Chapter 302: History, Dearly Beloved… History

[Flashback, Two years ago, the day of the divorce filing]

[FROLO]

"You know you’re the only one I ever talked to about things I couldn’t tell my friends. Why are you asking me that?" Katya sobbed.

Yaroslav stared like he was not sure what to do.

"Dammit, what the fuck have you been doing for these ten months, honey? Couldn’t you even hire your own protection with your salary?" Yaroslav scolded.

Katya kept bawling.

"Well, excuse me for trusting my husband to protect me and take me back home," Katya sniffled, and Yaroslav groaned.

"Fuck!!" The beta growled, punching a hole in the nearest wall.

Katya had flinched.

Crouched instantly with his hands covering his ears, the papers falling to the ground while he tried to calm himself down.

"I’m sorry... I’m sorry. I won’t bring it up again. I’m sorry. Please don’t hit me," Katya cried, looking in the opposite direction from Yaroslav.

And for the first time since he’d come to this office, Yaro felt like a monster.

He’d come to talk.

To make things right.

To explain to Katya that their separation meant that his father would probably have an easier time hunting Katya.

He’d come to tell Katya that the divorce wasn’t an option, that’s why he’d let him be with the senator.

But seeing the love of his life curled up on the floor like that was worse than any gut punch he’d ever received his whole life. It was even worse than the gunshot wounds he’d gotten throughout his adult life.

"What have I become?" Yaroslavl whispered to his sled as he saw his omega shake on the floor. He’d never seen Katya that scared and scent to bitter with fear and pain.

Never.

The omega had just come out of his heat and hadn’t even fully recovered yet, and Yaroslav had already managed to scare the hell out of him.

"He didn’t mark you," Yaroslav mumbled when he went down on the floor to pick up his defeated omega.

He could see his mating mark on Katya’s neck still.

If Katya had accepted the senator, the mark Yaroslav had given him would have faded.

Yet it was still there.

The bite Yaroslav had given out of love.

The senator hadn’t knotted his omega.

And again, Yaroslav felt like an idiot for not thinking right.

He should have smelled a Katya more.

Should have realized that his scent hadn’t changed even with the senator’s clothes on him. He should have understood that because this wasn’t his first time being around the omega.

Yet he had let his jealousy take over shamelessly.

Now he succeeded in making the omega cower in fear when all Katya wanted was peace of mind.

And now Yaroslav understood Katya’s insistence on a divorce.

It wasn’t because he didn’t love Yaroslav.

It was because he just wanted to live his life.

The omega never cheated on him, despite going out with the senator for three whole months.

And that right there was the moment Yaroslav realized he owed Katya peace.

A home.

Something far better than being tangled between company politics and Moskowsky lifelines and worse, senators who he’d never given a chance to hold him properly.

"Baby, I’ll sign," Yaroslav had said.

"I’m sorry. I won’t ask about the divorce again," Katya cried softly, his tears wetting the floor.

Yaroslav closed his eyes in defeat.

He had ruined the one person he claimed to love the most.

He’d been too focused on assuming what was right for Katya that he forgot that Katya was a person with feelings and could get hurt by everything, too.

"No, honey. I won’t let anyone hurt you again. And if signing the papers gets you peace, then I’ll give it to you," Yaroslav said in earnest.

"I’m fine..." Katya said, wiping his ears.

"No, you’re not. Come, we’ll go to the courthouse now," Yaroslav said.

"I can’t. I’m ugly. My hair is a mess, my eyes are swollen, I stink of post heat, and you don’t love me anymore," Katya whined as he sat up again.

And Yaroslav chuckled softly.

"My beautiful Katya... You’ll always be beautiful to me." Yaroslav gently brushed a strand of hair behind Katya’s ear.

"Come. We’ll process the papers," he added, and Katya looked at him hopefully.

"You’re only saying that because I embarrass you," Katya whined.

And Yaroslav felt like he’d just been stabbed in the heart.

"I didn’t sell our home, honey. I’ll give it to you as part of the divorce," Yaroslav said, and Katya began crying again.

"Oh, for goodness’ sake, stop crying..." Yaroslav sighed as he cupped Katya’s face.

"It’s the most protected place I know that won’t have any trolls or people hurting you anymore. I’m not saying goodbye. I’m giving it because I love you," Yaroslav said, like that was the only defense he could think of that wouldn’t end with Katya crying again.

"Really?" Katya sniffled, smiling at Yaroslav sheepishly.

"I wanna court you properly this time," the beta said, smiling.

"Again?" Katya asked.

"Yes. Again. But first, we need to go process the papers," Yaroslav said and Katya let him help him up.

They went to the courthouse as Yaroslav had promised. There was a long queue of divorce cases, which set back a few months.

But Yaroslav, being a Moskowsky, got his chance after the second proceeding of the day.

Only when they got to their divorce session, they were both hit with the greatest shock of their lives.

"Mr. Gamov, are you here to divorce or get married?" the judge asked, like he was contemplating kicking them out of his courtroom.

Yaroslav sighed as he looked at Katya, who was standing beside him, eyes still swollen from crying too much.

"Mutual divorce, your honor," Yaroslav said, smiling at his beloved omega.

"Are you certain?" the judge asked, and Yaroslav gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Yes, we are certain," Yaroslav said.

"Well, that’s strange. The records here say you’ve been divorced for eleven months already. I thought you came to marry again. My bad," the judge said.

The world went still for Katya and Yaroslav.

"WHAT??" Katya boomed this time.

Meanwhile, Yaroslav debated the divorce, claiming he’d never signed shit. He was losing his mind in the courthouse with all the cameras flashing even as Katya walked away tiredly.