I came home with bruises again tonight. I know I’m gonna be in a deep trouble right when Dara saw me. I sneaked in to the flat, the light is already off and weirdly, the television is off. Dara likes to sleep with it on but tonight it’s off. I blink my eyes to make my vision clearer and right when I finished taking off my shoes, the light is on suddenly, startling me.

She is standing beside the fridge, starring at me angrily in her PJ. Crossing her arms, “What have you done?”

I pretend not knowing her saying, taking off my coat and walked to the fridge to grab some cold water. She is still not taking her eyes off of me and I feel really nervous.

“Your face. What happened to your face?” her voice sounds louder and firmer.

I gulped the water slowly and still do not dare to look into her eyes directly.

“Some drunker gone crazy and accidentally hit me. No big deal.” I said as I try to kiss her.

She stepped away from me.

“I don’t believe you. It doesn’t make sense that you often got hit by drunker. Do you think I’m stupid? I don’t buy it, Chaerin. Tell me the truth, where have you been? What have you done? And don’t ing tell me not to worry.”

I sighed and looked away again from her. She grabbed onto my long sleeve shirt and forcefully pulling up to expose my bare chest and abs. She smirked and her eyes are widened when she saw me. I realized there’s a bruise on my stomach and some scratches near my collar. I pushed her away from me lightly and pulled down my shirt again.

She insisted to see all of me and she went again now she is sliding down the sleeve to see my bare arms. . More bruises got exposed.

“Stop it.”

“I didn’t see those weeks ago. Seriously, Chaerin what happened to you? Have you been fighting again?” she said worriedly.

“It’s just a little fight. I’m fine, okay. Don’t worry about me. Just mind your own business!” I’m shocked by my own words. Damn. Why did I say such a thing? I must sound harsh. I hesitantly looked at Dara. She is teary and shaking a little bit. No, she is about to cry. I hurt her.

“What am I supposed to do? I can’t stop worrying about you. I can’t get some ing sleep because all I think about is you and you keep not telling the truth to me. Tell me what to do!” she yelled out and burst into tears.

My chest hurts as I saw her cry in front of me, clutching both her hands and trying not to shake too much.

“Don’t cry. I hate it when you cry so please stop!”

Instead of calming her, hell I yelled at her. I clutched my hair, not knowing what I’m doing. What’s happening to me? Why am I so mad? I love her so much but why am I so mad at her? She is not doing anything wrong. She is just trying to protect me but I just keep being mad at her, and at myself as well.

“You know what, I’ve been considering what other people say to me about you. Believe it or not but I start to doubt you. Do you really love me, Chaerin? Or is it just your other game?” she sounds weak but those words really got me.

I clutched my hands and feel like punching something. I just stood there, meter away from her, watching her cry.

“What about you? Do you really love me? Coz if you do, you won’t doubt me.”

“You’re not telling me the truth, and you’re starting to turn into your old self, the old Chaerin. You’re hurting me slowly and it’s ing painful to see you like this because I love you so much. And you’re the one who made me like this. Are you happy now?” she went into the bathroom and slammed the door.

ing Jiyoung. If he didn’t come up weeks ago with that idea, I wouldn’t have to become like this. That jerk ruined everything that’s already ruined.

Suddenly Dara came out of the bathroom with her swollen eyes. Then she broke in the closet and messed everything up. My eyes are widened. She found my pocket I hid among my clothes to keep her away from noticing big amount of money Jiyoung gave me.

She showed me the pocket, “Where did you get all this money?” she asked with anger tone.

“I have my own savings too, okay? It’s for emergency.”

“I don’t believe you. It wasn’t there but now it’s there. So, tell me now or I would find out myself.”

“, Dara! Why is it so hard for you to just believe me?”

“The first time you told me you won lottery, I believed you. And then you started buying expensive clothes and foods but you always come home with bruise and scar on your skin. What do you expect me to believe? What I can only believe now is that you’re doing something bad to get money.”

I walked closer to her, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve turned into my old self. So, if you don’t like me anymore. You can leave me.”

She slapped me suddenly and then she banged the door after walking out. I cursed as I saw her disappeared from my sight. She is leaving. She is ing leaving me.

I kicked everything I could find around me and cried like a little kid. I rushed out to chase after her. I ran through the narrow hallway and stopping her from entering the elevator. I turned her away and found her crying even harder than the previous one.

She snapped my hands and kept pushing me a