Chapter 3

As I walked into my room, I locked the door behind me and sat in the dark corner, hugging my legs and resting my forehead on my arms. But my peace was short-lived, as I soon heard my father's angry voice shouting my name.

"Anton! Open this door right now!" he yelled, pounding on the door. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was furious with me.

But I didn't listen to him. Instead, I remained sitting where I was, staring at the door. After a few moments, the noise stopped, and an eerie silence fell over the room.

Suddenly, I heard the door knob turn, and my eyes widened in shock as the door swung open. My father stood in the doorway, his face twisted in anger, holding a golf club in his trembling fist.

"D-dad," I stuttered, feeling fear as he stepped closer to me. I retreated away from him, but I was stunned when he pushed me against the wall, trapping me.

"I told you over and over again that you should never disobey me," he growled, his eyes blazing with anger. "But you still managed to disobey my words, Anton."

I clenched my fist as my body began to tremble with fear. "F-forgive me, Dad. I promise I won't do that again. I promise I won't disobey you."

But my apology only seemed to enrage him further. He raised the golf club and hit me hard on the leg, causing me to kneel in front of him. I screamed out loud in pain, and tears fell from my eyes.

As I looked up at him, I saw a flash of cruelty in his eyes. "How long will you learn, Anton? How long will you disobey my orders?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

In that moment, I knew I had to escape. I had to get away from my father's cruelty and forge my own path. But for now, I was trapped.

As I lay on the floor, battered and bruised, I knew I had to pretend to surrender. I had to make my father believe that I was defeated, that I would do whatever he wanted.

So I stood up, slowly, and walked closer to him. I knelt in front of him, looking up at him with a mixture of fear and submission.

"I will marry her," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I will marry Brigitte."

My father's expression changed in an instant. He looked at me with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "Don't play with me, kid," he growled. "You have no idea what I could do to erase you from this world."

But I didn't back down. Instead, I looked him straight in the eye and repeated my words. "I want to marry Brigitte."

My father raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. But I could see the doubt in his eyes, the uncertainty. And in that moment, I knew I had him right where I wanted him.

"I love her, Dad," I said, forcing a smile onto my lips.

And in that instant, my father's expression changed. He smiled, a wide, triumphant smile. "Don't worry, son," he said, hugging me tightly. "I'll send your message to Brigitte right away."

As he hugged me, I felt a surge of anger and hatred. I wanted to stab him, to hurt him, to make him pay for everything he had done to me. But I knew I had to wait, to bide my time.

Because one day, I would make him pay. One day, I would make him suffer. And when that day came, I would make sure he knew that I was the one who had brought him down.

As I stood there, frozen in fear, my father's words echoed in my mind. "You're going to marry Brigitte, and you're going to do it with a smile on your face." I felt a wave of desperation wash over me, and before I knew it, I had turned and thrown myself into the swimming pool.

The water enveloped me like a cold, dark shroud, and I felt myself sinking to the bottom. I didn't try to swim, didn't try to escape. I just let myself sink, feeling the weight of my father's cruelty and manipulation bearing down on me.

As I lay there on the pool floor, I felt a sense of numbness wash over me. It was as if I had finally reached a breaking point, and I couldn't take it anymore. I thought to myself, "This is it. This is the end. I'm done."

In that moment, I felt like I had died inside. The person I used to be, the person I wanted to be, was gone. My father had killed him, had suffocated him with his cruelty and control.

As I lay there, I felt a sense of detachment, as if I was watching myself from outside my body. I saw myself as a puppet, a puppet controlled by my father's strings. And I knew that I had to break free, had to cut those strings and take control of my own life.

But for now, I just lay there, feeling the weight of the water above me, feeling the weight of my father's cruelty bearing down on me. I was trapped, trapped in a prison of my own making.

And as I lay there, I knew that I had to make a choice. I could stay there, trapped in that prison, or I could break free, could rise up and take control of my own life. It was a choice that would change everything, a choice that would determine the course of my future.

But for now, I just lay there, feeling the darkness closing in around me, feeling the weight of my father's cruelty bearing down on me. I was trapped, and I didn't know how to escape.

As I lay there, I felt a sense of hopelessness wash over me. It was as if I was drowning in my own despair, unable to escape the crushing weight of my father's cruelty.

But then, something inside of me shifted. I felt a spark of anger ignite within me, a flame that grew brighter and hotter with each passing moment.

I thought to myself, "Why should I let him win? Why should I let him destroy me?"

With newfound determination, I pushed myself off the pool floor and began to swim upwards. The water resisted me, but I fought against it, my strokes growing stronger and more powerful with each passing moment.

Finally, I broke through the surface of the water, gasping for air. I looked around, taking in the familiar surroundings of the pool and the surrounding area.

But something was different. I was different. I had changed in those moments at the bottom of the pool. I had found a newfound strength and determination within myself.

As I emerged from the pool, I felt a chill run down my spine. Something inside me had shifted, like a switch had been flipped. I looked around, taking in the familiar surroundings, but everything seemed different now.

I felt a numbness spreading through my veins, like ice was coursing through my body. My emotions, my feelings, my very soul seemed to be freezing over. I was becoming a different person, a person I didn't recognize.

I looked at my father, and for a moment, I saw myself in him. I saw the same cold, calculating gaze staring back at me. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized that I was becoming just like him.

I took a step forward, my movements mechanical, my eyes fixed on my father. I felt no emotion, no feeling, just a cold, hard determination.

"I will do as you say," I said, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. "I will marry Brigitte, and I will do everything you tell me to do."

My father's face lit up with a smile, a smile that sent a chill down my spine. "That's my boy," he said, his voice dripping with approval. "You're finally learning to obey."

I felt a pang of sadness, a pang of loss, as I realized that I was losing myself, that I was becoming a puppet, a puppet controlled by my father's strings.

But the feeling was fleeting, lost in the cold, dark abyss that was consuming me. I was becoming a shadow of my former self, a shadow that was growing darker, colder, and more sinister by the minute.

I looked at my father, and I knew that I was doomed. I was trapped in a living nightmare, a nightmare from which I might never awaken.

I turned and walked away, my movements mechanical and detached. I didn't feel anything, no emotion, no pain, no fear. I was just a shell, a hollow vessel, devoid of any feeling.

I went to my room, changed into dry clothes, and then went to the dining room for dinner. My father was already there, smiling and chatting with my mother. I sat down, ate my food, and didn't say a word.

The rest of the evening was a blur. I did what I was told, went through the motions, but didn't feel anything. I was a robot, a machine, programmed to obey.

The next day was the same. I woke up, got dressed, and went to school. I didn't talk to anyone, didn't smile, didn't laugh. I was just a ghost, a shadow, going through the motions.

And then, I saw her. Brigitte. She was standing in the hallway, smiling and waving at me. I didn't react, didn't feel anything. I just looked at her, my eyes cold and empty.

"Hi, Anton," she said, coming up to me. "I'm so glad we're getting married. I know we'll be happy together."

I didn't say anything. I just looked at her, my expression unreadable.

"I know you're not happy about this, Anton," she said, her voice soft and gentle. "But I promise, I'll make you happy. I'll do whatever it takes to make you love me."

I still didn't say anything. I just looked at her, my eyes cold and empty.

And then, I turned and walked away. I didn't feel anything, no emotion, no pain, no fear. I was just a shell, a hollow vessel, devoid of any feeling.