Yuna winced as she dabbed concealer onto the purple-black bruise on her cheek. Her father had flown into a drunken rage the night before, lashing out violently again. She expertly covered all external signs of abuse.
Practicing a smile in the mirror, Yuna made sure no trace of fear or unhappiness showed through her facade. She had become skilled at hiding any evidence of her father's physical abuse over the past months.
Yuna wrapped a scarf around her neck, ensuring it concealed the marks left by her father grabbing and shaking her roughly. He never hit where injuries would be visible, but his vise-like grip often left her arms and torso badly bruised.
At school, Yuna responded to concerned questions by claiming she was simply clumsy and accident-prone. Only Nick seemed unconvinced, quietly suspicious as he noticed her increasingly frequent injuries.
But Yuna refused to confirm the ugly truth, terrified Nick would tell an adult and she would be taken away from her dad. As much as she feared him when he was drunk, she clung to the hope that the kind father she once knew still remained deep inside.
So Yuna stayed strong, bearing the weight of her father's abuse in secret. She focused on goals like graduating high school and escaping this house that was supposed to be a home. Fantasizing about the future gave her the will to survive the present.
When her father went into rages, throwing dishes or furniture around, Yuna learned to make herself small and get out of the way. She timed trips for groceries and errands to avoid him when he was likely to be drinking.
Her father always apologized tearfully the next day, though his words rang hollow as the cycle repeated itself over and over. Still, Yuna continued making excuses for him and protecting him from judgment, keeping up a facade for the outside world.
Until one night. Her father struck out in a drunken haze, his blow landing directly on Yuna's face before she could dodge it. Bleeding and stunned, she knew any more hits in her condition might prove fatal.
This time, Yuna was ready to drop the brave facade. She had to save herself, even if it meant revealing secrets that would shock those around her, Nick most of all. Her survival was all that mattered now.