Chapter 3

Natalina's POV

I went to the hospital the next day.

Ignoring the doctor, Giannino Porcu's polite pleasantries, I went straight to the point and announced, "I want an abortion. Please schedule the surgery for me."

Giannino froze. "But the baby is very healthy this time. You've spent so long trying to have a baby. Wasn't your goal just to have a child of your own?"

Hearing Giannino's words, I couldn't help placing a hand over my stomach.

My first miscarriage happened during the first year of my marriage to Antonio. Back then, the Ragusa Famiglia was in complete ruins and desperately needed money to keep operating.

Since Antonio was unfamiliar with the Famiglia business, I had to travel around and manage operations on his behalf.

I was ambushed on my way home from one of the trips. Our car veered off the road and plunged down a cliff, and when I woke up, I had lost my baby.

Not long after the miscarriage, Antonio was kidnapped. I had no choice but to drag myself into the crossfire to negotiate his release, despite being barely recovered.

My body suffered severe, irreversible damage after all that relentless strain. I might have made a full recovery if I had proper treatment and rest, but in the days that followed, I was busy managing the Ragusa Famiglia's affairs while dealing with Antonio's endless stream of mistresses.

Caught in that vicious cycle, I completely neglected my physical health. Now, I was exceptionally sensitive to the cold, to the point where I had to wear long sleeves even in the middle of summer.

Now that I looked back at the wedding proposal, Antonio's promises to Papa that he would cherish and protect me for the rest of his life felt like a complete joke. Outsiders were the only people he cared about right now.

As the thought crossed my mind, I glanced out the window and caught sight of Antonio down below, walking into the hospital with his arm around Aurora's waist.

My voice hardened with newfound resolve. "I've made up my mind. Please schedule the surgery.

"If a child is bound to be born into a Famiglia without love, it's better that they were never born at all."

Papa had mistresses too, which was why I craved genuine, loyal love above all else. I chose Antonio because I fell for his vows of devotion and never imagined that he would show his true colors just a month after our wedding.

When I confronted him with all the promises and vows he had made, he simply turned it around on me and said, "So what? I'm a Don, Natalina. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it'd look to the other Dons if you're the only woman by my side?"

"Besides, your papa also has plenty of mistresses, doesn't he? You should have gotten used to it by now.

"I married you hoping you'd be a dignified, grateful Donna who could help manage the Famiglia businesses, not so you could chain me down with emotional blackmail!"

His words were brutally cruel, and it felt as if they could tear my heart into shreds.

It was at that exact moment that I realized our marriage had long ended. The marriage alliance was the only thing that kept me trapped by his side, so I had no choice but to bide my time and endure.

Now that the treaty had expired, I was free to leave.

Staring at the surgical consent form Giannino handed over, I reached out with trembling hands and took the pen. After a brief hesitation, I signed my name.

I would never repeat the same mistake twice. Instead of suffering in this marriage, I would actively end it now.