Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 15192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
It’s a lie, of course. I spent twenty minutes sitting in the car with Nikolai’s driver, gathering the courage to walk in and pretend I enjoy dining with them.
They exchange knowing looks, and I resist the urge to squirm in my seat. The past me would do that, but not anymore.
“Are those new jewelry?” Mia remarks, pulling my wrist to check my watch and bracelet. “Your husband bought this?”
“Yes.”
“Looks tacky. Rose gold makes you look washed out.” Jade doesn’t bother hiding her grin.
“Agree. What can you expect, though? Nina’s lucky she’s still alive.” Allie observes me over the rim of her wine glass.
I swallow past the lump in my throat, refusing to rise to their bait. “I like it. It looks nice.”
“Of course, you like it. You’re not exactly known for having good taste.” Eleanor chuckles. “Marrying the scariest man in the country, wearing his jewels, and what’s next? Have his babies?” Eleanor dramatically shudders, and the others laugh.
Every lunch is like this. A thinly veiled assault on me—my looks, my studies, my chosen career, my womanhood—disguised as casual conversation. They love picking me apart.
I used to shrug it off and ignore the barbs, but now that they’ve brought up Nikolai, I feel something simmering just beneath the surface. My hands clench into fists on my lap, my nails digging into my palms as I try to keep my composure.
Still, they don’t stop.
“I saw photos from the wedding. My God, his face is the stuff of nightmares.”
“Can you imagine waking up and seeing THAT? I’d die of a heart attack first thing in the morning.”
“His brothers are good-looking. He wouldn’t look so bad if he didn’t have that slash on his mouth.”
“Creepy, right? It’s what you see on Halloween.”
The more they talk, the more the fire inside me grows. My heartbeat quickens, drowning out their words. I try to tamp it down, but it’s no use. The rage has taken hold, spreading like wildfire, consuming every thought I have.
It finally boils over, unstoppable and fierce—the barely restrained fury threatening to explode. I am done being their target. I am done playing the part of a silent, dutiful victim who never speaks out. I am not going to sit here and stay silent as they insult my husband.
My husband. The only one who ever made me feel important. The only one who quieted my fears. The only one who didn’t make me feel like my existence was a curse and a burden.
Last night, I told Nikolai to say what he wants. It was hypocritical of me when I couldn’t even force the words past my lips in front of these women.
But no more.
Eleanor, always the ringleader, gives me a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Is it true, Nina, that he sleeps with a scythe under his pillow?”
“No way!” Jade dramatically puts a hand on her chest. “That’s barbaric.”
“Why are you surprised? He looks barbaric. Of course, he’s going to act like it!” Mia adds, elbowing Jade.
Yup, I am so done with these bitches.
I take a sip of my wine and smile. “At least I’m happy with my marriage.” I straighten in my seat and look at each of them slowly, letting my gaze linger on their faces. “I wonder when was the last time your husbands looked at all of you like the sun shone out of your asses, because mine does every single day.”
As the words leave my mouth, the air freezes around us. I push my chair back and stand. They stare at me, their expressions a mix of disbelief and shock. The smirks and condescending smiles vanish, and I don’t wait for them to recover.
I head for the entrance, but Eleanor has to have the last word. “That’s not going to last. He’s going to get tired of you and find someone else.”
I can’t stop the laughter bubbling within me, and I shoot her a sideways look. “Aw, El. Nikolai isn’t like your husband. He buys me things because he wants to and not because he cheated on me with my hairstylist.”
A wave of relief washes over me. Each step I take makes me feel lighter, as if I’m shedding layers of fear, self-doubt, and low confidence. Years and years of suffering, and I’m free. Finally.
The cool breeze hits my face as I walk toward the car, and I inhale deeply, savoring the crisp air filling my lungs.
I’m so damned proud of myself for standing up to them after all these years. They can’t touch me anymore. I won’t let them.
And now, I’m going home to my husband.
12
NIKOLAI
I’m so focused on answering my emails that I don’t notice Nina’s arrival. I’m deep into my work, fingers flying over the keyboard and eyes glued to the screen.
A knock on the door breaks through my mental fog, and I blink, momentarily disoriented. Without waiting for an answer, the door creaks open, and my wife peeks in, eyes scanning the room before settling on me.