Another day, another night.

How did they get to this point?

His stare was on her, emotionless. His eyes were empty due to all the tears shed which had taken away all their color and sparkle. He was just watching her without giving a step forward, without moving, almost without breathing. How is it possible that every night was like this? When did they become in this?

When did he become in this?

The Beast within him has destroyed all of her beauty. He couldn’t recognize himself, he couldn’t accept that he was the one who did this to her… He couldn’t look at his own reflection in the mirror to realize the darkness in his eyes now. Those eyes that used to look at her full of love and tenderness now were quietly watching without any hint of feeling as she was breaking a little more to his feet, as her cry was filling the room… He just stares.

Why doesn’t he just let her go?

He doesn’t even know.

“Why are you doing this to me?” every day and night, she asked. Daehyun never answered her question; he would only turn around, take his bottle of wine along with his cigarettes and go to the balcony.

But not today.

“I don’t know…”

Finally they made eye contact. She looked at him in awe after hearing his voice, her eyes sparkling only because of her tears falling down while facing the man who once warmed her entirely, but not anymore.

“What did I do wrong?” Did she think it was her fault? Who’s the guilty one? Daehyun grimaced when he heard her whimpering and suppressing another sob. It was the first sign of recognition he gave her after months. Who was the guilty one?

“It’s just that… my first instinct is to push you until you break, only to see how hard I have to push.” Even Daehyun was shocked by the cruelty in his words; he had never put those feelings into words.

She just stared at him for a long time; so long that her tears stopped falling down her face. She was still on the floor, kneeling in front of him looking expressionless until a smile appeared on her face. She stood up to look straight into his eyes. Daehyun stared at her the same way, expressionless, not understanding the reason of that bitter smile.

Her smile was wider now.

“Break me.”

She wouldn’t erase her grin. For a second, Daehyun thought back to those days when they moved together, when he’d get home from work and she’d wait for him with his favorite food. It felt as when they first met, when they held hands with the excuse of the cold weather. When he kissed her just to know how her lips tasted like, to tell her he loved her, that he would do anything for the both of them to be happy. He thought back to those days when they slept in the living room under the same cover looking at the sky through the huge window. What happened along the way?

“I need you.” It wasn’t a lie. Daehyun needed her to live, that’s why he didn’t dare to let her go. She was his angel. His angel hurt by himself. She belonged to him. His memories wouldn’t let him give freedom to the person he has to love and love him back. He couldn’t let go of that girl who used to write on his hand an ‘I love you’ because she was too shy to say it out loud.

“I need you. I love you.” His voice cracked and tears started to fall from his eyes. It’s been long since the last time he cried. He held her hands; he had forgotten how soft they were. For how long has he been avoiding her to the point of not touching her? “Forgive me, please…”

His voice was like the one of a little boy. It was like a whisper but still it sounded more painful than her cries and screams.

“No, you don’t love me. Not anymore.”

And there he saw her. Hurt. She didn’t want to fight; she was already broken. He hurt her and made her as fragile as crystal. His words cut her, his hands marked her body and broke her. She didn’t have enough strength to fight for something it was already lost. Not even for herself. Was it that bad? He’s the only one to blame. He’s the Beast who destroyed the Beauty.

He let go of her hand and she fell to his side. His body felt heavy and his mind was spinning. He fell on his knees. Now Daehyun was breaking in front of her. Tears of anger and pain kept flowing and running down his cheeks. He could hear his own words poisoning him. He dug his own grave. He was now suffering the consequences.

“Daehyun, break me. Please, just do it,” the girl kneeled next to him.

It’s been a really long time he had heard his name coming from those lips, and she said it in such a delicate way. How can those thin lips say something so cruel? He looked at her; she seemed so calm, like those who receive death sentence but accept it so quickly they just wait for it.

Could he finally break her? He’d just have to push a little more and that porcelain doll in front of him would break into million pieces. What did he really want to do? Did he love her? If he just says the right words then everything would be over. What to do?

“I… I can’t,” he looked at her right in the eye but she still seemed calm.

“Let me go, you don’t love me. It’s just an obsession; you think I belong to you, that I’m your doll and that’s what you turned me into. Now, break this doll and set me free. Please, I don’t want to cry anymore,” a lonely tear went down her cheek without her noticing and he can see the pain in her eyes, how empty they are. Should he let her go? And what is he going to do next?

“You don’t know my feelings. How can you know whether I love you?”

“If you did, we wouldn’t be in this situation…”

“I love you in my own way. This is my way of loving you,” an already known feeling started to go up Daehyun’s throat and he raised the volume of his voice. “This is how I love you, that’s why you should be next to me. What kind of sense would you have without me? What kind of sense would I have without you?” He took her by her arms, digging his fingers in his skin and started shaking her. “Don’t you see how I am because of you? I got sick for loving you!” Now he was screaming. “You did this to me! You have awakened this beast within me! Now take responsibility.”

Daehyun kissed her fiercely, like he hasn’t done in a long time. She didn’t move her lips but that only made him to force the kiss even more, while she started to cry once again. After a few seconds he broke the kiss to stare at her.

“Don’t you see? We have to be together, my love,” he said, smiling.

“No, please. Don’t touch me, don’t play with me… please…” her cry wouldn’t let her talk properly.

“Don’t say such things, we will be happy together,” he talked as he was insane. Yes. Here, away from everyone she would be only for him and everything would go back to normal. She would keep being his broken doll.

“Break me. Please, do it…” The only thought living on her mind was how she could escape from him. Could she die of sadness? Maybe today was the day to find out that.

After her whimpers couldn’t be heard anymore and Daehyun finally ended his hug, a sight was heard. The room got very cold. Scared, Daehyun looked at the person in front of him and there she was; finally broken. She felt so tiny in his arms. He took a closer look and took notice of her state: skinny, she hadn’t eaten nor drunken water in who knows how long, her hair was a mess and her eyes… her eyes were dark and empty. He had broken her. He had pushed beyond the limit and broke her. The Beast was now without his Beauty. She was gone.

“No…” And then he realized. He killed her. And no, he didn’t love her. But he had broken his favorite doll.

Daehyun hugged her tightly as he screamed at the top of his lungs. He wasn’t crying, only screams could be heard in that room.

Now he wanted to be broken. He couldn’t bear this feeling. What was he supposed to do without her?

Who was going to break him?