I sat on the floor, shivering. Ten. The fans were turned on high and blew directly in my face and all over my body. Eleven. The floor was wet and slippery, making it hard to walk on. Twelve. Another ice cold bucket of water was poured over my head. I shivered more and was thankful that it was over. "I told you, don't wear that outfit. Why do you continue to defy my wishes? Do you not love me? Does our relationship mean nothing to you?" "Joon, you know that's not it...I..." He struck me in the face. "I didn't ask for back talk." I sat quietly as he splashed my face with water. He left the bathroom then locked the door. I curled up into a ball then silently wept.

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I was awakened by the sound of a door unlocking. "Get ready, we're going to work." He placed clothes on the sink then left. I waited until his footsteps were faint before getting ready. I took the cosmetics out of the cabinet then gently covered up my bruises and scars. I winced as they still hurt. "Changmin." I jumped in fright and dropped everything. I quickly squatted down to pick things up then noticed he had joined me. "Clumsy aren't you..." I avoided his gaze as I knew I'd fall right back in. He helped me up then looked my face over. "You missed a spot. Allow me." He gently covered up the exposed spot then took another look at my face. "Perfect."

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He parked the car then got out. I followed suit then waited. I didn't want to risk a beating when we got home. "Good boy." He grabbed my hand then walked towards the side entrance with me in tow. "Smile today. Look happy, whether you are or aren't." I remained doll like as we made our way to our floor. I greeted everyone as we passed by. I accidentally bumped into Hyunjoon then knew I'd receive a beating later today for it. "Be careful, Chang." I slightly nodded before parting ways with him. It was the time I spent away from him that I treasured the most.

I found myself being spooked by every little thing as usual. The sound of a printer printing, a stapler stapling, the microwave signaling it's done. No matter how many times I've heard the sounds, I still got scared. "Hey." I nearly fell out of my seat then looked at who called out to me. "Oh, Seungseo..." "You're so jumpy these days. Maybe you should see someone for that." I frantically shook my head then smiled. "I'm fine. Just a scaredy cat." He gave me a concerned look before leaving papers on my desk. It was difficult pretending to be okay when all I wanted to do was scream out that I wasn't. Even if I did say something, who would actually be willing to help? That one fact weighed heavy on my mind.

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I found myself sitting beside Hyunjoon as he explained the mechanics to me. "An easier way is to just use control one." I nodded then felt a familiar gaze on me. "You can speak to me." "I understand..." The threatening feeling disappeared and made me feel relieved. "Hey you two lovebirds." I softly smiled as Sunwoo greeted us. "Hello, Sunwoo." "Hey." He peeked at the computer screen then sighed. "I remember having to do that. It's not easy." I couldn't help but smile as Sunwoo's presence warmed my cold and desolate life. I soon felt daggers being sent through my body, causing me to stop smiling. I had fucked up again.

I turned my attention back to the screen and tried to make myself seem busy. "Hey, Changmin." I didn't respond. It was bad enough that he was going to beat me for smiling without permission. I felt a nudge from Hyunjoon, confirming that it was okay to respond. "Yes...?" "Lets get lunch together. It's more of a statement than a question." "O-" "He's having lunch with me. Sorry Sun." I caught Sunwoo frowning in my peripheral vision and felt his warmness grow somewhat colder. "That's fine. We can eat together." "That's fine I guess..." I continued to keep avoiding their gazes as they continued to talk.

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I sat across from Sunwoo who often looked between the both of us. "So, how long have you two been dating?" "2 years." "That's pretty long. How do you maintain it?" I quietly ate as Hyunjoon did all of the talking. I didn't make a peep in fear of an extra form of abuse on top of the beating. I shivered at the thought of another dozen ice cold bucket dowsings. "You cold, Chang?" I felt Hyunjoon pull me closer and I felt panic rising inside of me. I wanted to pull away, to scream, but in the end, it would only hurt me. "Hey, why don't we thigh wrestle?" We both looked at Sunwoo who suddenly popped the question. "Me?" "Yeah, you Hyunjoon." He let go of me then scooted his chair toward Sunwoo. I felt that I could breathe again.

I watched as they were now tied 3-3. "Last one. Winner take all." Sunwoo stopped Hyunjoon then smirked. "Let's make this interesting." "I'm all ears." "If I win, I get to spend a Saturday with your lovely boyfriend." "And if I win?" "I'll buy you lunch for a week." I looked at Sunwoo in shock then felt confused as he discreetly winked at me. What was his plan with this? "Alright. Let's do it." They shook on it then started the last round. I secretly prayed for Sunwoo to win as I longed for a day that I wouldn't have to deal with Hyunjoon. Just one day...