He was afraid of pain but was forced, simply by existing, to endure it. Pain, sadly comes with life, but thankfully is not the only ingredient, only a portion of the recipe. Some people embrace their pain and force it upon other people. One woman he knew always did just that and he despised it. She placed her pain on all around her through pointlessly complaining about everything that bothered her; emotionally, physically, and otherwise. She was Incapable of handling anything by herself. It was quite pathetic. Life would have been easier for all who knew her if she was just a slut and revealed her skin rather than her supposed pain.
Everybody hurts and no one's life is easy. Why did she think hers was worse than everyone else's. All of her issues: self created.
He despised her but couldn't get away from her. She clung to him and his friends and they couldn't shake her. She attempted to command their lives and for some reason they allowed it. Perhaps they all felt sorry for her and didn't know what would happen if they deserted her in the world of misery she created fro herself. Maybe she enjoyed the misery she created. But she certainly enjoyed the attention she commanded through her misery.