"My ex-boyfriend back then used to hit me and hurt me constantly. The relationship was toxic. He cheated on me multiple times, behind my back and even right in front of me."
"And I never dared to speak," Charles whispered, his shoulders trembling as he stared down at his hands. "I was too scared to complain or say anything whenever he yelled at me. Most of the time, I would just stand there silently because I was terrified of getting hit."
His voice cracked slightly. "But even staying quiet never protected me. He would still hit me just for being silent… and if I ever tried to talk back, it only made things worse."
Something in Mark suddenly snapped.
He surged up from the armchair, his voice exploding through the quiet room.
"Is that why you have no fucking dignity?!" he shouted angrily. "Is that why you sat there talking nonsense with your friend about fucking another man while imagining it was me? Is that how you tell him everything? Or are you just completely shameless?!"
