CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 51 - THE POURING HEART

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 shame on my face... and you know the most painful part? Not a single person cared. And you, Mom... all you did was force me 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 me.

For the first time, 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 screamed, my voice rising even higher. "Every night when I close my eyes, I dream of all that torture! Every time 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 me! And the thought of that made me furious!"

This time, 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 me 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 me?"

With a gentle movement, I wiped the tears from Delilah’s face. My powerful, hardened stepmother was crying before me. "Why are you crying, Mom?" I asked, my voice suddenly becoming calmer. "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 me? You must have known that your two bitches treated me like garbage and beat me, right?! Or... did you not know about any of it and never cared about me 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 me!"

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 time."

I fell silent for a moment, 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 me... maybe I wouldn’t have become 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: "Remember this, Mom! I could become 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 me to that academy! I would never have experienced any of this!"

Even though Nine Stars Academy was a Hunter Academy, it didn’t mean 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 me!"

I stared sharply at Delilah, trying to pierce the soul of the woman lying helpless beneath me with all the hatred I had stored up for years.

Then, something unexpected happened.

From Delilah’s trembling lips came 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 time with a mix of anger and bewilderment. "Your apology... it’s far too late!"

I fell silent for a moment, feeling the turmoil inside me growing. "My feelings are so messed 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 me eager to destroy all of you!"

Delilah clearly shivered upon hearing the inner chaos I revealed. After saying it, I realized something. 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 someone, even if it’s to your own victim, can bring a strange relief. My mind, which had been in turmoil, now felt calmer, 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 me 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 me, 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 punishment. Considering how wicked she’s been all this time."

Hearing her eldest daughter’s name mentioned, 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 me."

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 me, Mom? But I’m sure, one day, you’ll be grateful for it. You might even come to enjoy it."

Delilah could only stare at me, her feelings a tangled mess 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 come to this, Frey?’ Delilah’s silent thought echoed in her mind, a memory beginning to spin back within her.