Caution: Scenes shown ahead are not to glorify violence in any situation. It is plainly for the purpose of the story. Readers discretion is advised.
Flashback
The day Cassie turned 18.
"Come with me, Cassie called me to see her." Tad pulled his friend's bag towards him.
"Man, why me?" Kevin sighed.
"I still don't trust myself around her. What if I hurt her again." Tad, who was on a journey of learning and knowing importance of selfless love, kindess, patience and empathy believed that he wasn't ready to face the woman he loved yet.
She just wants to talk not like she called you for a war."
"...Yeah." He looked at the door, not completely assured but his friend patted his back.
"I trust you." He walked away.
Tad opened the door to see Cassie kneeling down and looking something on the coffee table. She was wearing the beige top and black cargo that she wore for their date this morning, but sadly, the date never happened.
He felt guilty and wondered if she ate anything, if she wished to go on date before today ended but it was past 11PM already and they had college tomorrow.
He kneeled behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso, kissing her neck softly.
She flinched and then giggled recognising the touch, "Y-You're here."
He frowned when a foul smell hit his nose. He made her look at him and noticed her cheeks were red, eyes droopy and hair disheveled.
She looked messily writing something in her notebook.
"Did you drink?"
"A little. I stole it from your cabinet." She chuckled and he could only sigh.
Guessing that she probably took his father's collection when she visited his farmhouse, he felt concerned. He wouldn't mind if she took anything from him since it already belonged to her but he couldn't say the same about his father.
But that was for later.
"It's okay. I'll tell dad about it." He kissed her forehead, "Do you wanna sleep?" He looked at her closing eyes.
She frowned and her smile vanished. She pushed him and stood up with angry eyes glaring at him, "Sleep? So, we're not going on a date?"
He stood up and tried to cup her cheeks but she jerked his hands harshly.
"I was waiting for you all day. Being busy is one thing and neglecting someone is another. You think I have time? I cancelled going to the orphanage because you promised!" Every year on her birthday, she visited the orphanage that took care of her until she was adopted. But this year, she felt happy knowing that someone wanted to spend time with her.
"I'm sorry, cupcake-"
"One thing, Tad. Just one! I didn't want any any fancy dates, I didn't ask you to bring me anything. I just wanted to be with you even if it was just walking on the street, that's all I ask of you but you failed to give me that!" She hissed when she stumbled and hit the coffee table behind her and he held her arms.
"You okay?" He panicked.
"Stop touching me! You think you can have your way once you get in my pants?"
"No! What are you saying?!" He sounded distressed.
She clicked her tongue and massaged her ankle slowly.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you but I really got occupied. It was a last minute call, the company was in a rush because of the deadline, the packages were ruined and we had to redo everything." He explained.
He knew he was at the wrong for not fulfilling his promise to give her the best day of her life but he couldn't refuse his dad's request. It was the first time he asked something from him and Tad was afraid to disappoint him.
"You could've told me!" She had been waiting for him at the amusement park because he promised her. It was the first time she had seen the amusement park but she didn't ride anything and waited for four hours but neither he showed up nor picked her call. She knew he was stuck with some work, but how much patient can anyone be?
"My phone was left behind in the office and I was at the factory. Please, I'm sorry-" He tried to hold but she pushed him.
"Shut up! You ruined everything! No one wanted to celebrate my birthday ever, you were the first person who promised to celebrate it with me then how dare you treat me worse than my parents do! You're disappointing little piece of shit, worthless, annoying, manwhore! Why did you even come here now ah-"
Something inside Tad shifted with each name that she gave him and his hand twitched that he didn't realise when he gripped her jaw and roughly pulled her close by her waist.
"You don't get to curse me, Cassie. Better control that tongue before I pull it out for good." His eyes flickered red as his grip tightened. She kept pushing him uncomfortably and could feel her anger rising.
"Leave me!" She muffle screamed and stomped on his foot. He let her go and saw her take the bottle of alcohol before smashing it on the ground, "This is all you can do, right? Hurting me physically because you're pathetically insecure and control freak. Why don't you show this anger to your dad? Oh, wait you can't do that or how will you get his favour and money because love is something you failed to get because of how narcissistic you are! You want your dad to like you and you think you can force yourself on me when I show you mirror."
As his anger build up with each word, his first clenched and he kicked the couch in anger which hit the furniture table and everything kept upon it crashed and broke on the floor. Cassie looked at him properly and realised what she had done.
"Tad, I'm s-"
"Force myself on you?! Really, Cassie?" He grabbed her arms in his death grip, making her hiss, "Well, let me show you how force you."
He threw her on his shoulders and headed to her room, kicking the door open and threw her on the bed, hovering over her. Her mind was spinning because of the alcohol and her outburst.
"This is how I force you, Si." He growled.
"S-Stop." Her voice shivered and tears welled in her eyes. Her hands flew to push him away but he held her wrists in his one hand above her head and smashed his lips on her, pressing himself hard on her.
She kept screaming and turning away but then he palmed her throat and started choking her. She squirmed helplessly as new tears kept rolling down and she wriggled her legs to feel something, anything.
His grip only tightened when she tried to free herself and slowly she stopped squirming so he left her hands and neck, gripped her waist and dug and dragged his nails onto her soft skin making her screamed in pain but cruelly he pushed his tongue inside.
She weakly patted his chest to feel the friction of life but when he ignored her, she slapped him all the energy she could gather and he abruptly pulled away.
She was coughing and sobbing helplessly under him. His eyes widened in horror at realisation.
But it too late. He had hurt her yet again, he broke his promise and her trust.
"I'm sorry." His voice came out scared than worried. Scared of his own mind, scared of breaking her heart.
He massaged her waist, soothing the bruise he just made, feeling the tears build in his eyes. He knew he was breaking her slowly and painfully and he hated himself.
The door of the room burst open.
"Is everything alright?" Kevin almost yelled.
Tad looked at her crying face which she turned to the other side and held his neck, gently pulling him closer.
"Yes." He replied.
"I'm sorry." Kevin looked away.
"It's fine." He caressed her jaw and neck carefully and wiped her tears.
"Come out." Kevin said and shut the door.
"Please....please don't...leave me." Cassie cried pulling him closer, "You...you're all I have as...my own." Her voice cracked.
But did he deserve her? He'd like to say no.
"I won't. Calm down." He rested his head on hers and massaged her hair, lulling her to sleep silently.
"Why are we like this?" She mumbled before completely drifting off to sleep and he felt the pain in his heart, the pounding in his brain.
He tucked her in blanket once she stopped crying and slept and left without touching or saying anything further. He couldn't even face himself anymore, let alone his said love.
He gently closed the door and looked at the living room.
The couch was titled to the side and the furniture table was leaning on the couch, upper drawer open and all the essentials, photo frames, flower vase crashed and the huge photo frame hung on the wall were on the ground, broken.
Then his eyes laid on the glass pieces and alcohol on the floor and then the words she scribbled in the book and he burst out crying.
"What did you do?" Kevin whispered.