"Keep a low profile and don't say anything" were the words Chloe remembered as she barely opened her eyes, fearing another blow. 61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIDaQWaupQ
The room, so cold, lit with a spotlight directed at her body, shrouded in shadows, offered an almost surreal scene. On the cold floor, Chloe lay like a lifeless being, her scattered clothes tracing a chaotic path where each garment seemed to tell a different story. Amidst the disorder, a bra stood out as a solitary symbol of modesty amidst desolation, barely protecting her intimacy from the harshness of the moment.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qcRnOwnPL
In front of her, two familiar figures were outlined in the shadows, suppressed laughter echoing in the room while an intrusive camera captured every moment. In the hazy background, an older figure emerged, and alongside them, a woman barely a year older than the others approached Chloe. Despite her blurred vision, she recognized who it was from the sound of her heels, feeling a tug on her hair, silently protesting as she remained voiceless, knowing it was futile to make any noise as no one would come.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhNIS0DEnD
Chloe's world faded into a mix of fatigue and discomfort. Cruel voices, like hissing whispers directed at her, danced in her mind, weaving a macabre tapestry of destructive suggestions.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYv9eEW4aMF
Questions echoed in her head, a constant echo that seemed to have no answer: "Where am I? How did I get here? Why?" But the answers faded into the distance, elusive, as she struggled to gather enough strength to face the distortion that had taken shape around her.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKhkQbziA9
Wrapped in a cloak of physical and emotional exhaustion, Chloe could barely move. She was left alone minutes after the events, in the dark with the lights turned off. Time stretched like an elastic entity, her being sinking into a bottomless abyss, devoid of tears or the will to react. She was alone in that dark room, where the acceptance of a grim fate seemed to settle—it wasn't the first time she ended up in that room. It seemed so abandoned due to the lack of furniture and the cold, hugging her legs in a fetal position, seeking warmth with her own body. 61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSs0dS2qUEq
The familiar squeak of the door interrupted the silence. She didn't bother to see who it was, but internally was glad, knowing it was her beloved—seemed like a skill of hers that made her feel special to know it was him. Liam, with a mix of annoyance and concern, appeared in the doorway. His expression, a grimace of disgust upon witnessing the scene, mirrored his discomfort. Without words, he sat beside her, offering silent support while helping Chloe to rise from that floor, leaning her against the wall, hoping she could say something, embracing her sideways. He could feel her sadness at seeing her again in that state; she just trembled and caressed his hand, refraining from saying anything because the first thing she would say was that she should have listened to him in the beginning. But with some gestures, Liam recognized what she wanted.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGGAV9iAq4
The decision to speak was suspended in the air. Chloe longed only for the refuge of her home, a place far from this distressing moment. With subtle gestures, Liam wrapped his worn-out green coat around her, seeking to grant her a bit of dignity and coverage, contrasting with the torn and stained garments that no longer served their purpose.
Liam, a guy with slightly curly hair, rectangular glasses, tall and moderately thin, once close and protective, had become distant. Always present for Chloe, he seemed to have adopted a veil of coldness and exhaustion. In recent months, a mysterious group had begun to harass her for no apparent reason—this group didn't give any reasons why her, even after her pleas, they always ended with the same mockery. The situation worsened each day, and what hurt Chloe the most was the sense of abandonment, both from her family and her friends, who distanced themselves without understanding why, assuming it was because they feared getting hurt like she did. 61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWp7kEDjDIe
In a disturbing silence, Chloe plunged into her own mental whirlwind, trying to reconstruct the events that had led her to this deplorable state. The journey to Liam's apartment was a funereal one, full of disturbing questions and tension that refused to dissipate. 61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Fhc5TCBqG
Even upon arriving home, a two-story apartment on the fourth floor of a disorderly building, comfortable albeit worn furniture, windows with curtains that rarely let daylight in—although it seemed like a cozy apartment, Chloe felt safe, as if it were the only place where she couldn't be harmed, despite feeling the calmness of a comfortable place, the situation did not warrant it.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrg8ilNRVQn
Both went up to Liam's room where, accustomed to this routine, she took off her bra and grabbed a loose turquoise shirt handed to her by Liam to cover herself while she returned his worn-out coat.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsplyLZsUx
Amidst the uncomfortable silence, she heard Liam's lamentations about the beatings he had received. "I'll end up asking you to pay for everything I spend on the first-aid kit," he said with clear disgust. It was clear that neither of them felt capable of facing each other at that moment; the exchange of their gazes was hard to process. Liam headed to the bathroom in search of the first-aid kit. His words this time sounded different, which prompted an unexpected reaction from Chloe, who, annoyed, asked him to stop complaining.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9aEpPT4as
"Can you cut it out?" Chloe said angrily, seeking an apology from her boyfriend.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvCEGJ9c82
Silence filled the space between them, Liam decided not to respond, simply looking at her with frustration. The tension in the room intensified as conflicting feelings surfaced.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhP5CbwybZd
"I just asked Valen to stay with me... if she had been there, maybe they would have left me alone... You can't be..."61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJ6rymDSTX
"And look how that ended!" Liam exclaimed, interrupting her vehemently. "She left as soon as she saw they were armed and left you alone. If those idiots hadn't told me when they left you alone, you'd still be crying," he accused, blaming his friend Valentina. "I told you she wasn't trustworthy, I told you to tell her to screw off!" 61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5yiS9Ijlg
The atmosphere became even heavier as accusations and reproaches seeped between them, creating a rift in the relationship that seemed increasingly difficult to overcome. 61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTI2eOOCobZ
Resignation seized Chloe as she accepted her boyfriend's words. Despite feeling guilty, she didn't want to distance herself from the only friend she had left, understanding that she had asked for something risky, and what else could Valentina have done if she was even weaker than Chloe. The fear of being left alone overwhelmed her; she knew Liam would be her only support if she cut ties with her friend. The fear that Liam would remain her only hope deeply troubled her.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYwsqBwou9
Defeated, she turned her gaze towards the window, pulling one of the curtains to let in the cold dusk light of winter. From the fourth floor of the building, she looked out over the neighborhood park and the large lagoon. As she sank into her thoughts in silence, she decided to put an end to the horrible situation.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEqgWlS6Kq
"If this continues, I'm going to call the police. I don't want to lose you because of them," declared Chloe, determined to put an end to the spiral of events.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RXAuU6a3B
With a discouraged expression, Liam responded, taking away the few options she had, as had been happening lately as he tended to anticipate events.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgNDbaeg3z
'You know well that it's useless. I went days ago, and it only made things worse. They almost burned all your hair when they found out I had been there.' Liam's words infuriated her.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3200Uwg5O
Turning towards him, Chloe replied, tears in her eyes as she looked away from the landscape.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD65dlJf4Jt
'What could be worse than this?! Today, one of them told me to kill myself to stop causing you more trouble. Everyone has left because of the fear they've sown. I don't understand why you're still here!'61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKHDLsMW75
In a tired, indifferent tone due to the insistence of confronting them, Liam responded, 'Because I promised to stay with you! But you make it difficult to keep that promise.'61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVStsYuBjOq
Tension thickened between them as they locked eyes. Chloe felt she might break down in tears at his words, hoping it was spoken in the heat of the moment. Liam sensed Chloe's escalating distress, fearing her sobs might draw unwanted attention from the neighbors. Quickly, he invited her closer, seating her in his lap—a gesture attempting to alter the tense atmosphere despite their argument, aware he needed to do something to calm her storms.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKala7kMyp2
'It's okay, everything will be fine,' Liam expressed, trying to uplift her spirits. 'I promise, even if I have to be your slave, I'll do everything for you, okay? We can face them together, as partners... and if we get through this, as spouses.'61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5h3LXRUl76
The atmosphere seemed to slightly lighten with Liam's words, attempting to infuse some positivity into the tense air. Chloe responded, trying to grasp onto the positivity in his words.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS1Lq4hZQL
'Always trying to bear everything alone, but with you by my side, the weight of stress doesn't feel so overwhelming.'61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRXWLCrsRb
Both shared a faint smile, brushing against each other in a cautious kiss, mindful of the pain Chloe felt on her lips. Gently, she asked, 'What am I going to do with you?'61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWlbSprL3E
'We'll think about how to resolve this. For now, take a quick shower,' Liam said with a smile, breaking the romantic moment.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFsv3I5z1f
Maintaining a forced smile, Chloe felt anger bubbling inside. She decided to withdraw calmly, displaying evident determination on her face.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CBHSeDG9D
'Fine, but only because even I'm disgusted by my own stench.'61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4R2lvPOpZ
After that brief moment of relief following the tense argument, Chloe left the room to head to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Liam stayed in the room, waiting to hear the sound of running water from the tap. It was then that Chloe's phone, inside Liam's worn coat, began to ring. It was Valentina, Chloe's only remaining close friend and a constant nuisance in Liam's life. He unlocked his girlfriend's phone, knowing they had reached that level of trust, to see what was happening.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5zOtl2CIS
'Sorry for leaving. I hope Liam got there in time. I was lucky to find him on the way back,' the message read.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tjdJUUAm8
Liam's mood changed instantly, his voice reflecting annoyance. 'I do her a favor,' he muttered as he deleted the message and blocked Valentina's contact. As he checked the time on the phone's screen edge, he continued speaking in a low voice to himself61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefbnNdkHWL
'Is it already 7? It's getting hard to tell with how quickly it's getting dark. Knowing those idiots, they must be at that lagoon, watching the apartment, as if I wouldn't notice,' he spoke with a sense of disdain and frustration permeating his words, anticipating the group's potential intentions. Without wasting a second, Liam mentally prepared himself, aware of the need to stay alert against what seemed to be a new attempt of harassment from those individuals."61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibWrsL3XMh
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Author's note: In case it's not clear, please understand that I'm not American. I trust my translator61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5JkRWD5GM
