blamed for it. But then again, she didn't want to replace all her kitchen appliances. So reluctantly, she called the fire department and they helped put out the flames. Sabastian survived his burns. Pity.

But death did come for him some time later. It was most unexpected. After the fire, he began to become reclusive. He didn't sleep. He didn't eat. And it proved to be his downfall. Struggling to make it to the kitchen once he finally couldn't take it anymore, Sabastian collapsed.

Sophia walked over his collapsed body and made a bottle for Roselle. Then she noticed a gloomy figure gliding in. The figure, too, noticed her. He realized she could see him. Wondering if she could hear him, he asked, "You gonna save him?" She stared boredly and shook her head.
"No." That was that. He asked no more questions. He simply took the soul and left behind the body. Sophia put Roselle to bed and then buried her first lover in a shallow grave in the backyard. If anyone asked, it was her hamster, Gizmo.

The house had grown lonesome. So Sophia decided it was time to move in the very man who ended her previous marriage. He accepted and made his intentions clear. He wanted to marry Sophia and be a father to Roselle, seeing as how her father "abandoned" her. Sophia let him think this way. Whatever kept him happy.

Don Thorne
Aquarius
Family Sim
Golden Anniversary
Brought 5k

Don was a family man, it seemed. So he wished to make things right. So he proposed marriage. Sophia had no intention of going through with it but the idea of having some nice ice to stare at when he grew bored was thrilling. So she allowed him to call her his fiancee. Whatever kept him happy.

Her indiscretions from previous activity came back to her. She was pregnant again. Two children at the ripe age of 23? Interesting. It never hurt to be a hot mom. But wouldn't the taxing labor put a strain on her body, causing her to age prematurely? There had to be a way of fixing this...she'd spend her time pregnant doing research.

Her other time was spent practicing with the violin Don bought her. The money he brought into the house was spent on her, mostly. Some was spent on getting her a violin, to help keep her love of music and art strong. The rest was invested in a plan she had. The fruits of which would be revealed later. In the meantime, she serenaded her blonde crush whenever Don was away. He seemed to have an eye for music.

Roselle eventually grew larger and was beginning to, sadly, look like Sabastian. "Oh well," Sophia cooed as she sang nursery rhymes to her daughter. It was sometimes nice to remember past mistakes, right?

Reflection

The married life was all she expected it to be: boring. The spark Sab once held was covered by his devotion to work. His work ethic left Sophia to her own devices. She had to get her poor, gentle hands dirty in an effort to keep herself from succumbing to starvation. Bah! The man was useless. That job of his didn't even pay much. He wasn't earning his keep. How could Sophia keep her lavish lifestyle if he refused to make an effort?

He was good at something, though. He had quite the artistic vision. It was the only profitable thing he did. He sold many of his smaller paintings for decent cash but seeing his latest piece, Sophia asked it be kept. It had a charm to it, she admitted. It would have been a shame to sell it. Not that she could blame anyone for wanting to have it for themselves. It certainly brought life to any room.

There were other perks that came laced in the workaholic package. He was gone much of the morning or was otherwise distracted. He hadn't a clue that while he read great literature in the living room, Sophia recited sonnets and odes to the first man her eyes sparked an interest in. He was puddy in her hands, nearly melting as her touch sent electrical waves through his body. Not so loud, darling. Wait till the ears can hear no more.

Not all her conquests were so easy to woo, nor were they all imbeciles. It had taken a long time to woo a particular blonde bombshell but finally, he accepted her offer to visit her estate. Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on the fact Sabastian would be home. She should have kept better track of his work schedule. He thought nothing of the stranger, simply dismissing him as a man on a walk just passing by. But that couldn't be said for the man himself.

"Who was he?!" He sounded like a woman scorned. But Sophia isn't one to show nervousness. No. She is a smart cookie, you see. So she batted her eyes and apologized for not introducing the two. "My brother, you see. We share different fathers so we do not look alike." Whether he bought it then or no, she had to seal the deal. Pulling a rose from someplace unseen, she offered her apologiies. The rose's intoxicating scent was more than enough to set things right. Good show, Sophia. Good show.

Sabastian was easy to please. He required only a little management. A kiss here, a cuddle there...and he left her alone for a while. She had to admit, though, he was very warm. In the coldest nights, she'd find herself cuddling up to him. He made the bed so warm with his natural heat. She wondered if a heated blanket would be able to produce the same effect once his time was up.

She had started to notice some strange things occurring to her weeks later. She was far more tired. Sometimes, she couldn't even make it up the stairs and would simply crash out on the couch. Sabastian would come home and be shocked to find her on the couch, he'd carry her to bed. He became worried and told her to see a doctor. All this sleep couldn't be normal.

And it wasn't. There was a reason behind this madness. She was pregnant. A shock to both herself and Sabastian. They weren't careful by any means but a baby? Were they ready for that? Sophia had no choice, though. Abortion wasn't her game either. She knew she could be a loving mother. She only hoped the waiting period wasn't so fraught with bumps.

Her pregnancy seemed to go by quick, partly due to her keeping herself busy. Yes, not even pregnancy stopped her from seducing men. She used it to her advantage, playing the poor single woman who was abandoned once learning of her gift on the way. Men bought it like it was on sale for one day only. She wondered if perhaps she could continue to use her young one but seeing that sweet little face, she dismissed all mischievous thoughts. Roselle was the perfect mix of the two genes. She inherited Sophia's eyes and Sabastian's hair color. Had she inherited his strong facial structure was left to be seen.

That was one birth out of the way. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing. In the end, when her plan was over, she'd be left alone. So perhaps a child for each memory was a good thing, to keep her company in her elderhood. Yes...this was right. Though to be fair to her children, she'd try to find more attractive fathers, lest she doom them to a life of ridicule. She was a black widow but she wasn't heartless.