REALLY DONE THIS TIME

I couldn’t stay downstairs anymore.

After I heard the woman’s laugh at the front door, I locked myself in the guest room and cried until my eyes were swollen. The woman was one of his hook-up girls.

Damon never came to check on me. I mean he never did. By evening I was losing my mind, it was past nine o'clock but he wasn't home yet.

Where was he?

Was he with her?

That question kept eating at me until I couldn’t breathe. Part of me was still the worried wife who had spent three years checking if he was safe. The other part just needed to know who this woman was. Who had finally made Damon act like a man in love.

So I did something stupid.

I got dressed in a simple black dress, grabbed one of the spare cars, and drove to The Velvet Room. The underground club where most of the mafia families handled their business. It was a neutral and dangerous ground. But I knew he went there when he wanted to relax with his friends.

The bouncer recognized me immediately. “Mrs. Moretti,” he said with a nod and let me in without questions.

Inside, the music was loud and the lights were low. Smoke and expensive perfume hung in the air. I kept my head down and moved carefully toward the VIP section. My heart was pounding so hard I felt dizzy. I had never done this before. I had never chased him like this. What if he sees me? What if someone tells him I was here?

I found a spot behind a thick red velvet curtain near their usual table. From there I could see everything but no one could see me.

Damon was already there.

He sat at the center of the table like he owned the place, which he basically did. Three of his closest friends were with him. Bottles of whiskey and cigars covered the table. They were laughing loud, the way men do when they feel powerful.

I held my breath and listened.

One of his friends, Marco, slapped Damon on the back. “So boss, tell us the truth. How serious is this thing with Silver? You’ve been acting differently lately.”

Damon leaned back with a drink in his hand and smiled. A real smile and my stomach twisted painfully.

“Yeah, she’s just…. different,” Damon said. His voice was low but I strained my ear to hear every word. “I’ve wanted her for a long time and she finally came back in town and… fuck, man. She gets me. No drama. No crying. No desperate trying to fix me. Just pure fire. I bought her that diamond necklace last night. You should’ve seen her face when I put it on her.”

The guys laughed and cheered.

Another friend, Rico, raised his glass. “Silver, huh? The one who used to dance at Eclipse? She’s bad as hell. So you're finally dropping the dead weight at home?”

Damon took a slow sip of his whiskey. “Hazel? Yeah. I’ve been trying to get rid of her for three years. The girl just won’t let go. She keeps cooking, buying gifts, waiting up like some loyal puppy. It’s pathetic at this point.”

My knees almost gave out. I pressed my hand against the wall to steady myself.

The third guy leaned in. “So what’s the plan? Are you bringing Silver home soon?”

“Already planning it,” Damon replied. There was this excitement in his voice I had never heard when he talked about me. “I want her in my bed. In my house. In my life. Hazel can cry about it or finally sign the papers. Either way, I’m done. Silver is the one I want. She knows this life. She knows how to stand beside a man like me.”

They clinked their glasses and laughed like laughing at someone else's pain was the funniest thing in the world.

“Poor Rossi girl,” Marco said, shaking his head. “She’s been in love with you since forever and you’ve been treating her like trash. Cold, man.”

Damon shrugged. “She should’ve listened the first time I asked for a divorce. I never wanted this marriage. It was just business from the beginning. But Silver… she’s personal.”

I stood there frozen behind the curtain as tears ran down my face, every word felt like a bullet that was being shot straight through my heart countless times.

All those nights I comforted him, all those mornings I made breakfast, all those times I defended him to my family… they meant nothing.

I was the mistake.

I was the dead weight.

I backed away slowly, trying not to make any sound. My chest felt so heavy I could barely breathe. I needed to get out of there before they saw me. Before I completely broke down in this stupid club.

But as I turned, my foot caught on the edge of the curtain.

It moved.

Not much. Just a little.

But it was enough.

Damon’s head snapped in my direction. His eyes narrowed as he tried to see through the shadows.

I didn’t wait.

I turned and walked as fast as I could toward the exit, my heart hammering in my throat. I didn’t know if he saw me. I didn’t know if he recognized me.

All I knew was that I couldn’t stay there another second.

The cool night air hit my face as I practically ran to the car. I locked the doors and gripped the steering wheel so tight as I let myself cry again.

Silver.

I knew that name. The only Silver I knew used to dance at Eclipse was my stepsister Melissa. But I don't think she's the one. Melissa wouldn't do this to me right? I'm almost like her real sister.

Whoever that Silver was… she had won.

And I had finally lost.

But the worst part?

My phone started ringing as I was about to drive away from the club. It was Sophia. I answered with a shaky voice.

“Soph… I think I’m really done this time.”

But before she could reply, another call came in.

It was Damon.