With all my strength, I tried to remove his hand which was getting stronger to press against my cheeks. I still tried to explain, with the hope that he would listen to me this time, but it was worthless.

The smile on his face looked so creepy. He then dropped his hand on my face but quickly choked my neck as I was about to run away from him.

By enduring the pain from the pressure on my neck, I spoke haltingly, "Donghwa, I ... I beg you... let go ...."

"Since when did you start getting close to him?!" His voice didn't sound soft at all, it even sounded sharp and cold as soon as the question came into my ears.

I looked into his eyes which were filled with hatred. I didn't expect that he would treat me this far so heartlessly, just because of a problem that should have been solved by an explanation.

He then pushed me until I fell on the sofa, and immediately touched my neck which still hurt after he choked it firmly. I was in pain — but the pain couldn't be compared to the feelings that I was already shattering.

"What's exactly the relationship between you two?" he asked again.

I couldn't come up with an answer. My lips seemed to be tied by startled as I stared at a man that I had known for nearly ten years, who had become someone that I had never met previously.

However, because he was already furious with my attitude of remaining silent without giving him an answer, he repeated the same question but with a loud voice, which was even more deafening than before.

I immediately stood up. By holding back my tears, I said, "I've known him for five months when he replaced Mr. Kim Myungdae. He is my boss and I am his assistant. So, it's normal for us if we're close enough. You must be like that with your assistant too, right?"

But apparently, those words had made him become a beast even more ferocious than before. He then shouted like a fierce dog whose barked, "What the fuck did you just say?! How can you be his assistant without my permission?! I won't allow you to be his assistant! I know that you do it on purpose so that you can stay on that bastard's side all along! Quit from that company right now!"

However, his anger truly made me want to burst out laughing. How could a bastard accuse someone else of being a bastard too? He exactly didn't know himself.

I made fun of him on purpose and wanted to see how he would react, whether he would dump me tonight or even kill me.

"Bastard? You're the only bastard here. You don't deserve to say that word. How can a bastard mock someone as a bastard? Heh, that's funny. You're such a shame growing man because you don't know how you really are. Donghwa, wake up," With a pause, I continued, "You have no right to forbid me because I've been doing the same thing for you. Why should I listen to you anyway? Since over the years ago till now, I've always listened to you and in fact, there's nothing in it for me."

I grinned coldly right at him, glancing sharply at him as if to show a victory. "Actually, I wanted to tell you from the start, but looks like you're busy with your activities out there these months ... or maybe with your kittens ... ah, I don't know what should I call them—"

I still had a lot to say. But, before I could finish my words, the most unexpected thing just happened.

How shocked I was when I saw him raise his palm as if ready to hit my face. Seeing that unexpected deed, I said softly, "You ... do you really want to hit me? Then, why did you stop?"

I looked at him in disbelief. My eyes started to fog gradually, then with a slightly trembling voice, I spoke as if I was talking to myself, "It's useless if you have to stop halfway. By raising your hand like that, things won't be the same as before. So, slap my face as hard as you can to solve all of this."

For a moment he gasped, he looked shocked, either by seeing my expression or by his own deeds. He then lowered his hand slowly and clenched both hands so tightly that showed a bulge of veins in his hands that seemed to explode at any moment.

However, as Donghwa was a person who didn't want to look wrong when we argued, he brought up an issue that shouldn't be a problem. "You started all of this ... since when did you become this wild?"

I didn't think that he wanted to ask such a question. All of the words were like cornering me that was about detest me. I tried to cover up this feeling, but it was in vain. "I let you play out there. You can have fun with anyone else. Then, why can't I do the same? For ten years, I hardly had any friends because of you, until the people in the company used to think that I was someone who didn't want to be friends with anyone," with a pause, I smirked, then continued, "But, for the rest of this time, I'm thinking of being like you. Why am I not playing out there too?"

The look on his face lost its brightness, then darkened. "How dare you to say such things! I work hard for you out there and you even think like that?!"

"Lee Donghwa! Do you think that I don't know about your fun behind my back?!"

As soon as I finished my words, the sharp loud sound of palm which was landing on my face was heard obviously in the silence, and a humming slap just cut my feelings. It felt the equivalent of something was being torn apart inside my chest. I didn't mind with the stinging on my face, but knowing that he did that on purpose because of the anger, he hurt me with even more pain.

How can I not become a silly man if I continue to be in torment mentally and physically like this?

He looked at me in shock. The worry instantly crossed his browny eyes, but he didn't want to admit it. "Chunghee, I mean it. You should stay away from that guy. I don't forbid you to be friends with other people, but not him. He's not a good guy."