Just a Taste Part 9

Ch 9: Why?

Isabella

December 20th, 2024- Montgomery Mansion, Basement, Time: Unknown

"Daddy, please," I begged, shivering as my bladder wasn't full anymore. "You don't have to do this..."

He cocked his head in curiosity. "Do what, sweet girl? You must be more specific than that when speaking to me."

My gaze shifted to Mommy's unconscious body, then back to him, standing less than a few inches from me.

"You don't have to hurt us anymore. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it!" I sobbed, rattling my shackles. "Even if it means I die down here!"

Daddy's face turned dark. As if he weren't already scary as shit.

He cackled like a madman, "I love how pure your thoughts are Issa! Your mother had it coming; she undermined my authority, and Rhonda was careless with her key, so yes, I hurt them. "

Nausea overwhelmed me, causing me to double over and vomit at his implications.

All because Rhonda had the key stolen.

"Ugh, how disgusting!" Daddy yelled, slapping the side of my face. "How dare you make such a mess? I swear, you're a waste of flesh!"

With all my strength, I kicked Daddy's leg. He winced.

"You little bitch!" he snarled, falling to his knees. "Oh, if you weren't so precious, I'd butcher you like I did that stupid nigger upstairs!"

"Stop talking about her like that!" I croaked, yanking on my shackles. "And what the hell do you mean 'precious'? You've left me down here to die, then killed the person who took care of me, and now Mommy..."

Stumbling to his feet, Daddy retorted, "I'll say whatever I want! She knew what her job was and what the consequences were!"

He loomed over me like an enormous shadow. His eyes become darker than the pits of hell when he confesses, "Mommy's dead, Issa."

My breath hitched. What, Mommy's dead? No, she can't be! She hit the wall, but surely it didn't...

"You want proof?" he offered blankly as he walked over to Mommy.

Without blinking an eye, or shedding a tear, Daddy pushed Mommy onto her back with his foot, and showed me the 'proof'.

The once graceful face that I associated with Mommy was bloodied, pale, and lifeless. Her eyes looked like glassy doll eyes; still and transfixed on a far away location with no hint of humanity in them at all.

However, the proof wasn't her terrifying appearance. It was her neck.

It was bent at a unnatural angle; one that humans can't survive from. The impact from the wall, it seems, broke her neck and ended her life.

"Oh God..." I whispered, staring at Mommy in terror.

"Don't worry, sweet girl, I won't kill you." Daddy said sweetly, casually kicking Mommy's corpse out of the way. "You're too precious."

Okay, I've had enough of his fucking games.

"What the hell does that even mean!?" I shouted hoarsely. "You said I 'ruined my meat', and now that I'm 'precious', tell me the damn truth!"

His face grew somber. "Will it matter if I tell you? Your fate has been sealed since the day Helen and I adopted you."

I nodded firmly.

After everything that he's put me through, the least he could do is give me an answer.

Daddy sighed heavily, leaning against a wall. "Fine. I'll tell you."

Thirteen years ago…

"Come on, dear," Jerald said, gently guiding Helen into the adoption agency lobby. "No need to be shy."

She sighed. "I'm not shy. This is... hard for me."

He smiled softly. "I understand. We tried so hard for a child, but it just wasn't in the cards, I guess."

The two embraced lovingly; their shared pain and suffering apparent in their expressions.

"Would you two stop your moping already!?" someone shouted grumpily from nearby.

Jerald peeked over his shoulder and saw the source of this voice: his senior father, Johnathan Moore Montgomery.

Wearing his pressed black suit with a matching tie and vest. His bald head covered with a red bowler hat, and his grey eyes full of disappointment.

The acting CEO of Montgomery Enterprises, both nationwide and a few overseas ventures.

A public figure so feared in the world of pharmaceuticals and healthcare development that many referred to him as "The Man". 

To Jerald, though, he was simply "Father". 

"Apologies, Father." Jerald muttered, releasing Helen from the embrace. "It won't happen again."

Helen scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

Johnathan grunted, waving his hand casually.

An older woman in a grey blouse and long black skirt greeted the trio, introducing herself as Margaret, the adoption center's House Mother.

She explained that they housed many lovely girls and rowdy boys here, and that all of them would make wonderful children.

Helen spoke first. "If possible, I'd like a daughter." She looked at Jerald and Johnathan. Both of them nodded in approval.

"That won't be a problem, Mrs. Montgomery." Margaret said politely. "Come this way, please."

Margaret led them into the living room, where several girls were present. Some were playing with dolls, while others painting or making something out of craft supplies. All of them were laughing and chatting happily; living in a collective bliss, as if their current situation didn't bother them at all.

Helen stood and watched the girls with a warm smile spread across her lips. The first genuine smile that she had done in almost a year.

Jerald's heart soared in his chest. It was like he had his wife back after all of the disappointment, miscarriages, and false positives. Finally, Helen had returned to him.

Johnathan nodded toward a solitary girl, sitting by a bookshelf, reading a copy of Charlotte's Web. "She's different from the others."

"Maybe she likes to be alone?" Helen suggested, locking her eyes onto the girl.

She was beautiful: wavy blonde hair that fell to her shoulders, deep blue eyes that seemed light years older than she, and healthy skin that almost glowed in the dimly lit area. All of that wrapped up in a frilly, sky-blue dress and matching sandals.

"Hm, Helen," Johnathan remarked, pointing his index finger at the girl. "I think she's perfect, don't you?"

Now, Johnathan had done many incredible things in his life, and had never once called any of them 'perfect'. This phrasing made Jerald suspicious.

"She's lovely, Sir." Helen mused whimsically, grasping Jerald's hand tightly. "But what if something's wrong with her? After all, she's alone, and no one is approaching her, so perhaps she has issues?"

Johnathan scoffed. "Every child has issues, Helen." He gestured at Jerald. "Jerry here had night terrors from birth until nine years old, refused to eat his vegetables, and had a terrible biting habit!"

"Darling!" Helen gasped, squeezing Jerald's hand. "I had no idea you were such trouble!"

What Johnathan didn't tell Helen was that Jerald didn't just bite people, but that he would sink his teeth deep into their arms or legs and tear large chunks out.

"I was a child!" Jerald argued, his ears turning pink. "Moving on, Helen, do you want to meet her? See if she's a good fit?"

Hope filled Helen's eyes as she said, "Yes, I'd love that."

The Montgomery's bonded with the girl, whose name was Emma.

She admitted that she hated her name, since it sounded like a doll's name, and she didn't like dolls.

"Well," Jerald began, smiling kindly. "Would you like a new name, instead?"

Emma looked up; eyes sparkling with excitement and joy. "Can I?"

"Of course, you can!" Jerald said happily. "If you come home with my wife and I, we can rename you whatever you like."

"You wanna take me home?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes. "But everyone says I'm weird."

Johnathan interjected, sniffing ever so slightly. "You're perfect, sweet girl. Come with us, and we'll make you so happy that you'll cry."

Emma jumped into Johnathan's arms, crying into his vest. Through muffled sobs, she agreed, "Yes, I'll go with you!"

After everything was said and done, Helen took Emma (now named Isabella) home to get settled.

In private, Jerald confronted his father.

"You want her meat, don't you?" Jerald accused, a disgusted scowl appeared on his face.

He gave him a wicked grin. "She's a white rabbit, son, you know how much I love those. Although, I feel she's too young to harvest. In a few years, though? She'll be mouthwatering!"

"I won't let you eat my daughter!" Jerald snarled, pushing his father into a nearby tree.

"Oh? You won't? Then I guess I'll have to take Helen as a consolation meal." Johnathan mentioned casually, adjusting his clothes. "She's old, but healthy, so she'll sustain me. "

Jerald felt betrayed. After all, he had hidden his father's crimes without question. Mostly because he suffered the same addiction to human flesh consumption, but still. How dare he threaten his family like this?

"Is there really no way to prevent this?" Jerald inquired, clenching his fists at his side. "So that I can raise my daughter, and keep my wife?"

"Hm, negotiating, huh?" Johnathan asked, rubbing his chin. "Alright, I'll play ball. Make her perfect in every way. Top grades, a regimented diet, isolation if needed be, and never ever allow a man to fuck her."

"What would happen if someone did?" Jerald questioned, appalled at his father's outrageous demands.

He frowned deeply. "Her meat will be ruined! If it's ruined, then I can't ever consume it, not even a sliver on my death bed upon request. That's the cardinal rule for Apex predators like you and I." He got in Jerald's face. "If her innocence is taken, then she needs to die. By either my hand, or yours."

Jerald gasped. "I'd rather kill myself than murder my own daughter!"

"Sounds like you've made your choice, son." Johnathan sighed heavily. "Just remember, it's easier to kill than to end your own life."

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and incidents are fictitious and the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, organizations, or events are entirely coincidental.

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