Dina Caliente-Goth -> Part Two

Pleasant(ly) Ever After 

(Dina Caliente-Goth)
[Part Two] 

 (WARNINGS: There is SWEARING, HEARTBREAK, DEATH (DEATH scene, non graphic), NUDITY, WOOHOO/SEX suggestions (not explicit) and mentions of VIOLENCE.
I'm not an expert on putting warnings so apologies if I miss any!) 

See author notes at the bottom of the page.

Dina lay on her bed in her and Nina’s condo.

The condo that she had shared fulltime with her sister.

The condo that she and her late husband Michael had bought and renovated.

The condo that she had begged Nina move into with her whilst she grieved, having sold the home she and Michael had shared, the memories too painful.

The condo she gifted to Nina when she married Mortimer as thanks for being there for her. She had left this beloved home with no intention of ever moving back in. 

That all changed two months ago. 

When her life got turned upside down for the second time in her life.

When she was forced to return to the home that had been her safe haven for years, despite the sometime painful memories of her first husband. 

When the Goth manor was apparently no longer her home. 

Where she had thought she’d live happily until the end of her days. 

How much of a fool was I to believe I could stay there forever? 

Dina thought to herself, her face devoid of any recognisable emotion. 

How foolish was it of me to believe Mortimer would ever forget about Bella? 

Why was I so certain he would never abandon me?  

Did I seriously think Bella would never return? 

Dina knew she was now out of tears to cry. 

Dina had known the Goths for years. 

Strong, powerful and confidently wealthy.

Whilst Dina had been a poor, awkward teenager. 

Whilst attractive and clever, she lacked the drive to use it. She was so unsure of herself. 

She’d been a poor and idle student whilst actually at school but after losing her parents as a child, it had affected her badly. 

She felt that nobody would love her, or be there for her. The only person she loved more than anything, was her sister Nina. 

Nina might’ve been the elder twin but that didn’t stop Dina acting the elder, so scared she might lose the last family member she had left.  

Dina feared being on her own. 

Dina also feared poverty because she felt nobody would want her if she didn’t have anything to offer others. 

Nina often had to kindly remind her sister that she was enough, and any bloke would be happy to have her. 

Dina struggled with this torment, sinking into depression during her teens.

It had been during this time that she’d met Michael.

He was a down to earth, carefree sim, who loved to travel, to learn and to make others happy. 

He was a blessing because he knew how to read her. She never had to explain how she was feeling, he just seemed to know. 

He was also the older brother to Mortimer’s first wife, Bella Goth. 

Michael might’ve been over a decade older than her but he looked so youthful nobody on the street noticed. 

Bella had been sceptical of their relationship when Michael had introduced her to his younger sister. 

Well, that was saying it kinder than she deserved.  

She'd been a downright bitch.

But Michael hadn’t seen that side of Bella. 

And Dina hadn’t had the courage to square up to Bella because she admired her too much and she knew how much she meant to Michael.

Bella wasn’t just rude to Dina.  

She’d seen a fight between her and Mortimer where Bella had screamed and shouted, stomped her feet and slapped her husband around the face before storming off in a huff. 

Bella had been charismatic and strong-minded, clear of her opinions and never one to back down from a fight if she felt she was in the right. 

Mortimer and Bella’s marriage hadn’t been as stable as the town would’ve wanted them to believe.  

They were the Pleasantview power couple, the undeniable force and example of true everlasting love, with the highly wealthy and intelligent scientist and the staggeringly beautiful younger wife who was a model housewife.

But that wasn’t honest.

Bella had often been so confident and alluring that she couldn’t help what she’d called “harmless flirting” which had bothered Mortimer more than he’d cared to mention.  

Not long before Bella had mysteriously vanished, Mortimer had had enough of her games, the humiliation on his part. 

He’d loved Bella but he had been on the verge of asking her for a divorce, and they’d had an awful row the night before she went missing when he’d suggested them having a trial separation.
  

Bella had thought it was ludicrous and was unapologetic, thinking that Mortimer was growing soft in his old age and he was the issue, not her.  

Bella had been downright cruel with her snide suggestions about Mortimer’s sharp mind slipping. Mortimer was highly proud of his intelligence but not arrogantly so.  

He’d been so distressed that he’d called Dina before he’d gone up to bed that evening. He'd wanted to hear from Dina that he wasn’t losing his marbles.  

Dina had been annoyed at Bella’s comments but had reassured Mortimer that Bella must’ve been saying things in the heat of the moment and that they would resolve their differences in the morning. 

Dina and Michael had fallen for each other relatively quickly and despite what others around them thought, they knew they wanted to get married as soon as they could.

Despite the poisonous rumours around town, Dina wasn’t a gold-digger.

Dina had found a person who knew her, could read her, loved her, worshipped the ground she walked on and who she loved in equal measure. 

She wanted to marry him, settle down together and give him children.

She got two of the three wishes granted.
 

They married in a simple and intimate ceremony and even Bella had set aside her belittlement of Dina, perhaps from a word by her husband-to-be.

  

They honeymooned in Twikkii Island where Michael serenaded and romanced her every night, just as when they’d first met. 

They returned to Pleasantview, into the simple white condo that Michael had lived in before their marriage. 

Together they bought another smaller condo round the corner and over two years of their marriage, they renovated heavily and gave it a much-needed facelift and remodel. 

 They settled in and began to fall into the pattern of two besotted newlyweds. 

Alas it couldn't and didn't last for much longer.

After just three years of marriage Dina woke up suddenly one night. Confused as to why she's woken up, she rolled over to hold her husband's hand. 

She froze when she felt how cool his skin was. 

Her heart was in her throat as she gazed at her husband's too still frame.

Time froze as she realised what that meant.

She’d called his name, shaken him abruptly, searched for a non-existent pulse but deep down she’d known from the moment before waking that he was gone.

Michael's sudden death had completely and utterly devastated Dina.

That hadn’t been the worst part of the whole nightmare. 

He died, not knowing she was already been carrying his child, something that she only found out later that same day.  

When she found out, Dina had felt her depression rising its head, stronger and more vicious than before and as a result she’d locked herself up in her bedroom for days, not eating, sleeping or speaking to anybody. 

Not even the unborn child inside her could cut away her grief for her beloved husband. Despite how excited they’d both been at the thought of starting a family.  

Dina hadn’t had the energy, motivation or desire to move from her spot on the double bed she’d shared with Michael. She just lay there, staring at the ceiling, the tears cascading down her face the only sign that she wasn’t a statue.  

She’d tried to remind herself that whilst Michael was gone, his child grew within her, and that was reason enough to keep going, to stay strong and to keep living.

It took her over a week after he’d passed away for Dina to realise, she was hungry, tired and lonely.

Until Nina came and rescued her from herself and forced Dina into the shower whilst she cooked her some comfort soup. 

As Dina sat on that her bed now, she gazed at the wedding photos on the wall, not of her and Michael, but of her and Mortimer.

Mortimer had also been a strong comfort to her in dealing with her grief. 

Michael had been a brother to him and they’d confided in each other.

Bella had retreated into herself and hadn’t been able to speak to Dina until over a year after Michael had died.
Not that Dina cared much.

Dina had been a comfort to Mortimer after Bella vanished, just as clueless as everyone else as to what had happened.  

She’d held Mortimer in her arms, just as he had then for her. 

After another few years, the bond between them had grown and blossomed until Dina realised, she was in love with him. 

She’d resisted Mortimer’s shy advances, fearing people’s opinions and her own painful memories would repeat on her.

And now they had.

Bella was back at the Goth manor.

She’d returned to ruin Dina’s happiness as she’d tried to do years before.

 When Dina had turned around in the main hall of the Goth manor that fateful evening and seen the striking woman standing in front of her, she’d felt the full force of her worst fear realized.

Even though her dress was ripped and muddy, her face bruised her hair filthy and unkempt, it was impossible to not recognise the infamous Bella Goth. 

Bella didn’t seem herself, or to what Dina remembered of her ex-sister-in-law.

Mortimer’s daughter Cassandra had a been a child when they'd first met and Dina was endeared to her at once. Cassandra often was seen as quiet and suspicious, even by her own mother. 

The simple fact was nobody bothered to ask her opinion, thinking her too young and naïve for such conversations. 

Dina hadn’t thought so. 

Dina had seen at once that Cassandra (or Cassie as she went by then) was alert, clever and almost nothing like her mother. 

Cassandra valued brains over beauty and she was glad for many years, that she wasn’t like her mother. 

She had almost despised her. 

Cassandra had confided in Dina that she used to envy her mother and hated any and all comparisons being made between them, especially when it came to appearance.  

“Why do they assume I’ll be like her?” Cassandra had snapped once.  

This had been before Bella’s disappearance and she’d been bitter and upset how much her then-boyfriend had openly admired her mother. Cassandra was still a teenager and was quite insecure about her own appearance.

It had also been a few months before Michael's death so Dina was still blissfully happy and unaware of the tragedy she'd soon face, so her advice and reasoning was optimistic.

Dina had given her a reassuring smile across the table. “People talk and people like people who are beautiful because it’s a perfect reality, an impossible dream to cherish. They look at your parents and they see the image they give and hope they can have that too.” 

“But they fight every other night!” Cassandra said scowling. “I don’t like it. Alex will be old enough to understand what they are saying, if he’s not already!”

 “People don’t see that side” Dina said soothingly. “People forget that a perfect life doesn’t exist. You can only get close to it, and it’s never guaranteed.” 

Dina thought back on her words from then.  

I am so stupid, she thought sadly. I don’t deserve happiness. My perfect life with Mortimer has ended, just like with Michael, both before I had time to savour it. 

But the only comfort to Dina (if it was comfort) was that Bella was different now. She recalled that night in the Goth manor, nearly two months ago.

It had been a normal evening for them. 

Mortimer and Dina had been happily waltzing around the grand hallway the manor had, with Cassandra dancing with Alexander to a jazz record that Dina adored.

Mortimer had been looking at her tenderly and whilst both of them weren't speaking, the love between them was very evident.

Suddenly, Mortimer caught her off-guard and kissed her full on the month, taking her breath away as he dipped her.

Her love for him only grew when he acted spontaneously like this.

She felt safe, loved, cherished and content.

She should've seen the warning signs.

Because in her life, happiness never lasted.

She and Mortimer had only just stepped away from each other and Dina had just opened her mouth to say that it was time Alexander should be off to bed, and what story he wanted her to read to him when the front door opened behind her.

The cold draft that came in rose goosebumps on her skin.

The Bella that had returned was very unlike the one who she'd been. She wasn’t even a shadow of her former self. She looked broken, defeated and helpless. 

How was Dina supposed to react? 

On one hand, she could scream and shout for the vulnerable woman to get out of their lives and never come back 

But how could she reasonably demand Mortimer throw his children's mother out on the street, when they’d all mourned Bella when she’d vanished without a trace.  

In honesty, Dina didn’t want to be that monster who was heartless. 

Mortimer had run over to Bella straight away.  

Dina had felt her heart shatter on the floor in front of her as he embraced his estranged wife, as if he’d completely forgotten that Dina was standing right there. 

His legally married current wife.

He wasn’t unhappy to see Bella now, the one who’d once tormented him for her own ego. 

He seemed to forget about Dina, his “shining star” who’d been there for him, who loved Mortimer for who he was, not what he was worth, despite what every ungrateful sim in Pleasantview thought of her motives.

Dina had tried to rein in her fear, standing back, wanting to hug Bella herself as she had missed her, but worried that she’d be shouted at, called a gold-digger, a husband-thief.  

She didn’t blame Cassandra and Alexander running up to their mother and holding onto her for dear life.  

Cassandra, who was usually very reserved, ran over to Bella, even though she too had had a difficult relationship with her mother.

And then Bella had stared at her, and Dina braced herself. 

Bella hadn't spoken a word since she'd walked in so they were frightened as to what she'd say. 

But she only beamed at both Dina and Mortimer even though Mortimer was now stood beside Dina again, shoulders sagging.

Alexander, at Cassandra’s suggestion, had walked Bella into the reading room across the hall so that Mortimer and Dina had some privacy.  

Bella walked along in her son’s wake, shoulder hunched and limping slightly. 

After the initial shock of finding his ex-wife in the hallway, Mortimer had remembered himself and pulled Dina to him. 

“I’m so sorry Dina” he whispered in her ear. 

Dina felt dread creep back into her bones as she pulled away enough to look into her husband’s eyes.

She wanted to ask what he meant.

She was terrified of what he meant.

She was a coward.

Mortimer clearly was too, he just gazed at her longingly, his own eyes watering.

He didn't answer, though his actions and expression spoke enough. He just walked away from her to walk across the hallway to the reading room.

In hindsight, she wondered if Mortimer had felt he had no choice but to accept Bella back into his home.

But did that mean that Dina had to leave?

Dina hadn’t wanted to leave.

She was in love with him, she adored his children as if they were her own. 

They hadn’t assumed she was there for monetary gain and had allowed her into their grief and she’d been accepted.  

She’d never once taken it for granted.

She had felt loved, respected and happy here which she hadn’t felt like for years.

Once the doors had closed behind Mortimer, Dina felt tears cascade down her face and she fought to remain composed the best she could. She didn’t want to scare Alexander.

Cassandra, who’d seen her composure slipping through the kitchen door came out at once and pulled Dina to her, holding her tightly.

“Alexander is in there with them, you can let it go now Dina. I’ve got you.” 

And Dina burst into tears in her step-daughter's arms, just like Dina had held onto Cassandra in the aftermath of Bella’s disappearance.

“Oh Cass, I’m so scared!” Dina had sobbed. “I know it’s selfish of me to worry about my own skin but-”

“You aren’t being selfish Dina” Cassandra had scolded her, making her look her dead in the eyes. “You were the mother I didn’t have; you were there for Alex, you were here for us.

Just because she is back in this house, doesn’t mean she is back as his wife."

"Mother was declared legally dead and that’s why Dad was allowed to marry you. It’s why you two waited so long, in the vain hope to spare you both from this fucking horrific event!” 

But you couldn’t wait forever and me and Alex wanted you here.”

She paused before adding “We still want you here.” 

But Dina had replied “But your father didn’t tell me to stay.” 

“He didn’t tell you to leave either” Cassandra said stubbornly.

  

“True” Dina admitted. “But your mother is confused, it’s all happening so quickly.”

“Dina” Cassandra said, still determined to convince Dina. “Go upstairs and I’ll get Dad to meet you there. We’ll distract Mother. You two need to decide something before you go to bed.”

“I don’t deserve your loyalty Cass” Dina said and hugged Cassandra again. “I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

Cassandra's calm demeanour was steady but Dina heard a hitch in her breath, as if trying to contain her own emotions.

Cassandra had been true to her word.

Dina had gone upstairs and tried to compose herself and sat down in the master bedroom that she had renovated for them.

The room had previously been very dark and was difficult to navigate even in daytime with half a chandelier of candles to light it.

Mortimer hadn’t kept her waiting long. He’d stood by the door, looking worried and like he’d aged another decade.

Dina looked up at him as he entered “How are you coping?” she asked kindly.

Mortimer’s eyes watered “Oh Dina, I have absolutely no idea what to do! I keep hoping this is a bad dream and I’ll wake up in a minute with you beside me.”

“Weren’t there times when you wished nothing more than your wife returning?” Dina asked, determined not to sound bitter or bitchy. She must act her age.

“Dina you are my wife” Mortimer repiled, his expression stunned.

 “Could’ve fooled me” Dina bit out, her temper and hurt flaring as she got up to her feet.. “You ran straight over to her when she walked through that door. You forgot about me even though I was stood beside you, as I have been since before she disappeared. And now you’re about to cast me aside.”

“It’s what I ought to do-” Mortimer moaned, looking pleadingly at her. “I don’t know what to do Dina!”

“Is this an excuse?” she asked, trying to not shout. “Are you hoping I will make the choice for you? Do you really think that I find this easier than you? That I actually want to walk out of this house?”

“Because I don’t want to leave” Dina choked out, her own pain in her tone. “I’m in love with you Mort and I was happy here. This is supposed to be my home, not hers.”

Mortimer paused as he gazed longingly at her again, silent.

She sighed heavily. “Are you even going to fight for me?”

Mortimer jumped into action “I love you too Dina!” he stammered. “I do, it’s just-”

“I’m not her, is that it?”

“No! Of course not! You can stay here and I’ll get rid of her!” 

“I doubt you’re seriously going to do that” Dina said dryly. “I want to know if you still want me as your life partner, your wife, your love.”

Mortimer looked at her steadily “I promised you on our wedding day that you would always hold my heart, no matter how far we are from each other. I hoped we’d never part.”

“Why are you saying goodbye?” Dina asked sharply.

Mortimer didn’t reply, he just stared at her hopelessly.

“I thought you were a better man than this” Dina said quietly, with no venom, just a numbness. “You’re going to let her march back in here and make you unhappy as she always did. And you’re casting aside the woman who has always been there for you, who wanted nothing more than for you to be happy.”

She looked away from her husband and began to remove her wedding ring. 

Mortimer saw what she was doing “No Dina! Don’t-keep it!”

“As a keepsake?” she asked sarcastically.

“I... I will sort this out Dina” Mortimer promised, going to stand closer to her.

She walked away, feeling uncomfortable with the gesture. She had no idea how or what to think or feel right now.

She couldn’t go to bed in their bed when his ex-wife was downstairs.

She had to leave.  

Now. 

“I’m going to Nina’s” she said with difficulty, staring at the wardrobe in front of her. “I cannot sleep here tonight, not when she is here.” 

“Don’t leave me Dina!” Mortimer begged.

“I’m not leaving you” she stressed. “I just need time to process this, as do you. You can’t think straight and that stresses you out more. I know you too well Mortimer.”

“I will be waiting there if you decide to have me back as your wife again” Dina said, not looking at his reflection in front of her as she started packing her clothes.

“You must understand or at least try to see what this all looks like from my perspective Mort” Dina sighed, feeling bad that her husband was beside himself with tears as she’d pulled her jacket on. 

“My husband ran straight over to his legally ex-wife, as if you’d already chosen that I don’t matter to you anymore.”

“Was I just a replacement balm for your missing Bella?” 

"You were never a replacement for Bella" Mortimer sobbed. "I love you as you are Dina. I'm so sorry you feel like I abandoned you but it was instinctively. As much as she upset me back then, she was still a friend because she's known me since we were both children. That was a friendly hug, nothing more, I promise!"

There was a pause and then Mortimer's tears ceased for a moment before he lurched forwards and pulled her to him, holding onto her tightly, kissing her forehead softly.

"This is a sensual, loving, tender hug that I give the woman I love, who I will always love and who is my beautiful legally married wife."

Mortimer stared into her eyes deeply, memorising her as they always did. "I will always choose you, my love.”

He kissed her gently and she consented, her eyes welling up behind her closed eyelids.

When they pulled away, Dina sighed “Don’t make promises to me you cannot keep. It’ll only hurt me all the more.”

And then she made her way downstairs, said her goodbyes to Cassandra and Alexander and left for Nina's condo, fighting her sobs all the way.

Getting up from her bed now, Dina stared at the photographs on the wall of her wedding day to Mortimer.

It’s been over two months, she thought. And he’s still not decided.  

Unless he had, and he was choosing not to tell her.  

There had been no phone calls, no social visits. 

Nothing.  

Just disappointment, as she’d feared.

It would be his loss, she thought calmly as she caressed her stomach.

Because inside her there was a baby growing.

End of Chapter 6: Dina Caliente -> Goth, Part Two

Author Notes: 
1) A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED for Dina to be chosen! I will most likely write in Angela's perspective next as she was the second highest.

2) ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU TO JO (Semi's Simmies - her tumblr page is here) as she did the recolour/dirty edit of the dress I used for Bella's entrance scene.
We do not own the mesh and the original creator was RentedSpace and the dress can be found here.

By all means leave a comment here, or on the tumblr post on my simblr that brought you here. All reads, likes, follows are all appreciated and all comments are read and replied to by me.

Thank you for reading and stay safe everyone! xxx 

Love from Jess :)