CHAPTER ONE

GIANA POV

“Sign the divorce papers now Giana, we don’t have time to waste” Dante threw the papers in my face, with no remorse.

“What if I don’t want to?” I ask my hands shaking as I reach the papers from the floor, “I wanted to be done with Dante for good but I owed him my life, I was married to him for five years and I've been loyal, like a dog, like a stepping stool.

“Then you will have to go to court and I don't think you have a dime to your name to pay any lawyers do you?” Piper my little step- sister said beside him.

Both of them, Dante and Piper were the perfect couple to everyone, they played movie roles together, and she even attended his CEO parties with him like they were husband and wife but I was his wife, embarrassed by me and my curvy stature, and he kept me at home away from his family and friends.

He only married me out of pity I know, he had saved me from a crime I had committed while we were in college and married me to keep me safe, leaving me with only my step-mother and step-sister, Piper, they maltreated me in all forms but I stayed because I had committed a great crime, one they all knew about, and due to this, they had power over me.

I was to get a part of the family inheritance after my fathers death but only if I was married, Dante seized the opportunity and convinced me into giving him everything.

I was happy he was serving me the divorce papers and finally happy about parting ways but I was distraught, where would I go from here? Sleep on the streets? Beg for money? Tears glazed my eyes and I turned to look at the both of them.

“You both always hated me” I whisper staring at the paper in my hands, “you made sure to always make it known” I sigh, “I won’t sign the papers unless you give me a portion of my inheritance back!!” I turn to Dante with angry eyes, tears running down my face.

Piper giggles beside him, stepping forward, a slap is thrown across my face before I can catch it throwing me to the floor.

I gasp my eyes wide as I stare up at her, “You were married to Dante for long, you ate, slept, and remained clothed under his roof, I think that's enough payment for a woman whose mother was a whore and whose daughter was a killer” she laughs going to stand beside Dante.

He approves of this, she always acted weak and fragile in front of him and always painted me as a bad person and I was always severely punished for it.

I grit my teeth the tears from before heavier, what do I do now? “I want my wages!!” I say with panicked eyes, “I worked hard as your personal assistant for years Dante, I deserve my wages.”

Dante walks towards me roughly grabbing my hair in his, he turns my eyes to meet with his angry ones.

“Sign the damn papers Giana or I’ll make you pay, I will destroy you and you don’t want to see that side of me” he lets go of my head throwing me to the floor like a rag.

My fingers shake as I sign the papers, permanently removing me from his life.

As soon as I sign the papers, a bag is thrown on my lap.

“Those are your clothes, get out before I ask the guards to do it myself” Piper rolls her eyes, her fingers wrapped around Dante's neck as they share a passion-filled kiss.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Dante turns to me brows raised, his eyes pointing to the door.

I stepped out of the house, my phone in hand and a bag in the other, the moon reflects down at me as the guards kicked me out of the gates, standing by the side of the road, I’m confused, I call the only number I have saved on my phone.

My stepmother.

“Hello Mother,” I say into the phone the cold wind catching up with me as I walk further into the city.

“I told you not to call me that, I am not your mother??, what do you want?”

“A place for the night,” I say my voice coming out in panic once I realize I'm alone and liable to be raped or worse killed out here on the streets, my eyes move around, homeless men and women litter the street, I can't end up here.

She laughs into the phone, “Piper and Dante are to be married soon and Piper is already pregnant, something you couldn't do in your years of marriage, why should I help you? Goodnight Giana” she says her voice rough and angry call ending with a harsh tone.

Tears fill my eyes and my lips start to shake in the cold, my eyes move around the street, apart from the bars and restaurants open, my eyes meet with one signage.

“Maxis Stip and pole dancing club” if there's anything I know, they will accept everyone and anything.