Contract Marriage: I Will Never Love You-Chapter 104: True Mother

Sarah

Matthew stiffens beside me. "She went to see a relative, didn’t she?" he says.

I nod. "Yes. When she comes back tomorrow, I want to talk to her."

"Please, don’t blame her for all this. She had no choice but to listen to your mother," Dad says.

"Everyone has a choice, Dad," I say grimly.

Matthew rubs his thumb across the back of my hand. He leans in closer, speaking low so only I can hear. "You don’t have to deal with this tonight if you are not ready."

But I do.

I want to know how Marishka feels about all of this. I want to know how she was able to pretend to be my nanny while being my true mother.

I shake my head at Matthew gently. "I have to," I whisper. "I need to hear it from her."

He nods, not pushing me, just staying close, ready to catch me if I fall apart again.

"Maybe I should go home and speak to Evelyn..." he starts to say, but I cut him off.

I don’t say anything as I have nothing more to say to him.

~-~

The next day, I wait for Marishka for what feels like an eternity. But at least I am not alone. Matthew is here with me.

I’m sitting on the couch, barely slept the night. How could I? Every time I close my eyes, memories replay in my mind, but they’re different now, tainted by new understanding.

Every interaction with my mother...no, with Evelyn suddenly makes sense in a horrifying way. The coldness, the distance, the constant criticism.

It all makes sense now.

The doorbell rings, and I freeze. Matthew squeezes my hand before getting up to answer it. I hear murmured voices in the hallway, and then Marishka appears in the doorway.

But she’s not just Marishka anymore. She’s my mother.

"Oh, hello," she says.

"Sit down," I manage to say, gesturing to the armchair across from me.

Matthew fidgets. "I’ll give you two some privacy."

"No," I say quickly. "Stay. Please."

Matthew gives me a wry smile and puts his arm around me.

Marishka looks at us with worry. "What’s going on, Sarah? When you asked me to come home earlier, I got really worried. Is everything okay?"

"Is it true?" I ask. "Are you my mother?"

Marishka blinks, startled, as if the words physically struck her.

She opens her mouth, then closes it again.

Her hands twist nervously in her lap.

Finally, she nods.

"Yes. I am."

The room seems to tilt slightly. Even though I already knew, hearing it from her feels different. It makes it real.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" My voice shakes despite how hard I’m trying to keep it steady.

Tears well up in her eyes. She leans forward slightly, her face raw with emotion.

"I wanted to, Sarah. Every day, I wanted to. But Evelyn, she wouldn’t let me. She threatened to send me away if I ever said a word."

I stare at her, trying to process everything.

"So you just...pretended?" I whisper.

"I stayed," she says softly. "I stayed as your nanny because it was the only way I could be near you. I thought...even if you didn’t know the truth, at least I could nurture and protect you."

I swallow the lump rising in my throat. "You took money from my parents," I say. "Am I really that sellable?"

Marishka flinches as if I slapped her.

"No," she says quickly, shaking her head. Tears slip down her cheeks, and she doesn’t even try to wipe them away. "It wasn’t like that, Sarah. I only took the money because I was desperate. Charles was generous enough to give me it. My brother got into a bit of trouble in Ukraine, and I needed to send him the money. It saved his life."

I stare at her, a thousand emotions churn inside me.

"You could’ve told me," I whisper. "About who you were. About everything after I grew up."

"I know," Marishka says brokenly. "And every day I didn’t... I hated myself a little more. But I couldn’t break the deal with your parents. I couldn’t risk being sent away from you," She trails off, shaking her head. "Will you ever forgive me?"

Of course, I will forgive her. She is the only mother who loved me unconditionally. My true mother. "Yes," I breathe.

Marishka lets out a choked sob and covers her mouth with her trembling hand.

She gets up slowly, as if afraid I might change my mind, and kneels in front of me.

"I love you so much, Sarah," she whispers. "I have loved you every single day of your life."

I reach out, hesitantly at first, but then with more certainty, and wrap my arms around her.

For the first time in my life, I am hugging my mother.

Not a stranger in disguise. Not a lie.

My mother.

She clutches me tightly, and I feel her tears soak into my sweater. I feel Matthew’s hand still resting on my back, steadying me, grounding me.

For a long time, none of us says a word. Maybe we couldn’t erase the past. Maybe we couldn’t fix everything overnight.

But we could start here.

Together.

"Well, I should check on dinner, shall I?" Marishka says, wiping her tears.

I frown. "I don’t know if I like you acting like my employee anymore."

Marishka waves her hand dismissively. "Nonsense. You treat me nothing like that. You’ve always treated me like a family member anyway."

"You know what I mean. You are always taking care of the house, cooking, and..." I start to protest.

"Stop it, sweetheart. I don’t mind doing these things. If we were in my country and you were my child, I’d be doing this too. Oh, don’t tell me you want your old mother to move out now?" she frowns.

I shake my head furiously. "God, no."

She smiles. "Good. Then let me go prepare dinner and you spend time with your husband," she says and kisses my cheek before getting up to leave.

I watch her disappear into the kitchen, my heart feeling lighter and heavier all at once.

Matthew shifts beside me, his arm still around my shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asks.

I let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah. I am great."

"Come here," Matthew says, tugging me gently into his side.

I rest my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"You did so good," he whispers into my hair. "I’m proud of you."

A lump forms in my throat again, but this time, it’s not from sadness. It’s from the overwhelming warmth swelling in my chest.

"How about we go somewhere nice? Just the two of us? The doctor said you need to rest at home, but we can go somewhere where you can relax after you recover fully," he suggests.

"I would like that," I murmur.