On the day of my wedding, the Lawson family’s fake heir, Nicholas Lawson, showed up to offer his blessings, covered in blood, kneeling in front of me, and begging for forgiveness. “Maxwell, I already promised you. I won’t fight over the inheritance. So why did you have to go so far and hire someone to kill me?!” Right then and there, my fiancée, Savannah Stanton, called off the engagement and ordered that I, Maxwell Lawson, be sent to the private Sapphire Isle to be punished. There, I was subjected to inhuman abuse and eventually transformed into a sea lion, a creature trained for others’ entertainment. Two years later, Savannah came with the whole family to bring me back. They were quite pleased with how blank and obedient I looked. At least, until I swallowed a whole fish in front of them, and Nicholas, the fake heir, threw up on the spot. Savannah flew into a rage. “I really thought you’d learned your lesson. But turns out you’re still the same disgusting mess. We just wanted you to come here and reflect on yourself. What’s with the disgusting performance?!”
Stepping off the plane was my fiancée, Savannah, followed closely by the rest of the Lawson family. A few of their men yanked me out of the shabby shack where I’d been kept, forcing me into a suit. The fabric scraped against my already rough, damaged skin, but I didn’t flinch. I felt nothing at all. Savannah strutted toward me in high heels. Her face twisted in disgust with a warning glint in her eyes. “From now on, stay away from Nicholas. The past is done and over. If you stir up trouble again, you’ll regret it.” My vacant gaze drifted across their faces, but I said nothing. Two years of relentless torment on Sapphire Isle had stripped away my humanity until I was no different from the sea lion they’d turned me into. Suddenly, as if reacting to a trainer’s cue, I clapped my palms together, a sharp smacking sound echoing in the air. Murmurs stirred around us. Savannah frowned and snapped, “What the hell are you doing now?” I couldn’t stop. It was like I was trapped in a loop I couldn’t break, clapping again and again no matter what they said, my eyes glassy and lifeless. When she saw how obedient I looked, Savannah’s expression softened with a smug smile. “That’s better, Maxwell. Keep acting like this, and our engagement will stay intact. As long as you don’t lay a finger on Nicholas, we can go back to being one big happy family. You know what will happen if you don’t behave.” She nodded with satisfaction, grabbed my arm, and started pulling me toward the helicopter. The moment her hand touched my skin, she froze. Her expression turned from annoyance to shock. “Why is your body so cold?” she asked, her voice suddenly shrill. I let her hold onto me, completely unbothered, moving mechanically with her like everything she said had nothing to do with me. My eyes stared straight ahead, unfocused. Nicholas wore a fake, nauseatingly concerned smile. “Maxwell, did something happen on the island? Did you get sick or something? “I should’ve spoken up for you sooner… This is my fault. “But don’t get the wrong idea. I honestly hope you recover. We’re still family, after all.” The sound of his voice made my head snap toward him. I stared straight into his eyes, then let out a high-pitched screech that didn’t sound human, more like a sea lion’s cry. Nicholas flinched hard, panic flashing across his face. He staggered back, nearly losing his balance. He clutched his chest like he thought I was about to attack him. “Maxwell, I get it, okay? You still hate me, but I didn’t mean any harm!” Savannah yanked my arm with force and yelled, “What kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Nicholas was being kind. You gonna attack him for that?” Nicholas sniffled pathetically, adding, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought up the past. I must’ve upset Maxwell.” Savannah immediately stood in front of Nicholas like a lioness protecting her cub. Her eyes blazed with fury, and she shrieked, “What do you want from us, Maxwell?! Nicholas has always treated you like a real brother. Why can’t you let it go? Two years on Sapphire Isle, and you still haven’t changed. Instead of becoming a better person, you’ve learned how to lash out?” My father, Connor Lawson, turned beet red and pointed a shaking finger at my face. “Look at yourself! Nicholas has shown you nothing but kindness, and this is how you repay him? You’ve always been petty, and now you’ve completely lost it. I can’t believe we raised someone as ungrateful as you!” My mother, Grace Lawson, dabbed at her eyes, sobbing quietly, “Why can’t you just get along with Nicholas? He never steals anything from you. He’s not even a real Lawson by blood. It’s hard enough for him. Can’t you just be the bigger person?” Their hatred surrounded me like an invisible net, wrapping tighter and tighter until I could barely breathe. My body moved on its own, desperate to escape, my feet carrying me toward the sea. I wanted nothing more than to dive into that cold, familiar water. Savannah’s eyes locked on me, and she lunged forward, grabbing my clothes. She yanked the suit jacket off my shoulders. And then she froze.
My skin was a mess of scars, not a single patch untouched, raw, layered, and horrifying. Some came from surgical tools, others from saltwater infections, and many were the aftermath of brutal, inhumane experiments. “What… What happened to you?” Savannah’s voice trembled as she clutched my shoulders, her grip frantic. Before I could respond, Nicholas’ eyes welled up with tears, and his voice choked. “This is all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have ended up here. I never meant for this to happen.” Grace wrapped her arms around him protectively, though her eyes flicked toward me, full of revulsion. “Don’t blame yourself, Nicholas. He may be my biological son, but that doesn’t excuse his cruelty. He’s always had a mean streak to you.” Connor let out a heavy sigh. “Look at him now. Who knows. Maybe he brought this on himself.” My sister, Isabella Lawson, sneered from the side, “Please. He’s clearly putting on a show to make us feel sorry for him. He brought everything that had happened before on himself. “I really thought Sapphire Isle would change you, but look at you, same old act, same old drama. You’re still trying to guilt-trip us. Haven’t you made us worry enough already? “You think showing up covered in scars is enough to make us forget everything you did? You’re pathetic!” A tidal wave of hunger crashed over me. Each wave was stronger than the last until it wiped out every other thought. Nearby, someone reeled in a dead fish. The stench hit my nose and triggered something primal inside me. I didn’t care who was watching. I charged forward like a starving animal, grabbed the fish, and shoved it straight into my mouth, swallowing it whole. The scales scratched my throat, and the raw stench filled my mouth, but I didn’t stop. I just wanted to swallow it as fast as I could. Nicholas turned pale. His eyes widened in horror as he clutched his stomach and doubled over, vomiting violently. His whole body trembled, his face twisted in pure disgust and fear. Connor stormed up and kicked me in the ribs. He roared, “What was that? What the hell is wrong with you?! You’ve disgraced our entire family! You’re nothing but an animal!” Grace shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at me, “You’re revolting, Maxwell! How could you become something like this? How did we give birth to something like you?!” Savannah’s face darkened with rage, her disappointment turning to fury. She marched up to me, teeth clenched. “I thought you’d changed. I really believed you’d learned your lesson, but you’re worse than ever. You think we’ll ever let someone like you back into this family?!” Tears welled in her eyes. “Don’t think you can guilt us into forgiving you! How could you treat yourself like this, swallowing raw fish like some kind of lunatic? Are you trying to gross everyone out, or have you actually lost your mind?” She panted, glaring at me like I was a monster, then pointed at the fish remains on the ground, her voice shaking. “Do you have any idea how many parasites live in that thing? Do you want to get even sicker just so we’ll feel sorry for you? Or have you just given up completely? “I am so done with this pathetic, self-destructive act of yours!” Nicholas, still pale, crept closer, his voice soft and guilty. “Maxwell, please don’t be mad at them… It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been so immature and always competing with you, maybe you wouldn’t have been sent to Sapphire Isle. Maybe you wouldn’t be starving like this… It’s all on me. I ruined you…” Connor’s face turned red again. “Nicholas, none of this is on you. You’ve always been kind and respectful. He’s the one who’s never appreciated a damn thing. This is his own doing.” Grace rushed to Nicholas’ side and shielded him with her arms. “Exactly. Don’t blame yourself, sweetie. We know you’ve always been a good boy. Not like him, who never learns a damn thing.” Isabella stormed up to me, her face twisted with disgust. She jabbed a finger in my face. “What’s your deal? Playing the victim so people will hate Nicholas? You’re petty and selfish. You can’t stand to see him doing well, can you? You had a place in the Lawson family, but it was never enough. Now look at you, trying to milk sympathy from your own misery.” Savannah’s eyes were ice-cold, her face expressionless as she stared at me. “You like playing the victim?” she said flatly. “Fine. I’ll give you what you want.”
Savannah gave a twisted smile and turned to her men. “Lock him in the mirror room. Feed him nothing but rotting garbage. Let him take a good look at that pitiful face he loves to put on!” Soon, I was dragged roughly into a room lined wall-to-wall with mirrors. The harsh white lighting was blinding. In every direction, I saw myself with disheveled hair, soaked in the stench of raw fish, a mess beyond recognition. Not long after, someone brought in a tray of food, the stench enough to make someone faint. It was crawling with maggots. Savannah walked in holding a leather whip, slapping it lightly against her palm with a sharp crack. “Go ahead. Aren’t you hungry? Eat it. Let’s see how long you can keep up the act.” I stared at the tray, eyes fixed on the rotting meat and squirming insects, and let out a sharp, piercing cry, an unmistakable sea lion’s call that echoed off the small room. Then I lunged at the food on all fours, like a starving beast that had been caged too long. Savannah’s face went ghostly white. The whip slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor with a thud. She stumbled backward, crashing into the mirror behind her. Nicholas looked stunned. “Maxwell… have you actually lost your mind?!” I grabbed a handful of rotting flesh, juices running down my arm, and shoved it into my mouth without hesitation. My teeth crunched through decay and maggots, the sound grotesque. Each time I swallowed, I’d throw my head back and let out a series of excited sea lion cries, bits of meat stuck around my lips. Savannah, trembling, picked the whip back up, her voice rising in panic. “Stop! Maxwell, what the hell are you doing?!” But I didn’t hear her. Or maybe I just didn’t care. I was lost in the frenzy, answering her only with louder, sharper cries. The room reeked of rot and fear. The mirrors reflected every gruesome detail of my feeding. When I was first dumped on Sapphire Isle, I couldn’t even swallow this kind of filth. The first time I saw a plate covered in sour sludge and crawling bugs, I retched so hard I nearly vomited bile. But refusing to eat meant two days locked in a pitch-black, moldy cell, starving until I couldn’t see straight or stand. To survive, I had no choice. With shaking hands, I forced the slop into my mouth. Every bite was a nightmare. The stench invaded my mouth and nose, but hunger was a sharper pain. Day after day, year after year, I adapted. Somehow, I got used to the unbearable taste. Anyone who disobeyed on the island was dragged into the lab. They held me down and injected strange chemicals. Cold scalpels sliced into my skin, leaving a fire of pain behind. Little by little, they reshaped me into something barely human, into a sea lion. When they finally dumped me into the sea lion enclosure, I had to learn fast, mimic them, or get attacked. I mimicked their movements, how they tossed their heads, how they slapped the water with their fins. Slowly, I learned all the humiliating little tricks. The keepers would blow their whistles and toss out dried fish. I had to perform like a circus animal, balancing balls and jumping through hoops for a bite to eat to keep from starving. Now, faced with this tray of rotting meat, I devoured it like it was a feast, letting out low, contented grunts just like the sea lions. Savannah stared at me, watching me gorge myself. Her disgust twisted into something else, panic. Suddenly, she rushed forward and knocked the tray from my hands, screaming, “Maxwell, stop it! Just stop! Please!” Her voice trembled. The arrogance was gone. “That’s enough. That’s enough,” she choked out. Tears welled in her eyes. Her chest heaved with emotion. She looked at me like something had finally snapped inside her. “Why are you doing this? You hurt everyone, but more than that, you’re destroying yourself!” She locked eyes with me, stunned, confused, like she didn’t recognize me, like she was looking at a stranger. Nicholas cowered behind her, pale as death, lips trembling too hard to speak. Isabella slumped to the floor, her eyes vacant. “How did it come to this…” she muttered. I didn’t hear them. I couldn’t. My mind was somewhere else entirely as I bent down to gather the spilled food, still making those guttural sea lion sounds. Savannah’s eyes reddened. She reached out as if to stop me, but the moment her fingers brushed my skin, she recoiled like she’d been burned. Tears finally spilled down her cheeks. “What happened to you?” she whispered. “What the hell did they do to you…”
After they turned me into a sea lion, they often sent me to a dark, hidden underground chamber. There, the elite, those with twisted tastes and limitless power, looked at me like wolves, their eyes gleaming with sick delight. I crawled on all fours, dragging my injured body across the cold floor like a real sea lion. Every movement tore at wounds that had never healed, the pain so intense I almost blacked out, but I couldn’t stop. If I wanted to survive, I had to keep performing. I lifted my torso as high as I could, flapping my arms like flippers, letting out those sharp, high-pitched sea lion cries. The more I screamed, the more excited they became, laughing grotesquely. One of them, a fat woman with layers of makeup and perfume thick enough to choke on, stomped up to me, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked my head up. I whimpered, pain burning through me, but I still forced myself to nuzzle her leg like a begging dog. She laughed, coarse and cruel. Her grip got even tighter. Her other hand roamed my body, nails scraping across my skin, leaving bleeding scratches behind. Others cracked a whip across my back, shouting obscene orders. I had no choice but to obey. I did every humiliating, sick move they demanded, choking down my shame. Over and over, I rolled across the ground, dragging my belly across the cold, hard floor, barking and cheering on cue, matching their laughter with my own false joy. Every action crushed a little more of whatever pride I had left. My head felt foggy. The memories of being forced to please them clung to me like rot. And now, instinct kicked in, I crawled toward Grace, head lowered. Because if I pleased them, I got to eat. I let out a muffled whimper and crawled to Grace’s feet on all fours. My hand trembled as I slowly reached for her skirt. My fingers were shaking from fear… and habit. Just as I was about to grab her leg, Grace jumped back like I’d burned her. “Maxwell, are you out of your mind?!” Her voice cracked with terror. Her eyes bulged like I was some kind of monster. Nicholas stood behind her, his expression flickering with something between glee and horror, and then he quickly covered his eyes, pretending to be scared. Isabella and Connor were frozen, faces pale with shock. Their mouths opened, but no sound came out. Grace’s reaction stunned me. I froze in place and let out a confused, helpless sea lion cry. My mind went blank. I didn’t even know what I’d done wrong, just that the way they looked at me made me scared. Savannah looked like she’d seen a ghost. Her eyes went wide, bulging with disbelief. She stormed over, yanking me to my feet and asking, “Maxwell, look at yourself! Do you even know what you’re doing? What the hell have you been through all these years?! “Do you even remember who you are? You’re a Lawson. You’re the heir to a legacy!” Her eyes were burning with fury and shame. “How could you stoop this low?! How could you crawl and grovel like this?! You’ve completely disgraced the Lawson family!” They locked me in a small, pitch-black iron cage, soaked in the stench of rotten seawater and blood. The so-called researchers wore white coats and emotionless masks and performed inhuman experiments on me as they carved into me like a specimen. They injected strange drugs into my body and cut and reshaped me with machines. The pain never stopped. Little by little, they turned me into a sea lion. Savannah had sent me here for Nicholas. She’d abandoned me to this hell without a second thought. But now? Now, she acted like she couldn’t bear the sight of what I’d become. A staff member turned to run. “You! Stop right there!” Savannah’s voice boomed. “I sent him here to reflect and reform, not to become this freak!” Free Point In a panic, one of the staff members started spewing nonsense in a desperate attempt to cover himself. “Ms. Stanton, he’s not as innocent as you think.
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