**Trigger warning for those who aren't able to handle violence towards women in any way. Please don't read further if you cannot handle that it and it bothers you/triggers you. Thank you for understanding**
-Chapter 16: Nightmare
I close my eyes as my body throbs, aching badly. I hardly slept last night because of the pain. This isn't what I wanted. This is never what I wanted.
"Juli."
I open my eyes and sit up a bit, looking ahead. "Y-yes?"
He steps into view, moving around the wall where the closet in his house is. "You will come back home by the end of your work day. It isn't a something you can possibly do, but you have to do." He places his hand on his tie, adjusting it to make it straight. So, it is an order.
I nod slowly. "I will do so. I won't stay out late."
"Good. Make sure to put on your dress when you go out today. I got you it last night and it will make you look absolutely stunning despite the new face," he says, bossing me around. "Don't forget your jacket either."
"I won't." I really won't.
He moves towards me and he leans in, placing his lips on my forehead. "I will see you later, my love." He looks me in the eyes. "Take care, dear. I love you so much."
I look down, nodding. "I know that you do."
"Take your time adjusting to your life again. I know it must hard to suddenly be thrown back into the old life you had with me, but we have to try to become a good couple again." He touches my head gently, patting me on the top of it. "I'm sorry about last night, Juli."
"It is fine, Allen. Take care," I say, my voice coming out weakly.
Allen removes his hand from my head and I look up as he turns away. He moves to the exit of the room, turning. He's gone. He's finally going away.
I get off the bed and step up to the mirror on the wall that he keeps, looking into it. Purple skin is all over me right now. My body doesn't even look like it is my body anymore. Just the other day...I just looked so normal.
It is my fault that I look like this right now. I did this to myself by angering him, right? I was never a good wife to him and I never will be one to him.
"I'm so sorry..." I close my eyes, tears going down my face. I can't believe that I am in this situation once again. I don't even have her face anymore. Why did I have to be born with Elise's face in the first place?
I open my eyes, looking at my face. I don't look like her anymore. I don't know why he wants me back in the first place. We can't just undo the surgery I got to remove her most important features.
"Stop...I need to stop..." I swallow hard. "You got to work and you're not going to become that same woman again. You have to become stronger again. You have to be Mari again."
I built myself u only to be knocked back down. How am I able to be this weak again? Why am I being so weak once again?
I bring my hands to my face and wipe it, getting rid of the tears. I need to go now. I'll be okay in a bit. I'll be able to be free just for a little while.
I turn to my bed and look at the clothes he left on it. I reach out, picking it up. The dress is light blue with white lace. It is a pretty looking dress, but it isn't my style. This is more of Elise's style, not mine. I'll just have to tolerate it for now.
I look at the blue matching jacket and the blue heels. He even put out stockings for me to put on. This is way too feminine looking for me and doesn't match me at all.
But it'll have to do. I'll have to wear this for now.
~.~
"Mari!"
I stop as my chest burns a bit from all the bruising on it. I turn, facing the person behind me. Isamu?
I look next to him as Kairi stops, staring at me. "Kairi..." I look back at him. What's he doing here and why?
"It really is you, huh?" Isamu looks me over, looking surprised. "I almost didn't recognize you with this outfit on."
I nod my head. "Yeah, but it is me. So, what are you doing here? Do you need something from me?" I ask him, acting normal. I can't let him know that my chest is completely bruised and that other parts of me are bruised as well.
"Are you doing alright?"
I put my hand on my purse strap, clutching it tightly. "Why would something be wrong with me? Everything is alright with me right now. I am just out here to see what is going on with Hiden Intelligence."
"I see. Can I walk you into it? Kairi has been missing you since you left her with me. Is she not allowed at Allen's?" he asks curiously.
"Ah...no, I'm afraid not at the moment." I don't want her to experience me getting hurt. She might end up getting in the way of him and he could snap. "I'm sorry, Kairi for leaving you." She has her own will doesn't she?
"Isamu is correct that I've been missing you, Mari. I've been wishing to see you since the other day," Kairi tells me. She's developing a free will now, huh? She isn't in danger, thankfully.
I wish I could see Kairi a lot more, but I don't want her around Allen at all. He's dangerous. I can't trust him to not hurt her.
"I'll try to arrange more time for us to be together and for you to move in at some point with us. Also, can you end all the searching into my background? I remember it all now, Kairi. Thanks for assisting me in it," I tell her. I don't need to hide anything about myself like that from Isamu.
"You were looking into yourself? Why?"
"Understood, Mari." She turns to face Isamu. "Isamu, she was looking into her background in order to figure out what she was missing in her memory due to amnesia. However, Allen was able to bring back her memories recently. So, there is no need for me to keep the search going into her past."
Allen knew me thanks to my eyes. He remembered the look in them and how I trembled because of him. So, I should thank Jin for making my life miserable once again. If he didn't place that gun to my head, I wouldn't be back in this situation.
The wind blows and I look behind them. Is that Yua I'm seeing? She has been trying to act more emotionless lately. Probably to make her blood not boil too much around me.
"How is returning to your old life with your ex?" Yua asks, moving around Kairi and stopping. "Being rich isn't boring, right? I assume that you can spend money and have fun once again." She thinks that it is fun being wealthy?
It would be a lot more fun to be wealthy if I wasn't forced to be restricted in my activities. He is always cornering me if I do something he doesn't approve of. But they can't know that and they will never know that. Never ever.
"Yua, stop," Isamu begs. "Mari is trying to adjust to having this all over again. It isn't easy being tossed back into one's old life."
My skin burns, remembering all the hits I've gotten from Allen. "Thanks for giving my life a thought, Yua. You must be concerned about me if you're thinking about it. It is nice to have people concerned about me." I force a smile onto my face, trying to look as snobby as possible.
"Yeah, sure." She looks away, looking crossed. "I hope that you can adjust back into your old life like you never left it."
"Yua." Isamu is mad.
"Shall we get you into Hiden Intelligence now?" Kairi asks me, changing the subject a bit. "You're running late."
"Oh, right..." I should get into there. "Let's go."
~.~
"Welcome, Mari," Aruto says, greeting me as he stands up from his desk. "How are you doing right now? You look...different." He doesn't seem impressed by my new style. It isn't like I expect him to anyways. This isn't me.
"Ah, do I really look different? Is it in a bad way?" I look myself over. I think I look pretty bad. I covered myself up with a bit of makeup to cover any potentially obvious bruising. "I am doing alright and you?"
"I'm about to go and see my favorite manga artist in person," he states. "And no, you don't look bad. It is just different from how you usually like to dress." I look at him and he smiles.
"Favorite manga artist? Can I join you there?" I got nothing better to do with my life besides sit there and pout about my current situation. However, I rather not spend all my time doing that.
"You can come with me if you want to. We have to deliver a new HumaGear there."
I nod my head. "Alright, I'll join you."
"Izu, prepare a ride to take us part of the way there. It is better to walk them in without the fancy ride," Aruto orders.
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements now."
I smile. "Thanks, Aruto."
Izu bows. "I'll be back."
She turns and leaves, heading off to make our plans come true. She's good at doing that it seems. I wonder what else she is able to do.
"Did you sleep well last night? If you didn't, we can stop and get some coffee on the way there. You know, your favorite kind?" He's too kind.
"That sounds nice." I force a bigger smile onto my face. "Is it possible for me to one day come and work here? It isn't like I don't like my job, but I want to eventually try something new. It isn't exciting to do the same thing over and over again."
"Wouldn't you have to stop being a Kamen Rider then?"
I shrug. "It doesn't matter. I like doing new things."
"It may be hard for you to do so since you're working for Halo Horizons and I doubt they would let you go. However, I think I could make it work somehow." He nods. "I believe in myself enough to do so."
"It is just an idea."
"I know."
"The car is ready to go."
I look over at the entrance of the room. "Alright, thanks, Izu."
It is time to go.