Chapter 2

One of Alessio's closest friends forwarded me two of Mia's Instagram posts with a mocking message.

"In the end, every prince finds his way back to his princess."

Alessio's friends had never liked me. They believed I'd stolen him away from Mia and refused to acknowledge the fact that Alessio had spent three years pursuing me.

As usual, I ignored the taunt and clicked on Mia's posts.

The first was captioned, "A little surprise from Daddy for his son."

The day before, Alessio had rented out the entire theme park for Elio's birthday.

In the video, Mia and Elio were grinning from ear to ear. Alessio never actually appeared on camera, but the three of them gave off the unmistakable impression of a happy family.

The comments were filled with people envying Mia for having such a wealthy and thoughtful husband and wishing the three of them a lifetime of happiness, and she replied to each with a simple thank-you.

The second post was a photo of her in bed, wrapped in the arms of a sleeping man, a smug smile on her face.

"He said he'd do it for me a thousand times over."

So Mia already knew about the conditions I'd given Alessio for our divorce. That post was her way of telling me to get lost.

Unfazed, I put my phone away and went back to the computer at the dining table, where I continued filling out Luca's application to Curtis Academy.

Curtis was one of the most prestigious private schools in Santa Vella. Spots were highly limited, and it was the first choice for many of Santa Vella's most powerful families. As the heir to the Vitale family, Luca was eligible to apply directly.

Luca loved the school and was already excited about starting somewhere new. I couldn't let my divorce from Alessio cost him the opportunity to receive such a good education.

Once I finished the application, I clicked "Submit", but the system rejected it.

The reason stated was "Incorrect father information".

A sense of unease settled over me. I forced myself to stay calm and called Alessio.

"Luca's application was rejected. Do you know what's going on?"

He went silent for a moment.

"We'll talk when I get home."

Even over the phone, I could hear Mia laughing in the background.

…

When Alessio reached home, he explained that his information had already been registered on Elio's application.

"Elio just lost his father, and Mia doesn't want him to fall behind," he said, that familiar note of apology evident in his voice. "She was crying when she begged me. She knows how important this spot is, but she really doesn't have any other option."

I looked at him, fighting to keep my voice from trembling.

"What about Luca?"

Alessio wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I looked into it," he said. "Hollybrook Elementary School's pretty good too."

Hollybrook Elementary was a public school in the neighborhood, and its reputation was nowhere near Curtis'.

"Luca's still young, and he needs to learn to work for things," he added, trying to convince me. "I don't want him growing up thinking he can get whatever he wants just because of his family.

"But Elio's different. He just lost his father, and he's not in a good place emotionally. Giving him a good environment right now is more important than anything else."

As he rambled on, memories of our past suddenly came rushing back.

When we got married, he'd told me, "Lilia, I'll give you the best life possible."

After we married, we lived in a mansion downtown, and he rarely let me attend family gatherings or sit in on the family's business meetings.

When I was pregnant, he'd rested a hand on my stomach and said, “When our baby is born, I'll give him the very best of everything.”

And now, he'd given the best school spot to someone else's son.

I looked down and forced a smile.

"Mia's needs are always more important, aren't they?"

The words struck a nerve.

"I only see Mia as my oldest and closest friend," Alessio said, his voice turning cold. "Stop assuming the worst about everyone.

"Whether you agree with me or not, I already enrolled Elio this morning."