Riftan really is a fucking jackass. It took him this long to "finally" understand something Maxi had told him all the way back in season 1—something as damning as "I hate myself,"— after all that time he spent bedding and lovebombing her rather than attempting to further understand why his wife hates herself. He only just now put two and two together and understood what Maxi meant when she said she didn't like herself. I'm sorry, but I genuinely can't feel bad for Riftan here. Yes, Maxi should've opened up to him about her abuse, but first of all, she is not at all obligated to open up about something if she isn't ready or comfortable to do so yet, especially with someone she already hardly knows anything about. Second, the fact that this man already held preconceived notions about a girl who was unaware of his existence prior to their marriage certainly did not encourage Maxi to reveal to him that she wasn't the darling Duke's daughter as he had originally assumed. He never really gave her a safe space to open up about her past with him either, and the fact that Riftan himself was uncomfortable with talking about *his* past put Maxi in a spot where it made her less inclined to be candid with him. I swear, the miscommunication trope in this story is executed *so poorly,* and it's one of the reasons why I can't stand this ML. The only redeemable thing he does and will ever do for Maxi is beating the Duke, and—for once—taking accountability for the loss of their child. Other than that, after this arc, you won't even see an utter of an apology from this big, stupid animal.
Riftan really is a fucking jackass. It took him this long to "finally" understand something Maxi had told him all the way back in season 1—something as damning as "I hate myself,"— after all that time he spent bedding and lovebombing her rather than attempting to further understand why his wife hates herself. He only just now put two and two together and understood what Maxi meant when she said she didn't like herself. I'm sorry, but I genuinely can't feel bad for Riftan here. Yes, Maxi should've opened up to him about her abuse, but first of all, she is not at all obligated to open up about something if she isn't ready or comfortable to do so yet, especially with someone she already hardly knows anything about. Second, the fact that this man already held preconceived notions about a girl who was unaware of his existence prior to their marriage certainly did not encourage Maxi to reveal to him that she wasn't the darling Duke's daughter as he had originally assumed. He never really gave her a safe space to open up about her past with him either, and the fact that Riftan himself was uncomfortable with talking about *his* past put Maxi in a spot where it made her less inclined to be candid with him. I swear, the miscommunication trope in this story is executed *so poorly,* and it's one of the reasons why I can't stand this ML. The only redeemable thing he does and will ever do for Maxi is beating the Duke, and—for once—taking accountability for the loss of their child. Other than that, after this arc, you won't even see an utter of an apology from this big, stupid animal.