“Please,” he says, “beat me up.” She considers it. “You are not a good person.” “I agree.” “You’re a narcissist.” “I agree.” “You deplete everyone in your orbit, you get them to serve you and save you and give and give and give, and—worse—you get them to do it without forcing them to. You get people to choose to indenture themselves to you. You treat young women like intravenous nutrients until they believe that’s what they are—until they believe you’re what they’re for. Like Jim fucking Jones.”
