The servants thought I had enchanted Dominic with some kind of potion. In truth, I had. During my time in the mental health institute, I thoroughly studied the pills I took every day. After moving into the mansion, I ground various pills into powder. I secretly mixed them with food and fed them to Dominic. I felt a rush of excitement every time I prepared the medication. I felt like an all-powerful magician. I poured the mixture into Dominic’s seafood porridge. “What are you doing?” Suddenly, I felt a tight grip on my hand. I turned to see Dominic behind me. His face darkened. He blinked in agitation when he saw the packet of powder in my hand. I knew these were signs of rage. I smiled and said teasingly, “What else can I do? I’m just making your favorite seafood chowder!” As I said that, I gave the packet a shake. The powder poured into the bowl of chowder and disappeared without a trace. He still looked doubtful, and his face grew darker. He gripped my hand tigh
Logan tightened the screws in Ava’s legs using a wrench. He did this to stimulate the severed bones to keep growing. Ava endured the endless and excruciating pain. The only reason she tried to survive through it was for me—her sister in a mental health institute. In her diary, Ava had written that as long as she was alive, there would always be hope. Dominic had given her a lot of money. She had secretly saved it in my account abroad. I found the secret code she left for me in her diary. She had written that if anything happened to her, she wanted me to use the money to escape somewhere far away and live there for the rest of my life. She hoped I would move to a place with fewer people so that I would have enough space for myself. At first, everything seemed to go smoothly. Ava really did grow taller. Dominic often took her to public events to show her off. In the videos, Ava wore long dresses to hide her scarred legs. It was difficult for her to walk. Each step fel
I placed a piece of steak on Dominic’s plate. Dominic glanced at the TV. It was broadcasting the news about Logan’s car crash. He looked at me and said cautiously, “That’s too bad. I didn’t expect Logan to get into a car accident. You must be really upset, right?” I pretended to be displeased and complained, “What does anyone else’s life or death have to do with me? As long as I have you, that’s all that matters!” Dominic laughed happily. He touched my face and said gently, “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me!” I smiled too. Every good thing came with a price. It was my turn to ask Dominic for a gift. On my birthday, Dominic asked me what I wanted. I pointed at the twinkling stars in the night sky and said, “I want the stars in the sky!” Dominic laughed heartily. “Anything else is fine, except that!” I looked into his eyes and said earnestly, “Dom, I love you. Will you marry me?” The smile on Dominic’s face slowly disappeared. He said nothing and turned to
I poured a bucket of ice water over Dominic’s head. He shivered and was jolted awake. He squinted at me and seemed to forget where he was. When Dominic finally recognized me, his face turned pale. He quickly backed away. Unfortunately, the basement was small. He backed into the corner and curled up into a ball. I staggered forward as I struggled to move. The red paint tied to my legs seeped out and resembled blood. “Dominic, I’m in so much pain!” I mimicked Ava’s voice. I mimicked it exactly from her tone to her sighs. Dominic trembled like a leaf. He mumbled to himself, “Don’t come looking for me. If you want someone, go find Logan. I already killed him. I avenged you.” I yanked a steel nail from my leg and stabbed at him. The bloody nail pierced his heart. Blood splattered everywhere. He screamed and fainted. The next morning, Dominic’s screams echoed in the bedroom. He fell from the bed and gasped for air frantically. “Dom, what’s wrong?” I sat up in bed an
Six months later, Dominic had grown to 5’11”. However, he could not stand on his own. I had someone hold Dominic down on the floor and stretch him out in a straight line to measure his height. The current Dominic was nothing like the arrogant, healthy young man he once was. His body was emaciated, with severely wrinkled skin that made him look like an old man in his eighties. His eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones protruded. The only reminder of his former self remained in the shape of his eyes and brows. “You promised to let me go once I reached 5’11”. Now that I have, please let me go.” He struggled to speak and gasped for breath as he tried to form a full sentence. I squatted beside him and yanked the bloody steel pins out of his legs. He groaned in pain and curled up into a ball. Without the support of the steel pins, the bones in his legs collapsed. I laughed sweetly. “Oops! What should we do now, Dom? You’ll never reach 5’11” again!” A few days later, Domi
Dominic was surrounded by a group of beautiful women with long legs and silky-smooth skin. He looked completely at ease, as though enveloped in blissfulness. I focused all my attention on him. The scent of lavender filled the air. It was similar to the smell in my own room. I eagerly took a deep breath. Only then did I begin to feel a bit calmer. The door behind me flung open. Two muscular men in black barged in. “Sir, we’re sorry.” Panic flashed across their faces. Each man grabbed my hand on either side and restrained me. They tried to drag me out. I did not attempt to break free from them. I focused my gaze on Dominic. At that moment, I knew I must have looked pitiful. Whenever I felt bored, I practiced in front of the mirror. I learned to control every muscle in my face and focused on each small nerve. I never understood why humans had such a wide range of expressions. They experienced sadness, pain, anger, joy, and many other things. Just like they never underst
Six months later, Dominic had grown to 5’11”. However, he could not stand on his own. I had someone hold Dominic down on the floor and stretch him out in a straight line to measure his height. The current Dominic was nothing like the arrogant, healthy young man he once was. His body was emaciated, with severely wrinkled skin that made him look like an old man in his eighties. His eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones protruded. The only reminder of his former self remained in the shape of his eyes and brows. “You promised to let me go once I reached 5’11”. Now that I have, please let me go.” He struggled to speak and gasped for breath as he tried to form a full sentence. I squatted beside him and yanked the bloody steel pins out of his legs. He groaned in pain and curled up into a ball. Without the support of the steel pins, the bones in his legs collapsed. I laughed sweetly. “Oops! What should we do now, Dom? You’ll never reach 5’11” again!” A few days later, Domi
I poured a bucket of ice water over Dominic’s head. He shivered and was jolted awake. He squinted at me and seemed to forget where he was. When Dominic finally recognized me, his face turned pale. He quickly backed away. Unfortunately, the basement was small. He backed into the corner and curled up into a ball. I staggered forward as I struggled to move. The red paint tied to my legs seeped out and resembled blood. “Dominic, I’m in so much pain!” I mimicked Ava’s voice. I mimicked it exactly from her tone to her sighs. Dominic trembled like a leaf. He mumbled to himself, “Don’t come looking for me. If you want someone, go find Logan. I already killed him. I avenged you.” I yanked a steel nail from my leg and stabbed at him. The bloody nail pierced his heart. Blood splattered everywhere. He screamed and fainted. The next morning, Dominic’s screams echoed in the bedroom. He fell from the bed and gasped for air frantically. “Dom, what’s wrong?” I sat up in bed an
I placed a piece of steak on Dominic’s plate. Dominic glanced at the TV. It was broadcasting the news about Logan’s car crash. He looked at me and said cautiously, “That’s too bad. I didn’t expect Logan to get into a car accident. You must be really upset, right?” I pretended to be displeased and complained, “What does anyone else’s life or death have to do with me? As long as I have you, that’s all that matters!” Dominic laughed happily. He touched my face and said gently, “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me!” I smiled too. Every good thing came with a price. It was my turn to ask Dominic for a gift. On my birthday, Dominic asked me what I wanted. I pointed at the twinkling stars in the night sky and said, “I want the stars in the sky!” Dominic laughed heartily. “Anything else is fine, except that!” I looked into his eyes and said earnestly, “Dom, I love you. Will you marry me?” The smile on Dominic’s face slowly disappeared. He said nothing and turned to
Logan tightened the screws in Ava’s legs using a wrench. He did this to stimulate the severed bones to keep growing. Ava endured the endless and excruciating pain. The only reason she tried to survive through it was for me—her sister in a mental health institute. In her diary, Ava had written that as long as she was alive, there would always be hope. Dominic had given her a lot of money. She had secretly saved it in my account abroad. I found the secret code she left for me in her diary. She had written that if anything happened to her, she wanted me to use the money to escape somewhere far away and live there for the rest of my life. She hoped I would move to a place with fewer people so that I would have enough space for myself. At first, everything seemed to go smoothly. Ava really did grow taller. Dominic often took her to public events to show her off. In the videos, Ava wore long dresses to hide her scarred legs. It was difficult for her to walk. Each step fel
The servants thought I had enchanted Dominic with some kind of potion. In truth, I had. During my time in the mental health institute, I thoroughly studied the pills I took every day. After moving into the mansion, I ground various pills into powder. I secretly mixed them with food and fed them to Dominic. I felt a rush of excitement every time I prepared the medication. I felt like an all-powerful magician. I poured the mixture into Dominic’s seafood porridge. “What are you doing?” Suddenly, I felt a tight grip on my hand. I turned to see Dominic behind me. His face darkened. He blinked in agitation when he saw the packet of powder in my hand. I knew these were signs of rage. I smiled and said teasingly, “What else can I do? I’m just making your favorite seafood chowder!” As I said that, I gave the packet a shake. The powder poured into the bowl of chowder and disappeared without a trace. He still looked doubtful, and his face grew darker. He gripped my hand tigh
In less than twenty-four hours after I met Dominic, he killed his beloved Presa Canario, Brutus, whom he had raised for five loving years. Dominic was a notorious figure in Crestfall’s elite circle. He was eccentric and ruthless. Everyone who knew him was aware of his two major obsessions: dogs and women. He had raised many breeds of dogs. The only thing they had in common was their aggression and viciousness. He trained them using live animals. Other than chickens and rabbits, he often used human flesh to train them. After all, he had plenty of money. Many people were willing to take the risk and feed themselves to Dominic’s dogs in exchange for huge sums of cash. The survivors received a sum of money that one could never earn in a lifetime. The families of the deceased also received sufficient compensation. Though Dominic was short, he was utterly obsessed with legs. He was only attracted to tall, beautiful women with long legs. His obsession with women’s legs was alm
Dominic was surrounded by a group of beautiful women with long legs and silky-smooth skin. He looked completely at ease, as though enveloped in blissfulness. I focused all my attention on him. The scent of lavender filled the air. It was similar to the smell in my own room. I eagerly took a deep breath. Only then did I begin to feel a bit calmer. The door behind me flung open. Two muscular men in black barged in. “Sir, we’re sorry.” Panic flashed across their faces. Each man grabbed my hand on either side and restrained me. They tried to drag me out. I did not attempt to break free from them. I focused my gaze on Dominic. At that moment, I knew I must have looked pitiful. Whenever I felt bored, I practiced in front of the mirror. I learned to control every muscle in my face and focused on each small nerve. I never understood why humans had such a wide range of expressions. They experienced sadness, pain, anger, joy, and many other things. Just like they never underst