The Ending Of The Perfection Explained

The story begins, arguably, in 1927, when Anton's grandfather founded the Bachoff Academy of Music. It's heavily implied (albeit by Anton, so take it with a pinch of gaslit salt) that there's a tradition of "perfecting" promising young artists through despicable means: performances by veteran students that fall short of perfection are punished via ritualized sexual assault by the school's staff. Decades of this behavior take place before one of the school's proteges, Charlotte Willmore, escapes the cycle of abuse when her mother falls ill and needs her help. As she leaves the school, Lizzie, a new pupil, enters.

A decade later, Charlotte has undergone extensive therapy, including ECT treatments. She's still trying to deal with the damage done to her at Bachoff, which left her suicidal. When her mother passes away, she's free to act on her anger. Having seen pictures of Lizzie, she notices the telltale signs of the Academy's abuse, and decides to put a stop to it. She tracks down the head instructor, Anton, who's in Shanghai with Lizzie and the other teachers scouting new talent.

Once there, Charlotte falls back into the good graces of the school's staff, meets Lizzie, and seduction ensues. The two decide to take a trip into the Chinese countryside together, and stuff starts to get prescription strength weird.