The soft jingle of bells echoed faintly through the stillness of the night, blending with the gentle hum of the heater kicking on in the Pittsburgh home. It was 1:30 AM on Christmas, the kind of cold, quiet hour where snow blanketed the world like a silencer. But the calm was broken by a shimmer of magic, red and gold sparks swirling in the living room as Mary Claus stepped out of the ether, brushing flecks of snow off her fur-lined capelet.

Her warm brown eyes, usually filled with holiday cheer, glinted with something sharper as they scanned the dimly lit room. She let out a low hum, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips as her boots clicked softly on the hardwood floor. The place was cozy, decorated with twinkling Christmas lights and a lovingly adorned tree. But the warmth of the home couldn’t disguise the heaviness in the air—a sense of betrayal and heartbreak that clung to the walls.

Mary approached the bedroom door where the faint sound of snoring could be heard. She tilted her head, hands on her hips, and tapped a perfectly manicured nail on the wood before speaking loud enough to wake the occupants inside.

“Ho ho ho! Sarah, darling, you’ve been a very naughty girl this year.”

The sound of her voice cut through the silence like a knife. There was a shuffle inside, hurried and panicked, before the door creaked open slightly. Sarah’s face appeared, her hair mussed and her eyes wide, blinking as if trying to make sense of the figure in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Mary cut her off with a sharp, saccharine smile.

“Save it, sweetheart. I already know the whole story.” Mary leaned in, her voice dropping to a dangerous purr. “Cheating on your husband on Christmas Eve? At a work party, no less? Oh, Sarah, you’re the ugly gift that keeps on giving. Too bad it’s all coal this year... and worse”

Sarah stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment and fear. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“Oh, don’t even try it.” Mary’s eyes narrowed, her playful demeanor giving way to something far more menacing. She stepped closer, forcing Sarah to backpedal into the room. The glow from the hallway caught the shine of Mary’s red velvet dress, her fishnet-clad legs moving with a predatory grace. “You really thought you could ruin Christmas for someone who didn’t deserve it and get away with it? I don’t think so, whore.”

Mary’s gaze flicked toward the bed, where the shape of her husband was barely visible under the blankets. Her expression softened for a moment, a flicker of sympathy crossing her face, before she turned her attention back to Sarah.

“You’ve hurt someone who gave you their trust, their love. And for what? A sleazy office fling?” Her voice sharpened again, each word dripping with venom. “This fuckin’ slut thinks she can ruin Christmas? Not on my watch, bitch.”

Sarah’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, but no words came. Mary didn’t need them. She waved a gloved hand, and the air in the room grew thick with a shimmering red glow. The scent of cinnamon and cold air filled the space as Mary’s magic unfurled.

“Now,” she said, her voice laced with finality, “I think it’s time we had a little Christmas lesson. Naughty girls like you need to learn that actions have consequences.”

Her gaze flicked toward the bed again, her expression softening into something warm and inviting as she added in a lower, gentler tone, “And maybe someone else needs to remember that they deserve so much better than this.” She said, gesturing to the sleeping figure who is beginning to stir awake from his sleep.

The door clicked shut behind her as the night’s reckoning began, with Miss Claus now fully in the bedroom with both Sarah and her husband.