The Donna's Farewell

I'd been married to Lucas, the Don of the Mitchell family, for six years when I found out my daughter had been given away to someone else.

By then, my daughter was already five.

I stormed back to the Mitchell estate with the paternity test in my hand.

Lucas had told me our baby was stillborn. I'd been grieving that loss for years.

But my child was alive. He'd just handed her off to someone else.

The second I walked through the door, Lucas wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Olivia, we need to get a divorce."

His arm circled my waist, his lips brushing my ear as he gave the order like it was nothing.

My whole body went rigid.

He felt it. He kissed my cheek, his voice soft and coaxing.

"Susan is dying. Her last wish is to be my Donna. In three days, I'm marrying her."

"You know she ended up like this because she saved my life. I owe her. My sweet girl is the most understanding, isn't she? You get it, right?"

I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. Her again.

This was the nine hundred and ninety-ninth time Lucas had sacrificed me for her.

But when he proposed, he swore he'd never let me suffer. Never let me cry.

We met at a design competition hosted by the Mitchell family.

Lucas fell for me the moment I won first place. He pursued me relentlessly.

He wrote me into the family charter. Olivia Jones was the first in line to the Mitchell family.

He swore that once we were together, he'd protect me forever. Keep me happy.

I loved a restaurant on the Seine in Paris. He flew the chef out for me.

I loved design. He threw me a private exhibition and introduced me to the top designers in the industry.

But I was terrified of what he was. A Mafia Don. Even though my heart raced for him, I kept my distance.

Until that day.

A group of terrorists opened fire on random civilians. One aimed straight at me. Lucas threw himself in front of the bullet without a second thought.

He spent half a month in the ICU. The first thing he said when he woke up was asking if I was okay.

I couldn't hold back my feelings anymore. I said yes.

He was so good to me. I thought we'd be happy forever. Then the Mitchell family fell into chaos.

That's when Susan Garcia, the daughter of a Mitchell elder, took a bullet for Lucas during the riots. Her heart was damaged.

After that, everything changed.

Lucas gave her whatever she wanted. Nine hundred and ninety-nine times, he sacrificed me for her. All to repay his debt.

On our wedding day, Susan collapsed at the ceremony, clutching her chest.

Lucas didn't hesitate. He dropped the ring I'd designed myself and carried her to the hospital.

He left me there. The entire Mitchell family laughed at me.

On a freezing winter night, he got word that Susan was sick and left me alone on the side of the road.

I walked two hours through the snow to get home. I ran a fever for three days before it broke.

I cried. I screamed. I fought with him.

But he said I was his Donna. I should be grateful to Susan too.

So when Susan said she liked my pet, the one I'd raised for five years, Lucas took it and gave it to her.

I spent half a year on a design. She said she wanted to be a designer, and my name on it became hers.

He even tore up the vow he'd written for me in the family charter.

Then he replaced it with: Susan Garcia is the first in line to the Mitchell family.

Every time, Lucas told me, "You're my Donna. Just let her have this."

Every time, I told myself it was just him repaying a debt.

But our daughter. The one I nearly died giving birth to. He gave her away too.

I dug into what happened. Susan lost her ability to have children when she saved Lucas. So when I gave birth to our daughter, she begged Lucas for her.

When I woke up from surgery, Lucas told me my baby was dead. But he'd already given her to Susan.

And now, he was asking me to give up him too. My husband.

My heart went cold. Completely cold.

Six years of marriage. Everything I could give, I'd already given.

I turned around and looked at him in silence for a long time.

Then I nodded, my face blank, my voice hoarse. "Fine. I'll let her have this. Let's get divorced."

Lucas looked at my calm expression. Something twisted in his chest. A flicker of unease.

But he shook it off. He smiled and kissed me.

"I knew it. My Olivia's always the most understanding."

"Don't worry. Once this is over, we'll remarry right away. You'll still be my only Donna."

Then he turned and left. In a hurry to tell Susan the good news.

There was a smile on his face. One I hadn't seen in a long time.

I wiped the tears from the corner of my eye and pulled out a phone I hadn't used in ages. I sent a message to the only number in it.

"In three days, help me fake my death. A plane crash."