Home / I Was His Workhorse, Not His Wife / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of I Was His Workhorse, Not His Wife: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Marco Botti was still standing outside as my driver closed the car door for me. He held up his phone against the window, showing me a message from Claudia Durante."She already apologized, Erina. She'd had too much to drink that night and couldn't stand straight. I was just holding her up so she wouldn't fall."I told the driver to start driving, but Marco still chased me all the way back home.I had just pulled my suitcase down from the top of the wardrobe when he reached out to catch it, his gaze dropping to my abdomen."The doctor said you shouldn't exert yourself. Have you already forgotten what he told you?"He then set the suitcase down gently and moved a chair out of my way."You should focus on recovering first. Right now, you're assuming the worst about everything. We can discuss the divorce again once you've calmed down."I unzipped the suitcase. Just then, his mother, Lucia Palmieri, appeared at the doorway and said, "Dinner should be lighter tonight. Last night's w

Chapter 2

The next day, as Marco was changing my dressing for me, I was in so much pain that I couldn't stop myself from grabbing onto him.Marco immediately stopped."Take it slow," he said. "Lean on me."He supported my waist and let me lean against his chest, waiting until the wave of pain passed before continuing to remove my old dressing.Once the dressing was changed, he buttoned up my pajamas and kissed me on the forehead."I'll come with you to your follow-up appointment today." He handed me a glass of warm water, holding it to my lips. "You just have to focus on recovering."When I went downstairs, I saw that Bruno's dog bed and bowl were gone. Bruno was also locked outside in the backyard. When he saw me through the glass door, he immediately jumped to his feet and wagged his tail.I went to open the door for him."Don't let him in," Lucia said from the dining table without even looking up. "That old dog sheds everywhere he goes. Claudia is coming to pick Sofia up, and I won't

Chapter 3

At the hospital, a nurse helped me onto the examination bed and draped my coat over the back of the chair. After the exam, the doctor asked me to take a seat."You need another surgery. If you keep putting it off, it could lead to permanent damage. Please get admitted as soon as possible."I took the payment slip and went to the cashier's window to pay, but even after swiping my card twice, the cashier told me that both transactions failed due to "insufficient funds".I pulled up my banking app to check the balance on my phone. That was when I realized that almost all of the money in my account had been transferred out.I called Marco, but he didn't pick up. On the third try, I thought I finally got a hold of him, but he hung up almost instantly.So, I got my driver to take me to Claudia's studio instead.A red carpet had been rolled out at the entrance. Champagne glasses clinked softly in the guests' hands as they exchanged pleasantries and small talk.A staff member led me do

Chapter 4

I returned to the hospital. I couldn't afford to delay the surgery any longer, so I took out every single one of my cards from my bag and maxed out every personal credit card I owned, just to scrape together enough for the hospital fees.My hands wouldn't stop shaking as I signed the payment slip.When I was discharged after the surgery, Marco came to pick me up at the hospital. There was a weary look on his face."I thought the doctor was exaggerating. I didn't know that it was that serious. Let's go."He didn't offer any further excuses and got down on his knees to tie up my shoelaces before lifting me into the car. He draped his coat over my shoulders and supported me by the waist, letting go only after I'd managed to catch my breath.When I got home, Bruno was wagging his tail, waiting for me. I petted him and said, "I'll leave with you today."Claudia was brushing Sofia's hair in the living room when I arrived. Sofia leaned happily into her touch, even calling her "Mommy"

Chapter 5

Marco reached for my phone, but I dodged him and tucked it into my bag."It's good that your brother is coming. I'll make things clear to him just in case he only listens to your side of the story," Marco said, pushing my suitcase back inside the house."Now, sit down. You just got out of the hospital. Your brother would never let you walk out recklessly like this."I leaned against the wall and looked at him with a sneer."Sure. You can say all of that to him again, right in his face, when he gets here later."A short while later, two black Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans pulled up outside, one after another. The doors opened in succession, and several men in dark suits stepped out.The first bodyguard to exit walked to the back seat of the car, opened the door, and kept his head bowed, waiting for the passenger to emerge.Danilo then walked up the steps, and the two bodyguards behind him stopped by the doorway, making no move to crowd into the house.Marco went up to Danilo at o

Chapter 6

Claudia hid her hand behind her back at once."Lucia gave it to me. I didn't know it belonged to Erina."Danilo turned to look at me. "Is that the ring Papa gave you?"I nodded. Danilo beckoned to the bodyguards behind him and told them in a low voice to bring Sofia upstairs. However, Sofia refused to let go of Claudia. Marco got worried that Sofia would start making a huge fuss, so he quickly brought her upstairs.There was the sound of the door closing from upstairs. Then, Marco hurried back down the stairs and stood right next to Claudia."My mom was the one who gave the ring to Claudia. If you have something to say about it, you can say it to me. Don't make things hard for her."Danilo stared at the arm that Claudia kept hiding behind her back and said, "The Vitale Famiglia signet ring can only be worn by blood descendants of the family."Marco's face fell at once. "The Vitale Famiglia?"He then looked at me, then at Danilo. "You mean the Vitale Famiglia from Sivilly?"D

Chapter 7

As the car drove into the Famiglia's private estate in Bostonia, the Soldati on either side of the iron gates bowed their heads in unison.Danilo drove me straight to the medical center within the estate where a doctor was already waiting. A nurse helped me onto the examination table and took my discharge papers and medical records.I instinctively reached for my purse, but Danilo placed his hands over mine."You're home now, Erina."I slowly let go of the purse.I looked outside the window. The entire garden belonged to the Vitale Famiglia. Bruno also had a dedicated caretaker now, and a veterinarian had checked his joints. Someone laid non-slip mats over the stone steps in the garden for him, and that was where Bruno now lay, right outside the floor-to-ceiling window, watching me after taking every few bites of food.The next morning, the Famiglia lawyer, Tito Mereu, arrived at my bedside with my accounts and bank statements."The capital you invested in the company before y

Chapter 8

The day the studio shut down, Claudia slammed the refund slip down in front of Marco."You said you'd handle it. So, what now? Where's my money?"Marco leaned back against the couch without even taking off his tie. "I'm still thinking of something.""That's all you've been saying for days!" Claudia snapped.After being discharged from the hospital, Lucia lay in a makeshift sickbed in the living room and called out to Marco in a hoarse voice, "Marco, I haven't eaten yet."Claudia whipped her head around."You're still thinking about food? If you hadn't stolen that ring and given it to me, would my hand turn out like this?" she demanded, holding up her splinted hand. "Now the studio's gone, but all you can do is whine about being hungry!"Lucia wept and pounded her good fist against the bed. "You were the one who refused to take it off! I treated you like my own daughter all this while, and this is how you repay me?""Your own daughter? Then why didn't you offer to let them break

Chapter 9

I steadied myself against the back of the lounge chair and slowly stood up."Get Tito to bring the agreement," I told Renato.Danilo draped my coat over my shoulders and supported me as I walked to the door. My long black velvet gown swept past my ankles, and the signet ring Papa had given me gleamed on my finger.Bruno followed close by my side before settling down on the porch. When the iron gates opened, Marco's head snapped up. The Soldati stood ground on either side.Rainwater dripped down Marco's chin, and Sofia clutched her dress, trembling as she sobbed."Erina," Marco said. He took one step forward, but the guards stopped him at once. "I was wrong, Erina. You were always the one making the money. You were the one keeping the company afloat, but I took everything for granted."He then retrieved our wedding ring and an old hair clip from his pocket. He'd given me that clip on our first date, and I'd worn it for years, not bearing to part with it even when the clip broke.

Chapter 10

Marco ultimately signed the papers.The agreement itemized the assets I was entitled to from the marriage, as well as all the funds he had misappropriated. He waived any right to contest the terms, promised full restitution, and also dared not lay claim to any of the Vitale family assets.As Tito gathered the documents, Marco was still staring at the estate's closed gates.One month later, his company went bankrupt and entered liquidation. His office was repossessed, and his car was auctioned off. He ended up moving from the mansion into a cheap apartment with Lucia and Sofia.Claudia couldn't save her studio either. Once word spread that she had somehow crossed the Vitale Famiglia, nobody dared to refer clients to her anymore.Her injured finger was permanently disabled, and the hands she once so carefully tended were now constantly submerged in dirty, soapy water in the back of a restaurant kitchen. But she refused to accept defeat and kept hounding Marco for her money back."Y

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