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Arturo is an utterly disgusting and vile man. Not a single redeeming quality could ever make her forgive him for what he has done to her.
At the very least he can be somewhat useful, though she would never let him know that. His ego is big enough as it is.
He prepares all her meals, then stands in front of her dorm waiting for her to wake up like a lost puppy.
Every single fucking day.
And of course he follows her around, everywhere. Seems to be the only thing he does these days. The only way she can cope with being essentially stalked is by simply viewing him as an alibi. Or possibly an accomplice that would never rat her out, if she is right about his personality.
With how obsessed he is with her, or rather her mother, she muses that he would do pretty much anything she asked of him.
But even with how she rationalizes his continuous overstepping of boundaries, he still does it. He doesn't learn from her shouting at him, doesn't learn from her pleading with him to just leave her be. He says he will, yet he doesn't.
Just like now. Ranting on and on and on about things her mother has done, her mother has achieved, succeeded in-
It's no surprise she lashes out at him, he really should see it coming by now.
Still he gasps in shock and in pain hopefully as she shoves him against the wall roughly.
He is so frail, so weak both his wrists can be grabbed with one hand. And his struggling and squirming does nothing to loosen her grip, if anything it only makes her tighten her grasp on him.
It is like a weight is being lifted off of her, a certain weightlessness spreading through her she hasn’t felt ever since this whole ordeal started… maybe even a good while before that.
The way he winces, the gasp that escapes his lips makes her far giddier than it should, a wide grin twisting her face in a way she hopes disgusts him.
"Aww, what's wrong? For such a big guy you sure are weak. Without your scalpel you're just a big joke, hm? Just like Ace, all bark no bite."
As if trying to refute her, he wriggles and squirms, eyes twitching at what might just be the growing realisation that he is at her mercy now.
"M-Miss Rosales?"
"And for a guy that's supposed to be smart, you are really slow, Arturo."
Her face is mere inches from his as she squeezes his wrists for emphasis, close enough to see the short flicker of a pained expression on his face.
"You could be killed so easily right now, I would only need one hand to cut off your airflow. You as a doctor must know what that means, hm?"
"Julia, I-I really didn't mean to-"
"I don't wanna hear it! Goddamn, want me to call you by the wrong name too, dumbass? Noone would care if we renamed you to 'Dumbass', describes you perfectly after all."
With how his eyes are usually completely fixed on her, it is downright hilarious for him to not be able to meet her gaze anymore, still trying to squirm out of her grip.
"Doesn't feel so good to be stalked all the time, followed wherever you go, no sense of privacy whatsover... You don't know what that's like, you'll never understand-
Actually..."
Arturo's mask is ripped clean off in her growing anger.
"You don't get to keep that! Not when you actively make my life a living hell."
J is desperately trying to stop herself from just straightup shouting at him, gritting her teeth and pushing the words out between them.
However she is unable to stop herself from delivering the most satisfying punch to his face, especially now after seeing his full shocked expression, the entirety of Arturo Giles.
And by God is it worth it, to see his head snap back and hit the wall with the force of her punch.
This time he doesn't even try to talk back or 'calm her down'. Just looks at her incredulously with wide eyes, her fist already having left a pretty red mark on his cheek.
Something in her stomach churns in satisfaction when she sees his eyes glisten, a heartfelt laugh shaking her body when the first tear makes it down his face.
"Good God, you are patehtic..."
His body slumps down when she lets him go, knees colliding with the floor with a winceworthy sound.
'Winceworthy' probably isn't the right word when J bursts into another fit of laughter.
"That's all it took to break your will?? I should have tried that sooner... You know what's funny? You wouldn't last a fucking day in my life, not a single one!"
He yelps as he is lifted back up again by his collar. It is a little straining on her arms but the giddiness she feels seeing Arturo scared for once is entirely worth it.
Even better when his eyes go wide with genuine panic and his hands try to pry hers off.
Either he's really weak or he is not really trying to pry her hands away, because his squirming doesn't do shit, moreso a show for pity.
How cute!
By that J means: How utterly pathetic can this guy be?
At least it's entertaining. Maybe this killing game is fucking with her head when she wraps one hand around his throat without a shred of remorse or guilt. After all he is a person, a human being... She wouldn't have ever thought about doing this-
To be fair, this is the most alive she has ever felt since who knows when, seeing the idiot who ratted her out slowly realizing what her hand around his neck can do.
Just to coax a bigger reaction out of him, she squeezes experimentally and a choked off sound makes its way out of him, his movements erratic in fear and panic, scrambling to get away from her.
Though she is only average strength-wise, it's not too difficult to keep him pinned against the wall and press harder against his throat.
"Ju- J! J, please-"
His voice is strained, his vocal cords humming under her grip. The terrified and alarmed tone of his words does make her let up, slightly. To see him frantically trying to get air back into his lungs, face pale and... she actually gets to see his entire face now.
Now a little calmer she can take note of the braces, the small birth mark. Nothing to write home about, but small imperfections that most definitely fuck with him, that she will definitely use against him in the future. Not like she actually cares what others look like, but in this case?
She'll take whatever ammunition she can get.
And finally she notices the streaks of tears.
Arturo is crying. Actually crying now.
Small ugly sobs emerge from the back of his throat, make his shoulders, his whole body shake while he is avoiding her eyes.
A shame, really. It might just be the most pathetic sight.
"Look at me."
Almost endearing how his head twitches in the innate need of obeying her. But like always, he never actually does, still fixated on the ground in front of him.
"I said...
Look at me!"
She will forever remember the noise he makes as she tears his head up with enough force to rip out some of his hair.
It's a whimper. An actual fucking whimper.
And his face is even better.
Red from the previous lack of air, eyes glossy and teary, lips bitten and swollen.
There is snot and tears and a wonderful tilt to his eyebrows, making it look like he is pleading with her.
His bottom lip quivers and she feels him trying to lower his head back down, yet he can't. He's simply too weak.
A frustrated sound escapes him.
"Aww, what's that? It's too much for you? Want me to stop? You poor thing~ Just can't deal with the consequences of your actions, hm?"
She is awfully aware of her downright evil chuckle, almost cringes at her villainesque monologue.
Still, when do you get a chance like this?
"How about you ask me nicely? Maybe I actually listen, unlike you rat, and do you a favour."
After this ordeal there will be no more admiration from his side, only fear and panic. Only memories of this moment, his life quite literally in her hands, of the hoarse 'please' he manages to get out along another sob.
Even when she simply takes a step back (as if admiring a work of art, though Arturo can hardly be considered anything beautiful), he keeps on crying, hysterical sobs only stifled by his hand clutching his face.
Other people would probably feel bad right about now, but J... can't find it in herself to care. She closes the door of her dorm behind her.
