Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes again, my abdomen was flat. The corners of my mouth twitched as I reached for the phone on the bedside table.

Sofia had just posted a new update. In the photo, Vito cradled Nina in one arm while holding a glass of whiskey in the other, smiling with a look of ease I hadn't seen in a long time.

The caption read, "Even Don Vito can't get away from this little kitty's claws."

I stared at the picture, my fingertips turning cold.

Vito was a clean freak. No one knew that better than I did. I once mentioned wanting to get a guard dog, and he'd frowned at once, clearly against the idea.

Yet he had no problem letting Sofia's cat lounge across his arm.

I tapped the like button before calling Luca Rinaldi, a lawyer and a friend.

"I need you to draft a divorce agreement for me," I said.

"Are you being serious right now? After everything you went through just to marry him…" Luca remarked.

His words made me freeze for a moment. I remembered designing our wedding invitations, choosing the wedding hall, and selecting who to include in our wedding party…

"I'm serious, Luca," I said emphatically after pulling myself back to reality.

The moment I ended the call, my phone rang again. Vito was calling me.

I thought he was calling to check in on me, so I took the call. But before I could even speak, his admonishing voice rang out.

"Just what kind of stunt are you trying to pull now, Luisa? You won't come home, but you have the time to like Sofia's post?"

"I do have something to discuss in person with you," I responded coolly.

Once I confirmed with Luca that he would draft the divorce agreement for me as quickly as possible, I went back to the house.

The moment I opened the door, I saw Sofia sitting on the couch in the villa. Seeing me look at her, Vito hesitated before explaining, "You two have always been good friends. She's going to stay here with you for a few days, so you have someone to look after you."

This time, instead of arguing with him, I simply headed for my room. Since we were about to get a divorce, I was going to pack up my things and leave.

I'd only climbed two steps before Vito stopped me. "Stop sulking, babe. Here. I bought your favorite mango cake."

He held out the box.

I immediately stepped backward, and his expression turned cold.

"Luisa, can't you see that I'm already swallowing my pride to appease you? Stop acting like some spoiled princess."

"Vito, I'm allergic to mangoes," I shot back at him, my voice clear and sharp.

His hand stiffened, and his eyes flashed awkwardly.

Just then, Sofia stood up and walked over to him. In a small voice, she said, "Vito… I'm the one who likes mango cake. How can you mix me up with Luisa?"

As I watched them stand side by side beneath the crystal chandelier, a wave of revulsion washed over me. Even after seven years of marriage, Vito couldn't even remember my mango allergy.

Just as I stood there in a daze, my phone rang again. I answered the call, and Luca's cautious voice rang out.

"Luisa, have you seen the news?"

"What news?" I asked puzzledly.

He paused for two seconds before saying hesitantly, "Vito spoke to the media and said that you're the other woman, while Sofia is his true love."

My mind went blank. I immediately pulled up the latest headlines. The very first link was to an interview. In the video, Vito had his arm around Sofia. His expression was frank as he declared, "Sofia was my first love. As for Luisa… it was a mistake to marry her."

My hands trembled. The phone slipped from my fingers and crashed onto the floor. The violent churning in my stomach made me rush to the bathroom to throw up.

Back in the living room, Vito froze for a second before following me to the bathroom. He stood in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame.

In a contemptuous voice, he snapped, "So what if people mistakenly think you're the other woman? Is that really worth making such a scene over?

"Guess you really did inherit your suicidal mother's melodramatic side. Sometimes, I honestly wonder if you've got some kind of mental illness, too. Sofia behaves a lot more like a normal person than you."

I gripped the edge of the sink until my fingertips turned white.

My mother had been so crushed and humiliated by the false rumors of her being a homewrecker that she jumped off a building.

The day I received news of her death, Vito had repeatedly promised me he would never let me go through something like that again.

But now, for Sofia's sake, he had forced me to relive the most painful moment of my life.

I lifted my head and met his eyes in the mirror.

"If Sofia's so normal, why don't you just marry her? Vito, let's get a divorce."