I tried slowly backing away as Thomas was towering over me. He looked so much taller now that he did when I was spying on him earlier, and his strong arms and jet-black hair only made his appearance more formidable.

"So...you heard everything that happened?"

"N-no..."

"I don't like it when people lie to me. So I'll ask you again, did you hear everything that happened?"

He had an arrogant smirk on his face, one which I found both infuriating and intimidating.

He obviously knew that I was lying, so I guess I had no choice but to tell him...

"Yes. I did hear everything."

"That's what I thought."

My instincts told me that he was going to punch me hard in the face, so I instantly dodged before his fist could touch me. I don't even know how I did it, but I hoped that I would survive the next onslaught.

"Y-you..." he muttered before getting ready to punch me as hard as he could once again.

I somehow managed to dodge him again, but to my surprise, he wasn't going to punch me.

I shook in fear as I felt him grab my arm. The next thing I knew was my face getting slammed into a table resting by the wall.

He was pinning me down, and he was so strong I could barely try to get back up.

"I bet you won't lie to me again now, will you?"

I was terrified, I hadn't felt like this in a long time...What was he going to do to me? My face was shoved onto the table so I couldn't see my attacker, that made the experience only more terrifying.

"P-please Thomas...stop..."

I could faintly hear Claudia's plea over my beating heart.

"Why should I? We don't need another one of your family members finding out about us."

I was so infuriated at this person...no. He doesn't even deserve to be called a person. He was a monster.

I could only imagine what happened while they were dating...

"But if you hurt him, then my mother would find out about us again..."

There was a short pause after a while, I felt relieved as he loosened his grip on me.

I was still shaken as I got back on my feet, panting heavily and hoping that he wasn't going to do anything else to me.

Thomas stood over Claudia, I felt the strong urge to protect her, but I knew that nothing I could do would change anything. He was just too strong...

"If anyone finds out about this, I won't be so easy on him next time. Or you."

Claudia just nodded obediently, all the fire she once had was gone completely.

"Good girl. And as for you..."

He walked towards me and grabbed my shirt, pulling me towards him so our faces were close to each other. He reeked of cigarettes and alcohol, which didn't surprise me in the slightest.

"Mind your own business, and stop getting involved in things you don't understand."

...If I was angry at him before, that sentence just crossed the line.

Didn't understand?

Who the hell was he to say that I "didn't understand". I knew exactly what he was and what he was doing to her. Especially after that performance.

I had to resist doing something I would regret right there and then.

"Anyway, I'll go now. I'll text you later babe."

Claudia forced a smile and slowly waved as he left, leaving the two of us alone.

We both waited until his footsteps were gone before we spoke, resulting in an awkward silence between the two of us.

Claudia sighed, still a little shaken from that incident.

"Well, here's gone now. Mother should be back soon."

With that comment she tried walking out of the room, but I wouldn't let her.

"Wait."

She turned her head around, still as emotionless as she was before.

"What is it?"

"Why are you staying with him?"

After another awkward silence, she stared at the ground, unable to look at me in the eyes.

"Because I love him."

Once again...love brought pain to another person. It blinded them, then shattered them to the point where they couldn't be repaired.

It happened again.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why do you love him?"

After another awkward silence, this was her only reply:

"Don't tell our mother about this."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Just don't...please."

"But..."

"Please."

I knew that I needed to tell our mother about Thomas...the other side of me that didn't rely on logic couldn't go against Claudia's wishes.

Was this why Mother was against Thomas, and she stopped him from seeing her? Was it why she prohibited us from dating all together? I needed to know more about the situation.

But for now, I couldn't fight or go against Claudia now. Not in this state. Not when she lost all her fire and she was replaced with a hollow shell of herself. I just couldn't break her anymore.

"...Alright. I won't tell her."

"Thank you."

With that, she left, and I was alone in this spacious room.

I knew that I had to save Claudia. I was the only who could.

Whatever happened, I couldn't let her go down the same route as I did. Maybe she had it even worse than me, maybe she was already past salvation.

But I had to try.

...

Interesting...

Such an interesting development.
It seems that Owen and Thomas aren't the best of friends...

And Claudia. Poor, sweet, defenceless Claudia.

So many lies, so many untold secrets.

It's so entertaining.

I have so much to work with.

Owen should just submit already, he doesn't stand a chance.

Whatever he decides to do, it doesn't bother me.

I can toy with him for longer...