**Chapter 5: Dorothy's Vulnerabilities**

Dorothy tried to brush off Lucas's jabs, but he was relentless. He had a way of finding her weaknesses, of poking and prodding until she felt exposed and vulnerable. As they stood in the kitchen, the tension between them was palpable. "So, Dorothy, how's life been treating you?" Lucas asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Still got your little house, your little friends, your little life?" Dorothy's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Lucas?" "Oh, I just wanted to see how you're doing," he said, his eyes glinting with malice. "You know, after everything that happened between us. I was thinking, maybe you're not as happy as you seem." Dorothy felt a pang of anger, but she tried to keep her cool. "I'm doing just fine, Lucas," she said, her voice even. "Thanks for asking." But Lucas wasn't having it. He took a step closer, his eyes boring into hers. "No, you're not," he said, his voice low and menacing. "You're just pretending to be. You're still hurt, Dorothy. You're still hurting from what I did to you." Dorothy felt a surge of emotion, but she tried to push it down. She didn't want to give Lucas the satisfaction of seeing her vulnerable. "I'm not hurt, Lucas," she said, her voice firm. "I'm just...moved on." But Lucas just laughed. "Moved on?" he repeated. "You think you can just move on from what we had? From what I did to you?" Dorothy felt a stinging sensation in her eyes, but she refused to cry. She refused to give Lucas the satisfaction of seeing her break down. But as she looked into his eyes, she saw something there that made her heart skip a beat. She saw a deep-seated anger, a desire for revenge that went far beyond just hurting her. And in that moment, Dorothy felt a chill run down her spine. She realized that Lucas was not just trying to hurt her; he was trying to destroy her. He was trying to break her, to make her into the person he wanted her to be. As she stood there, frozen in fear, Dorothy felt a sense of vulnerability wash over her. She felt exposed, like she was standing naked in front of Lucas. And she knew that she had to get out of there, had to get away from him before it was too late. But before she could move, Lucas took another step closer, his eyes glinting with malice. And Dorothy knew that she was running out of time.