Hurting her again

As the car pulled into the long driveway of Julian’s villa, Selena was too exhausted to pay much attention to her surroundings. She just wanted to get inside, grab some rest, and forget about her tumultuous day.

Julian, on the other hand, was unusually silent, his mind still replaying the odd mix of arguments, scolding, and the awkward pharmacy detour.

But as soon as they stepped inside the house, Julian froze in his tracks.

“Julian Mathers!” a sharp yet familiar voice echoed through the grand hall.

Selena looked up, startled, and saw an older woman sitting elegantly on one of the plush sofas. She was dressed in a lavender silk blouse and a pearl necklace that radiated class and warmth. Her silver hair was swept into a bun, and her sharp, intelligent eyes zeroed in on Julian.

“Grandma?” Julian muttered, visibly caught off guard.

Selena blinked, unsure of what to do. Julian’s grandmother?

“I’ve been waiting here for hours, young man!” The older woman stood up with surprising energy and pointed a finger at him. “Married! You got married without even telling me? Have you lost all sense of propriety?”

Julian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Grandma, I—”

“No excuses!” she snapped. “You’re my only grandson! Did you think you could keep something like this from me forever? If the servants hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t even have known!”

Selena instinctively stepped back, trying to avoid the whirlwind of emotions swirling in the room. She wasn’t sure what to say or do in front of this commanding woman.

“And you,” the older woman turned to Selena, her stern expression softening almost instantly. She walked over, studying Selena from head to toe. “So, you’re the one he married.”

Selena managed an awkward smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

The older woman’s face broke into a warm smile. “You’re absolutely beautiful, my dear. What a sweet face! Come here.” She reached out, pulling Selena into a gentle hug.

Selena blinked in surprise but found herself relaxing in the woman’s comforting embrace.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Pulling back, Julian’s grandmother cupped Selena’s face in her hands. “What’s your name, darling?”

“Selena Frost,” she answered softly.

“Well, Selena, I must say, you’re far too lovely for this grumpy boy,” she said, throwing a sharp glance at Julian.

“Grandma,” Julian muttered, his tone a mix of exasperation and fondness.

“Don’t you ‘Grandma’ me!” She turned back to Selena, her hands still on her shoulders. “Has he been treating you well? I know how moody he can get. If he’s ever mean to you, you just let me know, and I’ll give him a piece of my mind.”

Selena couldn’t help but smile at the genuine warmth in the woman’s words. “He’s... fine,” she said diplomatically, glancing at Julian, who was now glaring at her.

“Fine? That doesn’t sound good enough,” his grandmother said, narrowing her eyes at Julian. “Julian, have you been bullying her?”

Julian groaned and rolled his eyes. “Grandma, can you not—”

“I mean it!” she interrupted, shaking a finger at him. “If I find out you’ve made this lovely girl cry, I’ll come back here with my cane and knock some sense into you!”

Selena suppressed a giggle as Julian visibly clenched his jaw, clearly restraining himself from talking back.

“You’re overreacting, Grandma,” Julian said, his tone flat but with an underlying warmth.

“Oh, hush. You can’t even argue with me,” she said smugly before turning back to Selena. “You must be exhausted, dear. Look at you—working all day and then coming home to this grouch. Let me take you to the kitchen and make you some tea.”

Selena was about to protest, but Julian’s grandmother had already looped her arm through hers and was leading her toward the kitchen.

As they sat at the kitchen island, Julian’s grandmother poured tea into delicate porcelain cups. “So, Selena,” she began, “how did you meet this troublesome grandson of mine?”

Selena hesitated, unsure of how much she should reveal. “It’s... a long story,” she said finally.

“Hmm, I see,” his grandmother said, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Well, you must be quite special to have caught his eye. Julian doesn’t let just anyone into his life, you know.”

Selena smiled weakly, sipping her tea. She didn’t want to burst the woman’s bubble by telling her the real circumstances of their marriage.

Julian walked into the kitchen then, leaning against the doorway with a resigned expression. “Are you done interrogating her yet, Grandma?”

“Don’t rush me,” she said sharply, waving him off. “I’m just getting to know my granddaughter-in-law.”

Selena choked on her tea at the term, and Julian sighed deeply.

“Granddaughter-in-law,” Julian repeated flatly. “It’s not that kind of marriage.”

His grandmother gave him a knowing look. “We’ll see.”

Julian groaned. “Grandma—”

“Shush!” she interrupted, then turned to Selena with a wink. “Don’t let him scare you, dear. He’s just grumpy because he doesn’t know how to handle someone as lovely as you.”

Selena flushed slightly, unsure how to respond.

“Now, Julian,” his grandmother said, standing up and fixing her grandson with a stern look, “you’d better take good care of her. If I hear even a whisper of you mistreating her, you’ll answer to me.”

Julian rubbed his temples. “Understood.”

With a satisfied smile, the older woman turned back to Selena. “And you, my dear, don’t hesitate to put him in his place when needed. He’s not as tough as he looks.”

Selena smiled, and for the first time in a while, she felt a bit of genuine warmth in this house.

As his grandmother prepared to leave, Julian walked her to the door, shaking his head.

“She’s lovely, Julian,” his grandmother said softly, resting a hand on his arm. “Don’t mess this up.”

Julian didn’t reply, his jaw tightening slightly. He watched as she got into her car and drove off, her words lingering in his mind.

As soon as Julian closed the door after his grandmother left, he turned to Selena, his usual cold demeanor replaced with something harsher. His strides were quick, his eyes filled with unspoken rage and something she couldn’t quite place. Before Selena could react, he grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly toward him.

Her breath hitched as she stumbled forward. “What the hell, Julian?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned down, his face inches from hers, his grip like iron. “Listen to me very carefully,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Whatever you do, don’t let my grandmother know the truth about our marriage.”

Selena blinked, her heart racing, not from fear but from the intensity in his eyes. For the first time, Julian looked...nervous. Vulnerable, even.

“Why?” she challenged, masking her shock with defiance. “Afraid she won’t forgive you for your lies?”

His grip tightened on her arm, and she winced. “My grandmother has a weak heart. If something happens to her because of you, you’ll pay the price.”

She stared at him, incredulous. “Pay the price? Do you even hear yourself right now? You’re blaming me for something that hasn’t even happened!”

Julian ignored her protests, his hand moving from her arm to her jaw. He gripped it tightly, forcing her to meet his icy glare. “Don’t test me. I mean it.”

Her jaw ached under the pressure of his fingers, but she refused to look away, her own anger bubbling to the surface.

“So this is your weakness,” she whispered, her voice laced with mockery. “The great Julian Mathers, untouchable and ruthless, has someone he actually cares about.”

The words seemed to snap something in him. He released her abruptly, pushing her away with more force than he intended. Selena staggered backward and lost her balance, landing hard on the floor. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as her stomach twisted in pain.

“Agh!”

“Damn it,” Julian muttered, running a hand through his hair as he realized what he’d done.

Selena winced, clutching her stomach as tears pricked her eyes. She looked up at him, her expression a mixture of pain and fury.

“Are you insane?” she snapped, her voice shaking. “Do you think you can just throw me around like I’m nothing?”

Julian moved toward her, his hand outstretched to help her up, but she swatted it away, glaring at him with tears streaming down her face.

“Don’t touch me,” she hissed. “I don’t need your fake concern.”

“Selena, I—”

“No!” she interrupted, her voice rising. “You’ve done nothing but humiliate me and treat me like garbage since the moment I got here. And now this? Do you even see what you’re becoming?”

His lips parted as if to argue, but no words came out.

She pushed herself to her feet, clutching her stomach and glaring at him. “You’re pathetic,” she said through gritted teeth. “You act like you’re the only one with the feelings, but newsflash, Julian: you don’t have a monopoly on feelings.”

His eyes widened slightly at her words, but he quickly masked it with his usual cold indifference.

“Stay away from me,” she said, her voice breaking as she stormed off toward her room.

Julian stood there, rooted to the spot, his fists clenched at his sides. He hated how her words got under his skin, how they made him feel things he’d long buried.

As the sound of her door slamming echoed through the house, he exhaled slowly, the weight of his actions settling on him like a heavy cloak. He couldn’t lose his grandmother—not to stress, not to anything. And yet, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from driving Selena further away.

For a moment, Julian stared at the empty hallway, a strange, unfamiliar guilt gnawing at him. Then he turned and walked after her.