Chapter 2

Last year, Lea and I married the Bellini brothers.

For a while, life was happy, until three months ago, when Ingrid suddenly got divorced and moved back into the Bellini residence.

From then on, Vincenzo and Roberto were constantly by her side, claiming she was depressed from the divorce and needed company.

Gradually, they drifted away from us, leading up to where we were now.

Lea and I stayed in the hospital to recover, wanting nothing to do with the three of them.

Ingrid, however, had other ideas. She posted update after update on Instagram, each video practically identical to the last.

The crystal chandeliers of the Bellini residence shone blindingly bright in the background.

Ingrid was curled up on the couch wrapped in a blanket, with Vincenzo peeling oranges for her while Roberto checked her blood pressure.

In the first clip, Ingrid giggled. "Vincenzo, stop peeling oranges just for me. Have some yourself."

The second video popped up right after, showing Ingrid holding a bowl of soup. "Roberto, we have a chef for a reason. You really didn't need to step into the kitchen to cook for me."

Then a third. A fourth. A fifth.

Every single video featured Vincenzo or Roberto attending to her, filmed from meticulously chosen angles with perfect lighting.

By the sixth video, Ingrid was wearing my pajama set—the one Vincenzo had given me for my birthday last year.

Lea, still hooked up to an IV, couldn't take any more of Ingrid's subtle gloating. She dialed a video call right then and there.

Ingrid answered almost instantly. Her face popped up on screen without a trace of the weakness she claimed to feel.

"Lea—"

"Shut up!" Lea snapped into the phone. "No wonder your ex-husband dumped you. You're just an adopted daughter of the Bellini family, yet you're clinging to both of your brothers like this. Is that really something to be proud of?"

"Hey!" Roberto's voice cut in from the background. "Watch your mouth, Lea. Ingrid's depression just stabilized. Why do you insist on triggering her?"

Lea let out a bitter laugh. "I'm triggering her? Roberto, you pulled every single doctor in the hospital away! Mia lost her baby because of you, and I almost died from hemorrhagic shock! And now you're telling me I'm triggering her?"

"How could either of you actually be in trouble? Are you seriously still acting at a time like this?"

Roberto's tone turned frosty. "Lea, if you keep making a scene like this, I wouldn't mind divorcing you."

He deliberately threw out the threat of divorce, expecting it to bring Lea back to her senses.

Instead, Lea let out a cold smirk and accepted immediately. "Fine. Let's get a divorce!"

Roberto froze, clearly caught off guard by her compliance.

Then he scoffed. "You say that every single time. Last time you brought up divorce, you dragged your suitcase all the way to the front door only to wheel it right back inside."

The line went dead.

Before long, my phone rang too. The name "Vincenzo" flashed across the screen.

I picked up, but before I could utter a word, he unleashed on me. "Mia, where are you?"

"The hospital."

"The hospital?" He scoffed. "You really play the part, don't you? Lea just called to scream at Ingrid and claimed she was hurt, so now you're pretending to be sick too? Did you two plot this together?"

I closed my eyes, exhausted. "I'm not pretending. The baby's gone. He's really gone."

"Mia, do you have any line you won't cross? Ingrid just found out she's pregnant today. Are you really using our baby to compete for attention?"

His words shattered whatever was left of me.

While my baby was dying, Vincenzo was busy tending to Ingrid's baby.

Ingrid's soft voice chimed in over the receiver. "Mia, we're both pregnant, so I get it. Hormones really mess with your emotions, which is why you're taking everything out on me. If you really hate me that much, maybe I should just leave so I don't stress you and the baby out…"

Vincenzo sounded thoroughly irritated on the other end. "Ingrid, your health and the baby's health are the only things that matter right now. Mia and the baby will be fine, so stop worrying about them."

Tears streamed down my cheeks at his words. The baby and I would be fine?

He had no idea our baby was already dead.

Without giving me a chance to speak again, Vincenzo hung up.

Agony washed over me like a tidal wave, and I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lea pulled me into a tight embrace, soothing me. "Don't cry, Mia. Vincenzo isn't worth having a child for. Let's call a lawyer right now. We'll get the divorce papers to them as soon as possible."