Page 165 of His Forced Bride
She turns to face me, and finally, I see the cracks around the edges of her mask.
She's not even aware she's glaring at me.
"Your father poisoned your mind against me from childhood, convinced you that I was evil incarnate. But I'm the one who risked everything to free you from his control, and then from your husband's domination."
The delusion runs deeper than I imagined possible.
She's rewritten history so completely that she views herself as a heroic mother making noble sacrifices.
The murders, the manipulation, the systematic destruction of my happiness—all justified by her perverted version of love.
"Free me to become what? Your puppet instead of theirs?"
"To become yourself. The woman you were meant to be before men started controlling every aspect of your existence."
She grabs my hands with surprising strength, her grip almost painful.
"Leave with me tonight. Walk away from St. Petersburg, from Russia if necessary. We'll rebuild your business somewhere clean and new, somewhere your past can't follow."
Despite everything she's done, she actually believes we can establish a normal mother-daughter relationship.
That I can forget about the corpses in her wake and embrace her as family.
"What about Yuri? He won't simply let me vanish."
"Your husband will be dead before the week ends. I have associates who specialize in making problems disappear permanently."
The way she says it—like she’s already got the plans in motion—makes my blood go cold.
The threat crystallizes everything for me.
This isn't about money or business or even revenge anymore.
This woman is so consumed by her own narrative that she'll murder anyone who threatens it.
And the scary part is, I think she'll kill me too if I don't play along.
"You're completely insane," I tell her.
Her face transforms with rage, and for the first time tonight, I see the monster beneath the maternal performance.
"Insane? I'm the only person thinking clearly in this entire situation.
Your father brainwashed you against me from birth.
Your husband has corrupted you into his criminal accomplice.
Everyone you trust has destroyed pieces of your soul, and I'm the only one fighting to save what remains."
Her voice rises with each accusation, spittle flying from her lips as her careful composure finally shatters.
This is her true self—a woman driven mad by years of festering resentment and delusional self-justification.
"Batya never hurt me or used violence to teach me," I say, backing toward the center of the room.
"I chose Yuri because he's honest about his nature. I don't even know who you are."
"How dare you."
