MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

chapter 6

Katrina POV

I looked at Stacy and for a second I genuinely wondered if she had forgotten everything she had done.

She stood there looking calm, elegant, untouched by consequences.

Like she hadn’t destroyed people.

Like she hadn’t left me carrying a life that was never supposed to belong to me.

My chest tightened.

A humorless laugh escaped my lips.

“Wow.”

She blinked.

I shook my head slowly.

“No… I’m trying to understand something.”

I took a step closer.

“After everything… after running away with Max… after coming to me crying and asking me to pretend to be you…”

Her face changed slightly.

I continued.

“After asking me to stand in your place and marry Cove because you didn’t want the marriage…”

My voice broke for a second.

Not because I was sad.

But because I suddenly remembered.

That day.

Her tears.

Her desperation.

Her hands holding mine.

Katrina, please help me. I don’t love him. Just do this for me.

I remembered saying no.

Again.

And again.

Until she cried harder.

Until she promised it would only solve problems.

Until she convinced me that everyone would move on.

I remembered standing in that wedding dress feeling like I was wearing someone else’s life.

And now—

Now she was standing in front of me acting like she had lost something precious.

My eyes burned.

“You asked me to become you.”

Silence.

“You left.”

Another step.

“And now you came back expecting your old place to still be empty?”

Her lips parted.

“Katrina—”

“No.”

My voice was calm now.

Too calm.

“You don’t get to interrupt me.”

For years I never said these things.

I stayed quiet.

I told myself I didn’t deserve to complain because none of this was supposed to happen.

But today—

Today I wanted her to hear me.

“You know what hurts the most?”

She looked away.

I laughed softly.

“You think this marriage happened because you handed him to me.”

I swallowed.

“That’s not what happened.”

My eyes stung.

“I walked into that marriage scared.”

I smiled sadly.

“I thought I was borrowing someone else’s future.”

I remembered awkward conversations.

Quiet dinners.

Learning each other.

Building trust.

Laughing.

Choosing.

Healing.

Little by little…

It stopped being pretending.

And became real.

I looked at her.

“Cove didn’t stay because I was standing in your place.”

I took a breath.

“He stayed because somewhere along the way… he chose me.”

Her eyes widened.

And for the first time—

I saw it.

Regret.

Real regret.

Then she whispered—

“I made a mistake.”

Something inside me hurt hearing that.

Not because I felt sorry for her.

But because mistakes sounded too small.

This wasn’t forgetting an appointment.

This wasn’t buying the wrong thing.

She changed people’s lives.

I looked at her quietly.

“Yes.”

Her face fell.

“You did.”

Before she could speak—

“stacy?”

Cove’s voice came from the sitting room.

Warm.

Familiar.

Immediately my heartbeat changed.

I turned.

He appeared in the doorway.

Concern in his eyes.

“What are you doing?”

I smiled automatically.

“Nothing. I’m coming.”

I turned away from Stacy.

Not because I had nothing left to say.

But because suddenly…

I realized I didn’t need to keep defending my place anymore.

When I walked into the room, Cove looked at me and smiled.

Not confused.

Not distant.

Like someone waiting for someone important.

I sat beside him.

His mother continued talking.

Normal.

Peaceful.

But barely minutes later—

Stacy walked in.

She sat nearby.

Too close.

Too familiar.

Like she was trying to fit herself back into old memories.

I stayed quiet.

Then Cove looked at his parents.

“Mom, Dad, Stacy and I should head home.”

Stacy and I.

Simple words.

But they settled something inside me.

We said goodbye and walked outside.

Stacy followed.

At the driveway she looked at us.

At him.

At our life.

Then she got into her car and drove away quickly.

I watched the lights disappear.

During the drive home, I stayed quiet.

When we reached home and changed into comfortable clothes, Cove went upstairs to finish work.

I sat alone.

And her words came back.

"Your husband is exactly the kind of husband I want."

I closed my eyes.

No.

That wasn’t true.

She didn’t want him.

She wanted certainty.

She wanted loyalty.

She wanted the life she abandoned.

I looked upstairs.

And suddenly—

I stopped feeling afraid.

Because this life wasn’t borrowed anymore.

This wasn’t pretending anymore.

I stood up slowly.

months ago…

I agreed to play someone else.

But somewhere along the way—

I became myself.

And this life became mine.

Quietly, I smiled.

You can regret leaving.

But you cannot return and expect time to stand still.

Nobody can erase what we built.