"What did you say? Y-You must be joking, right?" Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in disbelief.
Silence filled the space between them. Julia wished it were a dream she could wake from. Victor's hand clamped tightly around her arm, pulling her up with a fierce grip.
"Answer me! This is just a joke, right...?" Fury flickered in his eyes, shining as brightly as a car's headlights in the dark.
She turned her gaze to the floor, unable to meet Victor's eyes. "I wish it were just a joke, Victor. I really do. But no... that night was a living nightmare for me." His voice trembled as he fought tears.
She felt a lump in her throat, desperate to share her truth without breaking down. The moment tears flowed, only the ache inside would remain, consuming him.
Finally, Victor released her, taking a ragged breath as he began to pace the room like a caged animal. Her shoulders quivered uncontrollably, and she frowned. "V-Victor...?"
A sudden chuckle erupted from Victor, loud and sharp, filling the empty space like shattering glass. "That's impossible! How could you lose your virginity? You're just mad at me because we didn't consummate our first night, right?"
She shook her head slowly, her heart racing. "I want to be honest with you, Victor. I have no intention of hiding anything. Just listen to what I'm about to say... please." Julia's voice was steady but desperate.
"Do you really think I'm not listening?" Victor shot back, irritation lacing his tone.
She inhaled deeply, grounding herself for what lay ahead. This moment would be a true test of their relationship. "The night you left me for your employee, your mother called. She said your father was having heart problems and needed my help. You didn't leave me a car, and I can't drive, so I had no choice but to book a bus to Saint Claire," she began, her his voice steady despite the heavy weight of the truth.
Her husband's eyes were wide, and tension filled the room. "I already know that! You told me that in the voice message. What I really want to know is if this is true and how it happened!" He raised his voice, anger radiating from him.
"It was nighttime, the silence of the empty road weighed heavy. Suddenly, we were ambushed by armed men who took me. A passenger came to my aid, and we pretended to be a married couple," she explained, her voice trembling.
He stared at her in shock, his brows furrowing. "What? In that moment of danger, you still managed to flirt?"
"What are you talking about? I wasn't flirting! The man was just trying to save me. But because of his help, he got caught up with those armed men too. They wanted to find out if we were really married or just pretending to escape!" she insisted, desperation in her tone.
Victor didn't say a word, but frustration twisted his features. She pressed on with her story. "They took us to their hideout—deep in the woods, surrounded by nothing. No people, no houses, just silence. They tied us to a tree, questioning our story. At first, they started to believe us, but then some members showed a picture to their leader. I knew it was my picture. That's when he realized I was the target. Out of rage for our deception, they began to hit and hurt me while I was tied there."
The memories stung, but she had to share. She wouldn't keep anything from her husband. "And what could you possibly have that those armed men would want from you?"
She recoiled at the sharpness of Victor's tone but thought he was just hurt by the truth. "If I had the answer to that question, I wouldn't be wondering. I have no idea what they wanted from me either."
He sneered at her, a cold smile on his lips. She took a deep breath and pressed on with her story. "When they identified me as their target, they began to assault me… But their leader was unpredictable. He approached the male passenger on the bus, leaning in close, and told him their goal was to destroy my life. Then he made the man choose… whether his group would do something terrible to me… or he would."
She noticed Victor's hand turn into a fist, his knuckles turned white. His expression grew darker, a storm brewing in his eyes. "What happened? Tell me!" he demanded, his voice intense.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. "The next events were hard to explain. The male passenger offered to sacrifice himself to save me. But they didn't want to end our lives—they wanted to ruin mine," she confessed, her voice quivering.
She felt his breath quicken, a storm inside him brewing. Nervous energy coursed through her, but she pushed on. "If the passenger didn't make a choice, they would kill me and his whole family. I don't want to die yet, Victor! I have so many dreams and things left to do in my life! I can't let my innocent family be hurt. I still want to be with you," her words tumbled out, tears streaming down her face.
His face twisted with rage, shadows casting deep lines around his eyes. "What happened?" he snapped, his voice a low growl.
"I don't want to die yet. So I made a choice. I begged the male passenger to be the one to take that fate instead of the armed group. One man versus a group—I picked that option—"
She couldn't complete her thought as he slapped her hard, sending her crashing against the wall. Stunned, she clutched her cheek in disbelief. "You choose that?! You shouldn't choose! You're a whore! You chose that stranger!" he shouted, fury flooding his voice.
"Listen to me, Victor! I didn't want to choose; both options were painful! But please try to understand! I don't want to die yet. You have to understand me too! Just like me, you want to be with me as well, right…?" Her face flushed red from tears and sniffles.
Julia sensed the heat of Victor's anger rising. "You want to be with me? Are you even thinking?! If you've been tainted, why would I still want to be with you?" he shouted, his voice sharp like a knife.
She gasped, her heart racing. "W-What did you say...? You're just shocked, right...? Y-You love me, you still want to be with me. You understand how serious that night was… right… I was assaulted, right…?" she stammered, her voice faltering as tears threatened to spill.
Suddenly, he lunged forward, his hands clamping around her neck. "You're stupid! Are you that foolish? I will never understand your foolishness! You chose to give yourself to that stranger!" His voice dripped with venom.
His grip was unyielding, and she struggled to breathe. Desperately, she clawed at his hands, but he was too strong. "W-Why, would you prefer if a group… of… that syndicate did it to me...? Would you rather I choose that?" she cried out, fear lacing her voice.
"You're really fucking stupid! I wouldn't want anything! You should have just chosen to die! I wish you had just died! Now, you're worth even less than a slave! You're just a dirty rag, disgusting!" With that, he struck her cheeks hard, the sting burning on her skin.
Julia's ears rang from the force of his slap. Weakness swept over her, and she collapsed to the floor. She hadn't fully healed from the syndicate's beating, and now her husband was adding to her pain.
"Y-You're just shocked... I know you understand my decision. If you were a woman, weak and helpless, and you want to live… you would choose what I did too... Is it wrong I chose to live? Is it wrong that I still want to see my family? My husband…?" she asked bitterly, sobs breaking through her words.
"I'm not shocked, you stupid bitch!" he shouted, the words cutting like knives. "I will never fucking understand you! What you did was just foolishness! I wish you had chosen to die instead of being touched by another man. After everything, do you think I could still want you? You have nothing to offer but your virginity, which you've lost! Mom was right; you're worthless!" He slapped her face hard once more, a sharp sting spreading across her skin.
The room echoed with her cries and sobs, a haunting sound. Julia could hardly believe Victor's reaction. She had expected his comfort, maybe even pity. She thought he would try to understand her pain or get angry at those syndicates. But reality hit her hard—it was all just her hopes crashing down.
"F-Forgive me, Victor. Please! I didn't want any of this…" She forced herself to crawl across the floor, reaching desperately for his leg, her fingers trembling.
As her fingers brushed against him, he kicked her away with force. "Don't touch me, you dirty piece of shit!" he spat, disgust twisting his face.
He leaned down, his face close to hers, his grip yanking her hair brutally. Pain shot through her scalp as he thrust a finger toward her. "This is what you should remember, Julia! I can never forgive you for what you did! I'd have been happier if you had just died! I just wished you didn't let your virginity go—why didn't you just die? Do you think I could still love you like this?"
Julia could only cry, disbelief flooding her as Victor's harsh words sank in. "P-Please, Victor. Don't talk to me like that! I can't lose you in my life. I love you so much, p-please don't leave me. I'm begging you…" Her voice trembled, raw and desperate.
A cruel grin spread across his face, chilling her to the bone. "Don't worry, my dear wife. I won't leave you. But I will ensure your life with me becomes hell. This is the price you chose for living instead of dying, so get ready."
Julia swallowed hard, dread pooling in her stomach. What lay ahead for her in this twisted future with him?