In the days that followed, Tristan drove out all the servants and sprayed the air around the steamer with an excessive amount of air freshener.A satisfied smile curled on his lips. "Trying to disgust me with stench and bugs? Not a chance."Empty cans of air freshener piled up beside him like a small hill. I wondered if he might poison himself in the process. A death like that would be too easy for him.He knocked out the servants who had helped dispose of Tommy's body and locked them in the basement. As for Jessica, he imprisoned her inside the villa.Gently, almost reverently, he stroked her face. His voice carried a twisted kind of tenderness. "Jessica, don't be afraid. Once I catch Crystal, I'll let you go. I'll bring her right here and make her apologize to you. I'll divorce her, and then we'll get married. You'll give me a bright, intelligent child—nothing like Tommy."Jessica lay on the bed, bound at her wrists and ankles, tears of fear streaming down her face. Tristan kiss
Tristan threw Jessica into the basement and locked her away with the servants who knew about Tommy's death.In the damp, shadowy space, unconscious men and women lay pressed against one another, like meat waiting on a butcher's block.I watched as Tristan locked the heavy door without hesitation. For the first time, I felt oddly relieved—at least he had no taste for human flesh. Otherwise, neither these unconscious people nor I, long since cooked through, would have stood a chance.Since that day when he broke down crying, something inside him had shifted. He seemed to activate a kind of self-preservation mode, clinging to the belief that I wasn't dead. I was simply hiding, running from him.Determined to find me, he pulled every string he had, even going so far as to track down his former butler. I recalled watching the old man board his flight that day, feeling nothing but relief. He had spent a lifetime serving Tristan. He didn't deserve to endure this madness in his final years
Tristan was arrested.My body had been lying there for many days. Even though Tristan sprayed countless air fresheners, it was impossible to mask the stench that filled the air.Finally, my body was taken out of that terrifying steamer. But because Tristan hadn't taken any special precautions, when the professionals removed me from the steamer, I had already become stuck to it. They tore off large chunks of rotting flesh.I felt a bit sorry as I watched the professionals suppress their physical discomfort and dutifully carry out their tasks.Such a death was truly horrifying.If this caused them any psychological trauma, I thought, it should be treated as a workplace injury.Jessica and the other servants were also rescued. Seeing the emaciated Jessica, I realized that before throwing them in, Tristan had missed a phone during his search.It was that missed phone that allowed Jessica and the others to contact the outside world and report to the police.Watching the servants, al
"Mommy... I want Mommy!"As soon as Tristan Miller stepped through the door, his son lunged at him, crying uncontrollably. Jessica Granger flinched, retreating a step as if startled.Tristan's expression darkened. He turned to the butler, voice laced with irritation. "Where is that wretched Crystal? She can't even control a child? The stupid kid scared Jessica! If she's that useless of a mom, there's no use for her sticking around!"The butler's face paled. "Sir… Madam is still in the customized steamer."For a brief moment, a flicker of something crossed Tristan's eyes—perhaps realization, perhaps hesitation. But just as quickly, it vanished. His voice was steady when he spoke again. "She made Jessica suffer. This punishment is exactly what she deserves."His gaze shifted to Tommy, who was still wailing, his tiny body shaking. A shadow passed over Tristan's face. "It seems she hasn't learned her lesson, and neither has her son. Lock him in the storage room without food for thre
I was shocked and frozen. I couldn't believe how utterly heartless Tristan truly was. For Jessica, he had let me, his wife of many years, die in that steamer, while he happily took Jessica on a trip abroad. And now, for her sake, he was going to drive his own flesh and blood out of the house?Jessica's eyes erupted with immense joy. She had always feared that Tommy would inherit Tristan's wealth. Hence, she had always seen Tommy as a thorn in her side. Now, Tristan's actions played perfectly into her hands.With a touch of emotion, she embraced Tristan, her voice trembling. "Tristan, I will give you the smartest and most beautiful child!"Tristan snorted. "Of course. You're the best. Crystal is nothing compared to you. I still can't believe she would eat her own filth just to survive—what good genes can she have?"His tone was filled with disdain. "Let her stay there for a few more days. Let her learn her lesson. In a few days, I'll release her and divorce her."I wanted to laug
For ten months, I had carried Tommy inside me, enduring the crushing weight of pregnancy, the relentless nausea, the sleepless nights. I fought through it all to bring him into this world. And now, my poor son lay lifeless before me.My little Tommy who once curled up in my arms, breathing softly in sleep, who laughed as he threw himself into my embrace, calling me "Mama"—his face was now a shade of blue. A deep red mark wrapped around his fragile neck.I searched the air around me, desperate for a trace of his soul, a lingering whisper, a fleeting presence. But there was nothing. Just emptiness.Jessica let out a sharp cry and buried herself in Tristan's arms, trembling as if she had just heard something unspeakable. "Tristan, do you think… do you think Tommy resents us? Will his ghost come back to haunt us?"Tristan's face darkened. He hadn't expected this—not from a boy who had always kept his distance. A son who had never dared to cross him. "Send out a statement," he ordered
Even if I couldn't smell it myself, I could tell from Tristan's expression that the stench was unbearable.The windows in the room had been shut for too long, and the air inside had long been saturated with decay. The moment Tristan opened the door, the overwhelming odor hit him so hard that he could hardly keep his eyes open. His face twisted in shock."How could it stink this much… Crystal, what kind of trick are you pulling this time? Don't think you can fool me!"Yes, how could it stink this much?It was nothing more than my corpse, infested with flies, teeming with microorganisms, spilling out the scent of rot.And yet, just stepping inside was already too much for him?What would he do when he opened the steamer and saw me—my wretched, lifeless body—up close?Tristan spoke with forced composure, but his hands trembled as he switched on the light. The moment the room was illuminated, he froze.In the center of the room sat a customized steamer, half the height of a man. Th
Tristan was arrested.My body had been lying there for many days. Even though Tristan sprayed countless air fresheners, it was impossible to mask the stench that filled the air.Finally, my body was taken out of that terrifying steamer. But because Tristan hadn't taken any special precautions, when the professionals removed me from the steamer, I had already become stuck to it. They tore off large chunks of rotting flesh.I felt a bit sorry as I watched the professionals suppress their physical discomfort and dutifully carry out their tasks.Such a death was truly horrifying.If this caused them any psychological trauma, I thought, it should be treated as a workplace injury.Jessica and the other servants were also rescued. Seeing the emaciated Jessica, I realized that before throwing them in, Tristan had missed a phone during his search.It was that missed phone that allowed Jessica and the others to contact the outside world and report to the police.Watching the servants, al
Tristan threw Jessica into the basement and locked her away with the servants who knew about Tommy's death.In the damp, shadowy space, unconscious men and women lay pressed against one another, like meat waiting on a butcher's block.I watched as Tristan locked the heavy door without hesitation. For the first time, I felt oddly relieved—at least he had no taste for human flesh. Otherwise, neither these unconscious people nor I, long since cooked through, would have stood a chance.Since that day when he broke down crying, something inside him had shifted. He seemed to activate a kind of self-preservation mode, clinging to the belief that I wasn't dead. I was simply hiding, running from him.Determined to find me, he pulled every string he had, even going so far as to track down his former butler. I recalled watching the old man board his flight that day, feeling nothing but relief. He had spent a lifetime serving Tristan. He didn't deserve to endure this madness in his final years
In the days that followed, Tristan drove out all the servants and sprayed the air around the steamer with an excessive amount of air freshener.A satisfied smile curled on his lips. "Trying to disgust me with stench and bugs? Not a chance."Empty cans of air freshener piled up beside him like a small hill. I wondered if he might poison himself in the process. A death like that would be too easy for him.He knocked out the servants who had helped dispose of Tommy's body and locked them in the basement. As for Jessica, he imprisoned her inside the villa.Gently, almost reverently, he stroked her face. His voice carried a twisted kind of tenderness. "Jessica, don't be afraid. Once I catch Crystal, I'll let you go. I'll bring her right here and make her apologize to you. I'll divorce her, and then we'll get married. You'll give me a bright, intelligent child—nothing like Tommy."Jessica lay on the bed, bound at her wrists and ankles, tears of fear streaming down her face. Tristan kiss
After so many days, my body finally saw the light of day again, no longer trapped in that stifling, suffocating steamer.Curled up inside the cramped space, my corpse clung to itself, as if holding tighter could somehow lessen the pain. My flesh had long since turned pale from the heat, and though my face still bore traces of agony, my eyes had been hollowed out, devoured entirely by the writhing maggots that burrowed in and out of my nostrils and ears, disturbed by the sudden exposure.Tristan's face twisted in horror as he staggered back a step, his hand instinctively clutching the silver cross necklace around his neck. His fingers trembled as they reached for something—anything—to steady himself, but instead, they landed on something soft, something sticky. A mass of crushed, wriggling maggots.With a strangled gasp, he jerked his hand away, shaking it violently, his voice unsteady. "Crystal, do you really think you can fool me with just some random corpse? I'm not that easy to
Even if I couldn't smell it myself, I could tell from Tristan's expression that the stench was unbearable.The windows in the room had been shut for too long, and the air inside had long been saturated with decay. The moment Tristan opened the door, the overwhelming odor hit him so hard that he could hardly keep his eyes open. His face twisted in shock."How could it stink this much… Crystal, what kind of trick are you pulling this time? Don't think you can fool me!"Yes, how could it stink this much?It was nothing more than my corpse, infested with flies, teeming with microorganisms, spilling out the scent of rot.And yet, just stepping inside was already too much for him?What would he do when he opened the steamer and saw me—my wretched, lifeless body—up close?Tristan spoke with forced composure, but his hands trembled as he switched on the light. The moment the room was illuminated, he froze.In the center of the room sat a customized steamer, half the height of a man. Th
For ten months, I had carried Tommy inside me, enduring the crushing weight of pregnancy, the relentless nausea, the sleepless nights. I fought through it all to bring him into this world. And now, my poor son lay lifeless before me.My little Tommy who once curled up in my arms, breathing softly in sleep, who laughed as he threw himself into my embrace, calling me "Mama"—his face was now a shade of blue. A deep red mark wrapped around his fragile neck.I searched the air around me, desperate for a trace of his soul, a lingering whisper, a fleeting presence. But there was nothing. Just emptiness.Jessica let out a sharp cry and buried herself in Tristan's arms, trembling as if she had just heard something unspeakable. "Tristan, do you think… do you think Tommy resents us? Will his ghost come back to haunt us?"Tristan's face darkened. He hadn't expected this—not from a boy who had always kept his distance. A son who had never dared to cross him. "Send out a statement," he ordered
I was shocked and frozen. I couldn't believe how utterly heartless Tristan truly was. For Jessica, he had let me, his wife of many years, die in that steamer, while he happily took Jessica on a trip abroad. And now, for her sake, he was going to drive his own flesh and blood out of the house?Jessica's eyes erupted with immense joy. She had always feared that Tommy would inherit Tristan's wealth. Hence, she had always seen Tommy as a thorn in her side. Now, Tristan's actions played perfectly into her hands.With a touch of emotion, she embraced Tristan, her voice trembling. "Tristan, I will give you the smartest and most beautiful child!"Tristan snorted. "Of course. You're the best. Crystal is nothing compared to you. I still can't believe she would eat her own filth just to survive—what good genes can she have?"His tone was filled with disdain. "Let her stay there for a few more days. Let her learn her lesson. In a few days, I'll release her and divorce her."I wanted to laug
"Mommy... I want Mommy!"As soon as Tristan Miller stepped through the door, his son lunged at him, crying uncontrollably. Jessica Granger flinched, retreating a step as if startled.Tristan's expression darkened. He turned to the butler, voice laced with irritation. "Where is that wretched Crystal? She can't even control a child? The stupid kid scared Jessica! If she's that useless of a mom, there's no use for her sticking around!"The butler's face paled. "Sir… Madam is still in the customized steamer."For a brief moment, a flicker of something crossed Tristan's eyes—perhaps realization, perhaps hesitation. But just as quickly, it vanished. His voice was steady when he spoke again. "She made Jessica suffer. This punishment is exactly what she deserves."His gaze shifted to Tommy, who was still wailing, his tiny body shaking. A shadow passed over Tristan's face. "It seems she hasn't learned her lesson, and neither has her son. Lock him in the storage room without food for thre