Love Ended All at Once

On the fifth year of my marriage with Stefano Calderone, his older brother, Don Giovanni Calderone, sacrificed himself to protect him during an ambush.

When Stefano inherited Giovanni's position as the next Don, he also inherited Giovanni's widowed wife, Camilla Bianchi.

Every night, after leaving Camilla's room, he'd embrace me and say, "Alessandro, you're my actual lover. Once Camilla gets pregnant, I'll register our marriage once again and ensure that you and our son will have proper positions in the Calderone family."

For the next six months, he slept with Camilla 200 times in a row.

At first, he'd only spend one night with her per week. But gradually, it shifted into a regular schedule of nightly visits in her room.

After their 201st coupling, the news of Camilla being pregnant gets spread throughout the villa. Soon after, news of Stefano and Camilla getting married breaks out.

My son, Niccolo Calderone, grips the hem of my clothes while asking me innocently, "Mommy, didn't Daddy tell us that he'd give us a home? Why is he marrying another woman, then?"

I just ruffle his hair in return. "Daddy no longer belongs to us. But it's okay, Niccolo. Mommy will take you back to our real home."

Stefano will never find out that I'm not as alone as he thinks in this world.

The truth is, I'm the principessa of another powerful mafia family in Sirelia. I never wanted the position of the Calderones' Donna, to begin with.

Five years ago, I defied Dad, gave up my place as the Calderone family's Principessa, and ran away with Stefano Calderone.

I had believed we would love each other for the rest of our lives.

Now, all that remained was a heart gone cold.

Today was our son, Niccolo Calderone's fourth birthday. I made the cake early and sat with him on the living room rug, waiting from sunset until the night grew deep and still.

His eyes shone with anticipation as he kept asking, "Mommy, will Daddy come home and blow out the candles with me?"

I ran my hand over his soft hair. "He will. He just has work to finish. Once he's done, he'll come home and celebrate with you."

Even as I said it, I knew how hollow those words sounded.

I knew Stefano wouldn't come. His time had always belonged to Camilla Bianchi first.

The candles burned down and were replaced. The food was cooled and then reheated.

Niccolo couldn't hold out any longer. Clutching his stuffed toy, he leaned against my shoulder and called for Stefano under his breath until he fell asleep.

I carried him back to his room carefully. My chest felt tight and sore.

Maybe it really was time to leave.

When I lay down, unease churned in my stomach. I had walked away from home without hesitation five years ago and broken Dad's heart in the process. I didn't know whether he would still accept Niccolo and me after everything.

A familiar rose fragrance