Vengeance

CHAPTER 13

There is something about the sound of waves and their magnetic pull that brings an unexplainable serenity to one's soul. Especially during the night, when the gush of water shimmers with enigmatic electric light, and the quiet amplifies the symphony of the sea.

Tabitha, never one to find solace in beaches, felt an inexplicable draw toward the vast expanse before her.

She sat on the cold pavement, leaning against the railing, her gaze fixed on the endless midnight depths of the water. The stillness of the hour, just past one in the morning, was a rare comfort, with barely a car in sight to disturb the silence. For once, the quiet wasn’t suffocating but liberating, giving her troubled thoughts the space to roam freely against the backdrop of the ocean’s rhythmic cadence.

It has been four days since she last saw Mikhail. He had done as she asked and left her alone, which may have been for the best. Yet, despite everything, she still missed him. Despite her heart breaking into millions of pieces, amidst the pain, a bittersweet realization dawned upon her. Before his truth about identity was exposed, she realized that she had already fallen for him. Assuming, or rather manipulated into believing that he was Anatoly and the relationship they shared, she fell in love with the Mikhail version of him.

To her utter astonishment, Mikhail released Anatoly the very next day. Anatoly had messaged her shortly after, his words measured and polite, and then called to express his regret over his brother’s atrocities.

His voice, calm and apologetic, carried promises of explanation. “Once I’m settled back home,” he had said, “I’ll call you.”

In the quiet that followed, Tabitha couldn’t help but reflect on the four years she had spent with Anatoly. It was only a handful of times that he had come to her place, always with excuses that she had naively accepted without question. How had she convinced herself that this was normal? That this was all she deserved?

She should have known about his mysophobia. Four years of being in a relationship, and he never trusted her enough to tell her. For heaven's sake, they have been together for four years.

She knew she had to confront him and end everything. First, he had hidden such a significant part of himself from her. Second, there was the unsettling possibility that Anatoly and Anastasia had been using her all along. And third, most damning of all was that she was in love with Mikhail. Her relationship with Anatoly now felt hollow, built on lies and half-truths.

With that clarity, she made her way to his place, determined to cut all ties with him and his family. Nowhere did she have any intention of reconciling with Mikhail, just the need to finally close this painful chapter.

"Tabitha! I told you I would call you once I was settled." Anatoly exclaimed, his face a mix of surprise and mild irritation.

He always made sure their meetings happened on his terms, and Tabitha, ever sweet and understanding, never showed up unannounced.

"I wanted to meet you."

"Of course. I apologize for everything. Mikhail has crossed all bounds with you and has truly tormented me in the room where he kept me. I did not want you to see me at my worst."

The mention of Mikhail's name struck a chord of pain within her, but Tabitha managed to keep her expression composed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice steady, though her heart felt anything but.

"Good. Now that I am home, I feel so much better." Anatoly said, settling onto the couch with a sense of relief.

Tabitha followed suit, sitting down as well, but unconsciously, she found herself sitting closer to him, an instinct born out of her memories of Mikhail. Anatoly, however, subtly shifted, creating a noticeable space between them. The small action was enough to jar her back to reality, every movement of his contrasting sharply with Mikhail’s easy warmth.

Every detail about Anatoly—his demeanor, his distance—reminded her of Mikhail, but it also brought clarity. This was Anatoly, and his actions only reinforced the validity of his mysophobia.

"That’s good," she said quietly, her tone betraying the swirl of emotions she fought to contain.

"Tabitha," Anatoly said softly, extending his hand toward her.

She hesitated briefly before placing hers in his, feeling the slight squeeze he gave. She had never noticed before how Anatoly always seemed to pause, even if only for a second, before any physical contact with her, and somehow, in their entire relationship, she had never been the one to initiate these gestures.

"I sincerely apologize for everything Mikhail did. But now that I am out, I want us to forget everything. Let us both try to move forward, keeping this part of our lives apart."

"Everything? He pretended to be you, Anatoly. And even though I was made to believe he was you, I briefly dated him." She stated, wanting him to understand, to see the gravity of it all.

Anatoly, however, seemed unwilling to confront the reality. "I figured that much," he said dismissively. "But does it matter? He pretended to have amnesia, and you were there with him, thinking he was me. I can move past it."

His tone was flat, as if the entire ordeal could be erased with a few words.

"Can you even move past it after knowing I have been with your brother in every way?" She wasn't sure why she pushed it, but she was desperate for her truth to be heard and acknowledged.

"You mean?" His eyes widen, a flicker of emotion breaking through his calm exterior. He stood abruptly, and instinctively, she stood beside him, her pulse racing.

"Yes." She admitted, guilt pressing down on her chest like a weight. She should have noticed the sudden shift in Mikhail's behavior when she met him for the first time after the accident. She was indeed a fool.

Anatoly, however, remained firm. "It still doesn't matter. You were kept blinded by our identity information. Mikhail looks exactly like me, so you were bound to get confused. Do not worry. You are still my girlfriend and will always be."

"I do not think it's a good idea. I cannot be with you when everything about you reminds me of Mikhail. I am sorry, Anatoly, but it's best if we part ways."

"What?" Anatoly’s eyes expanded with disbelief. "Do not tell me you are breaking up with me because of my sorry excuse of a brother. He manipulated you! You can actually file a criminal offence against him. You should file a complaint."

"I don't want to. Whatever it was, I can't bring myself to regret it." Tabitha eyed down.

"So you want to be with my brother? That's rich." Anatoly scoffed, disbelief flashing through his eyes.

"No. I want to leave all this behind and move past this chapter of my life. I want nothing to do with you or your brother." Her voice was low but firm.

"Really now?" His tone darkened, and anger simmered beneath the surface.

"Anatoly, your brother deceived me, and so did you. All these years, why didn't you even mention having a brother?"

"Because he is a sorry excuse of a brother. I didn't want a shadow of his in my life."

Tabitha’s brow furrowed. "What about mysophobia?"

He should have known that his elder twin, in spite, would spill the truth. "Because it was unnecessary when I had it under control. There was no need to bring it up, not when I could manage on my own.”

"You have a severe case, Anatoly. How is our relationship going to even work? What about our future?"

"Is that all it's about? Physical intimacy?” His voice was sharp and nasty. "I didn't know you had such a desperate need for it. How about this—" he said, his tone cold and distant. "I can arrange for someone to be your permanent escort when you feel the need. Would that satisfy you?"

Her eyes widened in shock, and before she could think, her hand flew across his face, the sound of the slap echoing. It was the first time she had seen this vile side of him, and at that moment, she despised him.

"We are done," she said, her voice shaking with both anger and disgust. "Never try to contact me again."

She turned to leave, her heart pounding, but before she could take another step, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back toward him. His grip was unyielding, and he pressed her against him, bringing his body too close for comfort. A wave of panic surged through her as she felt his strength overpower her.

"This is what you want, right?" He sneered, his voice dripping with venom, his breath hot against her ear.

"Let go of me!" she cried, striving to break free, her voice rising in desperation. But his grip only tightened, his fingers digging into her wrist with bruising force. Then, his hand moved to her throat, wrapping around it with a sinister intent. Her breath hitched, and fear paralyzed her as his hold grew tighter with each passing second. Her vision blurred, the room spinning, and all she could think was that this couldn’t possibly be happening.

"Do not mess with me, Tabitha," he hissed, his voice low and menacing. "If you try to leave me, I will not only ruin you but your family as well. You love them, don’t you? If you ever try to walk away from me, I will make sure they end up on the streets."

She choked out, "You cannot!"

"Oh, but I can, and I certainly will. I am an IT professional. One click, and all the money in your parents' account? Gone. One click, and they will lose everything. So, don't test me, honey." With a frustrated groan, he shoved her away. "I would need to take a bath."

"Who are you?" she gasped, her voice trembling with disbelief and horror.

She stood frozen, her mind racing to process the stranger standing in front of her. This wasn’t the man she had spent years with.

"Anatoly Petrov. Frankly, it was tiring to act nice. But now that you know my truth, I see no reason to put in the effort anymore." He stepped closer, his eyes cold, each word landing like a blow. "Listen to me, Tabitha. I make good on my promises. I do not take things lightly. So, if you want the safety of your parents, you are going to do everything as I say."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Because I can and because you are easily manipulated. From the moment we met, I knew you'd be the perfect wife for me. A young, naive schoolteacher—good with children, a great cook, and an ideal caregiver. You’d never let me feel alone, and you'd take care of my mother without a second thought."

"You were using me," she whispered.

Mikhail was right. She had prayed he’d be wrong—desperately clung to the hope that this was all some horrible misunderstanding.

"Yes. I had everything planned from the start. You believed every word I said, didn't you? But now that the pretense is over, we will move forward on my terms. I will steer this relationship however I see fit, and you will follow. After all, you’re the only child of your parents, aren’t you?"

"Please don't." She choked out, her voice trembling, her hands wavering at her sides.

"Oh, sweetheart,” Anatoly said mockingly. “Don't worry. We will have fun. I have plenty of money, so you won't need to work after we marry. Do you know how filthy the outside world is? It’s crawling with uncountable germs. But if you stay clean—clean like me—maybe, just maybe, one day we can have a normal relationship, even the physical intimacy you seem to crave so much."

"No." Her voice trembled as fear filled her wide eyes.

"Yes," he replied with a dark smile, stepping closer. "So don’t even think about crossing me. This is your last warning, Tabitha. If you try to break up with me, I will ruin your family. Do you understand? I’ll destroy everything you love without a second thought."

Feeling claustrophobic from your own insecurities is one thing, but nothing cuts deeper than when someone else reduces you to feeling worthless.

Tabitha knew she couldn’t fight Anatoly. He was powerful, and she had mistaken his dark and vicious personality for sweetness and kindness. His threats weren’t empty. She had no doubt he would follow through on every cruel promise. One wrong move, and he wouldn’t just destroy her life, but also the lives of her parents. She couldn’t let that happen. But she also knew she couldn’t live with him. The memory of his hands around her throat sent a shiver of terror down her spine. If he could do that today, what horrors awaited her tomorrow?

Tabitha climbed onto the railing, the cold steel biting into her palms as she steadied herself.

There seemed to be only one solution to escape the nightmare that was her life. Anatoly had chosen her for her naivety and weak demeanor. If she ceased to exist, his grip on her family would vanish. Without her, there would be no leverage to cause her family’s suffering.

This end was better than anything else—a way to protect those she loved from the consequences of her mistakes. It was better than enduring a life with him, better than bearing the weight of disappointing her family. Under no circumstances she will let her family suffer because of her mistake.

With that, she slid from the railing, embracing her end.