Three Years Paralyzed, Watching Him Love Her

Chapter 9

"I've told you already, my heart beats only for you. No matter what you do, I won't stray again or get tangled up with her."

"Rest assured," he said with a confident smile, clearly expecting my approval.

"Aurelle, are you okay? I never thought Thea would hold a grudge after I left her and come after you."

"But I've already cut her off."

He reached for my hand, his eyes soft with affection.

"Aurelle, now you can see how sincere I am. Can you forgive me?"

The man in front of me, humbling himself so openly, was completely different from the one who once tried to drag me back into his world.

I stared at him in silence for a long moment, eyes fixed on the face of the man I once thought I knew. Then, without warning, I burst into laughter, loud and uncontrollable, shaking my shoulders with its force.

"Are you done pretending?"

The moment the words left my mouth, Ruslan's face drained of color. His expression froze, and I could see the panic rising in his eyes.

Something had felt off from the start. Thea wasn't the type to act impulsively. She was always calculating, always playing the long game. So how could she lash out at me without reason?

And when Ruslan slapped her, she instinctively protected her stomach, like she'd expected the hit.

That's when it all clicked: this whole thing was a setup.

I couldn't help but smirk at him. "Ruslan, you really should consider a career in acting."

I turned to Thea, who was still sitting on the ground, her tear-streaked face shifting into pure rage. "You two should go for the Best Actress award. As a duo, you'd be unbeatable."

The moment I said that, Thea dropped her act. The sweet, innocent woman she was pretending to be was gone in an instant. The real Thea, the manipulative, vengeful one, was back.

She shot me a venomous look, her finger pointing directly at me. "Aurelle, don't push your luck."

"You think you're special? If it weren't for Ruslan's misplaced nostalgia, he wouldn't give you a second thought."

Her words didn't faze me. If anything, they only made me feel more certain of what I'd said. I took a step closer, my voice dripping with disdain.

"You know, I kind of admire you," I said, leaning in. "Being a mistress and going to such lengths, helping your cheating lover chase after his so-called 'true love', now that's dedication."

I closed the distance between us, my eyes locked on hers. "But tell me this, do you honestly think Ruslan cares about you? If he did, why hasn't he made you official? Why does he keep you hidden like some dirty secret, slap you in front of others, and beg for another woman to come back?"

I paused for a beat, letting the words settle in. "You need to wake up. This is pathetic."

The color drained from Thea's face, and she staggered backward, falling to the ground with a thud.

Before I could say another word, Ruslan rushed to her side, catching her in his arms and shielding her behind him, his face unreadable.

His voice cracked as he spoke, his tone filled with desperation. "Yes, I was acting. But Aurelle, I even planned for Thea to have the child, and then send it to you before taking her overseas. Why can't you see how sorry I am?"

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. His excuses were beyond ridiculous.

"Ruslan, do you really think the world works that way? You think you can have it all, one woman's devotion while you chase after another one?"

I shook my head, the absurdity of it all settling in. "But I'm no fool. Secrets never stay buried. Sooner or later, the truth comes crawling out. You've deceived me for years. Do you get some twisted satisfaction from keeping me blind and manipulated?"

"I've already let it go. Don't be too greedy, Ruslan."

Each word seemed to drain the life from his face. By the time I was done, all that remained was a shadow of the man he used to be, whispering hoarsely, "I'm sorry..."