Chapter 45
Nikolay:
“Can you try closing and opening your fingers?” The nurse asked Katerina who nodded. Her fingers were still stiff, but I knew that it would take her a while to be able to regain full control over her muscles and bones.
Thankfully, they have mostly healed, but now all she needed was for them to get enough rest, and exercise.
Today was the day that they were going to clear her, and though I was still unsure how things would go when we went home. I did consider hiring her a nurse to help her, but I was still unsure how things would go and how she would take it.
The pain that she was in was still fresh, and I knew that I would need to be a little more careful around how I dealt with her as to ensure that I didn’t break her heart and soul while she healed. Anastasia and the issues that happened were still fresh in my head, and the pain that I felt was one that I couldn’t express, but I knew better than to open that topic up right now.
Katerina finding out about it was the last thing that I needed in a time like this one. Especially when I knew that I wanted to fix things between us. At this point, the two of us were literally stuck between rock and fire. One wrong move could end up risking a lot, and that was something that I didn’t want to think of.
“It still hurts.” Katerina said, and the nurse nodded, giving her a gentle.
smile.
“Don’t worry, it is expected considering that we just removed the cast a few weeks ago. But you would quickly heal. Your body has been strong enough to fight in the past few months, now all you have to do is maintain the strength that it is having. I know that it might be a bit hard to cope with how things would go, but the paint that you have been through will force you to take things easy on yourself.” She said, and Katerina nodded. Indeed, it has been two weeks since I found out about Anastasia, the baby not being mine, and her wanting to take me for a fool by lying about it. It
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killed me inside that the woman that I fought my life for, risking my reputation, my marriage, and my family, but it seems to me like I was the only one who was willing to put up that risk. Anastasia didn’t give a fuck, if anything, she was the one who wanted to take me for a fool.
“Thank you for all your help here,” Katerina said, smiling at the nurse whose eyes softened. She put her hand on hers, gently rubbing her now skinny palm. My wife has lost more weight than was considered healthy. and I couldn’t expect anything less. She was strong enough to fight off everything that has happened, and she was also strong enough to put on the best smile that she could muster. But I knew very well that she was in more pain than she let out. If anything, she was blocking in more than what I personally considered healthy, but I knew not to force her into speaking about something that she may not be comfortable with talking about. Especially not after everything that she has been through, dealt with, or probably remembered.
“You have passed through the hardest of it. Now, all you need to do is focus on healing. I know that this period has been hard on you, but you don’t have to take too much on yourself.” She said, her message carrying an underline meaning which Katerina smiled to. She didn’t say another word as she looked at me, and I smiled, sitting beside my wife and taking her hand in mine.
I knew that she could read my pain in my eyes. She did voice it out, and try to ask, but I constantly dismissed the topic, it being one that I didn’t. want to talk about with her, or with anyone to begin with. Viktor was sure. to keep Anastasia away from the hospital and the house, and knowing her, I knew that it would be taking more than just Viktor to stop her. The woman was crazy, and would try doing different things to cause a stir or a scene. It was actually the only reason that mom agreed to allow me and Katerina to live in a different house.
It was one that Anastasia didn’t know about. I just bought it for Katerina.
It was a present for her for all the things that she has been through and the patience that she gave me in her hardest of times. It was also the first of the things that I was going to give her. She was yet to hear about the fact
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Chapter 45
that I cut ties with her father’s business. I knew that things were rough on them, and I knew that they sent their daughter to marry me for that, at least, to ensure their financial status. But now, they could deal with the consequences of what they did elsewhere. Whatever it was that was going to happen, I was not going to allow anyone to harm her.
It only upset and sickened me that she chose not to press legal charges and only settled for a protection program. I knew that morally, she claimed that despite the pain, the man was still her father, and though she was right. In theory, the man was her father. But I still couldn’t believe that she would be willing to forgive a toxic man under that excuse. It was
something that I knew I wouldn’t be able to do. But it might have been why or how we were both as different as we were.
She was an angel sent from above to me. To teach me how to be merciful, to be kind, and to be loving. It was a side that was genuine in me that I saw with her. Something that I didn’t really have when it came to me being with Anastasia. Anastasia was a selfish woman who thought of nothing and no one but her benefit and self, and though I knew that in a world like ours, she was right. She wouldn’t have been able to reach where she was, after having nothing especially, if not in that way. Maybe she wasn’t like that before, when we both fell in love, or maybe I was just mesmerized and blinded by her and how she was.
Her rebellious side, the girl that did everything that she wanted. Being different, outgoing, wild, and free. These were things that I did not see in my mother, and they were things that I thought I wanted. But seeing things now, I realized that it was time to wake up from my childish fantasy and live with the woman, the blessing, and the angel that I had sitting right in front of me.
I kissed Katerina’s palm, and she smiled. It was something that she grew to love, I knew that. Me kissing her palm, forehead, or where she was injured, making her feel special was something that she appreciated, especially considering her weak state.
“The two of us are going to be going to our own house tonight, I do hope that you are ready for it.” I said, smiling at her. She smiled, biting her
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Chapter 45
bottom lip in the process before she nodded.
“I am.” She said, making my heart skip a beat. “Though it is not how I wanted this to be. You know, I wanted to give you…”
She blushed before she finished her sentence, and I laughed, choosing not to press on her about the topic. I had to admit, at this point, yes, I did want to continue with the marriage, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that I wanted our marriage to be fully real after the lie that I dealt with.
The question, what if she ended up being the same? Played in my head, and that was something that I didn’t want to risk. The fear behind the question was one that I didn’t want to think of.
“Baby steps first.” I said, smiling at her. “You need to heal, and we both need to settle as well. Then we can decide on whether or not you want us to make things officially real between us. You know, I want you to be completely sure of it, and since I know that it would be your first time, I don’t want you regretting how things go.”
She stayed quiet for a few seconds before nodding, her cheeks reddening before she said the three words that broke my heart into pieces. Especially considering that I knew that I wouldn’t be able to say them back.
“I love you, Nikolay…”
