Page 112 of Midnight Wedding

Prideful fucking woman.

“Can we have a second?” Lena asks the guards. They look to me and I nod at them. The two men leave the room.

Sona looks angry. Her jaw works as she glares at Lena. Clearly, these women have something planned. “This is absurd. I’m not doing this.”

“Tell him.” Lena holds onto my arm then lightly pushes me forward. “Tell him now, or I’ll do it, and I bet you won’t like my version of the story.”

Sona looks like she wants to howl. She clearly despises my wife. I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but something happened between these two and it wasn’t good.

“Just speak,” I order my aunt, tired of this and aching to get Lena alone in my bed. It’s been too damn long. “Get this over with so you can leave my house forever.”

“Your house,” she sneers, lips curling. “It was my house long before you were born.”

“What do you have to say, Sona?”

My aunt fidgets, fingers gripping the edge of the cot. The hate in her eyes runs deep. I don’t remember her hating me like that when I was younger. There was a time when I liked her, when she was kind to me and went out of her way to visit and spend time with me. But all that changed as I got older.

“It was a mistake,” she snaps like she’s biting off her own hand. “I was young and stupid. Aram thought he could make it all go away, but look where we are now.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I glance at Lena, but she’s standing off to the side, hands folded in front of her.

“Boris Zeitsev.” Sona’s nose wrinkles at me with pure malice. The hateful bitch. “He’s your real father.”

Her words hit me like a car crash.

Myrealfather?

That makes no sense. It’s like she’s gone insane. Anger replaces shock and I hold up a hand. “Whatever story you’re telling, just don’t bother. I know you’re a liar, Sona, but it’s over. Garen spoke a blood oath tonight. The war’s finished. You don’t have to make some shit up just to get free. You’re going home.”

Her face flushes with rage. That’s not how I expected her to react. “I’m not making this up, you stupid boy,” she snaps viciously. “You think this is easy for me? Bringing up all my old wounds? I had an affair with Boris Zeitsev and your father—your uncle—raised you to spare me and the family the shame. That’s the truth about you. Boris Zeitsev is your father and I’m your biological mother.”

Biological mother.

I step away from her.

My head’s pounding. It makes no fucking sense. Valentin Zeitsev is my half-brother? Aunt Sona is my actual mother?

“That can’t be true. People would know.”

“Aram was a clever man. He went to great lengths to make sure nobody found out. It’s the truth, Arsen. Whether you like it or not. Your fucking wife can prove it if you want.”

“You’re my mother?”

“By blood. Don’t get any ideas.” She gets to her feet woodenly and looks at Lena. “Happy now? He knows the truth. Let me out of here.”

Blood rushes to my skull. Blood trickles down my palm and drips onto the floor, overflowing the bandage. Garen’s blood mixed with my own. Death stained into my carpet. My father—my uncle—my mother, not my mother and this disgusting creature?—

“Guards,” I croak and shove open the door. “Take her out of here.”

“Arsen?” Lena comes to me. She presses herself against my side. “Hey, Arsen, listen to me.”

Aunt Sona walks out the door and doesn’t look back.

Not even a glance for her son.

Not aunt. But also not mother.

Fuck. Fuck. It all makes sense. But it’s so goddamn sick.

---