Chapter 34 Summary: Gareth’s Dark Past and His Obsession with Kayden

Spoiler Warning: This chapter summary contains major spoilers for Chapter 34 of Kiss The Villain. Read only if you have finished this chapter.

Summary

Gareth wakes up on a white floor, bound in a straitjacket. He is in a room that smells of antiseptic, and projected videos play on the wall—a loop of Kayden and Cassandra being affectionate: laughing, hugging, kissing, swaying to music. Gareth stands up, his head and chest throbbing, and watches helplessly because the straitjacket binds his hands. He begins hitting his head against the wall in frustration and self‑loathing. The laughter he hears is partly his own hollow sound.

The scene triggers a long flashback to his relationship with Harper, his only serious girlfriend when they were fifteen. Harper had sad eyes and a perfect facade. She confided in Gareth that her father, David, had been sexually assaulting her since her mother’s death. Gareth promised to get her help. The next day, Harper killed herself. At her funeral, Gareth watched David act the grieving father and decided David had to die.

Gareth planned David’s death carefully, intending to spike his wine so he’d drown in the bath. But when he broke in, he heard David moaning Harper’s name while fucking her bed pillows. Gareth snapped: he slit David’s throat, stabbed him repeatedly in the chest and genitals, and stuffed the severed penis in his mouth. He felt nothing. He called his grandfather, who arrived, understood, and covered up the crime. Grandpa warned Gareth never to get too attached and never to get caught. Since then, strawberries have been Gareth’s comfort food.

Back in the present, the videos of Kayden and Cassandra continue to mock him. Gareth realizes that this time he cannot remove the obstacle because the obstacle is himself.

Key Events

Gareth wakes straitjacketed in a white room and watches projected videos of Kayden and Cassandra being affectionate.
He hits his head repeatedly against the wall, unable to stop the loop or his reaction.
Flashback: Harper, Gareth’s first girlfriend, reveals her father David has been sexually abusing her since her mother’s death.
Harper commits suicide the next day.
Gareth kills David by stabbing him multiple times, then calls his grandfather to cover up the murder.
Grandpa warns Gareth to avoid getting attached and never get caught.
Gareth eats strawberries as a comfort ritual.
In the present, Gareth accepts that he cannot remove Kayden from himself—he is his own obstacle.

Character Development

Gareth’s history: The flashback explains his violent response to people he feels are “his” being taken away. He killed David because Harper belonged to him. He shows no remorse, only regret that he didn’t act sooner.
His attachment pattern: Gareth admits to “getting too attached to people I like” and prioritising them in his life—his father, Mr. Laurent, Harper, and now Kayden. This pattern leads to obsessive thoughts of eliminating any perceived rival.
His present state: For the first time, he cannot kill the thing that threatens his attachment because the threat is his own feelings for Kayden. The straitjacket symbolises his helplessness.
Grandpa’s influence: Grandpa’s acceptance (“you’re special”) encouraged Gareth to hide his true nature rather than seek help.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Obsession vs. love: The looping videos force Gareth to confront that Kayden’s intimacy with Cassandra is something Gareth will never have. His obsession manifests as physical self‑harm.
Protection and corruption: Grandpa’s promise to “protect you from a world that doesn’t understand you” enabled Gareth’s violence. Strawberries symbolise the comfort he substitutes for violent fantasies.
The obstacle within: Gareth’s internal conflict—his attachment to Kayden cannot be severed by killing an external enemy—introduces a new level of psychological tension.
Blood as release: In the flashback, seeing David’s blood calms Gareth; in the present, his own blood drips as he hits his head.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 34 is the emotional and narrative core of Gareth’s character arc. It reveals the origin of his violent tendencies, his relationship with his grandfather, and the pattern that has defined his life. Most importantly, it shows that Kayden is different: for the first time, the obstacle to Gareth’s happiness is not someone he can eliminate. This raises the stakes and makes his subsequent actions more tragic.

Study Questions

Why does Gareth hit his head against the wall while watching the videos?
He is tormented by the intimacy between Kayden and Cassandra that he will never have. The straitjacket prevents him from scratching the images, so he turns his frustration inward, trying to stop the images by harming himself.
What does the Harper flashback reveal about Gareth’s morality?
He feels no guilt for killing David; his only regret is not doing it sooner. He sees violence as a justified solution when someone takes away something that belongs to him. Grandpa’s complicity reinforces Gareth’s belief that his actions are acceptable.
Why does Gareth say “this time, the obstacle is me”?
Previously, he could remove threats (Mr. Laurent, David) to reclaim what was “his.” But Kayden is already inside him—he cannot kill part of himself. His own emotional attachment is the barrier to peace, and he has no external target to destroy.