a little I can get

**Zoya's POV**

The lecture droned on endlessly, the professor’s voice blurring into meaningless static. The words melted together like distant radio noise, impossible to follow.

Vittoria’s warm arm draped around my shoulders was the only anchor keeping me grounded in the room.

Her steady presence, the faint scent of her vanilla perfume, and the gentle pressure of her touch kept my spiraling thoughts from pulling me under.

Every so often, I could feel Benito’s eyes burning into me from across the lecture hall. Or maybe I was imagining it.

Whenever I dared to look up, Vera was always there, leaning close, whispering something in his ear, her high-pitched giggles slicing through the air like a high school girl’s. The sound grated against my nerves.

A sharp knot twisted deep in my gut, heavy and acidic.

How could he sit there so casually, acting as if all our years together, the love, the promises, the life we built, meant absolutely nothing to him?

When the class finally ended, the room filled with the rustle of papers, the scrape of chairs, and the low murmur of students filing out.

I remained seated, my gaze locked on Benito and Vera as they walked out hand in hand. Her fingers were laced possessively through his, and the sight sent a fresh wave of nausea rolling through me.

“Maybe I did the wrong thing, Vittoria,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I shouldn’t have embarrassed Benito like that on our wedding day. I should have stayed and fought for what we had.”

Tears stung my eyes, hot and salty, blurring my vision. I didn’t bother fighting them. They spilled over, tracing warm, wet paths down my cheeks.

“Don’t be stupid, Zoya.” Vittoria’s voice was firm but gentle.

She gripped my shoulders, her fingers digging in with quiet strength, and forced me to meet her steady gaze. “Benito made it clear that night that he didn’t love you. He was just using you.”

She paused, her eyes softening with sympathy. “I won’t tell you to move on too quickly, I know it’s not that easy. But I will tell you to start healing. And maybe… look at the person who was sent your way when everything fell apart that night.”

I knew exactly who she was hinting at, the thug boss.

“I’ve had my fair share of thugs and mafias,” I said bitterly, wiping my wet cheeks with the back of my hand. “I’m not going there again. After our exams next week, I’ll start job hunting. If I can’t have Benito, then I’ll focus all my attention on our daughter.”

I cleaned the last of my tears, stood up on shaky legs, and finally left the classroom.

We only had one class today, so I decided to head straight home.

Vittoria mentioned she had errands to run for the big boss, Benito’s stepbrother.

The same man I was supposed to meet on the day of our wedding after hearing about him for years, yet never got the chance.

And honestly, I no longer wanted anything to do with him.

On my way home, my phone rang sharply, cutting through the quiet hum of the car engine.

It was Emilia’s school. The voice on the line informed me that Emilia’s dad had picked her up just a few minutes ago.

My stomach dropped. Heart hammering wildly against my ribs, I made a sharp U-turn, tires squealing faintly on the asphalt as I sped toward Benito’s apartment.

A high-pitched ringing echoed in my ears, drowning out everything else.

Our last conversation replayed in my head like a broken record, each harsh word cutting deeper.

I had told him to stay away from me and Emilia. He had threatened to take her away from me.

I didn’t even let the engine die before jumping out of the car.

My pulse thundered in my throat as I stormed up to Benito’s door and banged on it hard enough that the wood vibrated under my fist. His neighbor peeked out curiously from the next door.

The door swung open. Benito stood there with a knowing smirk, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He had been expecting me.

“Why did you take Emilia from school?” I demanded, my voice tight with barely contained fury.

“Because I felt like it,” he replied smoothly. “She’s my daughter, and I want to spend time with her.” He left the door wide open and turned back inside, clearly expecting me to follow.

I hesitated on the threshold, torn. But my daughter was inside, so I stepped in, walking into the painfully familiar living room.

The walls still held several of my old photographs, their presence like ghosts from another life. The faint scent of his cologne still lingered in the air.

I forced myself to look away and reminded my foolish heart that Benito had cheated on me. He didn’t love me. I had no reason to yearn for him anymore.

Emilia sat happily in the living room, eyes glued to *Bluey* on the television, a cup of melting ice cream in front of her.

The sweet, creamy smell of vanilla and chocolate wafted toward me.

“Do you want to talk here or do you want to go upstairs?” Benito asked, his tone casual.

The last thing I wanted was to fight in front of our daughter. Without a word, I walked past him and headed straight to his bedroom, the route burned into my memory from countless visits before.

Once inside, I turned to face him. “What do you want from us, Benito? You’ve already chosen your life. You’re happy with Vera. So what do you want from my daughter and me?”

Benito stepped closer, so close that our breaths mingled in the charged space between us. His intense gaze locked onto mine.

“I told you, marry me,” he said, his voice low and commanding. “Marry me and forget about everything that happened. Forget Vera. Forget the wedding. Forget that night.”

He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded entitled.

I felt like such a fool for ever holding onto him, for thinking maybe I was the one at fault.

“I will never give you what you want,” I said, holding his gaze with equal fire. “You’ll have to find someone else to help you get the position you want, Benito.”

“Don’t you ever try that again,” I warned, my voice trembling with rage. “Taking my daughter from school, especially during school hours.”

I shoved him out of my way and stormed downstairs, Benito following closely behind, his words raining down on me like unwanted hail.

“If you stop me from seeing my daughter, I’ll take you to court and claim full custody,” he said coldly. “We both know I’ll win.”

His threat stopped me dead in my tracks.

“Don’t you dare, Benito,” I hissed, spinning to face him.

“You told me to get out of both your lives, and now I’m giving you an ultimatum,” he continued. “You let me fulfill my fatherly duties while she’s in your care, or I take her away from you for good.”

His words hung in the air like a dark omen.

Without another word, I turned away, gathered my daughter, and left.

Deep down, I knew he wasn’t bluffing. Benito would follow through.

And he was right, the court would likely grant him custody. He earned more money. He had a powerful family background.

He had never been an absent father, and everyone knew how much he loved Emilia.

All I had was my dad, who was already struggling to put food on the table for me and my daughter.

I didn’t think I could wait until after graduation to find a job anymore. I needed to start now.

But for now, I would let Benito get what he wanted.

I would stall for time until I could secure a good-paying job and stand on my own.