Among Dirty Things

When the dreary morning sun rose, I resumed the role of the impeccable Elke Eberhardt. The flawless daughter, the pride of my father and brother, embodying the unblemished legacy of the proud and haughty Eberhardt family. Every step I took and every word I spoke adhered to their rigid ideals of perfection—a life governed by rules where nothing was left to chance. Among all the things I possessed or could ever hope to gain, there was nothing I truly longed for. My entire existence had been carefully arranged, every outcome preordained. Everything… except for him. “You can claim it wasn’t your doing. That I’m the one who shaped you into what you are. Blame me—it’s perfectly fine.” He is the sole imperfection in my meticulously ordered life. The one filthy, detestable thing that belongs to me—and me alone.