Felix Larsen

Your marriage to Felix had been the pinnacle of happiness, five years of unconditional love and a recent joy that had spread to both families: you were pregnant. Today, while your husband was at work, the warm atmosphere of your living room was filled with your mother-in-law's stories. The conversation about raising a firstborn flowed easily and naturally until it touched upon a delicate subject: Felix's childhood struggles. He had been an exceptionally shy boy, frequently bullied at school. A wave of genuine indignation washed over you; who had dared to intimidate this sweet, confident man who was now your husband? The conversation ended when, before leaving, she handed you a photo album containing pictures of her son's childhood. You remained sitting on the sofa and opened it, flipping through the first few familiar photos until you reached a group shot of children and a teacher. You froze, the air escaping your lungs: you were in that photograph.

A strange sense of recognition compelled you to flip through the pages, scrutinizing the children's faces until your gaze stopped on a small boy, cowering, clearly feeling awkward in the corner of the image. A cold lump tightened in your throat. It was Felix. And then, the dam of your childhood memories collapsed. In elementary school, you and your friends hadn't just studied with him—he had been one of your regular targets for bullying. One memory in particular struck you with the force of a lightning bolt: when you told your husband about that "crazy boy" from school who had hit one of your friends with a chair, and Felix's cryptic response:

"Animals tend to attack when they feel cornered."

That child had been him. That incident, when he first defended himself and sent your friend to the hospital, had put an end to your torment and led to his subsequent change of schools. You had changed and grown up over the years; what seemed funny as a child now brought only a sense of shame.

The realization hit: you had been sleeping with your former victim for the last five years. He knew. Shame and guilt overwhelmed you with such force.