My Rival, My Temptation - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Katherine’s POV
“Congratulations, Katherine! You’re so lucky! This is like a fairytale wedding!”
Every congratulatory voice felt like a noose tightening around my neck. I smiled, of course—what else was I supposed to do? It was my engagement party, after all. I had to look the part: happy, glowing, in love. The perfect bride-to-be.
But inside, I was far from any of those things. The sparkling engagement ring on my finger felt heavy, a reminder of the contract I’d agreed to.
I managed to plaster on a smile as people congratulated me, their voices a blur of excitement. I could hear the admiration in their tones, the belief that I was living some kind of dream life. If only they knew the truth—the truth that I had no idea what I was doing, that this whole engagement was a farce, a performance I was forced to put on.
“Smile, Katherine,” my mother’s voice cut through the noise. She stood just behind me, her eyes sharp with expectation. “Make sure it looks real. Darling, we need to keep up appearances.”
I didn’t need to look at her to know she was watching me closely, checking my every movement. The pressure of her gaze was enough to make my hands tremble. She always did this—reminded me to be perfect, to smile, to act like everything was exactly as it should be. And in return, she would continue to drag me through this this marriage to Nikolai, because it was what was expected of me.
I took a deep breath and nodded, doing my best to keep the smile in place. I hated this. I hated the way everything felt like it was slipping through my fingers, out of my control. I was supposed to be the one in charge of my life, yet here I was, a pawn on a chess board
Knowing that if I had to smile one more time, I would snap, I made an excuse to leave the crowd that had gathered around me, heaving a sigh of relief as I spotted my best friend, Leah surveying the party with a slight frown on her face. She was the only one in this place who knew the truth about everything, including the contract.
“Kat,” she said, her eyes widening in worry as I approached her, “Are you sure this is what you want?”
I glanced at the engagement ring again, my heart sinking. “Well, whether I want to or not, I have the ring,” I said, holding it up for her to see. “The party’s already happening, and I’ve already agreed to this. I don’t have a choice.”
Leah’s expression faltered, her eyebrows knitting together in worry. “Kat, this isn’t some business deal. This is your life. You don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want to.”
I shook my head, feeling a lump form in my throat. “It’s not that simple, Leah. All I can do now is try to survive this. One year. That’s all it’ll take, right?”
“I can’t believe you’re really going through with this,” she grumbled, her voice tinged with disbelief. “A year married to him? To Nikolai?”
Being arrested for murder was starting to sound like a much better option at this point.
“I’ll live. And as for…well, the whole ‘child-making’ part,” I paused, a bitter laugh escaping my lips, “I have no idea how that’s going to work when Nikolai and I can’t even stand being in the same room together.”
Leah winced. “You don’t have to go through with it, you know. If you’re really unhappy, you can—”
I cut her off with a shake of my head. “My happiness doesn’t matter. Not right now, anyways. It’s done.”
Leah sighed, but her eyes softened. “No matter what happens, I’m going to be here for you, Kat. Always.”
I smiled at her, grateful for her unwavering support. “Now more than ever, I’m going to need it,” I said, my voice a little more steadied.
Just then, I heard my mother’s voice again, this time sharp and demanding. “Katherine! Where is your fiancé? We need to cut the engagement cake. Go and find him. The guests are waiting.”
My mood plummeted at the thought of finding Nikolai. He’d been out of sight for a while, and honestly, I couldn’t care less. But now, it seemed we were expected to put on yet another show—hold hands, cut a cake, and pretend everything was perfect.
With a heavy sigh, I turned and made my way through the house, continuing to fake a smile until I was out of sight. Passing the hallway that led to his study, I paused when I noticed that the door was slightly ajar.
Curious, I looked around and walked in, and immediately regretted it.
Nikolai looked very busy, his lips pressed against Irina’s—of all people. I rolled my eyes in disgust, clearing my throat.
They pulled apart instantly, their eyes locking on me. Irina’s expression was one of smug satisfaction, her lips curling into a slow, knowing smile. I felt bile rise in my throat. Of course. Irina. She had always made it clear she wanted Nikolai for herself since high school. She had been trying to sleep with him for years, and it seemed like she was finally getting her way.
Nikolai raised his brows in annoyance as he turned to face me. “I’ll see you later,” he muttered to Irina, giving her backside a slap as she walked out of the room with a wink.
I stared at him, my entire body seething. I hadn’t been expecting him to be faithful, but doing this on the night of our engagement where anyone else could have found him?
“And what the hell do you think you’re doing on our engagement night?”
Without an ounce of remorse, he walked toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. “There’s no part of our arrangement that says I can’t do what I want,” he said, his voice cold. “I suggest you do the same.”
He brushed past me, his shoulder hitting mine as he walked away, leaving me standing there, seething with rage. Was this really the man I was supposed to marry? Was this the life I had chosen? Could I survive a year without trying to strangle Nikolai Volkov in his sleep?
I wasn’t sure of anything anymore. But one thing was clear: I was trapped.