All Chapters of The Day I Stopped Loving You: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

1

I wasn’t surprised that Vincent had bailed on Lucy and me again—because of Alessandra, of course. His ex, the one who had always come first.But I never thought he’d do this to his own mother.Even now, I bet he still believed I had used Lucy—his own mother—to manipulate him into one last trip. He probably convinced himself that I was the villain in this story, the scheming wife who preyed on Lucy’s sympathy to get my way.But this trip was never about me. It had been Lucy’s wish all along.I had always known.To him, I was the cold, calculating one—the woman who had gone to any length to marry him. Meanwhile, Alessandra was everything I wasn’t: warm, gentle, lovable. The kind of woman he wanted to hold close.But I no longer cared how Vincent saw me.I had done my best to give Lucy even a sliver of happiness in her final hours. I had done more for her than her own son ever did.I owed Vincent nothing.After burying Lucy’s ashes, I returned to the hospital to gather her things.As I st

2

"Are you insane, Giovanna?" he snapped, fury blazing in his eyes. "I will not allow you to talk this kind of crap about my mother. Do you understand?"He acted like he cared about Lucy—as if he truly loved her. But the truth was, when Lucy was on the verge of death, he was still off at some resort with that whore, Alessandra.I pulled my hand from his grasp.I was done talking to him. "Forget about Hawaii. You should stay and take care of your delicate lover like you always do. She doesn’t look like she’s suffering from just a stomach cramp. I’m worried that if you linger here too long, she might end up in the morgue."His brows furrowed, like he couldn’t quite understand why I was so fired up—why I wasn’t falling into place like I always had before.I used to dream about this moment. Used to hope that one day, Vincent would chase after me, that he would coax me, beg me to stay.Now that it was finally happening, I didn’t want it anymore. I saw the worst of Vincent, and whatever hope o

3

"Ouch, that pain’s back… my stomach… it hurts so much."And just like that, his attention snapped back to her.She collapsed into his arms, and he caught her immediately, holding her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.Alessandra’s eyes welled up with unshed tears, her lips trembling as she looked at Vincent, waiting for his comfort. And he gave it to her, so easily, so instinctively, like it was second nature.And for the first time in years, I thought back to when I had first met him—how gentle he had been when I fell off my bike, how he had carried me home with that same quiet concern.But now…It had been so long since he had looked at me that way.Vincent turned to me, his eyes full of disgust. His voice was cold, emotionless."Apologize to Alessandra.""No." The word came out sharp, firm, unwavering.His expression flickered—surprise, then immediate disdain. "No?""That’s right. No." I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze head-on. "I don’t owe her an apology. Her mou

4

"How?!" Vincent roared into the phone, his voice raw with fury. "Don’t fucking lie to me. Put my mother on the phone. Tell her to quit playing around with Giovanna. Fine—I’ll go to that damn Hawaii with her, alright?"The assistant’s voice trembled on the other end. "Mr. Costa, please—I swear, I’m not lying. I just sent you the details… the location of her burial and the funeral arrangements."Vincent’s fingers tightened around the phone as he hung up abruptly. His gaze flickered to me for just a second before dropping back to his screen. Silence stretched between us as he read whatever the assistant had sent him.Then, after a long, agonizing minute, his face drained of color. His breath hitched. And when his eyes finally met mine, they were filled with utter disbelief."How could you not tell me, Giovanna?"I let out a bitter laugh, my lips curling in a humorless smile. "And how exactly was I supposed to tell you, Mr. Costa?"The day we were supposed to leave for Hawaii, Vincent disa

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He was asleep in the chair, his brow furrowed in a deep frown. Even when he woke later, he didn’t speak to me. Instead, he just set a tray of hospital food in front of me.I appreciated that he’d brought me here, but if he thought a simple hospital trip would erase everything he’d done to me, he was delusional.I picked up my fork, determined to regain my strength. But then, I saw it.A chocolate pudding.My chest tightened.Before everything, back when I was just a kid who had been thrust into the Costa mansion, I had fallen ill once. I’d cried for chocolate pudding, desperate for something sweet, for a comfort I barely understood. And Vincent—he’d snuck one in for me.I had been so happy that day. I had clung to him, my face beaming as I blurted out, “I love you! You’re the best!”He remembered.But so what? A single chocolate pudding for all these years? For all the pain?I ate everything except for the pudding. And later, without hesitation, I tossed it into the trash.That was whe

6

Vincent took only a day to check my story.The next evening, he was back. I was on my sofa, trying to book a flight, when I heard the door open.He walked into the dining area and sat down, lighting a cigarette. He looked… wrecked."Do you mind?" I gestured toward the smoke.He quickly stubbed it out. "Sorry. I just—" He exhaled roughly. "I have a lot on my mind.""Not my problem.""Giovanna, please," he murmured. Then, before I could stop him, he knelt in front of me, his hands resting on my knees, his eyes filled with something dangerously close to desperation. "Give me a chance to make this right."I tilted my head, watching him. "If you were so sure you knew everything, why didn’t you ever ask your mother why she wanted us to marry? Why didn’t you ask me if I had been with Jason instead of assuming?"His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Because I already believed the worst. I was convinced you just wanted to be a Costa. That you only wanted my name, not me." His voice was hoarse. "A

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Instead, she turned to Vincent, voice soft, pitiful. "Do you think so too, Vincent? Am I interrupting something?"And just like that, she passed the problem onto him—expecting, no, counting on him to take her side.To both our surprises, Vincent barely hesitated before nodding toward the door."Actually, you are. Giovanna and I are in the middle of business. Not in the mood for distractions."His words landed like a slap.Alessandra’s face twitched, but she knew better than to test Vincent’s patience. Not when he dismissed her so cleanly.So she left.The second the door clicked shut, Vincent turned back to me with that infuriating smirk. "Don’t let her get to you. The only reason I keep her around is to repay a debt. She once saved my life, you know—pulled me off the street when I got hit by a car. If it weren’t for her, I’d probably be dead."I stilled.Alessandra saved him?No. That wasn’t right.Because it was me.For Christ’s sake, it was me.Vincent had been hit just a block from

8

She was certain I had no proof.But honestly? I wasn’t in the mood to play with her anymore.If she wanted to cling to Vincent, that was her problem. It actually worked in my favor—I wanted nothing to do with him anymore.Tonight was supposed to be about me—building connections, making introductions, setting up my future in business. Not this childish drama.I turned away from her, ready to walk off.And then, Vincent stepped onto the stage.A microphone in one hand, a glass of champagne in the other."Thank you all for attending this year’s gathering," he began, his deep voice commanding the room. "If you’ll excuse me, I have something personal to announce."His gaze swept the crowd—then locked onto me."It’s about my fiancée."Before I could react, Alessandra shoved me from behind.I stumbled, and suddenly—glass shattered.The champagne tower collapsed, and shards sliced across my arms and legs.Alessandra fell too, crashing beside me.She was crying—sobbing like some tragic heroine.

9

I was in the middle of a deal when I heard his voice again."Gigi."I froze.Slowly, I turned—and there he was, standing in the middle of my casino, looking at me like the world was ending."You're leaving New York?"Vincent’s voice was hoarse, his hands clenched into fists. "Am I that unbearable that you’d move to another country just to escape me?"I said nothing.He took a step closer, his voice dropping to something raw, almost… pleading."Please." His breath hitched. "I swear I won’t bother you again. Just—don’t go, okay?"And then—just like that—he disappeared.For real this time.But not without one last trick up his sleeve.Billion-dollar contracts started showing up at my door.All from him.I took them. Every. Single. One.Because what kind of idiot would I be if I turned down the chance to make money just because of Vincent?He didn’t deserve that kind of power over me.So no, I didn’t move to Italy—but I still took my business global.And finally, when I had built everythin

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