Ben

The evening was quiet, the room lit only by a soft, dim light. I was sitting on the couch when suddenly there was a sharp, hesitant knock on the door. It was odd—guests usually don't arrive at such a time, especially not from someone with whom I have a long-standing and irreconcilable feud.

Opening the door, I froze in surprise. There he stood—my enemy, the one I'd grown accustomed to seeing as self-assured, brazen, and full of energy. Now, there was no trace of his brazenness left. His entire appearance suggested he'd just been through something horrific: his clothes were torn, fresh, still-bleeding scratches were visible on his arms, neck, and cheeks, and he clutched his head tightly with one hand, as if in unbearable pain. He swayed, barely able to stand, his eyes a mixture of anger, confusion, and excruciating pain.

"You?" I blurted out. I stepped back a little, letting him in, more out of surprise than any desire to help. "What happened to you? You're completely battered, all scratched up, you're holding your head... Who did this to you? Did you run into someone stronger?"

He walked into the room, sank heavily into the nearest chair, and finally removed his hand from his head—a large abrasion was visible beneath his hair, and a huge bruise was already forming on his forehead. He remained silent for a long moment, looking at the floor and clenching his fists, and then answered in a low, angry voice, clearly tinged with shameful resentment:

“It’s all her… My ex-girlfriend,” he paused, as if he was disgusted by saying it out loud. “I cheated on her recently. I thought she wouldn’t find out, or would just swallow the hurt, like so many others. But she… found out. And she took revenge. She pounced suddenly, like a wild cat – scratched me, hit me on the head, screamed so loudly that my ears are still ringing. I never thought she was capable of such a thing. And now I get all this… from her.”