LOGINMy husband, Charles Marino, sent me three videos in a row to let me know where he was. One was from the docks, where he was inspecting a shipment. Another showed him stepping off the cargo ship. The last showed him arriving at the casino. Each video showed exactly where he was. My doctor glanced at my phone and smiled. "Your husband really loves you. He checks in with you all the time. If I remember correctly, he took a bullet for you four years ago." "Men like that are rare these days. He'd never cheat on you, and he'd give his life for you." I folded the pregnancy test results and smiled back. "He's just changed. That's all." Four years ago, during a shootout at the docks, Charles took a bullet for me. Everyone else was falling back, but he charged in and shielded me with his body. The bullet went straight through his shoulder, two finger-widths from his heart. That fight cost me the baby I was carrying. That was also when I decided, deep down, that he was the one. But less than a week later, I went to see him at the hospital and caught him in bed with my best friend, Susie Clarke. To win my forgiveness, he begged me and hit himself over and over. His wound tore open, and blood seeped out. Before they rushed him back to the ER, he grabbed my hand and whispered, "I'd give my life for you. Why can't you forgive me this once?" "Without you, I'd rather be dead." In the end, I gave in and forgave him. From then on, he always checked in to tell me where he was. I tucked the test results into my bag and told the doctor, "It wasn't easy for me to get pregnant. I'm going home early to surprise him." I could already picture how excited Charles would be. But the moment I opened the front door, I froze. The room was a mess. It was the same scene I'd walked in on in that hospital room four years ago. Now it was happening all over again, right in front of me.
View MoreI found news about Charles online.Photos and videos of Charles had been released. The Marino family had been completely dismantled, with more than a hundred members arrested.Charles received the harshest punishment of them all.He was sentenced to death for money laundering, human trafficking, illegal gambling, and ordering hits.A reporter interviewed him on video. He looked broken. In only three months, his eyes had become bloodshot, dark circles had settled beneath them, and he'd lost a great deal of weight.The reporter asked about his greatest regret.His eyes reddened. He'd kept his head down the entire time, but now he looked straight into the camera as the color drained from his face.After struggling to speak for a long moment, he finally said, "I wronged someone. She was right to divorce me. I was wrong.""She's the only person I ever truly wronged. I never meant to hurt her or our baby. If Susie hadn't lied to me...""I don't know whether she'll ever see this, but I still
All the strength seemed to drain from him.Beneath the report lay the divorce papers, bearing his signature. The records showed that we were legally divorced.It was too much, too fast.Charles couldn't process it. He turned on Susie, his eyes bloodshot, lunged at her, and seized her hands."Why did you pay to have people killed! What happened to Serena's parents?!""What else are you hiding from me?! Did you do all this?"Charles's voice shook. He'd never imagined any of this.Every question made him feel worse. Then it hit him: the divorce papers.It was his handwriting. He'd signed them himself.Susie recoiled from his shouting, trembling all over.She shook her head again and again but refused to speak.Charles wrapped his hands around her throat. "It had to be you. You did all of this!""You're insane! You're the reason Serena turned me in!""This is all because of you!"Charles slapped Susie across the face with every ounce of strength he had."I didn't! It's not my fault!" Susie
Susie paused, and her smile froze. "Seven more months," she said, dazed. "Did you forget?"Charles stood up and nodded. "Right. I'll send a few maids over. That should be more than enough help. If you need anything else, call me. Work's been crazy lately, so I won't have time to stay with you."With that, Charles headed out.Susie went pale. She flinched and opened her mouth to say something.But the door had already closed.Charles left Susie's place and drove straight back to the estate.He sat in the car for an hour before he finally went inside.Before opening the front door, Charles had rehearsed everything he planned to say. He knew how he'd comfort me and explain the situation with Susie.But when he stepped inside, the house was completely silent.He searched everywhere, but I was gone. Upstairs, he noticed the bullet lodged in the bedroom door and suddenly remembered me standing there a few days earlier, white as a sheet.Only then did fear grip him.That bullet could have gon
Susie needed peace and quiet for the pregnancy.So Charles moved her into another house.The house was far from the estate, in a quiet, peaceful area. He'd originally planned to live there after stepping down as Don.But now he'd given the house to Susie ahead of time.I'd taken care of that garden myself. Every week, I stopped by to watch the gardeners trim the plants. I'd even chosen the lounge chairs.After each visit, I sent him pictures.But I hadn't been there in more than a week. Weeds had sprung up in the garden, and no one had cleared away the dead leaves.Charles hadn't visited in a long time. The moment he stepped into the garden, he stopped short.Something felt wrong.Susie stopped at the door and didn't go in. "I don't really like it here, and neither does the baby. It's so quiet. It would be perfect for Serena, though. Living here might improve her mood."Charles looked at her. "Then where would you live?" he asked flatly."We could live at the estate. You're used to it
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