Thank you! Someone said it!
I felt that this story had soooooo much potential only to be ruined by the abuse ....
I know RIGHTT! And I don’t even get what is the point of the old hag constantly devaluing his boyfriend by trying to rule out “My word is absolute” even outside of work and dude actually did dragged it into the private dating scene. That just throws me off so much, I get it, dude’s richer, more-experienced and a million times more smarter but so what? I think the author is trying so hard to paint the “Cold hearted hag and daring boy” narrative too much. That ain’t no way in hell diva-ing or sassy, dude is literally weaponizing his cranky age and his superiority as of position and age.
(And I-opps, I may have said too much.)
No, no, I agree with you! I think the relationship is unbalanced and can lead to such a well constructed, well hidden, and nuanced form of manipulation/control, some not even conscious. I had hoped they would address that in the story...but alas. Otherwise I found the story is so well crafted, the plot is interesting and captivating and the art is just gorgeous.
Just so that all of you know that retaliatory violence disguised as “warning” isn’t a justification to let your partner harm you physically. Love and abuse can coexist. Your partner may genuinely love you and be capable of sexually harming you in anger.