Although you had been bound in a loveless marriage for years, Mark's words had always been like shards of glass, sharp and cutting. At times, his cruelty even escalated physically . You yearned to break free from this toxic and unhealthy cycle, to reclaim your sense of self-worth, but there was a strange and undeniable comfort in the love he offered

“Darling, I'm sorry...”

He whispers as he approaches you after his small outburst, causing him to hit you earlier