“What is it?”
“You should look it over. You might have some questions.” His voice was gruff, and he was avoiding my eyes.
I ripped it open and scanned the cover letter. It was written in Russian.
Application for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage.
I reread the title in confusion. Further down, I saw both my legal name and Axel’s.
This can’t be real. This isn’t happening.
Then something cold and dark settled around me.
He wants me gone.
I frowned, still confused, still hoping I was wrong. “Are these divorce papers?” I studied the header of the page. “Is this a Russian law firm?”
My heart was thumping so hard I felt sick.
This had to be a mistake.He’s supposed to come back.
Viktor finally spoke. “Those are papers for marriage annulment on the grounds of concealed identity and abandonment.”
I still didn’t understand. Or maybe I just didn’t want to. “What does that mean?”
He had the grace to look pained. “It’s legally claiming that your marriage was never valid in the eyes of the law because of the reasons cited.”
I folded my hands on the table and stared blindly at the papers.
Never valid in the eyes of the law.
Meaning that my marriage to Axel was never real.
I lifted my gaze to Viktor, my voice flat. “So instead of ending our marriage, we’re all just going to erase it and pretend it didn’t happen?”
Viktor sat there. He didn’t look comfortable, but he didn’t speak.
I blinked at the ceiling as tears threatened to spill. “So that’s how it’s going to be.”
I stared past the ceiling tiles into nothing.
I felt nothing.
Except empty shock.
Axel was erasing me. Like we had never existed.
My voice trembled with tears, but I didn’t care. “It meant something to me, you know? This marriage was real to me.” I touched my chest. “In here.”
My voice broke, and I used the back of my hand to swipe the tears on my cheek.
I exhaled, squared my shoulders and looked Viktor in the eyes. “So what? Does he just want to start over there? Forget this ever happened?”
Viktor stared back at me with a steady gaze.
He didn’t speak, and I just sat there waiting.
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you going to speak?”
