I Loved You

"Nobody! It is nobody!" I cried out, my voice breaking with desperation. "I have never cheated on you, Asher. It’s always been you. It has always been only you."

"Shut up, you bitch!" he snapped, his voice laced with pure fury. "You think I’m foolish? Do you think I’m stupid? You think I—" He cut himself off, running a hand through his hair before glaring down at me again. "Then where did this son come from? You think you're the virgin Mary?"

"No. I never said that, I...."

"You think I haven’t heard the rumours? People whispering behind my back, saying you were sneaking around? You think I don’t know why you were after me, the Don’s son?"

I shook my head, my lips parting to speak, but he wasn’t done.

"You think I don’t know why you forced me to sleep with you just weeks before you faked your own death?" His voice dropped lower, more dangerous. "Staged it, I should say."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about, Asher," I whispered, still curled up on the floor, my arms wrapped around my legs, holding myself together. "I have never been with anyone. I have never lied to you. I have never cheated on you."

He scoffed, ignoring me completely.

"And this son of yours," he continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm as if the words themselves disgusted him. "How old is he?"

I hesitated. I thought about lying. But I knew he would find out eventually.

He backed away, laughing. It was a cruel, hollow sound, filled with something deeper—sadness, resentment.

"He’s four years old," I finally admitted.

His laughter stopped abruptly. He stared at me, his jaw tightening, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"So… just right around the time you left, you left and got knocked up on the stop," he murmured, his voice eerily calm. Then his gaze darkened again. "Who did you run away with?" He took a step closer. "Tell me now. I want to know. Is it someone in the famiglia? Someone you met at the university? Is that it?" He tilted his head mockingly. "You fell in love with a normal guy and wanted to have a normal family?"

I shook my head, my throat tight, but he just laughed again, this time colder than before.

"How did that turn out for you, huh, Ariella?" His voice was sharp, cutting through me like a blade. "How did that turn out for you?"

He took another step toward me, his eyes burning into mine.

"He left you, didn’t he?" He smiled cruelly. "The moment he met someone else. Someone younger. He left you. Discarded you and your useless son. Left you all alone in this unfamiliar world of theirs."

Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"How do you like the outside world, Ariella?" he taunted, leaning in closer. "Is it everything you ever dreamed of? Having a normal life, working eighteen hours a day?"

I could do nothing but sob into my legs, my body trembling with silent cries.

Asher stood up, straightening his shoulders, his expression cold and unreadable. Then, in a voice void of warmth, he said,

"I loved you once, Ariella. Costa"

I flinched.

"When I was young, naive, and stupid enough to believe I could turn dirt into gold," he continued, his eyes dark with bitterness. "But you proved me wrong. You showed me that in this world, you have to be ruthless. That nobody is ever truly loyal. That women were nothing but snakes and love is a weakness.."

He exhaled sharply, then pointed at himself.

"But you had me, Ariella," he said, his voice raw. "You had me!"

His words felt like a punch to the gut.

"I loved you. I did everything you wanted. You had me right in the palm of your hand, and you could’ve done anything with me," he said, his voice thick with anger and something far more painful. "And instead of cherishing me, instead of protecting the love and trust I placed in you… what did you do?"

His jaw clenched, his eyes burning into me.

"You stomped on my heart," he said, each word slow, "and turned me into the man I am today."

A humourless chuckle escaped him as he shook his head. Then, he took a deep breath and stepped back.

"You’re just going to have to learn the consequences of your actions," he said coldly, "and the man you turned me into."

And then, he turned.

I barely had the strength to lift my head as he walked away.

The door creaked open, and just as he was about to step out, I whispered,

"Asher…"

It was so soft, maybe just a breath of sound, but still, I hoped—hoped that maybe he would stop. That maybe, even after everything, he would turn back and listen to me....

But he didn’t.

He didn’t pause, didn’t hesitate. He just walked out and slammed the door behind him.

Hard.

I was left there, curled up on the cold ground, my knees drawn to my chest, my tears soaking into the fabric of my clothes.

I sobbed for what felt like hours. Or maybe minutes. I wasn’t sure.

All I knew was that the memories—those precious, beautiful moments I had held on to for years—were now twisted into something else entirely.

The love I thought we had once shared meant nothing to him.

Not anymore.

~~~~~

After what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open again.

I didn't move, didn't lift my head. My body felt like it was sinking into the floor. But then, I heard hesitant footsteps.

Damien. He stepped inside cautiously, his movements unsure, as if he wasn’t certain if he should approach me or keep his distance. In the end, he stopped a few paces away, his eyes darting toward the door before he turned back and shut it behind him.

I must have looked a mess—Asher's release in my hair, tear-streaked cheeks, my body trembling from exhaustion and emotion. I couldn’t even imagine what kind of sight I appeared towards him.

For a few long moments, he just stood there, looking at me. Then, in a voice laced with sadness and regret, he whispered,

"I'm sorry, Ariella. I am so, so fucking sorry."

I didn’t respond. My mind was too numb, my body too drained.

He let out a shaky breath. "We always have men come here… they joke with the ladies, they flirt, but it’s never reached this far." His voice was heavy with guilt. "I’m so sorry. I never should have asked you to come up here."

Still, I said nothing. I just let my fingers rest against my thigh, gripping onto the fabric of my clothes like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Damien hesitated. His weight shifted between his feet. "Are you… okay?"

That question. Was I okay?

I didn’t even know how to answer him. The pain wasn’t physical—it was something deeper, something heavier, and my heart… my heart was another story entirely.

"Did he—" Damien started, then stopped. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. He couldn’t bring himself to finish the question. Instead, he tried again. "Did he… touch you?"

I swallowed thickly, my lips trembling. I gave the smallest shake of my head.

Relief flickered across his face, but it did nothing to ease the tension in the room.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" he asked softly.

Again, I shook my head.

Damien exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Just… just know that you'll be compensated for today," he said after a pause. "And if you don't want to come back here, I’ll understand." His voice faded toward the end, uncertain.

I didn’t know what to say to that. So I stayed quiet. Silence settled between us again.

Damien shifted on his feet, his hands fiddling together, his nervous energy apparent. I could see the guilt in his eyes, the uncertainty in his words. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to handle me.

And honestly, I didn’t know how to handle myself either.