I took a shuddering breath, my voice hoarse and thick with bitterness as I continued to pour my heart out.
"Do you know what it’s like to be stripped naked and put on display for everyone? It felt like true hell! They laughed at every inch of my body, every look of sha on my face... and you know the most painful part? Not a single person cared. And you, Mom... all you did was force to go back to that hell, over and over again!"
I stopped, my body trembling violently from the outburst of long-suppressed emotions. My tears fell, dripping onto Delilah’s cheeks as she lay beneath .
For the first ti, the hard expression on my stepmother’s face softened. Her eyes, which had been filled with hatred, grew moist, as if jolted by my bitter confession.
"It hurts, Mom!" I scread, my voice rising even higher. "Every night when I close my eyes, I dream of all that torture! Every ti I wake up and leave this room, I’m haunted by all of the faces and stares! I genuinely wanted to die, but if I killed myself, all of you would just laugh at ! And the thought of that made furious!"
This ti, tears began to stream down Delilah’s face. A silent cry, but real.
"I hate all of you!" I yelled even louder. "All of you who just stood by and watched! Who just let be tortured like that! I don’t know why, but I despise people like you! I can understand them staying silent because they’re weak, but you, Mom... you’re one of the strongest people in the world. How could you just stand by and let all of that happen to ?"
With a gentle movent, I wiped the tears from Delilah’s face. My powerful, hardened stepmother was crying before . "Why are you crying, Mom?" I asked, my voice suddenly becoming calr. "Do you feel guilty?"
Delilah remained silent. I had intentionally given her a question, not a command, and she knew it.
"Mom, this is a question," I said, staring deep into her eyes. "Did you know that I was going through all of that and ignored ? You must have known that your two bitches treated like garbage and beat , right?! Or... did you not know about any of it and never cared about at all?"
I stared directly into her eyes. "Which one is it, Mom?"
Delilah remained silent. I knew why—because every possible answer was wrong.
So, I clutched her face tightly. "Answer !"
And with that coercion, she finally spoke, her voice trembling: "I... I didn’t know about any of that... I ignored you on purpose all this ti."
I fell silent for a mont, looking at her with mixed feelings. Then, in a voice that suddenly broke, I said: "Mom, if you had paid just a little bit of attention to ... maybe I wouldn’t have beco like this. You said I’m sick, right?! Yes, I’m sick! So fucking sick! I’m broken, Mom! Shattered to pieces! Just like our relationship is now, Mom... it’s beyond repair."
Then, with a malicious intent to drive her guilt even deeper, I continued in a voice full of bitterness: "Rember this, Mom! I could beco this broken because I’m your son! Because I’m your family! If only I weren’t your family! If only you hadn’t sent to that academy! I would never have experienced any of this!"
Even though Nine Stars Academy was a Hunter Academy, it didn’t an there were no regular students. But they were treated much better than Adam. The reason? Because Adam is a student who failed to Awaken, but has two parents who are SSS-ranked Hunters.
My breath hitched, my eyes, which had just dried, welling up again with overflowing anger. "I hate you, Mom! I hate you so much! You’re the one who created this monster! And now, no one can stop !"
I stared sharply at Delilah, trying to pierce the soul of the woman lying helpless beneath with all the hatred I had stored up for years.
Then, sothing unexpected happened.
From Delilah’s trembling lips ca a word I never anticipated.
"Sorry."
I froze.
The word echoed in the quiet room, piercing straight to the deepest recesses of my heart. After all the atrocities I had committed against her today—raping her, enslaving her, humiliating her—I never expected to hear an apology from her. I didn’t even want it. And that was precisely what sent my emotions spiraling into a storm of confusion.
"Why... why are you apologizing, Mom?" I asked, my voice trembling as my hand clutched her face again, this ti with a mix of anger and bewildernt. "Your apology... it’s far too late!"
I fell silent for a mont, feeling the turmoil inside growing. "My feelings are so ssed up right now, Mom. I don’t even know how to explain it. I feel angry, hateful, hurt, guilty... but strangely, I also feel satisfied, happy, and most importantly, I feel excited and turned on!"
A short, nervous laugh burst from my lips.
"It’s a truly delightful feeling, and it makes eager to destroy all of you!"
Delilah clearly shivered upon hearing the inner chaos I revealed. After saying it, I realized sothing. I sat up straight, released my grip on her, and stared at the ceiling. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself from the emotional storm I had just experienced.
It seems what people say is true. Talking and pouring your heart out to soone, even if it’s to your own victim, can bring a strange relief. My mind, which had been in turmoil, now felt calr, and my feelings were clearer. A new understanding about myself and my purpose now felt more distinct and straightforward.
"Thank you, Mom," I said, my voice suddenly very calm and controlled, looking at her again. "Thank you for letting pour my heart out to you. Because of you, everything feels clearer now. I won’t hesitate or go easy on any of them anymore!"
Delilah stared at , witnessing my transformation from an emotional explosion to a terrifying calmness. I leaned down, approaching her face once more.
"But don’t worry, Mom," I whispered, as if giving reassurance. "I’ll treat you and my sisters gently. After all, despite everything, you’re still my family, and I just made a promise, didn’t I?" A faint smile spread across my lips.
"It’s just that Gwen might need a slightly... harder punishnt. Considering how wicked she’s been all this ti."
Hearing her eldest daughter’s na ntioned, Delilah gritted her teeth, yet remained powerless.
"And for you, Mom," I continued, stroking her cheek, still wet with tears, "you’ve already failed as my mother. But don’t worry, I will definitely train you and teach you how to be a good mother for ."
My seemingly gentle touch contrasted sharply with his cutting words. I took a breath, looking at her with a gaze full of possession.
"Right now, you probably regret everything about , Mom? But I’m sure, one day, you’ll be grateful for it. You might even co to enjoy it."
Delilah could only stare at , her feelings a tangled ss as she witnessed her stepson, who had completely lost his sanity, yet found a disturbing peace within the chaos he himself had created.
’How did it all co to this, Frey?’ Delilah’s silent thought echoed in her mind, a mory beginning to spin back within her.
Reviews
All reviews (0)