06
I stood nervously outside Zephyr’s door, hesitating before speaking. Zephyr, I’ve made up with my mom. She said that if you’re willing to marry me, she won’t mind if you bring other women to live with us. She’ll even cover all the expenses.”
Zephyr’s face it up, excitement clear in his eyes, and he planted a deep kiss on my forehead.
“That’s what I like to heart Good girl I’ll go call them right now. I’m living the dream here women to my side, driving luxury cars, living in mansions, and
your mom paying for it all. What a ide!”
In no time, Zephyr had rented a seven–seater and brought five women along. To my surprise, they all knew about each other.
I was mesmerized by his flawless face. He had this magnetic charm that drew women to him like moths to a flame.
3:48 PM
I texted my mom, telling her that Zephyr had brought five women with him.
In all the glamour stool ceremonies I’d ever seen, a woman would only bring one man and a woman, But five? That was unheard of
My mom responded, brimming with excitement. [Sweetie, you’re incredible! You’re going to have the best glamour stool ever. Get them here as fast as you can]
When we reached the foot of the mountain, we got out of the car.
My mom was strict about not letting strangers into our home.
But this time, Zephyr acted like he already owned the place.
He started giving orders to my mom. “Prepare five rooms, one for each of these ladies, next to the master bedroom. And make sure they’re scheduled to serve me. One per day, Monday through Saturday. I rest on Sunday”
My mom didn’t respond but instead laid out a huge feast on the table, complete with the fine wine Selene had brought over last time.
“Let’s eat first. We’ll handle everything else afterward
Zephyr sat at the head of the table, arms around two women, basking in his sense of superiority.
I looked at him, my eyes filling with tears. Why didn’t he love me? How could he not love me? Those other women only cared about his looks, but I loved all of him, every part, even knowing he was a heartless jerk.
Neither my mom nor I touched the food. We just watched as the six of them indulged themselves, oblivious to anything else.
Soon, they all passed out.
My mom casually dragged them upstairs, two at a time.
The room was prepared, spotless, and equipped with all the tools needed for the glamour stool.
I opened the old leather–bound book, reading each line carefully. Now I understood why my mom always said making a glamour stool was more
terrifying than any horror movie,
Horror films had nothing on this.
Before we start, let me tell you where the tradition comes from”
Fifteen hundred years ago, an ancestor from the Jade family was cursed with a miserable life. She was short, fat, and ugly. Her husband betrayed her, killed their son, and nearly beat her to death. But instead of giving up, she decided to fight back.
She climbed a mountain and begged the mountain god to give her a beautiful face, endless riches, and for her husband to stay by her side forever che wished for the women in his life to disappear.
The mountain god told her she couldn’t have both love and wealth the way she wanted, but there was another way.
She agreed and chose to make glamour stools. In exchange, she could only love one man for the rest of her life, no matter how good or But that man would never love her back, though he would remain with her forever,
or bad
he was.
When she returned home, she drugged her husband and his lover, turning him into a living glamour stool. His lover became the sustenance that kept the glamour stool alive,
She amassed a fortune, spending her days talking to her husband in secret.
Sometimes, when he was in a good mood, the glamour stool would sway, as if responding. But when he was upset, it would stay still, cold and
lifeless.
Before she died, she passed the craft down to her daughter. On the day she passed away, the glamour stool died with her, turning into nothing pile of rotting flesh.
ing but a
“A glamour stool is alive. Zephyr will be with you forever bound to your life. The moment you die, he’ll die too.”
