Chapter Five-You knew he was mine!

Mira forced a smile and reached for her glass of water. “Of course I haven't forgotten. I've just been overwhelmed with work since our last meeting, and I'm afraid I haven't had much time for anything else.”

“Oh, my poor little girl!” Vanessa exclaimed before Alexander's mother could respond. “Why don't you stop being such a workaholic? You'll exhaust yourself before the wedding even arrives.”

Her remark drew laughter from the others, and the conversation moved on as though nothing unusual had happened.

Mira joined in when necessary, answering the questions directed at her while cursing Benita in her thoughts. How could that girl have left the country without considering what Mira would face in her absence? More importantly, how had Alexander failed to mention that his mother had spent an afternoon with Benita just weeks ago?

Mira had no answers, so she concentrated on getting through dinner without making another mistake.

Alexander's father asked about her work, and she explained some of the responsibilities she handled at the company. When he brought up the challenges of managing demanding schedules, she offered a few practical suggestions that made him smile with approval. He asked her more questions, and she answered each one confidently, drawing him into a conversation that lasted longer than she expected.

“You have a good head on your shoulders,” he told her eventually. “Alexander could use someone who knows how to keep things organized.”

“Father, I already have enough people trying to manage my life,” Alexander replied dryly.

His father laughed, while Mira lowered her eyes to hide her amusement. For a brief moment, she almost forgot that she was sitting among people who believed she was someone else. She could hold a conversation, offer sensible opinions, and earn their respect without pretending to be Benita. Unfortunately, the name attached to her face was still the biggest lie in the room.

By the time dinner ended, Mira was exhausted from maintaining her composure. She thanked Alexander's parents for the meal and followed everyone outside, hoping she could finally return home and have a few hours to herself.

Richard approached her before she could reach the car. “Come with us. Vanessa and I will drop you off.”

Mira looked at him, then at Vanessa, who was already waiting beside their vehicle. The thought of spending another minute in their company made her uncomfortable, especially after the way they had treated her the previous evening. She had spent years sacrificing her comfort for them, and she was tired of pretending she didn't resent it.

“Thank you, but I'll find another way home.”

Richard frowned. “Don't be difficult, Mira. It's late.”

“I said I'll find another way.”

Before he could respond, Alexander emerged from the house. Mira immediately turned toward him, deciding that asking him for a ride was preferable to getting trapped in a car with her father and stepmother.

“Alexander, could you take me home?”

He looked at her as though she had asked him to do something unreasonable. For a moment, Mira thought he would refuse outright, but his parents were still nearby, and Richard was watching them closely.

“I'll be right back,” Alexander said at last.

Richard muttered something about her stubbornness before getting into the car with Vanessa. Mira watched them drive away without feeling the slightest regret. She didn't need another lecture about family obligations from a man who had never considered what his own obligations to her mother should have been.

A few minutes later, Alexander returned with his car keys. He opened the driver's door without speaking, and Mira settled into the passenger seat, grateful that the evening was almost over. The drive began in silence, with the passing streetlights illuminating the tension on Alexander's face whenever they stopped at an intersection.

When they reached a playground along the road, Mira suddenly asked him to stop.

Alexander glanced at her. “What now?”

“Drop me here, please.”

He slowed the car but didn't immediately pull over. “Why would I leave you at a playground at this hour?”

“I need to sit somewhere and be alone for a while.”

“You can be alone when you get home.”

“Alexander, please. Just let me out.”

He studied her for another moment before pulling over beside the playground entrance. Mira unfastened her seat belt, opened the door, and stepped out without waiting for him to change his mind. She didn't look back as she walked toward an empty bench, leaving Alexander to decide whether he wanted to wait or drive away.

She needed a moment without anyone demanding something from her. The dinner had reminded her how easily one careless answer could expose her, and the thought of spending the next three years living under that constant pressure was becoming difficult to bear. She sat on the bench and rested her hands on her knees, trying to settle her thoughts.

Minutes later, the sound of a car approaching drew her attention. A vehicle stopped near the entrance, and Rachael stepped out. Mira recognized her immediately, though she couldn't understand why Alexander's girlfriend had come looking for her.

“How did you know I was here?” Mira asked as Rachael approached.

“I followed Alexander's car,” Rachael replied. “I've been trying to get him to talk to me, and when I saw him stop here, I decided to find out what was going on.”

Mira sighed and looked away. “If you've come to talk about Alexander, I'm not interested.”

“Not interested?” Rachael repeated, her voice rising with disbelief. “You stole my man, and now you're pretending you don't care about him?”

“I didn't steal anyone from you. If you have a problem with Alexander, take it up with him.”

“You knew he was mine!”

“And yet you're here arguing with me instead of asking him why he's marrying me.” Mira stood, already regretting that she had entertained the conversation. “Honestly, if your family had enough money and influence to secure what you wanted, perhaps I wouldn't be stuck in this miserable marriage in the first place.”

Rachael stared at her, offended by the remark. Before Mira could move away, she raised her hand and slapped her across the face.

Mira stood still, stunned by the sudden attack. Her first instinct was to defend herself, but she stopped when she remembered Alexander. If he found out she had fought with Rachael, he would undoubtedly use it as another reason to make her life miserable. She had already decided that protecting her mother mattered more than winning every argument.

“Stay away from him!” Rachael shouted.

Mira turned back toward her. “You slapped me, and I'm still standing here trying to walk away. Don't push me.”

Instead of listening, Rachael slapped her again. Mira took a step back, struggling to control her anger, but when Rachael raised her hand for a third time, Mira caught her wrist in midair.

“I'm done with this.”

She shoved Rachael's hand away and slapped her hard across the face. Before Rachael could recover, Mira struck her again, finally releasing the anger she had been swallowing all evening.

Rachael screamed and tried to retaliate, but Mira was no longer willing to stand still and accept whatever punishment someone decided to give her.

“Enough!”

Alexander's voice cut through the argument as he rushed between them. He pushed Mira back and immediately turned to Rachael, checking her face.

“Are you okay?”

Rachael didn't answer at first. Instead, her eyes filled with tears, and she covered her face with both hands.

“I only wanted to talk to her,” she sobbed. “That's why I called you, in case she tried something like this. Is this really the kind of woman you're going to marry? She's a monster, Alexander!”

Mira stared at him, waiting for him to ask what had happened. She had been slapped twice before retaliating, and he had arrived just in time to witness the final part of the fight. Surely he would at least give her an opportunity to explain.

“She slapped me first,” Mira said. “I tried to walk away, but she kept hitting me. I only defended myself.”

Alexander turned toward her with open disbelief. “You expect me to believe that?”

“It's the truth.”

“Look at her!” he snapped, pointing toward Rachael. “She's clearly upset, and you've been beating her like you have no self-control. What is wrong with you?”

Mira said nothing. Every explanation she offered seemed to make him angrier, and she could already imagine how much worse their marriage would become if he decided she had deliberately attacked Rachael.

Alexander stepped closer. “Get on your knees and apologize to her.”

Mira looked at him as if she had misheard. “What?”

“You heard me. Apologize.”

“I did nothing wrong. She slapped me first!”

“And you think that gives you the right to beat her? Kneel down and apologize, Mira. I'm not asking you again.”

Her fingers curled at her sides. Rachael stood behind him, crying into her hands, while Alexander waited for Mira to obey. He hadn't asked for proof, hadn't considered her side, and hadn't even bothered to find out how the confrontation had started. As far as he was concerned, Rachael was innocent, and Mira was the villain.

Mira wanted to refuse. Her pride rebelled against the thought of kneeling before someone who had attacked her and then played the victim. But as she looked at Alexander, another face appeared in her mind: her mother's, pale against the hospital pillow, still fighting to survive.

Laura was the reason Mira had agreed to this marriage. She was the reason Mira had swallowed every insult from Richard and Vanessa, endured Alexander's contempt, and accepted a future she had never wanted. If refusing now put her treatment at risk, Mira couldn't afford to let her pride make that decision for her.

Slowly, she lowered herself onto her knees.

The sand pressed into her skin as she bowed her head. She forced the apology out, her voice barely audible, while tears slipped down her cheeks. Her hands dug into the sand, closing into tight fists as she fought to keep herself from breaking down in front of them.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered.

Rachael said nothing, and Alexander offered no comfort. Mira remained on her knees, staring at the ground, feeling the weight of the humiliation settle over her.

‘Never forget this, Mira. Never forget how they humiliated you.’

She repeated the words to herself through her tears, gripping the sand until it pressed painfully into her palms. She might have to endure this marriage for three years, but she would not allow herself to forget what those years had cost her.