Chapter 3

The doctor instructed me to rest as I finally pieced together the reason behind Vincenzo’s violent outburst.

The death of my baby devastated Renato. In his grief, he immediately mobilized the family’s power to blacklist Sienna across the board.

Sienna, convinced that I was behind it all, exaggerated the story and complained bitterly to Vincenzo.

In a fit of rage, he came to the hospital and laid his hands on me.

To appease Sienna, Vincenzo went further. He revoked my shareholder status in the Moretti family business and transferred all my shares to her.

He then spent millions to purchase naming rights to an entire star field from an astronomical institute, renaming twenty stars after Sienna.

On social media, he posted: [I bought the stars so she alone could shine.]

The photo showed him kissing Sienna at a private observatory.

In a later interview, Sienna flaunted her diamond ring, beaming with pride.

“I never saw myself as a homewrecker. If a woman can’t hold onto her husband’s heart, she deserves to live like a widow.

“Isabella only married Vincenzo for the Moretti fortune. But me? I gave him nothing but love.”

Then she reposted the interview clip on TikTok.

In the comments, a horde of mindless, rabid fans flooded the feed, insulting me, demanding I step aside and give Sienna her place.

After all these years, Vincenzo’s tricks for seducing women hadn’t changed.

I still remember how he once used those same moves on me.

He knew I came from poverty, that I had never celebrated a proper birthday, so on my twentieth birthday, he gave me twenty gifts, from a gold necklace meant for my first birthday to a villa and a sports car.

He said it was his way of making up for the hardships I’d endured for twenty years.

Then, beneath a sky full of stars, he held my hand and whispered with aching tenderness, “I lost my parents when I was young, so from now on, I’ll treat your mother as my own, and together we’ll build the happiest family in the world.”

I had melted in the warmth of his words, naively believing I had found the man I would spend my life with.

But once the novelty wore off, Vincenzo quickly moved on.

One time, we had planned a sunrise date by the sea, but midway through the drive, he suddenly disappeared.

Hours later, I learned he had taken a detour to deliver flowers to another woman.

Meanwhile, I was left alone in the countryside, stranded without even a cell signal.

That day, I walked dozens of miles alone.

By the time I got home, the blisters on my feet had bled through my shoes.

Honestly, I should’ve known even then. Vincenzo was a selfish and fickle man. He would never settle down with anyone.

Thinking of that, I left a comment under Sienna’s video:

[Wishing you both a long, happy marriage—and a child soon.]

Not long after, Sienna deleted the video.

Then I received a call from Vincenzo, demanding answers.

I ignored it.

Instead, I calmly blocked him, just as he had done to me so many times before.

Today was my mother’s cremation, so I asked for an early discharge.

The attending doctor had concerns, but couldn’t change my mind. He volunteered to accompany me himself.

When the funeral staff placed the urn in my hands, I didn’t feel the overwhelming sorrow I had imagined.

All I felt was that the shackle I had worn for ten long years had finally broken clean at that moment.

My mother was gone. My baby was gone.

I was on my own.

Back at the house, I opened the front door only to find Vincenzo and Sienna sitting on the living room sofa.

When I walked in, Vincenzo scrambled to zip up his pants, but the kiss marks all over his body exposed the passion that had just taken place.

I felt no sorrow, no anger.

I simply walked past them into the bedroom, as if I hadn’t seen a thing.

When I came back out, Sienna was gone, only Vincenzo remained, drinking alone on the couch.

As I approached, he slowly raised his head.

“I heard you were discharged early. Where were you all day?”

“That’s none of your business,” I said flatly, not wanting to explain.

His expression darkened immediately. He pulled out his phone and threw it down in front of me.

“What’s this?”

On the screen was a surveillance screenshot. My attending doctor and I were standing at a garage entrance.

He was handing me a bottle of water, leaning in to remind me not to miss my follow-up appointment.

“Still pretending to be pure?” Vincenzo sneered as he stepped closer.

“I saw the way you looked at him—the little glances you two kept exchanging.”

He smashed his glass on the floor and stormed toward me in fury.

“Is that it? You couldn’t hold back anymore? Feeling lonely, were you? Or neglected? Fine—I’ll give you exactly what you want!”

Then he grabbed me roughly and tore at my clothes as he dragged me toward the bed.

Fear gripped me.

I struggled and screamed, “Are you insane? I just got out of the hospital!”

He had lost all reason and ignored my words as he sank his teeth into my shoulder.

I pushed him off with all my strength and slapped him hard across the face.

Enraged, Vincenzo lunged again.

He dragged me toward him, trying to overpower me, but in the struggle, my head struck the corner of the table.

A warm trail of blood slid down my forehead.

Vincenzo froze, instinctively reaching to steady me.

“Why didn’t you move…”

I staggered back a few steps, trying to speak, but my body gave out.

I collapsed onto the floor as darkness embraced me.