Chapter 85
Viktor:
“Why are you doing what you are?” Katerina asked, making me smile. It was the fourth time that she has asked the same question tonight, and though I understood her own perspective on this, I knew to respond whenever she asked.
However, I was sure to refrain from giving her the correct answer when it came to the main reason behind it.
Flashback *Trigger warning, please read with caution*:
“Viktor, please, don’t let me…”
“I am not going to interfere in something that you keep backing off from, Irina.” I said, stopping my sister whose eyes dropped to the ground, avoiding mine.
“I can’t keep going on like this, and they are going to end up breaking a lot in me. He is going to end up hurting me!” Irina said, her eyes meeting mine as she tried to hold back her tears.
“I tried to help you, time and time, Irina. I beat the man up, you sent me to jail for it. He was slapping you in the face, and rather than speaking about it, rather than helping yourself, allowing me to help you, you went ahead and…”
“I was wrong, Viktor. I wanted to stop it, but I was scared. He was going to hurt me, he was going to hurt…”
“I believe that he was already hurting you, and yet, you chose to hurt me instead.” I said, and she looked down at her feet. I took her hands in mine, and squeezed it gently, watching as she teared up. “I know that this is a phase, one that you are going through right now. It is going to be one that you wake up from soon enough, and you are going to end up putting me in a tough situation.”
Her eyes were fixed on mine, begging for my help. Little did I know, ignoring her right now was her last strand. It was the last time that I was going to see her.
She nodded and smiled before wrapping her arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. I was taken off guard, and I froze, not saying a word for a moment before I hugged her back. I let my chin rest on the crown of her head. She was the one family that I had left. Everyone else turned their backs on me a long time ago, and I knew not to bother with trying to get in contact again. It was a choice that I made a long time ago, one that I don’t regret.
“I want you to stay safe, okay?” She said, pulling away to look me in the eye. “And I know that you closed up on yourself, I know that you chose to turn a lot against your morals, but I want you to open up to someone. At least, give ONE person a chance to love you again,”
1/3
Dreame
Dream
1244 Mont
Chapter 85
“What are you talking about, Irina?” I asked, and she smiled.
“My love life didn’t work out. But I don’t want you sharing the same fate, brother.” She said, taking a step back. Her smile reached her eyes, one that I knew I haven’t seen in a long time. A part of me understood what it was. I just wished that I had stopped it earlier. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
End of Flashback.
It pained me to know that despite her statement, I let her leave. I ignored the message that she sent, and I paid for it in the worst possible way. The one family member that I had was now gone.
“You know what you want, you made your choice. And you were clear to make sure that I knew that you wanted this,” I said, taking my jacket off as the two of us walked around the empty streets. I put the jacket around her shoulders, and she tensed for a moment as I rolled my sleeves up. “I wasn’t going to leave you halfway in this.”
“I am guessing that this isn’t special treatment after all,” she teased, and I chuckled.
“It depends on the woman that I see,” I teased, making her laugh. “But no, I prefer being with someone who can speak to me about more than just her nails, what she wants to get from her cheating husband, and how she has given her whole life up for him. While I understand the pain that they go through, and the trauma that it holds is not one that I like. Some of the men they’re associated with are sick to the bone, I just grow curious about why they held on as much as they did.”
“Maybe they had to? In my case, it was my…”
“You were weak and healing.” I said, stopping her. “Neither your body, nor your children would have been able to handle the trauma after a strong traumatic event. And you didn’t even hold on for that long. Two years is a lot better than twenty, fifteen, even ten years of giving up your life over a man who you know is cheating on you, and for what? Most just hold on for the money.”
“Maybe they’re no longer drawn to them…”
“Then why would they complain later?” I asked, and she took a deep breath. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean….
“You don’t need to apologize for asking, Viktor.” She said, stopping me. “I have been asking you the same question for almost the past hour.”
I chuckled and she smiled as we reached the car. Her eyes met mine for a moment and I had to stop myself from looking down at her lips, admiring her smile.
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12:44 Mon, 8 Apr
Chapter 85
“What do you plan on doing after the divorce though?” I asked, changing the subject.
“I haven’t thought about it, to be honest. For starters, I want to pack my things tonight and leave the villa. I have nothing to do in the man’s house anymore, and with my children not around me.” She said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to be there alone.”
“Do you have a place to stay?” I asked, and she nodded.
“I have two penthouses. One thing that Nikolay didn’t seem to realize was that I never depended on his money. Yes, it came as plus, but I knew to support myself, especially after finding out about his scandals.” She said, and I nodded.
“Did you
love him?” I asked, and she looked down at her feet.
“I wouldn’t have been hurting if I didn’t,” she said, and I nodded. “But it stopped a while after, I guess. You know, when I found out about it when I was pregnant, something just felt like a slap in the face. I set my grounds there,”
“And do you plan on changing anything?” I asked, she shook her head, making me smile.
“I am more than thankful to what I have reached,” she said, turning to face me.
“Well, then, it seems that we are going to have to do a little more than just secure your rights now.” I said, and she raised an eyebrow at me. “As it seems to me that you have a little more to you that would have the man wanting to burn you alive, shouldn’t we…?”
