𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃

1 | leaving home

Despite the countless joyful and euphoric moments we shared during our time together, our relationship was kind of hot and cold. During our arguments, things would escalate from an ordinary couple fight to a whole new level. Evelyn is temperamental and when her emotions take over her she can become very intense. Whenever we fought the whole fucking building would get involved and our neighbors would tell us to shut up. One time the police got involved because the nosy 'gossip girl' neighbor thought I tried to beat Evelyn up because she heard glass breaking. She didn't hear wrong unfortunately because a plate flew on the wall that night. I don't even remember what we were arguing about, but what is in my recollection is the fact that the cops were questioning me and I almost went to jail because of a misunderstanding. Thankfully, Evelyn admitted that she threw the plate and that she lost control there for a second. The investigator didn't seem to believe her, but he had to let us leave because she gave her statement. Luckily, she managed to regain her cool and settled things otherwise the university would probably expel me.

I used to tell myself that these were just difficulties that we would have to overcome as a couple and that we would eventually figure things out because we love each other. My closest friends would spend hours trying to explain to me that our relationship is toxic and dysfunctional but I wouldn't listen. I was in denial for a long period of time and I would even shut out the people that would try to convince me that staying in that relationship is wrong. Hell, even the university's students counselor knows about my fucked up relationship. I was blind for a long time and desperate for something that I thought it was love when in reality, I only saw things that I wanted to see. In my eyes, Evelyn was this perfect and pure human being who cared too much about everything when in reality she's flawed and as damaged as everyone else. I admired her for her empathetic and caring nature but once her feelings became heightened she would become someone I could no longer recognize.

When she hangs up, her picture disappears and my screen turns black. I toss my cell on the passenger' seat then close the trunk and pace to the front of the car.

"Hey Jimin!" Says a familiar girly voice.

I turm around only to see my (ex) neighbor and give her a wave. She literally lives next door and she could hear every single argument I've had with Evelyn.

"Alanah," I say dryly "what's up?"

She stops at the tail of my car and I sling an arm over the cold surface. "You're going somewhere?"

"I'm moving out." I say straightforwardly so that she doesn't ask anything else.

"So you're finally leaving her alone?"

What?

"I mean, it's about damn time," Alanah says. "You're no good for Evelyn."

What the hell is this woman saying? "Excuse me?"

"Come on Jimin." She says giving me a fake laugh. "You fight with the poor girl every single fucking day and most of your fights result with one you ending at the police station."

"Listen," I start "I understand that we gave you a hard time with all of that havoc. I'm apologizing for that, all the loud nights and the times you had to get involved in out arguments but that's it. I'm leaving now. You will have your own piece of mind."

"Oh no honey," she huffs "did you think I was expecting some apology from a guy like you?"

Uh yes?

"Listen to me carefully little man." She says. "Drop the kind, polite and noble act because I know that you aren't this kind of person. That night, when you threw that object across the wall-you missed her for a bit, but you almost killed her. You could have blinded Evelyn."

What is she even saying? Is she out of her mind? "You're referring to the plate insident."

"No shit Sherlock."

"I didn't do it." I say calmly. "I didn't throw the plate at her."

"Plates."

"She was doing the dishes at the time and we happened to argue while she was washing the plates. Evelyn has a short temper, you know that and she lost control there for a second."

"I don't believe you." She fumes and I roll my eyes.

"I didn't do it for crying out loud!" I am an atheist so I refrain from including 'God' in the sentence.

"You can say whatever you want, that won't change the fact that you're an abuser-a man-beater."

"I see how it is." I say. "You think you know the whole story about that night and you automatically take Evelyn's side even though we're both to blame for what happened. You're narrow-minded and you're stereotyping all men."

Alanah smiles bitterly and all I wanna do is get out of here. "Even if she did throw the fucking plate on your face you probably deserved it and it was self defense."

I look at her like she's some lowly creature. She's one of the monstrosities today's society worked so hard to create. Alanah is pretty smart, she's a problem solver, she sees and hears things, but she doesn't process them. She's the definition of a sponge, as she absolves information from all sourses but she doesn't can't form her own opinion. And that's something I pity about people that share the same talent.

Damaged goods.

"People like you disgust me." I say keeping my voice low. "You might be a fucking feminist, but you've got it all wrong. Instead of supporting equal rights you attempt to have men empowering women."

"You're lecturing me now about your beliefs?"

"Get a fucking grip Alanah." I snap. "I'm kindly reminding you that you're corrupted and you're a parasite that feeds on every single piece of information they throw at you."

"Stop it."

"You don't want to admit it, because without all that useless knowledge piled up in that pea brain of yours you're nothing." I say. "You'd rather be a spineless follower instead of seeing the full picture."

"Shut the fuck up Jimin!" She barks.

I stop talking or she'll start crying.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with fucking feminism!" She shrieks. "But since you brought up the topic, you're the definition of toxic masculinity."

"Why so?"

"Because you fucking tried to hit my friend!"

This shit again...

"For the last time, I never attempted to use violence on Evelyn. Now I'm not saying that she purposely lashed out on me. She had an outburst. That's all and things went out of control."

"Things went out of control many times."

"You know what?" I start. "Fuck this. I don't need to explain myself to you. Tell your friend I left." I open the car door and land with a little jump on the leather seat. Fishing my keys out my pocket, I shove it into the hole and start the engine.

I drive away from home.