[BL] My enemy became my husband

Chapter 18

Two months ago:

I had no idea how many times I hit Bartholomew's back. I had to take my anger out somehow and I had a lot left. I had quite some strength but it seemed it was nothing for Bartholomew who continued walking as if nothing. He only let me down once in the bathroom and made me sit on the tub. Having his face in front of mine made all the anger rush back immediately. I tried slapping him but Bartholomew grabbed my arm and didn't let go. 

He then turned around and opened the drawer behind the window, taking out an emergency kit. I tried pulling my hand away but Bartholomew was way stronger than I thought. He didn't let go of my hand once, opening the disinfectant with his teeth. He didn't hold me strongly enough for it to hurt. Despite that he held me strongly enough to prevent me from running away. Not being able to do so, I went back to hitting Bartholomew and trying to push him back. 

Having both his hands busy, he couldn't escape my fist and took the hits without a word. I didn't hit him very hard and only wanted him to let me go but being frustrated by him ignoring me, I started hitting harder: 

"Let go of me!
-I will be done soon.
-You hurt me and then heal my wounds? Do you have some kind of disorder? You shouldn't have locked me up.
-I am sorry. It won't happen again. I just wanted you to stay safe.
-I don't care what you want. I don't need you to treat my wounds. I don't need anything from you.
-Just stay in place for a few seconds.
-Is this what you do usually? If people don't listen to you, you point a gun at them and lock them up? 
-I wasn't going to shoot... I was just...
-Just what?
-I don't know... It will never happen again. I didn't want to scare you.
-I don't believe you. I don't trust you." 

Bartholomew froze and didn't dare look at me for some reason. 

"Just let me treat your wounds. Please.
-You never should have messed with me.
-Please." 

He rubbed my palm gently, not looking away for a second. He was patiently waiting for my answer but what could I say? He pointed a gun at me. 

"I don't need your help.
-Then let me call someone else to treat you.
-Anyone but you." 

Bartholomew nodded and quickly left the bathroom. He looked very sad for some reason but was he really? He was acting so weird that I had no idea what was really going on anymore. 

A minute after he left, a tall man with gray hair came in. He had already introduced himself as Peridot and was Bartholomew's butler at the mansion. He didn't talk a lot and I had completely forgotten his existence: 

"Master Virion sent me to look after your wounds." 

I let him treat me without a word but just as I was about to get up I felt that Peridot was trying to say something to me: 

"Master Virion isn't the easiest person to live with. 
-He is a bad person.
-One could say that. Throughout the years I was by Master's side, I never saw him care about anyone but himself. Growing up alone he needed to look after himself.
-That doesn't excuse pointing a gun at me and locking me up! I am so fed up with people always justifying his actions!
-Master Virion always attracted people's attention. He never needed to work for it. Usually when something bad happened he would lock the problem away or use force. It had worked out until now and he has no idea what else to do.
-Still not convincing me.
-I had never seen Master Virion worried about someone else other than himself. He turned that car around in a matter of seconds and ran back to you.
-It was too late." 

What was with this story? Were people always taking his defense? 

"But what were his motivations?
-I don't care about his intentions. 
-He already lost everything once. He had no idea what else to do." 

I had no idea what to answer. 

"Just take some time to think." 

Having said what he wanted, Peridot stood up and left. I followed him out soon and realized that Bartholomew was gone. He took his car again but left Bonnie behind this time. When he came back he was his cold self again and I decided to ignore him for the time being. 

However I couldn't forget Perdiot's words for some reason and while thinking about them, I realized how weird Bartholomew's behavior was. I knew that the story would change but it was nothing compared to what I expected. What gave it away finally was Gardenia starting to bully me. 

In the original work she bullied Bonnie because she was jealous of all the attention she got from Bartholomew but it seemed it was my turn. She would glare at me all the time and when Bartholomew left she would push me and say things like: 

"What does he see in a person like you?" 

But she never hurt my feelings and I even answered: 

"Stop acting pitiful for someone who doesn't even know the color of your eyes." 

Seeing that her bullying didn't work she pushed it up a nodge and started by hiding frogs in my bed. I loved frogs so then she went for insects. I didn't like them that much and decided to confront her. However Gardenia decided to play dumb which made me sigh: 

"What are you trying to achieve here?
-This is not your world, Aed. You should leave while you still can.
-Is that all? Because I won't leave for now.
-Why would you stay? No one wants you here.
I don't want to be here either.
-Then why would you stay? You are making Bartholomew's life hard just by your presence. 
-Is this all because of him? I haven't talked to the guy for days. Is he obsessed with me or something?" 

Gardenia going all red was a sign that I wasn't wrong. 

"He doesn't care about you at all! It is just a passing curiosity. I can't blame him. It's like watching monkeys at the zoo.
-Could you stop ridiculing yourself? Can't you have Bartholomew's attention other than by pushing me away from him? What does that say about you? You deserve way more than this, Gardenia…"