Wow! The mind games and manipulation just keep happening and getting worse and still Justin doesn’t leave. It is so scary to watch an extremely intelligent person being reduced to a shell of their former self. It actually makes me sick. I’m so sorry that you personally had to go through something like this. You should be so proud that you have made it through the other side. xx

How do family and friends not realise what is going on? To drop out of school and not have anyone question it, to not see his mum or Daph, and they dont question it? To obviously look like crap and lost weight and no one question it. And for Justin to see the bank statements and bills and to just what accept that what Ethan says, that Justins mind is playing tricks on him and that he didn’t see the letters?

Please make good things start to happen, I’ve had enough, lol x

Author's Response:

Two things. In this story, I've greatly accelerated the timeline, but in real life this stuff takes months or even years to get to the stage where things are this bad. Family and friends lose touch much more gradually so it's less alarming. A lot of times, too, the abuser will physically move their victim away from the family/support system - when you're five states away from the people who might recognize what's happening it's harder to see the damage. Also, there's a lot of lethargy involved in the abuse process. You don't want to cause waves so you keep putting off anything that might anger the abuser. I can see Justin putting off the bank thing for months and months, just because he doesn't want to deal with it, and eventually you just figure its too late to bother. It's easy to just get numb and because then you don't have to fight anymore... 

Okay, I think I've calmed suffiently, to think and say: Where the hell is Brian? It sounded like some time has passed... Ethan is rarely around... Justin keeps working... so, WHY HASN'T BRIAN DONE SOMETHING????

He HAD to have known something was wrong...

I'm really confused...

This chapter almost made me puke: too much nastiness from Ethan and too much weakness from Justin. Basically, he allowed Ethan to take control of his body, I guess it means to let him fuck him raw even after Ethan's escapades and he didn't ask for the change for his money. The cats and Ethan's comment of Justin's hand are revolting and abject.

Once Justin is out of his clutches, you must find a few ways to make Ethan's life a nightmare and kill his "career". Maybe he could get a very bad STD, with visible and lasting effects, obviously after Justin left him. As for his career: why not let the public know that he is gay and in the closet and make him hurt one finger, the thumb for example; that should cost him his "talent" and ruin his day to day life. Revenge is a dish that is best savoured cold.

Beautiful preamble, even if it shows how the inner personality can be destroyed. The image of the erosion of the stone by water and wind is a great way of showing what is happening to Justin. I do hope that his will grow a backbone that will make him stronger than before and wiser. It seems you found yours and I'm very happy you did!

Wow, just wow.  Too powerful for words.