31 years ago, Andrew Lee was born into the famous and wealthy Lee family. But his birth wasn’t exactly an honor because his mother was the house maid. The Lees couldn’t quite afford to defame their family name, so Andrew’s grandfather decided to quietly send the maid and the baby to another country. Yet, the baby’s father, Jeffery Lee, insisted on keeping his son by his side, even though Andrew was just a bastard.

In an old, traditional and rather conservative family, being a bastard wasn’t exactly the easiest thing. Of course, everyone would behave and be polite, however, through their eyes, they were distancing themselves from the little boy. When Andrew was five years old, he first heard his half siblings calling him “Dirt”, a nickname originated from his step mother. And it never faded away from his life.

Besides this unpleasant nickname, Andrew was well protected by his father out of guilt. As a result, he learned to use his father’s power to earn whatever he desired at a young age, which made a part of him spoiled and cruel. But the other part of him was as vulnerable and insecure as an unwanted child.



The Lee family was the founder of a multinational corporation, and still controlled the company through out the years. When Andrew was 28, he begged his father to put him on the board of directors. As usual, Jeffery did what he always did: giving Andrew whatever he demanded, and nominated him to be a member of the board. Subsequently, with Jeffery’s majority votes, Andrew got the position.

Everything went well for the newly promoted director even though he might not possess all the necessary talent in business. However, his life changed after Jeffery died from a heart attack. The old man left his shares of the company to his five children equally. Andrew also inherited a mansion and enough money to support himself for many years. But he cared more about the company’s shares and his position in the board, not only because they provided him a steady flow of income, but also proved that he was still a member of the Lee family.

However, in a house of hungry lions, a mouse would never be acknowledged. Andrew’s future was in the hands of his half siblings now. If the four of them acted together, they were the majority shareholders who could vote Andrew out of the board, and eventually force him to give up his shares.


“I’m sure everything will go well, Mr. Lee. You performed excellently in the past, and our shareholders would want you to continue the work.” The counsellor, Mrs. Sanchez, smiled at Andrew Lee.

Yet, Andrew had his own judegement on the meeting, “Bitch, you are such a good liar, but not that good. I know you are faking that smile. I can see the disdain in your eyes. Aren’t you one of those who called me ‘Dirt’ behind my back?” Andrew’s mind was interrupted by Sanchez’s impatient cough. He tried to fake a smile as well because he needed her help after all. “Alright, thank you for the assurance, Mrs. Sanchez. Don’t disappoint me…and my father!” Yet immediately after saying “my father”, Andrew realized that what used to help him gain a lot of benefit could not work anymore. Without his father being alive, he meant nothing to others.

“We won’t, Mr.Lee! you need to trust the shareholders.” Sanchez showed her professional smile again. It was the kind of emotionless smile that sometimes gave you chills on the back. And then, she gestured Andrew to the door, “We all like you, Mr. Lee, as much as we liked your father.”

“Oh, really?” Andrew thought, and opened the door without saying goodbye. He tried to keep everything together, but tears finally streamed down his face when he got to the car. “What if I don’t trust the other shareholders? Damn it, Andrew! Don’t be such a baby! Father is gone. You can do this by yourself!” But victory wasn’t bound to him. It never was.


Helplessly sitting on the other side of the table, Andrew listened to his older brother and sister arguing. He glanced over the room, four half siblings, two with their spouses, and none of them acknowledged Andrew’s presence. Being ignored was worse than being picked on.

Then, Andrew felt that somebody was looking at him, and it was Amy, his youngest sister. Andrew used to like Amy a lot. For seven years, She treated Andrew like a real brother. But everything changed when she joined her other three siblings, planning on a prank and throwing Andrew into the dirt pool at his 11th birthday party. From then on, the nickname “Dirt” became official.

After the family meeting, Amy walked towards Andrew, and invited him to stay for dinner, “Andrew, no matter what happened in the past, let’s erase them, and start over. Now that father was gone, we need to stick together, and do what’s best for the company and the family.”

For a few seconds, Andrew’s heart melted as he looked into Amy’s eyes. All he wanted was to hug the young woman and tell her everything would be fine. Then, like a hopeful child awaiting for his peer’s approval, Andrew asked:“You will vote for me, right?”

“Of course, my brother!” Amy smiled back, and put her hand on Andrew’s shoulder. But a flash of hesitation appeared in her eyes, and he knew she lied, letting him down again. Everything was already too late. No matter how hard Andrew tried to fix or even manipulate his family members and other shareholders, they would never change their mind on him again.


On Monday, the voting was done. Regardless of Andrew’s effort, he was kicked out of the board. That night, he sneaked into Mrs. Sanchez’s house and woke her up in the middle of the night, with a gun in his hand. “You promised me that I would be voted! Why did you help them instead?” The enraged man questioned Sanchez.

“Please, Mr. Lee, we can talk about this in a more civilized manner.” Sanchez tried to keep calm, but her voice cracked and shivered anyways.

“No, answer me now!”

“Mr. Lee, I never promised you such thing. You know I can’t influence the result.”

“No, it’s all your fault! Aren’t I good enough for the company?” It was complete madness in Andrew’s eyes.

“No! Mr. Lee, you are good…you are smart….hardworking, and…” Sanchez was too afraid that she could barely talk.

“Liar! I’m never worthy to be a Lee. None of you ever loved me! None of you!? Andrew suddenly started to laugh, and the laughter turned into sobbing. "I never care about the money or the company. All I want is to be a part of the family!”

Without further discussion, he dragged her into the garden, in which a huge hole was already dug. Sanchez cried out loud for help, but the thunderstorm muted her voice. Andrew threw the frightened woman into the hole, and started to shovel dirt onto her face. Thunder, screams, rainwater, and mud mixed together with Andrew’s maniacal laughter and tears.

He was also murmuring something to himself. “Call me 'Dirt’, and tell me your lies. Your fake smile makes me sick. I shall let you suffer. I shall let you pay. Swallow the dirt. Swallow it all! I couldn’t be happier to see you choke!”

He repeated it again and again, until Sanchez cannot swallow more dirt, until the muddy mess came out of her mouth and nose like a fountain of chocolate, until he buried her body completely under his empire of dirt. “Father, I’m not a boy anymore. I can take care of everything now!”

Then, the muddy and soaked man was humming something on his way to his next target. “Oh, Amy, Oh, Amy, don’t you love dirt?…Oh, Amy, Oh, Amy, don’t you love me?”


Story, overlay, layout by me.
Edited photo from Shifting Pixel, under this license.
Lyric on profile layout by Trent Reznor.