The Hunchback and the Dancer

Summary

In this haunting narrative of social ostracization and alchemical retribution, Wilton, a man whose physical deformity has rendered him a perennial target for the cruelty of the feminine gaze, seeks a transformative exodus in the depths of Java. Having amassed a fortune through the discovery of a diamond mine, he returns to the European social sphere not as a supplicant, but as a plutocrat capable of manufacturing affection. He targets Gina, a dancer currently adrift in the wake of a fractured romance. Wilton inundates her with a deluge of opulent offerings, mistaking her mercenary gratitude for genuine intimacy. However, the veneer of their relationship shatters when Gina reconciles with her former paramour, choosing to maintain her liaison with Wilton solely to exploit his wealth. Upon uncovering this systemic perfidy, Wilton’s psychological fracture manifests in a lethally creative act of vengeance: he synthesizes a clandestine poison, infused into her lipstick, transforming her kiss—the ultimate symbol of affection—into a silent, indiscriminate executioner for any man who dares to touch her lips.

Synopsis

Wilton, a hunchback, who was always scorned and ridiculed by women, returns from Java a rich man after having discovered a diamond mine. He romances Gina, who is on the rebound from a broken affair, and showers her with expensive gifts. After Gina reconciles with her boyfriend, she continues to see Wilton because of what he gives her. After he discovers her perfidy, Wilton develops a poison and mixes it into her lipstick, which will kill any man who kisses her.