“Let’s end this marriage. I want a divorce,” I said, my tone steady, almost frighteningly calm. “I’m finished with your lies, your betrayal… everything you’ve put me through.”
He let out a laugh—low, empty, without warmth. “Divorce?” he repeated as if I’d said something ridiculous. “That’s never happening. I’m not letting you go, Aria. I’ll make sure you suffer instead. Just watch.”
Then, as if I were already irrelevant, he turned back to the woman beside him, his hand sliding over her like I wasn’t even there. “I’ll be with someone else then,” he added loudly, deliberately, making sure every word cut through me.
My stomach twisted. “So this is it?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady. “You’re destroying our marriage over a business deal you lost? This is your revenge?”
His eyes snapped to mine—cold, sharp, unfeeling. “No,” he said flatly. “This is because you’ve been unfaithful.” His voice dropped lower, edged with something dangerous. “And if I ever find the man who took you that night… I’ll make sure he disappears.”
And just like that, he went back to her as if nothing important had been said.
I stood there, stunned, watching him act like I was nothing more than background noise. And that night didn’t end there.
It became a pattern.
New women every night. Different faces, different laughter, different perfume lingering through the hallways like a mark he wanted me to see. He didn’t even try to hide it. It was deliberate—doors left slightly open, voices echoing just loud enough for me to hear.
One evening, while I was folding laundry on the bed, he casually tossed a small box toward me.
It slid across the sheets. Condoms.
“Get a bigger pack next time,” he said without even looking up. “And don’t forget extras. These things don’t last long.”
I stared at him, disbelief turning into anger, then picked it up and threw it straight back. It hit his chest.
“Grow up,” I said sharply.
He only shrugged like I was overreacting. “If you refuse to deal with it, then fine,” he replied. “But make sure the girls get paid tonight. Accounting needs everything documented.”
My hands curled into fists. “So now I’m supposed to fund your affairs?”
“You’re my wife,” he said casually, almost bored. “Handle it. That’s what you do.”
That was the moment something inside me stopped breaking… and started hardening.
I picked up the packet, shoved it into my bag, and went to work the next day like nothing had happened. I signed the transfer papers he pushed in front of me without even reading them. My signature stayed steady.
Because I learned quickly—I couldn’t fight him yet.
Not openly.
So I played the role he wanted. I managed his mess, paid for his nights, smiled when I had to. All the while, I collected everything I could—documents, investor connections, leverage. Let him think I was obedient. Let him think I was still his.
But inside, I was already planning my exit.
I was going to leave.
And I was going to take everything he depended on with me.
When I told my father, I expected anger or at least understanding. Instead, his expression turned cold, almost disappointed.
“It’s your responsibility to keep your husband in line,” he said sharply. “Divorce is out of the question. Not now. The alliance matters too much.”
My chest tightened. “You want me to stay with him after everything he’s done? He literally sold me—”
“You know what’s at stake,” he interrupted. “Sometimes you don’t get to choose what’s right for you.”
I left before I broke down completely.
The only place I could go was Bianca’s house.
She opened the door without hesitation and pulled me inside the moment she saw my face. No questions. Just silence and her arms around me until my shaking slowed.
“Bianca…” My voice cracked before I could finish.
She guided me to the couch. Mason, her little boy, clung to her skirt before walking over and placing his tiny hand on my knee.
“Auntie Aria?” he asked softly.
“I’m okay, sweetheart,” I lied, even though my voice betrayed me.
Bianca had been with me through everything—college nights, arguments with my father, even the early days of my marriage when I still thought Matteo and I could fix things. Over time, she became more like family than a friend. I loved Mason like my own child, especially after his father left them behind.
She gently wiped my tears. “Tell me what happened.”
So I did.
And she listened. Quiet. Focused. Calm.
But sometimes the people closest to you are the ones you trust the most.
One day, I left work early. I wanted to surprise her, maybe stay over like we used to. Her door wasn’t locked, so I walked in quietly, expecting nothing more than a normal afternoon.
Then I heard voices.
I stopped.
Bianca’s voice came first—uneasy, tense. “You should leave before she gets here. If you stay, we’ll get caught. I’m tired of hiding, Matteo… of hiding Mason. When are you actually going to make this official?”
My blood ran cold.
Then Matteo answered, calm as ever. “Soon. I just need a little more time. You know how important this is. Once everything is settled, I’ll take care of it. You and Mason will finally have my name… and I’ll get rid of her and her father.”
A pause.
Then Bianca again, frustrated. “You’ve been saying that forever. I can’t keep living like this. Mason needs stability—he needs a father.”
He gave a soft laugh. “Patience,” he said. “She’ll figure it out eventually. After that, we won’t need to hide anymore.”
Her voice turned sharper. “She’s so blind… she has no idea we’ve been doing this behind her back all this time.”
Everything in me went still.
Every memory. Every laugh. Every comfort she gave me. Every moment I trusted her.
It was all staged.
I didn’t wait to hear more.
I left without a sound, got into my car, and just drove.
I ended up at the pier.
The same place Matteo once told me we’d build our future.
The wind was cold, biting. The sea restless.
I removed my ring slowly, staring at it like it belonged to someone else’s life. My hand shook—but I didn’t stop.
Then I threw it.
It disappeared into the waves without a trace.
Gone.
Like everything it used to mean.
I pulled out my phone, fingers still trembling but my decision already made.
“Vincent,” I said quietly when he answered. “Come get me. Let’s get married.”
The wind hit my face harder that time.
But for the first time in a long while…
I felt like I could finally breathe.
