My Rival, My Temptation - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Katherine’s POV
“You look so beautiful, darling.” My mother’s voice trembled with emotion as she wiped her eyes, putting on a show for what felt like the hundredth time. I couldn’t help but stare at my reflection in the mirror, fighting the urge to roll my eyes at her over-the-top display. She was doing it again, pretending like this was some sort of fairytale when aw both knew the truth.
I had always dreamed of a fairytale wedding with someone I loved, who loved me back. At some point, I had even been delusional enough to think I’d marry Noah, until I found out I wasn’t even his only girlfriend. But I never imagined my life would turn upside down like this, and that I’d be marrying the one person on this planet that I’d rather die than be with: Nikolai Volkov.
I knew what other girls would say, though. After all, Nikolai was every woman’s dream. He was tall—well over six feet—his dark brown hair the color of coffee, and his blue eyes reminded you of the sky on a clear day. To me, he was beautiful in the way thorns or swords were beautiful—sharp, dangerous, and damaging.
And not even this grand wedding could make me forget who he was. None of it could make me forget why I hated him so much in the first place.
“Mom, please,” I said, my voice a little more harshly than I intended. “Stop crying, you’re going to ruin your makeup.”
She sniffled, nodding and wiping her eyes. “I’ll stop. I’ll stop. You go out there now. I’ll see you in a minute.”
I gave her one last hug before I turned to leave the room. I just needed to get this over with. The wedding, the vows, everything. The sooner it was done, the sooner I could move on and forget this nightmare. At least, that’s what I told myself in a bid to try to forget that after this, I still had one year to live this nightmare.
As I stepped into the hallway, Leah came rushing in. “You look so stunning,” she said, giving me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. You look amazing.”
My nerves were already taut, but hearing her words was like a brief moment of calm before the storm. At least, even though this was the worst day of my life, I looked gorgeous. “Thanks,” I muttered, mentally cautioning myself to not turn around and flee the venue.
Leah’s smile faltered for a second before she added, “Oh, and by the way, Alexei’s here. I just spoke to him. He flew in yesterday for the wedding.”
I froze. Alexei. Nikolai’s younger brother—the one who played professional football. But more importantly, my first love. Alexeis was the boy I’d always imagined I would marry when I was younger. Not his evil brother.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. “Alexei’s here?”
Leah nodded, her eyes searching mine. “Yeah, he is. Are you ready? Your dad is waiting to walk you down the aisle.”
I took a shaky breath, my nerves rising again. “I don’t really have a choice, do I? Let’s just get this over with.”
She gave me a sad smile but didn’t say anything more. I followed her down the hall, my heart pounding in my chest. My father was waiting just outside the doors. He tried to give me a comforting smile but it didn’t matter, did it? Not when he had practically forced me into this.
I stepped into the aisle, my breath catching in my throat. There he was—Nikolai. Standing at the altar, his tall, imposing figure a constant reminder of everything I despised. Beside him stood Alexei, looking radiant in his crisp suit.
Alexei smiled at me, a gentle, familiar smile. I smiled back, but I quickly looked away, my cheeks burning as I felt a flush creep up my neck. I couldn’t let myself feel like that—not now. Not with everyone watching.
Nikolai, on the other hand, didn’t smile. He was cold and distant, his eyes locked on me as if daring me to back out of this. The tension in my chest tightened. Was this really happening? Was I really marrying this man?
He looked absolutely devastatingly gorgeous, but all I felt was annoyance and irritation. How could someone so handsome be so infuriating? Especially when he pinched my hand after I closed the distance between us. The gesture wasn’t a greeting—it was a reminder that we weren’t doing this for love. We were doing it for business.
I barely heard the priest’s words as they began. The whole ceremony felt like a blur. I could hardly focus on anything but the man not too far from me, and the pressure building in my chest. My thoughts kept racing—Alexei was here, and he was standing not as the groom but the best man.
And then the priest’s voice cut through my daydreaming. “Do you, Nikolai Volkov, take Katherine Covey to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
There was a pregnant pause and for a second, I thought Nikolai would decline and save us both from this nonsense. And just when I was about to celebrate....
“I do,” Nikolai’s voice rang out, steady, unemotional.
The priest turned to me then, his gaze soft but probing. “And do you, Katherine Covey, take Nikolai Volkov to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Everything seemed to pause in that moment. My heart hammered in my chest, and for the first time, I realized that I had no idea what to say. Should I say “I do,” and seal my fate? Or should I somehow find a way to back out of this life that had been decided for me?
The world seemed to shrink in that instant, as if everything was waiting for my response.