CATALINA
I lookedat myself in the mirror.
My dark brown eyes seemed even bigger than normal, a stark contrast against my pale skin.
At least the bruise on my face was starting to fade. It was barely noticeable with a little light makeup.
I didn’t sleep for more than three hours last night.
Guilt kept me awake.
You could be pregnant with my kid right now. You could be pregnant from any of us.
I wasn’t pregnant.
Not only because I had just gotten my period, but I couldn’t get pregnant.
I was infertile.
I knew it because Father had me checked just before my eighteenth birthday.
That had been one of the worst beatings in my life, yet the only thing I had to show for it was the memory of him kicking me as I lay there on the floor, on the verge of passing out.
He was always so careful not to mark me in any way, but he knew how to make it hurt in the worst way possible.
My fingers moved to the strap of my dress, and I pulled it down, looking in the mirror at the small crescent-shaped scar on my shoulder.
I shuddered.
How would my men react if they knew?
My eyes burned, and I blinked away at the moisture building there.
Mikhail was the only one who’d said he loved me, but did he really mean it?
Would the affection I was receiving from them go away once they realized I was defective?
Father said I couldn’t even be a woman properly.
Would they think that too?
I didn’t know, but I was so scared to find out.
And the way Nikolay had brightened when he said it.
He wanted a baby.
I could never give him a baby.
My hand came down to my flat belly.
Taking in a deep breath, I slowly applied some makeup. If I weren’t careful, they would see right through me.
They would know something was wrong, and I didn’t want to go against three stubborn men who were so used to getting what they wanted.
They would surely get the answers, and I—
I shook my head.