-Chapter 74: It's All Your Fault
**Warning: Reading this chapter will make you want to force push someone off a cliff. Don't believe me, then read on. You have been warned**
Yua and the others are gone now that Gai had them clear out. He doesn't want anyone out here for what he has to say, which tells me he is going to mean business. But what kind of business does he want to handle right now and out here?
"What do you want to talk about with us?" Aruto asks, sounding curious and a bit confused about what Gai wants. I don't blame him, I want to know what is going on right now. What does he want from us?
"I believe it is time to talk to you two about what I am aware of between you two. I bet you two thought you could get away with it. Am I correct about that, Mari?" Gai looks at me, eyes cold and dark as a smile sits on his face. It is a small smile, but it is a smile.
"What do you mean?" I know what he means, but I have to hear it from his mouth.
"What are you getting at? Nothing is going on between me and Mari," Aruto states, denying our involvement with each other. He's going out of his way to protect me right now and it is so sweet that he is. I wish I could reward him right now, but I can't.
Gai's eyes stay on me, burning a hole into my soul. "If you do not want to answer me, Mari, then I will say what you've been up to."
"What?" I don't know what he wants me to say right now. Why would I confirm that I'm having an affair with Aruto? That's wrong.
"You do know that she met up with Horobi in secrecy, right? She has known that he was alive for a long time now," Gai asks, eyes going straight to Aruto.
How can he go and bring this up like that? Why is he bringing this up to Aruto right now? This shouldn't be out in the open like this right now.
"She knew he was alive?" Aruto seems surprised. I wish I could have told him this sooner, but I didn't want to ruin our happiness.
I did go and meet Horobi, but it wasn't like I was all alone doing so. I had someone watching me at all times. I didn't ever go and see him all alone. Not once and not ever. I'm not going to break any laws when with Horobi ever again.
I turn to Aruto and he turns his head, looking at me with sad eyes. I couldn't tell him. He wouldn't understand me needing to be there for Horobi as moral support. It isn't like I'm hooking up with him and trying to free him. This is why I kept it to myself. It puts me in a bad light and I don't want to be seen in a bad light.
I need to be honest with him right now. "Aruto, it isn't what he's implying that it is. I didn't do anything with him romantically. Sure, Horobi kissed me, but it was just to piss Isamu off. I swear, it wasn't anything romantic."
I can't believe that Gai is doing this to punish me. Actually, I can believe that he is doing this to me right now. He wants me to suffer for going out with Aruto behind his back and having a good time without him.
"Oh, is that what your excuse is for having another man place his lips upon yours? He's not even human." Gai sounds so happy right now for doing this. He really enjoys doing this doesn't he? "I bet it excited your heart to finally have that man place his lips on yours. I bet it made you long for his touch and for his freedom."
"Mari..." Aruto looks away, looking really troubled. He doesn't know what to do right now, right?
"Aruto...I...I..." I don't know if I should talk about what that kiss meant or not. It seriously wasn't anything serious for me and Horobi.
I do want Horobi to be happy and be able to live a normal life, but he has to pay the price for his crimes. He did terrible things and he does need to pay. Of course, it wasn't all terrible. He did keep me safe whether the Ark controlled that or not. I owe him for always being so good to me and keeping me safe from Allen.
"Can't say anything about her doing that with him, President of Hiden Intelligence?" Gai is taunting him and I don't like it.
"Gai...please..." I don't want to beg him to stop, but I don't know what to do. I have never been in a situation like this before in my life.
"It is a shame that you thought you could steal my wife from me," Gai says, probably smirking. "She has little to no love for me at all and it the same for you. She only loves that HumaGear and it is really disgusting. Don't you think so too, Aruto?"
Is it really that disgusting to love someone like Horobi? And it is true that I don't have any love for Gai, but I was willing to get love for him in my heart if he would have been a good husband. I can't help that he decided to be a terrible person and push me away from him.
I get that Horobi is really evil, but there are good points to him. It isn't his fault that he is evil. He is being controlled and used. He only knows what he has been taught and he can be taught to love everyone else around him if given the proper chance to. I'm sure he wasn't always as bad as he was. I don't know what kind of HumaGear he was before, but I'm sure he was a good HumaGear who loves people and cared for them.
"You enjoyed that HumaGear terrorist kissing you and you should admit it," Gai tells me, his voice sounding as normal as it usually does. "It felt so good for you and you thought it was sinful to enjoy it. So, you decided to keep it from Aruto and keep it within yourself. If you truly loved him, you wouldn't keep secrets from him."
"Gai, that is enough!" I shout, my voice shaking a bit. "Please...don't be like this with Aruto. I'll do whatever you want, just leave him alone and out of it. This is between you and me, not you and him."
It is my marriage to him that is causing issues, not anything really between them. Sure, Aruto touched me, but I wanted that. I never asked for him to do much for me. He has done everything he has wanted to do and I have done everything I wanted to do with him.
"What's wrong, Mari? Did you forget to tell him about you and Horobi's secret meeting? I bet you wanted to go to his side and break him free the moment you saw him." How can he go and say all of this in front of Aruto? "I bet it was a moment for you. It was a really, really special moment for you and Horobi."
"Stop." I don't want him to keep talking. "Just stop, okay? You're twisting everything in front of Aruto just to make him suffer. You're twisting the truth and turning it into something no one can recognize." He may sound like he's telling the truth, but he's making it all up. I...I don't want him to believe in what Gai is saying about me and Horobi right now.
Sure, I wanted to free Horobi. But that doesn't mean I would have ran to his side and done whatever he needed me to. I'm not going to break the law just to have Horobi at my side. I'm not going to live on the run with him and I'm not going to hurt others to help the one I love. I'm sure it was a moment for Horobi, but it wasn't much of a moment for me.
"It is a lie! Mari would never let Horobi kiss her!" Aruto exclaims. "She's only going along with what you're saying because she's afraid of you!"
Aruto...oh, you're so wrong about that. I did let it happen because I didn't expect it to happen. I never went to that place thinking it'll happen. I never thought he would kiss me or that we would even be that close to each other. It was my mistake and my sin.
I turn a bit and stare at my husband. "Gai, please stop this!"
"Oh, do you want me to prove that she did? That is easy to do," Gai says, lifting up his arm and pulling up part of his jacket. He presses on his watch and a clip pops up, showing Horobi placing a kiss on my lips.
"Aruto..." I can't believe that he got ahold of that. I thought it wouldn't get into his hands. "Aruto, it isn't what it looks like!"
Yeah, Horobi kissed me and it looks like we were enjoying ourselves. But that isn't what happened. Gai's twisting the truth and making it seem like I wanted a piece of that robot boy. But I think he doesn't really want me. He wants whoever Naki is and I want to know who Naki is. Are they truly a female or are they someone in disguise that Horobi is ready to have help him at all times? It is so confusing.
"No..." Aruto, I'm so sorry.
"If you ever thought Mari loved you, you were wrong and still are wrong. I guess if she does want you, I should give her the chance to decide what she truly wants. Now, Mari, do you want to know something?" I hope Aruto isn't buying this. "Remember, the choice is yours and only yours." Gai puts his arm down and the video disappears, fading into nothingness.
He can't possibly know how I feel for Aruto. He's not me and I'm not him. We have no idea what either one is thinking most of the time. So, how can he possibly tell Aruto how I feel for him?
I turn to Gai fully. "What?" What does he want? What does he mean by the choice is mine?
What is he going to do to us now? It can't be good. He's not going to let this slide and I can understand why he wouldn't. I stepped all over our marriage and treated it like it was nothing. I disregarded him so easily, so I know he isn't going to go easy on us.
"If you really want to be with him, Mari, I will beat him up and let you be with him all you want. Keep in mind it wouldn't be the typical beating I give to him since he did commit a great sin by touching my wife. But, Mari, if you don't want to be with him just come home with me. I'll beat him up a different day and it won't be as brutal," Gai says, casually talking like this is a typical business dealing for him. Are my feelings just nothing to him?
"Mari, you don't have to do that. I won't be with you ever again," Aruto tells me. Why is Aruto trying to make this easy on me? Let me have it the hard way. "I am the one who touched you and it was against your will. You didn't want to be with me."
I swallow hard and shake my head. "Don't do this, Gai, please! Aruto won't be with me again, I swear! Don't touch him!" I am shouting now, but I have to. I have to let him know that this is what I want and what is in my heart. I want him to know I'm being sincere right now.
I have to ignore Aruto right now. I can't let him take the blame for this or else he'll get screwed over by Gai. Aruto deserves to be treated well and not have Gai all over his rear.
"Mari!" Aruto shouts. "It was all me! Ignore her, President Amatsu!" Why is he being formal with this man right now? He just threatened his safety and happiness!
"It is up to you, not him, Mari. A beautiful woman like you is hard for someone like him to resist. Especially with your position in society. Your position in society is attractive to social climbers like him," Gai tells me. He pulls out his ThousanDriver and puts it on his waist, a small smile growing on his face. "I have to teach him the difference between you and him." Social climber? Aruto is far from that!
I shake my head again as my stomach turns. "Please..." He's going to hurt Aruto now isn't he? He is really going to hurt him if I don't make the right choice for me and him.
Tears fill my eyes as he puts one key in, taking his sweet time doing so. He is doing this so casually and so easily. This is just so easy to him isn't it? Why does he have to be like this? Why is he doing this to me and Aruto? Why can't Gai leave me be alone in happiness? He has what he wants and that is a marriage to me!
"Well?" He raises an eyebrow, holding up the other key now. "I only need one more to be in, Mari. Make your choice quickly before something awful happens to your lover. Do you understand that, honey?" My heart sinks as he slowly moves his hand down, getting ready to pop the other key into his driver.
He really does only have one more key to go before he transforms. If he transforms, he's going to hurt Aruto really bad for going behind his back with me. He's really not going to let this slide. He is going to punish both of us if I don't do what he wants me to do.
"Don't let him control you, Mari!" Aruto shouts. "It is your choice and only your choice. You don't have to let him push you around at all!"
"I will ruin his entire life if you go with him. Again, choice is yours," he reminds me. "You're a smart woman and you know what is good for you. And remember, I'll beat him down badly if you decide to be with him to teach him a lesson about touching another man's wife."
Gai puts the other key in and I rush forward, dropping onto my knees and grabbing his legs. I look up at him and he looks down at me, smirking a little as tears go down my cheeks. He likes this doesn't he? He's so sick and twisted by forcing me to make a decision between Aruto's safety and my future with Aruto.
I have no choice but to beg here. I have really no choice. The moment he activates his transformation, he will go off on Aruto and nothing will be done to stop him. He'll get away with it and Aruto will be smeared badly for taking his wife.
"Please, don't hurt him! Please..." I close my eyes, my chest shaking. "I don't want him to get hurt just for me. Please...spare him. I'm the one who did a bad thing, alright? I was the one who wanted to go behind your back and cheat on you. He never suggested a thing!"
"Oh, so he didn't confess first to you? Be honest with me now, sweetie."
My throat tightens a bit. "He...he did confess first, but I allowed him to. I'm so sorry, Gai..." I have to swallow my pride now. "I didn't mean to let it happen and I'm sorry. I only want you, alright?"
"Mari!" Aruto exclaims, sounding defeated. This is the hardest thing for me to do, but I don't want any harm coming to Aruto ever again because of me. He doesn't deserve to have that happen to me because I simply want him.
I open my eyes and look up at Gai as he stares down at my face with an amused look on his. He likes making me do this, right? He is no different from Allen in this way. They both do the same tactics to keep me at their side, but Gai is really going too far here.
"Is that a rejection for Aruto? You really don't love him as much as he loves you, huh?" Gai leans down a bit as I keep my arms around his legs. "I'm the only one you need, Mari. You should be happy with what I have given you so far. I will give you more if you start being a better wife to me." He brings up a hand to the back of my head and places it down on it, petting my head gently.
I nod my head as tears keep going down my face, making it feel wetter and hotter than it needs to. "I should be grateful to you. I swear, I'll be grateful to you as long as you let him leave unharmed. Don't hurt him by using this against him. I'm the one who threw myself at him and clinging onto him like he was some knight. I made a mistake, okay? I am so sorry for disregarding our marriage." I also feel hot because this is plain embarrassing to do.
"You did?" Gai moves his hand to the top of my head and pats it gently. "I guess I should disregard this incident. But it does come at a price, Mari." What is that supposed to mean?
"Mari, don't listen to him!" Aruto shouts. "He's just trying to mess with you." I know what he is up to, but I don't want you to get harmed, Aruto.
Gai's eyes leave me and he lifts his head a bit, eyes going back to Aruto. "You're not a part of our marriage, President of Hiden Intelligence. So, I suggest you stay out of it before I do use this power against you and punish both you and Mari." He wouldn't actually hurt me, but he wants to really keep Aruto away. If he can use me successfully as leverage to keep Aruto at bay, he'll do so non-stop.
"Mari..." Aruto, please don't hurt as much as I do. You deserve to be happy.
"Gai..." I sob, shaking a bit. "Please..." I'm crying so hard right now and I bet he's enjoying every second of it.
"Now, what about Horobi? Did you enjoy your kiss with him? I want him to hear the answer and it better be the truth." He places a hand under my chin as one of his finger runs along my jaw. I think he's doing that with his thumb moving along my wet face. "I bet you enjoyed every moment of time that his lips were up against yours. You wanted more than that kiss with him."
I look down as far as I can without moving his strong hand. "I am someone who enjoys backstabbing her husband and putting down his feelings. I am a horrible wife who shouldn't be allowed outside ever again. I allowed Horobi to kiss me because it was what I wanted and I wanted more." I'm going to give him what he wants for now, but I will get him back for this. I am disgusted by him.
That kiss with Horobi was an interesting experience, but that is what it was and always will be. It was just plain interesting thing to have happen to me since it isn't everyday that a human and HumaGear share a kiss. Even though that kiss was to piss Isamu off, it still was a kiss.
"Mari, he's just playing you! Please..." Aruto knows that I have no choice but to protect him. Neither one of us have the power to stop Gai.
Horobi probably could beat him up if he could be free and have his key, but that is doubtful to ever happen. Gai won't let him go. He wants Horobi to be alive and well. He has always wanted to use all of this against me and Aruto.
I don't want Aruto to get hurt. I care about him so much and it isn't fair to him to dig me out of my own marital problems. I just need to put up with Gai a bit longer until I can get to freedom. Is it even possible to get free again?
Gai pulls me up and pulls me close to his body, embracing me tightly as he keeps his eyes on Aruto. "Mari, I'm the one you want to be with, right? You don't want some man who doesn't know what he is doing and can't run a business."
"..." This is for Aruto's sake and I hate having to say this. "I don't want him, Gai. I never wanted him."
Aruto knows that I have to do this and he doesn't want to admit that it has to happen. I get wanting some positivity and all, but I made a bad choice and this is one of the many consequences of my bad choice to be with Gai. I sold my soul to the devil himself and I am unable to break free from his hold on me.
"Mari!" Aruto shouts, sounding concerned. "Please...let her go."
"Shut up, President of Hiden Intelligence! She's made her choice and it is a good choice that she made. Now, what about Horobi? Will you forget about him from now on?" Gai asks me, sounding like this is the happiest moment of his life.
He has both of us begging for each other to do a different thing. He loves this and he is going to keep this going for as long as possible. He wants us to be at his knees and begging him to let us live our lives without him in it.
"I will. I'll forget him," I say, my voice low. I'll never forget Horobi and I refuse to forget him.
I am unable to forget the HumaGear who changed my entire life the moment I met him. Sure, he put me on this path, but it isn't like he meant to. Horobi had different intentions for me and only allowed me to be with Gai because I wanted it. I know that is why he allowed me to.
Gai pulls back a bit and leans in towards my face, placing his lips on mine as he looks over at Aruto. He wants him to see this and wish he could do something about this. We're both powerless right now. Aruto can't fight him right now due to lacking the power to and I can't even lift a finger to help since it'll only drag him down. I have no way of keeping Gai from touching and harming him all day long.
Just hang on, Aruto. I will end this when the moment comes and we can be together happily like we want to be. I will make it happen with my own two hands and make Gai suffer for what he has done to us.
He's going to pay for everything one day and he won't be able to stop it from happening. I swear.
**Super long Author's note below. Just putting this here to warn you. Read through it all you want and give your nice opinions afterwards**
A/n: And this is what I was referring to when I said people would want to force push Gai off a cliff. He's going to be like this for a bit. Mari is going to have to change her plans a bit and find another way to get free from him. We have plenty of drama for the three in the future for sure along with Horobi.
Before you go at me for making her seem weak, this will definitely help her go in the right direction. Besides, Gai won't give her up so easily. He's definitely going to piss you off so much in this story that I honestly hope you force push him off of a cliff somehow. My twin was watching the new episode with me earlier and wanted to get rid of him because of how he is. And I'll give you a spoiler before the spoiler below: Aruto won't give up on Mari either. He'll be frustrated, I'm sure, but he'll never give up on her. I feel bad for him when something happens in the future. Don't worry, you'll see if it'll be good or bad. ;)
Anyways, Mari will indeed have ups and downs from here and it'll get frustrating, but it will all lead her to becoming who she is meant to be. In the second part of the story, I think it'll be better due to her getting to use her abilities as a Kamen Rider more and her having more of her free will show. There is a lot to take in for this story, but the payoff will be worth it in my opinion. I am having a blast writing Mari's life and she is really complex due to all the things that make her up.
Some spoilers for the future: We'll get to know more about Elise and Mari's biological family. A few things will be answered and we'll move towards the next arc of the series.
Now I'm not going to give spoilers on the latest Zero-One episode, but goodness it was surprising and frustrating! I have planned for any twists in the show's storyline that hasn't happened yet (gotta think ahead for many things like how Horobi survived and one other thing you all we see later on) since I'm writing this as the show goes. It is helpful for me to do so anyway because it helps with writing for Mari since she doesn't know every little thing and has to figure it out when we do. :D I prefer writing it like that because it helps writing from her view of things. Not that I hate writing for series already done (like Zi-O).
PS: Wishful Dreams will be out soon. I know I've been delaying it, but some stuff has popped up in my personal life (nothing bad at all and nothing super exciting, just normal life stuff). I'll get it out soon and I'll write more chapters for Kamen Rider Trouble soon. I haven't been able to watch recently with all that is going on, so its been delayed. Sorry!
Please keep yourself safe during this pandemic too! Keep in mind to stay inside if you have to and not be up close to people. Wash your hands constantly and make sure to do anything else that might help from getting the virus! Thanks for reading all of this and sorry for this frustrating chapter. It'll get better though. I promise you that it will if you stick through this and other future frustrating chapters.