I Am An Illegitimate Child With A Legitimate Reason For Revenge-Chapter 50: You’re still bleeding?

Raymond quickly walked up to Ariel.

"What happened? Are you hurt? Where are you bleeding?" He asked but she just felt uncomfortable and embarrassed about it.

It was already embarrassing enough that she stained the sheets and her own dress, telling him about it would definitely add to the shame.

"I’m not hurt." She said, anxiously avoiding eye contact.

"Then where did this blood come from?" He asked her and she pursed when lips. Ashamed, she lowered her head. "Ariel." Raymond called, dropping his hand on her shoulder and she looked up staring at what looked like worry in his eyes.

Seriously... He was seriously worried about her.

"It’s nothing to worry about." She said, dropping his hands from her shoulder. "You don’t see me like a woman anyway so you probably didn’t think I’d see periods too."

"What?"

"That’s it. I’m on my period." She finally said. "I didn’t know it’d come today. In fact, I never know when it will come so I couldn’t prepare for it. If I knew, I’d have definitely worn a pad and taken some with me. I wouldn’t even have worn a white dress." She stopped talking and looked up at him, only to see a confused expression.

"What?" Then, it dawned on Ariel that he might not know anything about menstrual periods and she went on blabbing things that he didn’t understand.

"Oh dear. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise you were oblivious to this topic." She said,

"First, Ariel, are you hurt anywhere?" He asked and she shook her head. "Then where are you bleeding from?"

"It’s embarrassing to say this out loud." She beaconed on him to lean closer and then she whispered in his ear. "Honestly, it would be better if you checked the internet for better understanding." She said, her face flushing red.

"I see." Raymond seriously said. "And right now? Is it over?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No." This alarmed him.

"You’re still bleeding?" She nodded. "Are you sure you’re not in pain?"

"My period doesn’t come with pain. But I guess for others, they might feel pain in their stomach." She explained and he took off his coat. He draped it over her shoulder and immediately lifted her into his arms.

"For some reason, I can not believe you when you say you’re bleeding with no pain." He said and started heading for the door.

"I’m serious. I don’t feel any pain. It’s just a slight tingle."

"That can still be counted as pain."

"Wait, where are we going?"

"To the hospital." He said but quickly changed his words. "To Steve."

Shocked, she asked him, "You’re going carry me out like this?"

"It wouldn’t be the first time."

"Yes but... Being in my period without a single package just makes it hard for me." She said, covering her face with her palms. "Really, I’m okay. I just need to take a bath, change my clothes and wear a pad."

Raymond stopped at the door.

"Are you sure?" She nodded, still covering her face.

"Alright." He finally agreed and turned, heading for the bathroom door. "What do you need?"

"A change of clothes, new underwear and sanitary pads." She answered.

The level of Ariel’s embarrassment was at its max which made her unable to show her face to him. She was sure that she looked like a ripe tomato at the moment.

Once again, to be sure, Raymond asked her,

"Are you sure you’re okay?"

Ariel felt it was strange. She had been feeling this since earlier but Raymond was really acting strange. He was acting like he truly cared for her. There wasn’t anyone around so she was sure he wasn’t acting so was he really concerned about her?

She peeked at his face through her fingers.

Was he honestly concerned about her health and safety? Was he genuinely worried? She couldn’t tell but the look in his eyes... There was no denying that he meant it when he asked if she was okay.

"Sir Raymond," she called. "...there’s nobody around. You don’t have to keep acting."

Raymond was immediately stunned by her words. Did she think he was acting?

"What do you take me for?" He asked her. "Unless there’s somebody around, I wouldn’t ask after you? You were bleeding, for crying out loud. Was I supposed to ignore it?" He looked at her anxiously and feeling this, he shut his eyes tight, squeezing his eyelids together. "Ariel," he opened his eyes. "You’re a human being and not a merchandise. I have every right to be concerned."

Ariel went silent. Yes, she was a human being and there was just so much she could take in. Yet, for some reason, the people she used to know, the people she hoped would give her attention and affection, couldn’t see that about her and treated her like she was an unbreakable and ugly doll.

No wait, maybe that’s what they were trying to do all along. They wanted to break her. They wanted to make her useless.

"Ariel." Raymond called, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You are a human being." He reminded her, with anxiety screaming in his eyes.

Ariel raised her hand and touched his face. She smiled faintly and said,

"Thank you for reminding me of that fact."

Her voice and expression immediately reminded Raymond of the words his mother used to tell him a very long time ago.

"You get hurt once, it hurts so bad you feel like you wanna die. You get hurt twice, you feel it numbly against your rib cages. But once you get hurt a third time, you can’t be bothered to care anymore." Her faint smile back then was very similar to the one Ariel currently had.

It was a forced smile meant to hide the pain of the heart. A pain that was long forgotten but could never fade.

Only, he knew that behind Ariel’s faint smile was a pain that was still in the process of healing, unforgettable and fresh in her memory. She couldn’t forget it just yet and compared to the three times his mother talked about, Ariel must’ve been hurt a hundred times over. He... He was hurt a hundred times over.

"We’re humans too." He muttered, suddenly tightening his grip around Ariel. Then, he carried her to the bathroom and Ariel gave a slight nod, muttering a silent response to his words.

"Yes, we are."