“Don’t be afraid,” he said softly. “I only do this because I want you to love me forever. At your age, who else do you have but me?
You’ll need me. You’ll never leave me if you’re sick.”
The realization hi:t me like a stone. His affection was a ruse.
The care, the sweet words – nothing but a trap to make me dependent so he could control me, drain me.
By morning, Emily arrived. Strangely, my body had recovered overnight. Michael’s expression was one of panic, as though his ritual had failed.
“I know everything, Michael,” I told him firmly. Emily revealed she had already suspected him. She’d hidden a camera in the house and, after witnessing his ritual, swapped the cursed doll and bowl for counter-charms.
That’s why I had regained my strength. We went straight to the authorities. Michael was arr:ested for fraud and manipulation.
My third marriage ended in betrayal, but I walked away wiser. Love, I learned, should never be built on fear or blind devotion.
