Chapter 1

After laying my pet dog, Anda, to rest, I wandered the streets aimlessly.

As I passed by a pet shop, I glanced through the glass window and saw my friend, Helena Vecchi, cradling a puppy and playing with it while my boyfriend, Ronaldo Brunelli, had his arm around her. They looked like a real couple.

Helena spotted me first. She nudged Ronaldo with her elbow, a triumphant look on her face.

"See? Liliana came to find you on her own. She wants to reconcile. I told you my method would work best! You owe me a reward again."

Ronaldo tapped the tip of her nose, letting out a soft chuckle. "Anything you want, Helena. It's yours."

Then, his gaze met mine for a fleeting second before his expression hardened once more.

"Didn't I tell you I was busy? Stop trying to cling to me all the time."

My eyes remained fixed on the puppy.

"You said you were busy, but you were really just buying her a dog? Do you even realize that Anda just died—"

Helena hurried over and placed the puppy into my arms, her eyes filled with feigned guilt.

"Liliana, please don't be angry. I was the one who begged him to come with me. Just look at this puppy! Isn't it adorable and well-behaved?"

As I looked at the puppy, I was haunted by the memory of Anda and the trembling, low whimper he had struggled to let out before he died.

Ronaldo shook his head with a smile, stepped forward, and took the puppy from me. He sounded weary as he said, "Don't let your dog get too close to her, Helena. Otherwise, it'll end up just like Anda, always running and jumping around like it was never properly house-trained."

I stared at him in disbelief.

He was the one who used to say that Anda was cute and lively, just like me.

It felt as if something had gripped my heart, making every breath a source of agony. Tears spilled from my eyes before I could stop them.

"That's enough, Ronaldo."

Ronaldo's voice turned even colder. He said, "What? I'm just telling the truth. Look at yourself right now, Liliana Cirillo. Did I even say anything wrong?"

That hurt me even more, and I felt as though I might collapse at any moment.

Helena let out a playful, coquettish laugh and tapped Ronaldo lightly on the chest. She said, "Alright, Ronaldo, that's enough. I'm going to get angry if you keep doing this."

Ronaldo looked at her with a smile and pressed a finger to his lips.

Helena forced her laughter to stop, then stepped toward me, feigning sympathy as she reached out to embrace me.

"Don't be sad, Liliana. I know it hurts that he's been ignoring you for some time. I've already scolded him for it, so he certainly won't dare to be harsh with you again."

"Spare me the hypocrisy," I said, raising my arms and breaking free from her embrace.

The next second, Helena let out a startled cry as she tipped backward. Ronaldo caught her.

His gaze turned chillingly dark as he turned to me. "Helena is right. I've been too indulgent with you. That's why you've become so spoiled and rude."

It felt as though a piece of my heart had been hollowed out. "But you used to say I had a pure, simple nature and that you loved my carefree spirit—"

"Enough. Don't be ungrateful," he snapped. "Everything Helena and I are doing is for your own good. You're going to be the Donna of the Brunelli Famiglia in seven days. Do you want everyone to laugh at me for having a wife who doesn't know how to conduct herself? I finally understand why you always got yourself into trouble in the past."

As he finished speaking, he caught sight of my reddened eyes, and his lips tightened. "What I meant was—"

Helena suddenly interrupted him, sobbing, "Please, Ronaldo, don't be so hard on her. She just likes to be the center of attention; that's why people target her. But she's still my friend…"

A wave of icy dread surged from the depths of my heart as I stared fixedly at Helena.

Memories flashed before my eyes of us being at school, having my clothes torn to shreds, being submerged in freezing water, and being forced to drink milk laced with tons of black pepper.

I remembered how I had rushed in without a second thought to help her the moment I saw her being bullied—only to end up being the one tortured in her place for an entire night.

I remembered how, that day, Helena had clung to me, weeping until she nearly fainted. She said, "Liliana, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault for being such a coward. I swear, from now on, if anyone dares to accuse you of being an attention-seeker, I'll be the first one to go after them."

I was so deeply moved that I became even more fiercely protective of her.

When someone snatched away her spot in a competition, I stormed into the principal's office to demand an explanation. When her parents passed away and she was mistreated by her Zia and Zio, I marched straight to their home to stand up for her.

I even pressured Papa to hand over a lucrative, high-value business partnership to her Zia and Zio, all so she could gain some leverage within her family.

And now, she claimed I only did all of that to show off.

I let out another self-deprecating laugh.

"Helena, do you actually consider me a friend?"

She looked away, her eyes flickering, and whispered, "I'm the only one who doesn't mind how stupid you are."

I turned to look at Ronaldo, laughing until tears streamed down my face.

"I bet you think the same about me too, don't you?"

Ronaldo instinctively reached out to wipe away my tears.

However, just then, Helena leaned right into his arms, saying, "Ronaldo, I'm feeling so dizzy… I don't feel so good…"

Without hesitation, Ronaldo pulled his hand back, scooped up Helena in his arms, and headed toward the door. At the exit, he suddenly paused, looking conflicted. He turned back and let out a sigh.

"Actually, I like you no matter how you are. But you really should try to be more reserved and composed like Helena. You need to ensure that you carry yourself with the proper decorum expected of a Donna at the wedding in seven days. I don't want those old-timers giving you a hard time."

The sincerity in his eyes didn't seem feigned.

But I was done playing this part.