Page 7 of Mr. and Mrs. Novak

She lets herself be moved like a marionette, her spirit completely anesthetized. A creeping feeling invades my mind, and for the first time in my life, I am truly afraid. Afraid that I've completely broken her. Afraid that I won't be able to repair what I've destroyed.

I slowly move around the bed, the mattress sinks under my weight, and in a gesture of desperate tenderness, I cover us both with the sheet, as if to protect us from the outside world, creating a bubble where perhaps time can heal our wounds. My arms wrap around her lifeless body and draw her against me, feeling each erratic beat of her heart against my chest. She still doesn't react, lost in the twists and turns of her pain, but that's okay.

I will take whatever time it takes, days, months, years if necessary, to repair her broken heart and regain her trust. No other solution is acceptable.

"I swear, I haven’t touched her since the first time we were together. I can’t explain why I have to keep up this charade with her. Just know that I have a good reason. As soon as this whole mess is over, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll win you back. I’m asking you to trust me. If there’s ever been a moment in my life when I need you to believe me, it’s now."

She stays silent, but eventually, her breathing steadies before she falls asleep against me.

Left alone with my thoughts in the darkness of our bedroom, I wonder if my will alone will be enough to undo the damage I’ve done. Wounds of the heart are often the hardest to heal, and I’ve hurt hers deeply. Will Sophia ever forgive me? Will she give me a second chance? I know I don’t deserve it, but I’ll do everything I can to earn her forgiveness.

Because even if I saw Sophia again for the wrong reasons, I genuinely care about her and our marriage. It may not be love with a capital L, but it’s respect and affection—more than many marriages ever have.

6. The Awakening

SOPHIA

When I wake up, the warmth of Ruslan’s arms surrounds me. For a brief moment, I feel safe, like I belong here. Then the memories crash down, relentless. Ruslan, his mistress, their kisses in that empty room… on our wedding day. The vile words she spat at me, and the fact that he didn’t deny them. My dream has turned into a nightmare. I’m bound to a man who doesn’t love me, who doesn’t even respect me.

The pain of betrayal threatens to consume me all over again as more fragments from last night resurface. He came into the bathroom, carried me, laid me on the bed. I thought I had seen pain in his eyes, regret… or maybe it was just pity. Guilt.

And to think I actually believed he loved me. I replay our first night together—the tenderness, the passion. Is he like that with Natasha? Does he look at her with that same intensity when he makes love to her?

The thought twists my insides. I slip out of bed, lock myself in the bathroom, and step into the shower. The water turns hot after a few seconds, but I remain frozen inside. I scrub my skin until it burns, until every trace of him is gone. I don’t want his scent on me, don’t want to feel the ghost of his touch. Tears stream down my face, unchecked, carrying away a fraction of my pain.

More memories surface.

"I’m sorry," he had said. "I swear, I haven’t touched her since the first time we were together." He had added that he had good reasons for keeping her as his mistress, that he had unfinished business, and that I needed to trust him.

How could I ever trust him again when his tongue was down his mistress’s throat the very same day he spoke the vows that bind us?

And what is this so-called unfinished business? What the hell is he involved in?

I don’t know what he’s hiding, but if he thinks he can manipulate me without consequences, he’s dead wrong. I am anything but a passive woman. If he refuses to give me answers, I’ll find them myself.

When I return to the bedroom, he’s still asleep. Good. The less I see of him, the better. I dress quickly and head to the kitchen, where I already hear Laurent and Asli moving around.

As I step inside, they greet me cheerfully. I’ve met them several times before, coming over for dinner. When Ruslan announced our engagement, they were so happy for us.

"Come have coffee with us while your husband wakes up."

"Gladly," I reply.

As I sip my coffee, they chatter about the wedding, gushing over the ceremony, my dress, the high-profile guests. How beautiful our couple looked. If only they knew. But I keep smiling, pretending.

At least until Ruslan wakes up and joins us.

7. The Next Day

RUSLAN

20 minutes earlier…

Sophia's body tenses in my arms, and I know she's awake. I don’t move, feigning sleep to give her time to collect herself. Her pain is almost palpable, and I have to fight the urge to comfort her.

And then what?

She will demand answers, answers that I cannot give her. There is too much unknown, too much danger, I would never forgive myself if something happened to her.