If Svetlana were in her right mind, she would not answer. She did not answer personal questions, especially if it would mean bringing up Anatoly. But the fact remained that she was not in her right mind. The Master had manipulated her, entered her mind and made it impossible for her to resist. All the images in her mind were a haze, racing around and taunting her. Pulling at her heart and making all the pain and fear all that much more prevalent. Molokov was not here, but Anatoly was....
"My husband and his handler, Alexander Molokov."
Her voice was distant, her eyes unseeing the man before her and instead the two men who had wronged her so deeply. She could have left it there. But she couldn't. Something wouldn't let her and so the words fell from her lips, no emotion, just words.
"Anatoly used to be so sweet. So considerate. But Molokov showed up, introduced him to the professional world of chess.... and he changed. Grew cold and distant. He was there for our daughters but he showed no care for me. Last year, he became World Champion and he defected to England to live with another woman. Molokov did nothing when our neighbors turned on me, blaming me. He did not care. Until this year at the World Championship. He threatened my daughters if I could not get Anatoly to lose and come home. Of course, Anatoly did not lose. He does not know how to. So Molokov pulled me aside and told me that I had failed. That my daughters lives were in danger. Mine as well, but my girls did nothing to deserve this constant threat over their heads...."