𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑰𝒔 𝑶𝒖𝒓𝒔 ✓

Chapter 25

"WELCOME home, my pretty baby!" She greeted, resting a hand on her husband's back to lead him inside the house. "Since I ordered the food, it's already on the way here. So you can go to the bathroom and wait for me so I can give you a bath as I promised."

Hyunjin's soft smile faded into an anxious, sweaty expression as he turned away from his wife. He took a glance around the living room, his heart skipping a beat as he realized that it was just the same as he left it, and tidy as ever. Everything was neatly in place and quiet, just the way they both liked it.

"O-Okay, jagiya. Thanks."

She muttered a small reply and patted his back. "Don't thank me, baby," she stretched her arms out and engulfed him in a tight hug. He returned the hug almost immediately and sank into her chest, his ear resting against her chest to listen to her heartbeat. The familiar yet strange sensation made his eyes water.

"I love you, pretty." She whispered, running a hand through his soft dark-brown hair. She sniffed his hair and smiled. She realized that the black dye had worn off because of not conditioning it for a long time, so she could practically enjoy the colour of his natural hair after a long time of being deprived of him.

"I love you, jagiya..."

His tone sounded rather heartbroken.

. . .

As soon as he made his way inside the bathroom, his eyes began to fill up with water. Despite the interior being gigantic enough to fit a king and his servants, the boy continued to shake his head and back away, terrifying memories hitting him from all directions.

His back hit something hard and sudden but brief pain made its way up his back. He turned around and was inches away from his wife's concerned gaze.

"Hey, pretty..." She started with a concerned gaze. "You okay, baby?"

He sent her a weak smile and shakily nodded his head, "y-yeah. Fine."

She returned the nod and rested her arm on his shoulder.

"Take off your clothes, beautiful."

The sentence caused him to merely widen his eyes in alarm. He sputtered and nodded despite how hesitant and terrified he was, the sentence bringing up memories that he would rather not remember.

"I... Okay, j-jagiya."

He expected her to look away after that. He wanted her to. Not only didn't he want her to see the painful bruises and hickeys all over his body, but he also didn't want her to see his bare, exposed body as he also expected a hungry look on her face while she did. The same look the men had in their eyes before they raped him. He didn't want that look. The thought hurt him too much, more than words could comprehend.

But at the end, she was the one who saved him and he should've been grateful for her existence. No, he was. He really, really was.

So he might as well give her what she wanted, right?

And yet the only things repeating in his mind were his parents' spiteful words.

Be grateful, slut.

Look at everything we've done for you.

He reached up his long, grey sweatshirt and tugged at the collar, fear overwhelming his senses until his breath hitched.

And before he could slide the sweatshirt away from his toned, skinny body, uncontrolled tears poured down his face. Tears of internal pain, and heartbreak.

"J-Jagiya, I-I don't want to do t-this," he muttered in between hitched sobs, stepping closer towards her to engulf her in a tight, apologetic hug, "I-I don't want..."

She returned the hug and caressed the small of his back, her concerned gaze softening almost immediately.

"Do what, pretty?"

He shook his head and hesitated once again.

Spit it out, slut.

"I-I don't want to h-have sex. Please..."

The sentence brought immediate tears to her eyes. She squeezed his waist tighter before gently shoving him away, her eyes fixated into his tearful ones.

"Baby, did you forget?" She asked, her voice soft and soothing.

It brought confusion to his mind whatsoever.

"Forget w-what, jagiya?"

She sighed and reached up to caress his tear-stained cheeks.

"I'm asexual, remember?" She spoke through tears of her own. "I'm not sexually attracted to you. I don't like having sex."

Oh.

Oh.

Soon enough, the confusion was replaced by guilt. He inched himself closer to her and wrapped her in another apologetic hug, seeking comfort.

"S-Sorry, jagiya. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to-"

She shook her head and returned the hug, tighter than ever in order to reassure him.

"Baby, it's okay," she soothed, "I promise. There's nothing to worry about. I wanted you to take off your clothes so you could have a bath, nothing more."

He nodded as he took a deep breath, calming down after a few seconds.

"Do you want me to look away?"

Her question caught him by surprise, as he didn't expect her to be considerate of his feelings.

But then again, it wasn't any of his parents he was talking to, nor Jinyoung Park, his boss, nor the men that took him away. He was talking to his loving, caring wife.

"Y-Yes?"

She nodded with a smile and turned away from him, stepping closer to the gigantic tub at the far end of the bathroom. Twisting the tap open with a single, swift move, she then allowed the hot water to fill the tub. That was when he slid off the sweatshirt that hugged his torso, quickly followed by the pair of wide sweatpants that was wrapped around his skinny waist.

"Okay."

She turned to look at him once again, meeting the sight of his exposed body and frowning. He crossed his arms together and shyly looked away, biting his lower lip.

The bruises and the bite marks were planted all over his naked body. His long, slender legs were covered in weak slashes and bruises, along with his torso, stomach and parts of his chest and neck. The sight brought tears to both of them. For him, they were tears of embarrassment and helplessness. For her, however, they were tears of guilt and desperation. Guilt because she couldn't protect his precious life, and desperation because all she wanted to do was to give him hugs and kisses until he magically forgot about what had happened to him.

"It's okay, beautiful," she reassured, only for him to flinch at the nickname. With the state he was in, he was nowhere near approachable. Let alone beautiful.

She reached out to grab his hand and lead him towards the tub. He obeyed and followed her steps, still attempting to cover himself with his frail arms.

"I'm still beautiful?" His question came out croaky and weak, quickly followed by tears of embarrassment.

She turned to him with tearful eyes as soon as she heard the words.

"Of course you are!" She cried, taken aback by his question. "You'll always be my beautiful baby. You'll always be my pretty husband."

The words brought more tears to his eyes. His insides erupted with heat and his heart ached. The love in her eyes, every time she glanced at him... It was overwhelming. For a moment, he was afraid of every movement he made, in case he would disappoint her and that look would disappear from her eyes.

That was a nightmare he hated to happen.