Chapter 4

It was a rainy morning. Giovanna was standing at the window of the hotel where he had stayed the day before. As bad as she might be feeling, she knew she needed to be strong and face reality. She was alone, without a husband and without the only family I had. Gina was leaving.

As she dressed to go to her sister’s funeral, she imagined meeting Antony at the cemetery. Giovanna had already imagined the scene in her mind. He would surprise her in front of the coffin, pretend he didn’t care, hug Irma, and leave. He could even feel the contempt running through his veins. But deep down, she didn’t believe he would go there. Antony never cared about anything that involved her life during those three long years of marriage, certainly wouldn’t care now.

The cemetery gates were open. She ran her eyes through half a dozen parked vehicles, looking for Antony’s car, and was breathless when she did not see him.

Antony was not there.

He thought of the years of suffering he had spent beside him, and that this had come to an end. Giovanna should be happy, but could not imagine a life without Antony.

As she approached the funeral, she saw acquaintances. He tried to hide the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach in meeting his mother’s family again.

“Good to meet her again, Giovanna”, her grandfather seemed to be the only one who showed happiness in seeing her again.

Irma never loved Giovanna, even though it was her blood. Needless to say, after the birth of Giovanna, she took all her anger out on the poor child, for being the daughter of a man who abandoned her while still pregnant. Grudges seemed like a common feeling in that family. The father Giovanna never met was a rich but married man, who saw in Irma an adventure to the boredom of his own marriage. But what Irma did not imagine was that the blow of the belly would not work with him, and the man would abandon her. Certainly that was the reason behind her grudge. Giovanna could even imagine that Irma simply couldn’t handle the rejection.

“Where is Antony? The grandfather asked, casting a sardonic gaze, realizing that there was no one else with her. Giovanna even tried to find an excuse to try to justify his absence, but she didn’t feel like lying.

“Antony recently lost his father,” she reminded him of the fact, “he already has his own pain to deal with.”

“Old Nicolaus died? Giovanna even forgot that his grandfather had Alzheimer’s.

“Yes, Grandma,” she hugged him and almost cried to see herself for so long away from those who really loved her, “I’ll tell Antony he sends his regards.”

As soon as she entered the chapel, where Gina’s body was veiled, Giovanna spotted Irma debuted on her daughter’s body. Many people brought flowers to Gina, and there were religious items to honor the deceased. But Giovanna did not have time to approach the coffin.

“Killer”, Irma did not care if there was concentrated the upper middle class of the city, the only reason she was humiliating Giovanna, “never supported the idea of Gina being more beautiful and intelligent than her, was pretending to be a good sister, but abandoned her on the bed of death”.

Giovanna watched around and saw judging and horrified looks at that absurd story Irma had told.

“Are you going baffling, Irma? Whispered, “Let me say goodbye to Gina in peace.

“The only place you should go is to jail”.

Giovanna wanted to break through the crowd and approach Gina’s coffin, but felt a hand hold her arm and drag her out as if she were an intruder.

“Release me immediately,” he looked at the man, but did not recognize him. In fact, there were many unknown faces that Giovanna had no idea who they were.

Giovanna was shocked and, for a moment, was completely paralyzed without being able to sketch any reaction.

“Stop it, Irma,” Giovanna scolded her when she saw the woman approaching. “This story you’re telling is absurd. Let me say goodbye to Gina.”

Although the story actually seemed absurd, Giovanna knew that much of what Irma had said was true, but she would never turn her sister’s funeral into a stage for Irma to self-promoter.

“Are you going baffling, Giovanna?” Irma could always reverse the whole situation, “don’t you remember what happened?”.

The rain was now more constant, making Giovanna completely soaked. She tried again, in a desperate act, to say goodbye to her sister, but was pushed by the man, losing her balance and falling into a puddle of mud. Giovanna felt humiliated. Everyone looked at her with disapproval.

Giovanna was already ready to get up and face everyone there to give, thus, the last goodbye to Gina, but when she turned around was taken by surprise.

When did Antony arrive?

He was standing right next to her, dressed in black, his face gloomy and cold. Her eyes rested on hers, but her expression was too deep for her to distinguish any emotion at the time.

“Let’s go,” he ordered in a low and deep voice.

“I have the right to say goodbye to my sister,” a tear mingled with the drips that soaked her face.

“I agree with you,” Antony agreed with her? “But you should know your mother well enough to know that when it comes to you, there are no limits to evil”.

Antony was there defending her?

“We have business to attend to.” he stared at her coldly and Giovanna was speechless.

“I have no business with you. Are we divorced?”

“I have come to save you from humiliation.”

Antony then held her by the hand and pulled Giovanna away from the funeral.

“I don’t need to be saved,” he let go, walked away from him, “No more for you”.

Antony considered stopping her, but before she could, a car stopped next to Giovanna, taking her away.

In the car was Xavier, Nicholas’s lawyer. The only sound that was heard was the drumming of rain hitting the windows, while the atmosphere was cold and mysterious.

The car stopped in front of a house and the silence was broken.

“I’m sorry for everything that’s been happening, Giovanna”.

“Where are we?” she asked, looking at the property, apparently abandoned.

“Nicholas predicted that as soon as you died, Antony would ask for a divorce.” Xavier took some documents out of the briefcase that was in the back seat, “so he made sure you weren’t helpless.”

You gave her an envelope.

“This house is yours from now on, and fifty percent of Antony’s company shares are yours.”

“Antony told me that I would not get anything,” she remembered the words of her ex-husband, repeated so many times.

“Read the letter that Nicholas left for you, and you will understand everything”.

With no idea what was going on, Giovanna just nodded and agreed with her. She got out of the car and headed towards the house. Despite the smell of disinfectant to leave quite bothered, she realized that the house was furnished and clean.

A wrinkle formed on her forehead. Giovanna looked at the envelope, completely confused. What could be written there that Xavier could not tell you personally? It took a while to get the paper and open it. She was always amazed at the good spelling Nicholas had. A handwritten letter.

Dear Giovanna,

When I asked him to marry a stranger, even though he was my son, I did not imagine how difficult this marriage would be for you. I did not know that you would live in hell, but I knew that only you would have the skills and qualities to change the ice heart of my dear Antony. You were always the perfect woman for him. But he never deserved your love, and I figured it out too late. I know Antony well enough to know that he would never confess love to him, and would treat her with arrogance and coldness until the last day of his life. May you forgive me for the horrible mistake that culminated in so much suffering. Knowing the possibility of divorce after my death, I will give you part of my inheritance and rights that any son of mine would have. This house, and everything in it, is yours. The company will also be yours. May one day you find love, and may this man respect you and treat you with the dignity you deserve. May you be happy, dear Giovanna, and never forget how much I loved you.

With love, Nicholas

Giovanna held the paper, feeling a burst of pain in his heart, as if it had been pierced a million times. Tears burst from the corner of her face, but she soon approached them. She folded the paper back into the envelope.

He got up. He took the envelope, took the ring off his finger, landed on the table, and left. It didn’t matter anymore, and Giovanna would take that end as the most painful lesson.