Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Natasha
Iwatch from my window as three men I’ve never seen before leave my house. They’re all tall and wearing suits and exude power. They remind me of my father.
I want nothing more than to ask my dad who those men are but I don’t dare. He doesn’t appreciate it when I ask too many questions. Docile and sweet is what is expected of me.
So, I force myself to sit down on my window seat and fold my hands in my lap and wait like the good girl I’ve been taught to be.
Eventually, my father comes to see me. “Natasha,” he says from the doorway, standing tall. He always did have such a large, commanding presence. It’s only made me feel smaller around him and I’m already small enough.
“Dad.”
“I have some news. You’re twenty now. An adult. It’s time for you to go out in the world.”
My heart rate spikes. I’ve never done that before. I haven’t wanted to. The world is a scary place and I prefer staying at home, even if it’s around my domineering father. As long as I stay by myself, no one can hurt me. I like it this way.
“Oh?” is all I can say.
“I’m sure you were looking out your window. I know you do that a lot. Did you see those men who were at our house?”
I swallow hard. For some reason, even doing something as simple as looking out my window feels wrong when my father says it. “Yes.”
“They live in New York. They came to make a deal with me. One of them is going to marry you.”
It takes everything inside of me to stay seated when all I want is to run. “Marry me?”
“Yes. Maksim Petrov. He’s a business associate now. To ensure power, you’re going to marry him. It’s the best way to keep everyone safe.”
“Everyone safe from… what?”
His frown hardens, making the lines around his mouth deepen. “Do I need to remind you that I don’t like you asking questions?”
I bow my head. “Yes, Father. I’m sorry.”
“I haven’t fully told you everything I do for a living but I’m sure you’ve suspected. A war is simmering and I want to stop it from happening. This is a chance for me to gain even more power and wealth than I could ever dream of.”
But we live in a mansion, I want to say yet know better than to.
“So, you’ll be marrying Maksim Petrov. No questions asked. Do this and don’t complain.”
I don’t complain at all. Anytime I used to when I was younger, my father would scold me for so long, it would crush me. So I’ve learned to stay quiet.
“Yes, Father,” I respond, my lips barely moving even though my heart rate is spiking so fast, it feels like it’s going to fall right out of my body.
“The wedding will be in three weeks. I’ll plan everything. He will come here for the wedding. If he wants to marry you, then it will be on my turf. You’ll meet him then.”
“I won’t get to meet him before?” The question slips out.
“No,” Father says in his hard tone. “You won’t.
Now, do as I tell you. You’ll be given a dress to wear.
I’ll allow you to pick it out since I know it’s the dream of all women to choose their own wedding dresses.
But everything else, I’ll plan. Make me proud, Natasha.
This deal has to happen. This marriage has to happen and you’re the key. If you mess this up…”
“I won’t,” I say quickly. “I promise.” Even though I’m promising to marry a man I’ve never met before.
Father’s lips barely quirk. It’s the closest thing to a smile with him. “Good.” Without another word, he leaves my room and I finally get the chance to breathe.
I slump over my window seat. Is this really happening?
I’m going to be married to a man I know nothing about.
One I’ve only gotten a glimpse of and I’m not sure which of the three men I saw is Maksim.
Two of them were young but one was old. Could it be that one?
My father would marry me off to anyone, no matter their age, if it served him.
And even if it is one of the younger ones, that doesn’t mean he’ll be kind. My husband could be a monster. All I want is to be left alone and it’s worked for me and my father so far. I’ve always been painfully shy around other people so my room has been my sanctuary.
But now, I’m going to have to leave it to marry a stranger.
My eyes lock with myself in the mirror across the room. My blonde hair looks frazzled and my eyes are wild. The redness in my cheeks makes the freckles on my nose stand out even more. I don’t even recognize myself.
I don’t know anything anymore.
The three weeks pass by in a blur. Father handles the wedding and I keep to myself.
The only time I’m forced to leave my room is to pick out my wedding dress, which doesn’t even really feel like my wedding dress when my father joins me and nitpicks every dress I choose until we settle on a dress he ultimately likes the best.
The problem is: the dress is not right for me. It’s too poofy and large. It swallows my frame.
But it’s what my father wants and so I’ll wear it.
The day of the wedding comes. It’s held at a chapel surrounded by a beautiful garden.
I look at the guests from the car window as they head towards the church. So many people I don’t recognize. I know some of them are my father’s friends and co-workers but I’m sure some of them belong to Maksim.
The man I’m going to marry within the hour and I still have never met him.
I shift around in my seat, running my hands over my dress. My father, who sits across from me, grabs my hands.
“Stop fidgeting,” he snaps. I flinch back and quickly nod. It’s always best to do as my father says as fast as I can. “You’re going to wrinkle your dress. I need you looking your best today. It’s important for me.”
For him. Not for me, apparently, even though I’m the one who’s going to be married off like a cow sold at auction.
“Yes, Father,” I respond, because I know it’s what he wants to hear.
“We’ll wait until all the guests are inside before exiting.”
As I look out at all the people, I’m hit with a sudden sadness that brings me to tears. “I wish Mom were here today.”
He tenses, then sighs. “Don’t cry. You’ll ruin your makeup. And your mother is gone. She left me years ago and has never been seen since.”
Meaning she’s probably dead. And I’ve always suspected it was because of my father.
I remember the way they would fight. Even though I was young at the time, I would sit on the stairs where they couldn’t see me and listen to them scream at each other for hours. Eventually one day, I saw my mother leave the house and she never came back.
But I always thought it was strange that she didn’t bring a suitcase with her. She left the house like she had planned to come back.
Come back for me.
But she never did. And my father never tried to get her back. Knowing how controlling he is, that always surprised me. She was just… gone.
As I got older, I questioned it all in my head and I realized that she’s probably dead. There’s no way my mom would have not taken me with her. There’s no way she would have left me alone with my father.
I’ve never had the courage to ask my dad about this as I’ve worried he might hurt me. I’ve always felt a simmering anger under my father’s surface that I haven’t wanted to penetrate. It’s just been easier to lock myself away in my room.
“Stop crying now, Natasha,” he snaps. “I need you to look pretty today. Your husband will be expecting that. And your mother left us so she’s to blame for your tears right now.” He hands me a handkerchief and I wipe at my tears, trying my best to control them.
Once I manage to stop crying and all of our guests are inside the chapel, my father opens the door and gives me his hand. I have no choice but to take it.
My legs are numb as we walk to the chapel. This is really happening. I’m going to be married within minutes and I still don’t know what my husband looks like.
My father grips my arm tightly in his – making sure I don’t run or cause a scene and embarrass him – when the chapel doors open and the music starts.
The first thing I notice is how beautiful the room is. Soft light filters in through the glass ceiling. The air smells like sunshine and flowers from the garden outside. The guests sit on either side of the aisle made out of flowers. It’s like something out of a fairytale.
And yet, this feels like a nightmare.
That’s when I raise my head to look down the aisle at the man standing there. A young man, probably a decade older than me at the most. At least he’s not old, I tell myself. Though, if he’s mean, then that means I’ll be stuck with him longer.
Dark hair sits on his head and stubble lines his face. Striking good looks. Handsome and tall and powerful. He looks like he stepped out of a romance novel.
His eyes widen when he looks at me. What does he think? Does he like what he sees or does he hate it? I don’t even know what this man sounds like.
The soft music swells throughout the room as me and my father walk down the aisle. My large dress barely has room to fit. It makes my face flush.
When I reach the end of the aisle, my father promptly takes my hand and holds it out to the man. Maksim Petrov.
But Maksim doesn’t move right away. Instead, he stands there frozen for a moment before stretching out his hand and taking mine. The moment his hand closes over mine I feel like I’m doomed to a life I didn’t choose.
Maksim gently tugs me up the stairs until I’m standing right before him. His eyes search my face and I’m not sure what he finds there.
And then he stumbles, like he lost his balance. That’s when I smell the faint scent of alcohol coming off of him. My dad has had his fair share of wine so I know what it smells like.
Is he… drunk? I wonder. Did this man really come to our wedding wasted?
The crowd murmurs. Maksim smiles sheepishly. A man in the front pew – the older one I remember seeing that day at my house – glares at him.
“Shall we begin?” the priest asks.
“Let’s get this over with,” Maksim mutters so quietly, I’m sure I’m the only one who can hear him. But his words make me flinch. I don’t think he wants this, I realize. Neither do I but instead of finding comfort in that, I only feel alone. This man wants nothing to do with me.
And before I can stop myself, my tears hit me all over again and I cry before the entire chapel of guests.