He threatened me, forcing me to be his model. Edgy, disturbing, pushing every boundary imaginable. He made me wear revealing clothes, posing as if I was caught in a candid shot. He’d even fill the bathtub with fake blood and make me soak in it. The thick, metallic scent of it made me nauseous; I’d turn pale with terror, shaking uncontrollably. But my brother, Caleb, would just keep clicking the shutter, murmuring, “Perfect.” Then, right in front of me, he’d compile the photos into a collection and upload them. His smile was manic, his face twisted into something grotesque and eerie. I had to escape! I *had* to! Staying with Caleb Hayes any longer, I’d surely be tormented to death! My name is Aurora Bell, and I work as an alternative model. My daily routine involved using props to create photo collections, which were then sold through special channels. Because I produced a lot of material and the quality was good, I gained a reputation in this industry, and my collections sold at a premium. But I had no money. The one who got me into this business was Caleb Hayes, my step-brother—we shared neither father nor mother. All the money from the photo sales went straight to him. Two years ago, my mom, Eleanor, and I moved into the Hayes household after she married Richard. The very first day, I knew my life here would be hell. During our first dinner, Caleb dumped a bowl of soup, meat and all, right onto my head. Richard Hayes was furious and went to hit him, but my mom held him back. She said Caleb was just a kid, that it was normal for him not to accept us yet, and that we shouldn’t get angry at a child. Then, she told me to go change. From that moment, I clearly realized that in this house, my mother wouldn’t protect me. Caleb obviously realized it too. So, while I was changing, he quietly slipped into my room. The click of the shutter made me whip around in terror. Then I saw Caleb, holding a dark DSLR lens, grinning maliciously as he clicked the shutter again. Caleb had taken photos of me while I was changing. My body, my face—everything was clear as day. Caleb threatened me, demanding I become his model. If I dared disobey, he wouldn’t just kick me out; he’d post all the photos he’d just taken! That same day, he made me wear his button-down shirt and pose in various explicit ways on the couch for his photoshoot. The shirt was barely long enough to cover my thighs. I cried and refused, but that only earned me a brutal beating from Caleb. He warned me this was the first time. If I didn’t cooperate next time, he would absolutely make good on his promise. As he left, he flaunted the DSLR in his hand at me, a smug, triumphant smirk on his face. I was terrified, but I didn’t dare ask my mom for help. I could only wait for Richard Hayes to come home that night, then deliberately roll up my sleeves and walk past him. Richard Hayes clearly saw the bruises on my arms. But he only frowned, said nothing, and went back to looking at his documents. I clearly realized that Richard Hayes wouldn’t stand up for me again. I was utterly alone, resigned to being Caleb Hayes’s model. But Caleb only got worse. He gradually became unsatisfied with me just wearing shirts or short skirts for those “innocent” private shoots. He started buying lingerie and specific outfits that clients requested, forcing me to wear them. Any refusal would always result in a beating. He would even deliberately photograph me covered in bruises, my face streaked with tears. He was careful when he took those photos, though, never showing my full face. Those explicit private photos sold incredibly well, and our reputation in that niche circle grew. Caleb had tasted success and became utterly shameless. The day he threw a piece of lingerie that barely covered my private parts at me, I completely broke down. I cried, begging him not to make me wear such things. He unbuckled his belt without hesitation and started hitting me. I’d truly had enough of this life. I just felt that being beaten to death by Caleb might actually be a release. So I held firm, refusing to compromise. Caleb got tired of hitting me, and he was furious. He cursed, tore my clothes, and then used the tattered lingerie to tie me up like a rag doll. “You ungrateful whore! You don’t want to wear it? Fine, I’ll just shoot you like this!” Caleb angrily snapped photos of me, compiled them into a collection right in front of me, and uploaded them. The result? That collection sold out! And my nightmare truly began.
That collection’s massive sales made Caleb realize that more explicit photos had a bigger market. So, from then on, Caleb’s photoshoots became increasingly extreme. Edgy, disturbing, pushing every boundary imaginable. He’d use ropes to bind me tightly. The red ropes contrasted sharply with my pale skin, making it incredibly provocative. For this, he’d even specifically studied rope art. He’d also take me outdoors, forcing me to wear revealing clothes, posing as if I was secretly caught on camera. I’d cry in terror every time. But if I dared to resist, he’d just tie me up outside and force me to shoot. He’d even fill the bathtub with real blood, making me soak in it. That’s right. Caleb used real blood. The thick, metallic scent of it made me nauseous; I’d turn pale with terror, shaking uncontrollably. But Caleb would just keep clicking the shutter, murmuring, “Perfect.” He said it was the only way to achieve the Gothic private photo style he envisioned. Gloomy, eerie, mysterious, terrifying! I looked at Caleb with dread. His smile was manic, his face twisted into something grotesque and eerie. I felt like the person in front of me was truly insane! I had to escape! I *had* to! Even if he posted all the initial nude photos he’d taken, I didn’t care anymore. Staying with Caleb Hayes any longer, I’d surely be tormented to death! But there was no one in this house who could help me; I had to plan my escape carefully. I thought for a long time and decided the most feasible way was to get into university and leave this house naturally. Some special programs at certain universities offered scholarships. As long as I got in, I could complete my studies without a single dime from home. If I could just make it through four years of university, I’d have the ability to live independently and finally break free from Caleb’s control. If all else failed, I’d just go abroad! So, I studied with every fiber of my being. My university entrance exam scores certainly didn’t disappoint me. I secretly applied for a fully-funded program at a university far across the country. The day I received my admission letter, I was so excited I wanted to cry. I felt like I could finally escape Caleb’s clutches. But then, Caleb suddenly appeared in front of me and snatched the admission letter from my hand. “Going out west? You really were planning to escape.” My blood ran cold; I couldn’t breathe. When did he get here? To keep Caleb from finding out, I’d specifically sent the admission letter to my friend’s house. But how could he know? Caleb smirked, looking at me. “Did you think your little tricks could escape my notice? I’ve been watching you the whole time!” He grabbed both ends of the admission letter, poised to tear it. “No!” I frantically lunged at him, clinging to his arm. That was my only hope! I cried, asking him why he wouldn’t let me go. I knelt on the floor, begging him to give me a chance at life. I don’t know if my pleas worked, but Caleb scoffed and handed the admission letter back to me. “Fine, I’ll let you go, but you have to cooperate with me on one big shoot.” “To be honest, I’ve been shooting you for years, and I’m sick of it. Now I’m famous; I have a bunch of models begging me for shoots every day. I don’t even care about you anymore.” “So, as long as you cooperate fully and we finish this one collection, I’ll let you go.” The temptation was too great. I agreed. I told myself that no matter how hard it was, I had to cooperate with Caleb. But I never imagined that Caleb had no intention of letting me go! The collection he wanted to shoot was called, *Death*! He wanted my life! I never dreamed Caleb would go to such extremes for this photoshoot. That day, he found a bunch of glass shards and old furniture from somewhere and started smashing them crazily in my room, leaving it in utter chaos. Then, he pulled out a long white dress and told me to put it on. I was surprised. Because Caleb almost never made me wear such normal clothes for his shoots. Caleb said this time, he wanted to capture a pure image amidst the ruins. I needed to be clean, untouched by dust, free of any vulgarity. He would make this collection perfect, a university gift for me. When he said this, he smiled so gently. He even reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I felt a flicker of happiness, a tiny bit of hope, believing he truly wanted to let me go. But as soon as I went to change, I found that he had set my room on fire! Caleb had poured a large amount of solid alcohol in my room. The fire immediately flared up. I was terrified, screaming as I tried to put it out. But Caleb grabbed my wrist, twisting me back. I screamed for help, but Caleb was excitedly taking photos of me surrounded by flames. The fire grew larger, already reaching my clothes. I tried to hide, but the bed behind me had also been set ablaze. I heard Caleb laughing maniacally. He said that capturing the destruction of something beautiful before your eyes was the most impactful artwork! I didn’t want to die! So, I jumped out the window!
Recalling that scene still made me tremble, sobbing uncontrollably. The burns and fall injuries on my body stung with agonizing pain. The IV pole beside me rattled as I thrashed. A female officer beside my hospital bed handed me tissues, patting my back to calm me down. “So, you jumped out the window to escape?” The officer asked once I seemed calmer. I choked out a nod. Officer: “You were on the fifth floor. Weren’t you afraid of dying?” “I wasn’t thinking that far…” Officer: “What was Caleb Hayes doing when you jumped?” “I… I don’t know, he was probably taking pictures.” Officer: “The fire was that big, and he was still taking pictures? He wasn’t scared?” “He’s insane!” My emotions flared up again. The female officer beside me once again patted my back, signaling me to calm down. About five minutes passed. Officer: “So, when the fire broke out, Caleb Hayes kept taking pictures, and when you jumped, he didn’t stop you?” I steadied myself and nodded again. Officer: “Do you know he was burned to death?” “He’s dead?” I looked at the officers in shock. Seeing them nod, an uncontrollable euphoria surged through me. “Good! He’s finally dead! That monster is finally dead! Hahahahaha…” I laughed maniacally, but as I laughed, tears streamed down my face again. “I hate him, I truly hate him! Every single day for the past two years, I wished he would die!” “So you killed him.” The officer’s cold voice sent a shiver down my spine. I immediately retorted, “I didn’t!” Officer: “Don’t be so quick to deny it. Take a look at this first.” The officer handed me a phone. Seeing the images on the screen, my entire body trembled. “Take it away! Get it away from me!” “He forced me! He made me do it all!” I covered my face, sobbing uncontrollably again. The officer had shown me a video. The protagonist of the video was me. I was wearing heavy makeup, a provocative nightgown, with a card bearing a name dangling from my mouth, posing seductively for the camera. And the name on the card was Caleb Hayes. I didn’t have the courage to watch the rest. Because I knew very well that the latter part of the video showed me half-undressed. “He forced me… he really forced me…” I kept repeating the phrase, crying until I felt like I would pass out. But this time, the officers didn’t comfort me. Once my emotions stabilized, I looked up and met their stern gazes. A chill immediately spread through my heart. But what they said next made me feel like I’d plunged into an icy abyss. “Qianying Turner, your testimony does not match the scene’s condition.” “The body’s burning was severe, and the face was completely disfigured. If what you say is true, that he was conscious when you fell, then he couldn’t possibly not have tried to save himself.” “Moreover, the door at the accident scene was locked from the inside. We now reasonably suspect that you murdered Caleb Hayes.” “How can you suspect me?!” I questioned them agitatedly, suddenly sitting up and yanking the IV pole again. But the female officer, who had previously been so gentle in offering tissues, firmly pressed down on my shoulder, forcing me to remain seated on the bed. “We’ve already found that your original name is Qianying Turner, and James Turner is your father.” “Three years ago, James Turner died from a fall. At that time, Caleb Hayes and his father, Richard Hayes, lived in the building your father fell from.” “Afterward, Caleb Hayes and his father Richard Hayes moved. Five years ago, your mother married Richard Hayes.” “If you confess the connection between these events, you might still get a lighter sentence.” The officers’ dark eyes peered at me, as if they could see into my very soul. would be taken for questioning. But I wasn’t worried. I had already guessed that the police would find out about my father. My father was a window cleaner. Cleaning the glass exteriors of high-rise buildings was his daily job.
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