Chapter 2

Two days ago, Nicholas, Antony’s father, was buried with honors from a good man. Nicholas was the man who saved Giovanna from Irma’s evils when she was still a teenager. This was a story that Giovanna could not explain properly, because he found too much irony of fate or luck, but he knew that before his father died, he made Nicholas promise that he would take care of her and give his life to save her from the evils of her own mother. And that’s what he did in memory and respect for his best friend. He sponsored Giovanna, put her to study in one of the best colleges, and gave her peace and dignity. But the big surprise would come later. Nicholas made an unusual request to Giovanna, who, out of gratitude, could not refuse.

“Marry my son Antony,” he said.

At the time, Giovanna barely knew Antony, only by photos or stories that Nicholas himself told about him. Antony had lived in the United States for more than five years. He studied engineering at one of the best colleges in the country, but if there was one thing that Giovanna knew well about the boy, it was that he was of an incalculable coldness and an endless pride.

Nicholas had saved Giovanna, so that in the end, Giovanna would save his son. The purpose of this arranged marriage was only this, and Giovanna did not refuse the request. He married a man who also did not want to marry her.

It had everything to go wrong. Antony knew that to be the sole heir to Nicholas’s fortune, he would have to accept the deal. And there they were, two years later, ready to end it all.

“Antony will file for divorce as soon as the will is read,” Tania, the housekeeper, who was Giovanna’s closest in the mansion, warned her as soon as she stepped into the house, “Be prepared, my dear. Antony will go to great lengths to get rid of you.”

But Giovanna had been preparing for this moment for a long time. Since Nicholas had become ill, she knew that the day of divorce was approaching. This was not the first time he would talk about it with her. At least the few times they talked, he made it clear how much he despised her. There was no more reason for them to be together. The only reason that brought them together was dead: Nicholas.

“Don’t worry about me,” she said to the maid. “Maybe it’s even better that way.”

“You can lose everything and leave this marriage with absolutely nothing.”

“I did not marry Antony for money”, he looked away to the corridor that gave access to the office, “so, none of this will be missed”.

She hurried down the hall, stopping right in front of Antony’s office door. From the time she married him, she had only been there twice. Antony did not like to see her walking around the mansion, always blamed her for it. It always made her feel like she wasn’t part of her life and like none of it belonged to her. His body trembled, despite the heat that day. Giovanna took a deep breath, took courage, and entered the room.

Giovanna watched Antony’s expression in close as she crossed the door.

“Let’s get this over with,” Antony said, without looking into her eyes.

Giovanna wanted this to happen as soon as possible. As the lawyer read the will, her thoughts wandered to the hospital where Gina was, and prayed for her sister to resist until she returned.

“Do we agree, Miss Lens?” The lawyer’s high-pitched voice brought her back, but Giovanna had heard absolutely nothing that the man had said.

“Miss Lens doesn’t have to agree to anything,” took the papers from the lawyer’s hands and handed them over to Giovanna. “Just sign the divorce.”

Giovanna took a leap from the chair, getting as close to her husband as she had long since.

“You called me here to read the will?” she asked.

“What has just been done,” Antony fixed the suit, “Nicholas is gone and took with him this marriage. Have I not made it clear enough that I no longer want to be by your side?

“I knew that day would come,” his eyes fell on his, agitated.

“You don’t want to stay married to a man you hate,” Antony’s words sounded indifferent and showed no sign of concern. “Let’s get this over with, Giovanna.

But she didn’t hate him, even though she often said that. Having no idea what was going on in his mind, Giovanna considered agreeing, and even though she used to be obedient to all of Antony’s orders, though she disagreed from the bottom of her heart, that order she refused to obey.

“I need to go back to the hospital,” Antony looked into her eyes, freezing, and Giovanna may feel that something very bad was about to happen. “Can we leave the divorce for later?

She turned her back, a rare thing, and was already ready to leave when he held her by the arm hard and pulled her, making Giovanna cower in pain and fear.

“What do you want to hear? He shouted, mocked at Giovanna’s weakness, “Do you think I wouldn’t divorce you out of consideration for Nicholas?

These words hit her hard. Giovanna knew that contradicting him would make him furious, and she could see it in his dark, closed face.

“I don’t think anything, Antony, I… she shrank even more, when Antony finally let her go. “Gina’s not well, and she needs me now.”

“Giovanna, make no more excuses.” he frowned and again extended the role of divorce to her.

His tone made it clear that no negotiation was allowed.

Antony really had no idea that Gina was in critical condition at the hospital, expecting only a blood transfusion from Giovanna to be saved. He didn’t know, and he had no interest in knowing. Giovanna was aware that standing there gesturing with him would only waste more time, and Gina’s life was in danger.

As an act of desperation, Giovanna finally took the papers and signed the divorce.

All she wanted was to go back to the hospital and save her sister.

Antony watched her signature as Giovanna watched his reaction. His black eyes narrowed as if he were mocked by what he had just done.

“It wasn’t that hard,” those harsh words almost left her aimless, “Now get out of here.”

Giovanna was stunned. Before she could react, she saw Antony leave the office. Only then did she take her purse and leave soon after. He had no time to mourn or to regret what he had just done.

She hurried back to the building, where her sister was hospitalized. He looked at the clock, realizing that three hours had passed since she went to meet Antony. Was it too late?

The thoughts Gina couldn’t resist invaded her mind. As she walked back towards the room where Gina was, she realized that Irma was no longer there. The room was empty. He asked the nurse who made the bed, where the patient had been taken.

“I took Gina to the ICU,” she said.

Her heart exploded once again. Giovanna didn’t want her dead. She ran through the hospital corridors, as if looking for a way out. When she saw Irma in despair. She had her hands resting on her face and cried desperately.

“Where is Gina?” shook the woman in a reaction of despair, but Irma did not answer, just shouted.

“I’m sorry,” said the doctor who was by her side, but for some reason she hadn’t realized, “Gina just passed away.

The deafening silence was what tormented her right away. A silent nightmare.

Gina died.

It was all her fault.