My Mai.

5

I'm not even sure how many days it's been since Taehyung locked me in here. He would knock on the door occasionally, asking if I was hungry or needed anything, but I never responded. I could feel my stomach growl with hunger and my mouth was in desperate need of water, but I was too afraid; I'd rather starve then face his anger again, how pathetic.

Suddenly, I heard the rattle of keys unlocking the door. My heart pounded through my chest. Maybe this was it, maybe, he was finally sick of me and came to finish me off, maybe-

In the midst of accepting my end, a puppy had jumped onto my bed and bombarded my face with licks and kisses. Only seconds ago I was prepared to die and now I was holding a chocolate Labrador pup in my arms.

"Do you like him? He's yours." Taehyung hummed, leaning against the door frame.

"I- I don't understand."

"Mai, I want you to feel comfortable here. This is your new home, and what's a home without a dog?" His voice sounded sorrowful.

The words 'your new home' made me sick to my stomach. Although Taehyung had gotten a puppy, I was the one who felt like the pet.

"Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just frustrating when you don't understand. And, I know this probably won't make up for what I did, but, I need you to learn to like it here, just like he is, ok?"

I didn't want to agree, but how else am I going to survive here if I don't? I looked at the smiling puppy and thought, 'he was just taken away from everything he's known and put into a strange place with strange people, and yet, his tail is still wagging.'

"Charlie." I murmured.

"Huh?"

"His name is Charlie."

Taehyung's face lit up. "Charlie, I like it! I-I'll go order a dog tag, yeah?"

Throughout the next few months, I forced myself to act how Taehyung wanted me to. I made dinner, cleaned while he was away, held up conversations with him, and avoided mentioning anything about my old life . He hated it when I would talk about how much I missed school or my family; he even broke a few plates once when I told him about a guy I used to know when I was a kid.

"How was class?" I asked during dinner.

"Fine."

Taehyung looked irritated. He'd eat slowly and tap his leg against the floor. I wasn't sure why he was acting like this, but I didn't like it.

"We discussed the importance of how two languages can better a child's academic growth, and I began thinking, 'shouldn't I have a child by now? Shouldn't I be married to a loving wife?'"

I knew where he was going with this, but I didn't know how to react.

He continued, "maybe I should just bend you over this table right now. What better way to show that you love someone than to give them a child, right?"

He looked at me with such displeasure, like he knew I was faking everything.

"Right?!" He yelled, slamming his fists on the table.

Charlie began barking at Taehyung; if it wasn't for this dog being protective over me, I'm sure this situation, and many others, would've gone a lot differently.

"Shut up!" He sat back down and held his head tightly.

He does this when his personality switches out of no where. One minute, he'll be the smiley softy that helped me study at school, but then the aggressive monster that keeps me locked like a prisoner the next.

"Just, just please go to bed." He whispered.

Without hesitation, I got up from my seat and quickly wet to my room with Charlie following close behind. I felt like throwing up. He's never once mentioned anything about marriage or sex or children. The only time he's ever touched me is to drag me back to this room when I piss him off. I have to find a way out of here; there's no way I'm letting any child of mine be raised by psycho like him. I have to get out of here.