His Substitute Bride

Chapter Forty Three

                       A R A B E L L E

"My dear, how are you doing?" Mom said as she hugged me. 

"I'm fine mom." I replied as I pulled away from her. I'm glad I have her as my mother-in-law. In fact, I have the best in laws. They loved me when my own blood left me. 

"Here, have a seat." Mom said as she helped me sit on the couch before she sat herself beside me. "I hope my grandson isn't disturbing you." She said with a big smile. 

"Aside from kicking me every time I fall asleep, he is doing fine too." I said, making her chuckle. "How is Sofia? It's been a long time since I saw her and Elena."

"They're doing fine dear. Don't worry they'll be here in a day or two before you go into labour." Mom assured and I nodded. 

I feel extremely lucky to have them and call them my family. After everything that my so called family did, it's even disgusting to call them my family. I can't believe they did all that for the money. 

"Mom," I called out and swallowed the lump forming in my throat. She hummed. "Do you know anything about my mother?" I asked

Her brows furrowed. "Why do you suddenly ask? Did something happened?"

"I'm not talking about Hannah, mom." I said and she finally understood. "I want to know about my real mother, Merida Wilson."

She stayed silent for some moment then she finally spoke up. "I don't know whether you remember or not but we were neighbors way back. I've known your mother since the time she married your father and moved in into our neighborhood, right next to our house."

"Your mother, Merida was one of the kindest soul I have ever met. She was ever ready to help if any of us ever needed any help." She said. "Nikolai was a still a kid when she was pregnant with you. He use to run around your mother and always ask her about her pregnant belly." 

"She use to say that if it was a girl, it will be Nikolai's bride and if it was a boy, they will be the best buddies." She chuckled as she thought of it. "And her words came true."

"It's sad that she didn't saw it come true." She added. 

"You look exactly like her you know?" She said as she let out a small laugh and wiped her tears. "You look like her." She whispered. 

I felt like something was groping my heart. It was getting harder to breathe for me as tears blinded my eyes. There was this weird in my heart that hurts like hell. 

"Belle?" Mom called out, with a concerned look. "Are you ok my dear? Belle?"

"I'm fine. . . I'm fine." I breathed out as I let my tears fall. I couldn't hold it back anymore. What confused me more was that I was crying for the mother I never saw. Or was I crying for the things I went through? I feel like I'm cursed to never find peace. 

I was living a lie this whole time. 

Ever since I started skipping the medicine that Hannah use to give me, I get all this flashbacks. The pieces of my memories that they try to erase. 

How can someone be so cruel? They erased my own parents from my memory. 

Mom was yelling something but I couldn't hear a thing. The world went silent for us as I slowly lost my conscious. 

                       N I K O L A I 

My whole mind was in chaos. She was fine earlier.

Mom was crying beside me while dad was trying to console her. "I should have known. It was my fault." She blamed herself. "I shouldn't have told her anything about it until she gave birth. It's all my fault."

"Eleanor, darling it's not your fault ok." Dad said, comforting her. 

"Mom, it's not your fault." I said making them both turn to face me. "I should have told you, I should have warned you beforehand but I didn't."

"What do you mean." Dad asked. 

"I found out about everything." I said and told them everything while they listened patiently. "I told her to stop taking those pills and here we are. It's all my fault actually."

"That pills had two effects." I revealed as lump started to form in my throat, making it harder for me to talk. "One was that as long as she took it, she won't remember anything but she'll soon starting getting memories and flashbacks once she stopped taking."

"And the other was that, it helped with her PTSD." I ran my hand through my hair before bringing both my hands to my face. "It caused no harm to her or the baby. I should have justet her use it until she gave birth, this way she won't have landed in this situation."

The memory of her teary face as she fell into my arms earlier kept flashing in front of me. I wanted to hit myself for the shit I landed her into. 

"God." I whispered. "I can't lose her. I can't lose both of them."

Mom wrapped her arms around me pulling me into her warm embrace. "It'll be alright."

It felt like the whole universe was against me. Like it didn't want me to ever find love. 

The doctor came out and I immediately pulled away from my mother and stood up. "How's she? Will she be ok?"

"Mr Ivanov, she's in a critical condition so I can't say anything right now." He said. "Was there something that was over stressing her or disturbing her?" He asked. 

I hesitantly nodded. Something I learned as a kid, never lie to your doctor. 

"Ah, I see." He said. "We managed to stop the bleeding but she needs to be supervised for 24 hours only then can I say anything."

I nodded. He looks genuinely concerned as he looked at me and did something unexpected. He patted my shoulder, "It will be alright son. Have faith." He said. 

Something about him made me believe his words. It will be alright. It better be. 
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A/n : there you go, double update like I promised. Hope you enjoyed.