Rocco's POV When she isn't out after five minutes, I let out a sigh, not out of surprise because I know she is the world wide known definition of tardiness. She is never early to anything. Not even our wedding. Who am I to even think today will be different? That woman is just one out of a hell of bat-shit insane women out there. I used to think I have this sort of effect on women but Valentina is an exemption. I never thought I would also be ever cool-headed with a woman but Valentina is that woman who is suddenly turning me into a cool-headed man. How can I keep up with my arrogance when she doesn't even give me room for that? How can I keep up with my stubbornness when she is way more stubborn than I am to the point that I get exhausted and tired of going back and forth with her with words? At this point, I think I am just going to let her have her way. I have a lot to deal with and having to put her on my list of problems right now is not something I can afford to do. My m
Valentina's POV For the very first time in years, I feel great sympathy for someone who isn't Fred or Brenda or my parents. My life has always revolved around these people; my parents, my ex-boyfriend, and my best friend. They mean so much to me and I loved them without any care in the world. I can do anything to make them happy as long as I am also happy and my heart flutters. Seeing them happy invariably makes me happy too, so I make efforts. But today, I find myself wishing things are different and Mrs. Lorenzo isn't sick. Rocco doesn't look himself. It looks like his real self is out of that body. He was just nodding meekly to everything I said with a far distant look on his face. I read people's actions as well as the words that come out of their mouths. Mother calls me a psychic. I just love doing that. Thankfully, we didn't fight today. It feels like we have been married for a hundred years and today feels like one out of the thousand days that we have no reason to bick
Rocco's POV We left the mansion without talking to Mother. She didn't spare me a glance but was all smiles with Valentina. I thought having Valentina talk to her on my behalf will make it easy for her to forgive me and that will make it easy to approach her. I am desperate to talk to her and assure her that everything will be fine. I can't do anything to help her if we can't talk. We need to talk about how she feels and I need to convince her to continue the treatment. She shouldn't give up. She taught me how not to give up. Why would she give up on the treatment when she can keep it going? What confuses me more is the fact that Father isn't saying anything about it too. When I brought it up during dinner after Valentina and Mother left us, he ignored me. Should I go and visit him tomorrow? I feel sad knowing that Anita, who has always been away from home, knows more than I do. She gave me a sign to keep shut but I can't even comprehend what she meant by that. Didn't she say F
Valentina's POV That idiot is with Brenda. He lied to me. He told me they weren't dating. He told me he had stopped talking to her yet I just saw them together in a club, holding hands. What am I supposed to think? Am I supposed to think that they bumped into each other in the club coincidentally? I guess I am at fault here. Brenda, Fred, and I go to different clubs every week to have fun, and Cart's Club is one such club. I never gave it any thought that we would meet there. We only went to Cart's Club once. We had a regular club downtown and we frequent there more, I guess that is why I never thought I was going to run into them there. I was only making an effort to cheer Rocco up and make him stop brooding over his mother's sickness. I even thought he was going to act lovey-dovey with me when I called out their names but he didn't, yet I am always making an effort to make us look real in front of everyone. He is such an asshole. We shouldn't have gone to the party in the fi
Rocco's POV For the first time in years, my conscience is judging me for how I acted to Valentina's accusation last night and how she expected something else from me. I am not supposed to feel bad for her because she is not a good person but I can't help not feeling bad for not being there just like she expected of me. She was right. I am selfish. She helped me but it never crossed my mind to help make her ex-boyfriend jealous and for him to realize what he has lost. This might be because I really feel that losing her is a great thing. After all, she is full of trouble and no man might want to be with her. I feel this is why he broke up with her. But on second thoughts, it is obvious they both loved each other despite her shortcomings but they broke things up because he cheated. Why do men cheat? This takes me back on memory lane and makes me sigh as I sit at the back of the car with a box in my hand. I am going home. I bought a gift for Valentina to apologize for
Valentina's POV Each time I see or think about him, I feel the urge to do something rash; to hurt him for betraying me. As much as I don't want to take any revenge on him anymore, I am tempted to take back my words and do the needful, then maybe I will finally be happy. I don't like how I feel at the moment. The sinking feeling is back, probably because I am disappointed to have seen him today again, this time not with Brenda but with a different girl. That jolting is gone. All I feel for him now is pure hatred. I wish I could turn back the hands of the clock and make sure that our paths never crossed. I wished I wasn't that curious to know more about him which made me fall deeply in love with him. I wish I hadn't said yes to him when he asked me to become his girlfriend. Reluctantly, I drop my bag and take off my shoes before sitting quietly on the bed, ignoring my weak limbs. I ordered the maids to bring my bed back to my room even though it is still cold but I will manage. I
Rocco's POV A candlelight dinner date is what I have planned out for the evening. Frankly, I was looking forward to this evening when I was at the office and I kept wondering if going back home to change was the best. I couldn't go back home and I am thankful I wore something good today. I am dressed in a slim-fit suit with black suede shoes. I look around the empty restaurant and finally at the table filled with candlelight and a bouquet of flowers. Valentina was right. There is little we can do to help my mother. This is why we are doing this. It won't hurt to act for a little while because Valentina and I are getting along well, pretty quickly. It will make Mother happy. It also will not hurt if we fake a pregnancy just to make her happy. I can't continue to live with this grief. The earlier I accept reality, the better for both of us. Even for Valentina. If Mother dies, I see no reason why we should continue with this marriage, except of course for the contract. We alread
Valentina's POV Impressive is an understatement of Rocco's behavior tonight. First, he sent me a message for the very first time since we have crossed paths with each other and ended the text with a heart emoticon. Second, he was polite enough to tell one of the guards to drive me down here. Third, he got me flowers, apart from the necklace from last night which I haven't brought myself to try on yet. Fourth, he is being one heck of a gentleman. He is trying to make me forget Fred that easily by insisting on calling me Val. I can't help it but that name stirs up something in me that I can't figure out. It is not just anger or the remembrance of Fred. It is something unspeakable that I haven't figured out on my own yet. He was right in saying that I haven't gotten over Fred yet. If I had gotten over the idea, I wouldn't have cried last night. I didn't particularly cry. A tear actually rolled down my eyes. And I was quick to wipe it off my face because I already made a vow neve