Rejected: A love story-Chapter 151: You were there

Viktoria continued to look at them as if by staring hard enough, someone would make a move.

Her mother was just standing there, stiff and expressionless, as if nothing could touch her. Anya wouldn’t even look up at her. And the doctor... the doctor was just staring at her as if it was all just a case, not her life falling apart.

The monitor was just beeping too loudly and was making her chest constrict.

"Mom..." Viktoria’s voice was shaky, not at all how she wanted it to sound. "Look at me."

Her mother finally turned around slowly, and for a moment, Viktoria could have sworn she saw something in her eyes, maybe fear or guilt, but she couldn’t say for sure. It was gone almost immediately as if it was never there at all.

Viktoria took a hard swallow and her hands gripped the sheets hard. "The accident took my memories, okay? I get that. But you... you were there before, during, and after the accident. You know everything."

She reached out suddenly and grabbed her mother’s wrist, holding on tight.

"Three months ago," she said, her voice rising now, panic creeping in, "what was I doing? Who was I with?" Her grip tightened. "Tell me. Who is it?"

Her mother let out a long breath, shaky, like she was about to say something real for once.

Viktoria leaned forward, her heart racing, she could finally get the answers she was looking for. But her mother gently pulled her hand away.

"Viktoria," she said softly, "you’re not thinking clearly. You’re emotional. The doctor already explained—there are things we can’t confirm right now."

Viktoria just stared at her. "No," she said, shaking her head slowly. "No, don’t do that. Don’t stand there and act like I’m crazy."

Her hand moved to the clip on her finger and she yanked it off, the machine letting out a sharp sound as it disconnected.

"You’re lying."

"Miss, you need to calm down—" the doctor stepped forward quickly.

"I said stop!" Viktoria snapped, not even looking at her.

"please keep an eye on her" The doctor said and left, seeing this was personal family drama.

Her mother took a long breath, shaky, like she was about to say something real for once.

Viktoria leaned forward, her heart racing. She would finally get the answers she was looking for. But her mother gently pulled her hand away.

"Viktoria," she said softly. "You are not thinking clearly. You are emotional. The doctor already explained—to you. There are things we cannot confirm right now."

Viktoria looked at her mother. "No," she said, her head moving back and forth. "No. Don’t do that. Don’t stand there and tell me I’m crazy."

Her hand reached for the clip on her finger. She yanked it off. The machine let out a sharp noise.

"You are lying."

"Miss, you need to calm down," the doctor said quickly.

"I said stop!" Viktoria said. She did not even look at the doctor.

Her eyes went straight to Anya, because if there was one person who couldn’t lie to her, it was her.

"Anya..." Her voice dropped, softer now. "Please. Just tell me the truth."

Anya finally looked up, her eyes were red, filled with tears she wasn’t even trying to hide.

"Anya...?" she whispered.

Anya shook her head slowly as if afraid of speaking.

"I didn’t know for sure, Viktoria," she said, her voice quiet, careful, like every word could hurt. "I swear... I didn’t. I thought it was just talk. Rumours... before the crash."

Viktoria’s heart raced faster. "Rumours about what?" she asked, her voice barely there now. "Say it."

Nobody answered. "Say it!" she shouted.Her mother closed her eyes like she was tired of this.

"Before the accident," she started, and Viktoria hated how calm she sounded, "you and Nikolai were never... what you think you were."

Viktoria frowned. "What does that mean?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"It means," her mother continued, "you didn’t love him."

The words hit hard. Viktoria let out a small chuckle, confused. "That’s not true."

"You were with him because of the engagement," her mother said. "You’ve been betrothed to him since you were children. It was always expected."

Viktoria shook her head. "No... no, I—"

"You were seeing someone else." Anya suddenly said and everything went quiet.

Like the world just... stopped.

Viktoria blinked. "What?"

Her mother didn’t hesitate this time. "You were having an affair."

Affair? That felt too dirty for her.

"Stop," Viktoria said immediately, shaking her head harder. "Stop saying that."

"Who?" Viktoria asked, her voice breaking again. "If you’re going to lie, at least lie properly. Who?"

Nobody answered, it was like it was too sacred to say out loud.

"Who?" she screamed.

"His brother!"

"What...?" Viktoria felt like a knife was pierced through her. How did she become so dirty and promiscuous.

"Nikolai’s brother," her mother repeated, like saying it again would make it normal. "That’s who you were involved with."

Viktoria stared at her like she didn’t understand the words, like they were in another language.

"That’s not... that doesn’t even make sense," she whispered.

"You loved him," her mother added quietly. "Not Nikolai."

"No," Viktoria said immediately, tears filling her eyes now. "No, that’s not true. I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t—"

"Well, you did. I tried to warn you and advice you as a mother Viktoria. But you were just too stubborn, you wouldn’t listen."

Viktoria couldn’t believe a word they were saying, and the worst part wasn’t even what they were saying. It was the fact that she couldn’t remember anything to prove them wrong.

Just empty space where her past should be.

"But..." her voice came out small now, lost, "the wedding..."

Her eyes moved between them. "The wedding is in two weeks."

"I’m marrying Nikolai," she said, like she needed them to remind her this was real. "I’m going to be his wife."

Her lips started trembling.

"So how am I supposed to marry someone I betrayed his love and trust?" she asked, her voice cracking completely now. "How am I supposed to stand there and say vows when I was... when I was involved with his brother?"

No one answered and Tears started falling now, fast, uncontrollable.

"Why didn’t anyone tell me?" she whispered. "Why didn’t you stop me?"

Her mother looked away, even Anya couldn’t even meet her eyes.

Viktoria shook her head, laughing weakly through her tears.

"This doesn’t make sense," she said. "Because now... now I—" She stopped.

Her chest tightened painfully, because the words didn’t even want to come out.

"I love him."