(Renata Valentini)I can't stop crying, it's been a day since I found out that I am pregnant by the man who abandoned me and who is also most likely already married to another woman.It took me a week to accept that I was really abandoned. For seven long days, I called every five minutes, stopping only when the female voice on the line said that the number dialed did not exist. This was like a bucket of cold water in my head that insisted that he would come back, that he would explain himself and that we would continue together.At work, Sophie disappeared the day after the discussion in the boardroom. I asked Lucas, and he replied that she went back to her country with her husband. At lunchtime, without wanting to, I overheard some girls gossiping that the current president (Lucas) was having an affair with Sophie and that this was why he was so angry, because his mistress had left. I was shocked, I would never have imagined that a woman as gentle as she was would be capable of betra
(Renata Valentini)One week later:“Mi scusi!” - “Excuse me!”, I speak with my face burning with embarrassment and quickly close the door to the presidency.I really don't want to have seen that scene, my stomach turns, tears are burning in my eyes. On that table... in the same position that woman was in, two months ago I was too, and Filippo was between my legs as we kissed madly before we went to the meeting room.I sit on the chair at my desk, and lovingly caress my belly. I am now seven weeks pregnant and tomorrow will be the day I can hear my baby's little heartbeat, ah, I am so excited!Again, I feel my heart squeeze, Filippo will not be with me, he will not follow the development of our baby, nor meet him... I still miss Filippo, even though I have been abandoned, I really wanted to see him walk through that door, enter the President's office, sit in his chair and tell me: this is all just a bad dream. I wish so much that I could wake up and have him beside me; open the bathroo
(Renata Valentini)Although I feel like I have opened my eyes, it feels like I haven't, the darkness is so thick that the feeling is that I have gone blind. I get up from wherever I am, and my head throbs, it feels like no mammoths have walked over me. I feel the floor, it is soft and fluffy, I keep crawling and find the walls, they are the same texture as the floor, soft, fluffy and cold. With slow steps I walk until I find a corner of the wall and sit down, hugging my knees, I feel my eyes burning."Why am I here? What are they going to do to me?" - Fear cuts through my chest and tears fall like waterfalls, I don't know how long I slept, and I don't know where I am, I couldn't see the faces of the men who kidnapped me. My heart hurts so much. Before I blacked out, I begged Filippo to show up and save me one more time, but that won't happen, he won't show up for me, maybe he won't even remember my existence anymore.Realizing this hurts me, even though two months have passed, the pai
(Renata Pelegrini)“cough-cough!” I wake up feeling my face getting wet, the cold water has entered my nose. It stings.“I thought I would never wake up.” An unknown man's voice speaks near me, I open my eyes and see him with a bucket in his hand.“What do you want?” I ask in a weak voice, my whole body still aches.Yesterday, they came into the room where I was, and as soon as the door opened, I tried to run away, but before I could reach the door, I was punched so hard in the pit of my stomach that I felt the metallic taste in my mouth, I ended up vomiting too, and soon after I passed out on top of my vomit mixed with blood. And now, I wake up here, in a totally different place. “Behind that door is a bathroom, take a shower.” The man throws a towel and a dress on my face. “You have five minutes, if you don't leave, I'll come in and finish bathing you.”A horrifying shiver runs down my spine, even though I feel weak and a little dizzy, I get out of bed and with hurried steps foll
(Renata Pellegrini)“I gave your mother to me.” James asks with his hand outstretched.I have cried for so long that I have lost track since the time James left to answer the phone. I don't know if it has been minutes or hours, I am lying there hugging my legs, the tears still falling bitterly down my eyes. Amanda... Caio...did they report me missing?“I'm in a hurry!” He bristles angrily.James grabs my wrist forcing me to break my upper arm, my wrist burns with his grip, he slides down my finger a ring with a solitary stone in the center, I try to pull my hand away but he squeezes even tighter forcing me to remain still.“If you take the ring off, I will cut off your hand.” He threatens me and jumps my hand.I massage my wrist; my skin is burning.“Why did you put that thing on my finger?” I ask, my voice hoarse from crying.“To let everyone, know that you are now my bride.”“You fool! I'll never marry you!” I shout and at the same instant my face turns sharply to the side, my cheek
(Filippo Valentini)The silence that stretches across this room is heavy. I look at old Dominic and in his wrinkled face I can see that, like me, he too is waiting for an answer from Vicenzo.“Renata ended up in Filippo's company because of Matteo, he always knew where your granddaughter was and helped her father to keep her hidden from you.” Vincenzo looks at the old man, whose face starts to turn red with anger.“I have spent years asking for your help to find my granddaughter, and you are the ones who have kept her hidden from me for all these years!?” Although Dominic speaks with restraint, I can tell in his raspy tone of anger. “Do you realize how much…”“You killed your only daughter, in front of everyone as an example of what happens to those who disobey your orders.” Vincenzo interrupts him. “You flogged her and then you shot her, your own daughter! You didn't even give her a burial, you had her thrown into some hole claiming that she brought shame to your famiglia!” My broth
(Renata Pellegrini)“Put it on!” Tiago throws a bag in my direction, I make no effort to grab it, I let it fall at my feet.He leaves the room and locks the door from the outside. It's been half an hour since I got off that helicopter, I threw up twice and now I'm wearing only a robe. I have no idea where I am, I passed out after being slapped in the face for throwing up on it twice.I pick up the bag from the floor and pull out the clothes, my heart bleeding at the sight of the completely white dress, I lay it on the bed and touch the little stones that adorn the heart-shaped neckline. It looks like a princess dress, full of frills that go all the way to the floor.Unable to control the tears, and consequently also unable to control the sobs, I sit down on the floor supporting my back on the bed.I always wanted to get married, to wear a dress as beautiful as that and be happy with my family, I thought I would marry Filippo, sweet illusion... He abandoned me, he just had fun with me
(Filippo Valentini)Even with a bullet lodged in my arm and blood dripping out of my left eye from the blow I took to the forehead with an iron bar, what pains me the most is to see her face swollen - clearly because she was beaten - and completely wet with tears. I feel hatred coursing through my veins.“Togliete le mani da mia donna!” - "Get your hands off my wife!", I say blunt angrily as I raise my gun, pointing it at the worm holding Renata by the waist.“Did you know it's ugly to show up at a party you weren't invited to, ragazzo?” Tiago sneers as he points the gun at Renata's head. “But your priest didn't have enough time to educate you, did he? Poor man, he died too young.”“Kidnapping another man's fiancée is not polite.” I fight back and unlock the gun, hearing the sound of his gun doing the same thing, I control myself not to show nervousness.I need to keep cool; the plan must go forward.“Oh, so you found out. But it's too late now, she has accepted and is now my wife.” H