My Husband Cheated, So I Married His Enemy

"This is Sylvie. I'm done being the good little housewife. Tell the Sassis to brace for my return."I hung up on the last word, ending the call and seven years of swallowed pride.I threw the black stocking back where I found it, went home, and scrubbed my hands raw, but the sickly sweet perfume still clung to me.I caught my reflection in the mirror. My lips were pale, and my eyes were so sunken I hardly recognized myself.I touched the dark circles under my eyes and noticed the tiny tattoo on my wrist. Seven years ago, Stefano Pace and I got matching tattoos. He got the key, and I got the lock."You're the only one I'll ever unlock," he had said to me, so earnestly it sounded like a wish.I could still feel his kiss on my wrist. Now the lock remained, but the key was gone.Tears fell from the corners of my eyes, drop by drop, into the sink."I guess we didn't make it past the seven-year itch after all," I murmured.Seven years ago, Dad, Don of the Sassi family, held a gun to

I couldn't hear the doctor anymore. I couldn't feel the IV in the back of my hand either.All I felt was a hollow ache in my lower abdomen. I hadn't even had time to give my baby a name, and it was gone before I ever got to meet it.I kept imagining the child Stefano and I might have had, over and over. Maybe it'd have Stefano's eyes and my hair.That baby was meant to save our marriage, my last hope. But Stefano took our baby's life with his own hands.Numb, I yanked the IV out of my hand and set my bare feet on the cold tile. My head spun.The doctor rushed over to stop me. "Mrs. Pace, you're still weak! Where are you going?""Where is Stefano?" I asked, my voice hoarse and hollow.She hesitated, then pointed to the next room.I pushed the door open and saw Stefano gently holding a slice of apple to Isla's lips. Isla was propped against the headboard, a barely there smirk playing at her lips.I walked over slowly. "Stefano, we lost the baby," I said. He froze, then blinked

During dinner, warm light filled the dining room. The long table was laid with a spread of dishes, but the mood was heavy.As he cut into his steak, Dad said quietly, "About tomorrow's meeting with that business group, maybe we should push it back. You just got home and need time to catch your breath."I put my knife and fork down and said firmly, "No, Dad. I have to go to that meeting. Staying busy is the only way I won't dwell on those painful memories."Mom gave me a worried look. "But Sylvie, you look so pale. We're worried about you.""I'm fine. If I can't deal with this, how am I supposed to take revenge, let alone take over the Sassi family?"Seeing the resolve in my eyes, Dad fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. The meeting is set for 3:00 pm tomorrow. Sylvie, we don't know these people, and they asked for you by name. Be careful."After dinner, I walked alone through the garden. Roses in every color were in full bloom, lush and dewy, their scent heavy in the

I looked Marco straight in the eye. "How do you know so much about me? Are you spying on me?"Marco met my gaze and nodded. "I've been keeping an eye on you, Sylvie, just not in the way you think. I'm not spying on you. I'm looking out for you.""Looking out for me?"That sounded ridiculous. We didn't even know each other. I'd only seen him once, at a party.He didn't answer. Instead, he asked something unrelated. "Do you remember the car accident 15 years ago?"15 years ago? The span of it made my mind go blank for a second.Marco continued, "That day, a careless little boy darted into the street after a ball. A runaway truck was barreling straight at him. At the last second, a little girl lunged at him without hesitation and pushed him away from the truck."His words turned a key, unlocking a dusty corner of my memory.That afternoon came flooding back. Brakes screeched, people shouted, and my arm burned as it hit the pavement. The blur snapped into focus.My pulse spiked. I

I got home and sank onto the living room couch, still too wired to settle down. Mom and Dad read it on my face and came over, worried.I took a deep breath and told them, "Mom, Dad, I'm married."The room went dead quiet.Mom's eyes went wide, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What did you just say? Sylvie, you got married? You just got divorced!""It's part of my revenge plan. It's just a deal. If it doesn't work, we can end the marriage anytime," I said, then explained the whole thing.Mom still couldn't accept it. "You are being way too impulsive! How can you treat marriage like it's a game?""That's enough," Dad cut in.He stepped in front of me, studied me with an unreadable gaze, and finally said, "I believe my daughter."With Dad backing me up, Mom eventually gave in, though she still looked unsure.…The next morning, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up to my door. I slipped into a sharp white suit and topped it off with meticulous makeup.On the way to the