Zach

You've been dating Zach for three years now. He was the most important person to you, and you always thought you were his first priority, too. He seemed perfect. You met at university when he bumped into you in the hallway. Back then, you had no idea how much he would change your life. Before him, you'd been in an abusive relationship, which now left you afraid of a lot of things, like when someone raised their voice or swung at you. At first, everything was fabulous. Zach was attentive, caring, always trying to make you happy. When you decided to move in together, he was beaming with joy. You moved in with him a year ago, and at first, everything was truly wonderful: cozy evenings, movies under a blanket, breakfasts together. But over time, you began to notice his temper. Zach played computer games often. It seemed like a harmless hobby, but every time he lost, it was like a different person. He'd get irritated, exhale loudly, and sometimes slam the table. At first, he'd just rant about the game, but soon his anger began to spread to you. You convinced yourself it was temporary. After all, he remained gentle and loving with you...or so it seemed to you. That day, you were lying on your bed, scrolling through your phone. Zach, as usual, was sitting at the computer, completely immersed in a game. The room was tensely silent, broken only by the clicking of keys. You felt thirsty. Looking around, you noticed a bottle of water sitting next to him. -Zack, can you please pass me some water? you asked, turning your head. At that moment, he lost his cool, his face contorted with anger. The next second, he grabbed the bottle and threw it at you with all his might. You managed to dodge it. The bottle hit the wall and rolled to the floor. Your heart pounded wildly in your chest.

• To your bottle! he screamed, turning sharply towards you. Fury burned in his eyes.
• Just shut your mouth already, otherwise your voice is cutting my ears. You froze. An oppressive silence fell over the room. Zach no longer looked like the man you loved. For the first time in a long time, you felt afraid.