Chapter 2%
Lily’s victorious smirk. Jason’s blank indifference. My parents‘ silent complicity. And my son–my baby–smiling up at me, completely unaware of the betrayal tearing me apart.%
Before I lost control, I turned on my heel, gripping Noah’s small hand like a lifeline.
“Emma, Jason called, sounding bored. “Where are you going?“%
I didn’t answer. I walked away, my legs trembling beneath me, my son’s warm fingers clutching mine. I didn’t stop. Not even when Noah kept looking back. Not even when I heard Lily’s voice, dripping with false pity-%
“She’ll get over it.”
I wouldn’t. I would never forgive them.
The Romano estate was eerily silent when we got home. Noah fell asleep almost instantly, exhausted from his birthday–his birthday, the one his father had chosen to celebrate with someone else. I tucked him in, brushing his curls from his forehead. His peaceful face made my chest ache. He didn’t understand. He still believed his father was some kind of hero.
I wished I could protect him from the truth.”
Once his breathing evened out, I left his room and collapsed onto my bed, sobbing until my body felt empty. Jason Romano. Mafia boss. My husband. The father of my child.”
And Lily??
She was my baby sister. The one I never imagined would be the cause of mine.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but the memories came anyway–uninvited, relentless, cruel.
Jason had pursued me relentlessly, the way only a man used to getting what he wanted could. When the Moretti Empire sent me to Paris for business, Jason booked a last–minute flight just to be with me.
“I couldn’t live without you for a whole week,” he had said, standing in the hotel lobby with a bouquet of tulips.
I had called him crazy. He had just kissed me and said, “Crazy in love.”
That was Jason.
Affectionate. Possessive. Mine.
Then we got married.
On our honeymoon, he whisked me away to Sydney, where we spent a month indulging in luxury, walking along the harbor, and making love under city lights. He had promised me forever. When Noah was born, he became even more protective, refusing to let me lift a finger. Every night, he held me close and whispered, “I love you more than anything in this world.“”
I had believed him.”
Then Lily came back.”
She had been studying fashion design abroad for years, and when she returned, she was more beautiful than ever–elegant, stylish, the kind of woman people admired. Jason noticed.”
I saw it–the way her eyes lingered on him, the way she laughed just a little too much at his jokes, the way Jason suddenly had so much to say to her. But I told myself it was nothing. Lily was my sister. Jason was my husband.”
Then one night, I walked into our master bedroom and saw them–curled up in bed together.
My heart stopped
“Jason?” My voice barely came out.”
Lily sat up immediately, pulling the blanket around her. Jason, on the other hand, didn’t even look guilty.
“Relax, Emma,” he had said, rubbing his temples like I was the one being unreasonable. “Lily fainted. I was just helping her.“>
And 1–like a fool–had let it slide.
Because Noah was in the room. Because I didn’t want to believe it. Because I was a goddamn idiot.
But now?%
Now I knew the truth.
They had been screwing behind my back for who knows how long.”
1 let out a sharp breath, shaking my head. The worst part? I still loved him. Even after all this, my stupid heart still ached for him. I wanted to scream. To throw something. To hurt the way I was hurting.
And as if the universe wasn’t done tormenting me, my phone rang.
Mom. I should have ignored it, but the pathetic, desperate part of me still wanted to believe she’d be on my side.
I pressed answer. “H–hello,”
Her voice was calm, like she wasn’t the mother of the woman whose life had just been shattered. “What now, you’re still crying? Come on, Emma, stop being dramatic!
I choked on my own breath. “What?”
“She deserves happiness too.“%
1/2
I choked on my own breath. “What?“}
“Lily is younger than you,” she continued. “She deserves happiness too.“}
My grip tightened around the phone. “And what about me?” My voice was barely above a whisper. “Don’t I deserve it?“}
D
A sigh. Then my father’s voice, “Don’t be selfish, Emma. Think about Noah. Jason is going to be Lily’s husband now. It’s best if you cooperate.”
Something inside me snapped.”
I threw the phone across the room. It hit the wall with a crack before falling to the floor. And then I buried my face in my pillow and screamed until my throat felt raw.
”
This wasn’t just Jason’s betrayal. It was everyone’s. My mother. My father. My sister. My husband. Every single person I had ever loved had thrown me away like I was nothing!”
But if they thought I would just accept this?}
If they thought I would just cooperate?}
They were dead wrong.
