Laura
"I'm so lucky to have Lorenzo," I glanced down at my wedding ring, twisting it absently.
Paula, my best friend, raised a brow but smiled warmly. "And my cousin is lucky to have you. You've been nothing but a blessing to him."
"Sometimes, I feel like I don't belong," I chuckled.
Paula frowned. "Stop it, Laura. You two deserve each other. Love doesn't care about wealth or status. Lorenzo being a billionaire and you not? It doesn't make you any less."
I tried to hold onto her words, but I still felt uneasy. "You're right. Thanks," I muttered, more for her benefit than mine.
Paula tilted her head, her voice softening. "I still don't understand how you manage to keep so calm with all the press breathing down your neck. I'd have punched someone by now."
I let out a small, tired laugh. "You get used to it. Five years of questions about how I managed to 'trap' a billionaire... it wears on you." I paused, my voice catching. "Some days, though... it feels like too much."
She reached across the table, squeezing my hand. "You're stronger than you think, Laurie. Don't let them make you feel otherwise."
I smiled weakly, appreciating her support but knowing that the growing distance between Lorenzo and me wasn't just about the press. I glanced at my watch. "I should get going. Lorenzo hates when I'm late."
Paula nodded, standing as I gathered my purse. "Take care, okay? Don't let anyone steal your peace."
"Thanks for having me." I tried to smile, but it didn't reach my eyes.
Paula gave me a thoughtful look as she walked me to the door. "By the way, how's everything with Victoria?"
I stiffened slightly at the mention of her name. "It's… fine. She's been distant since she came back from the States. She works for Lorenzo now."
Paula's brow furrowed. "She's working with your husband?"
I nodded, suddenly feeling the urge to leave. "It's been over seven years since what happened, Paula. We've grown past it."
"Maybe you have," Paula said slowly, "but some people never really change."
I forced a smile and waved goodbye, feeling the familiar doubt creep back into my mind as I stepped out into the evening air. I wasn't ready to have that conversation with Paula, so I waved it off. "See you, Paula."
While I drove back home, Paula's words kept burrowing up in my head, 'some people never really change'. I pushed the thoughts from my mind. Whatever that happened between I and my half sister was in the past.
As I pulled into the driveway, the gates opened automatically. Henry, the head of security, greeted me as usual.
"Welcome home, Mrs. Smith."
"Thanks, Henry." I handed him my car keys, his polite smile never faltering.
Inside the mansion, I climbed the grand staircase, feeling the weight of the wrapped gift in my hands. **Five years**. Lorenzo and I had been married for five years. I glanced at the small box—a symbol of my hope to rekindle what we once had. Every other anniversary, he'd surprised me with a celebration, reminding me of how much he loved me. But today… today felt different.
I took a breath and opened the door to our bedroom, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips as I anticipated his reaction to the gift.
Then I saw them.
My smile vanished, the box slipping from my fingers and hitting the floor with a soft thud. There, in the bed we shared, was Lorenzo—wrapped in my sister's arms. My heart shattered.
"Lorenzo," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He turned his head lazily, as if I were an inconvenient interruption. "Laura," he said flatly, "you should have knocked."
I stood frozen, unable to process the casualness in his voice. "What's this?" I stuttered, my throat tightening as tears burned the back of my eyes.
Victoria sat up, a smirk playing on her lips. She trailed a finger down Lorenzo's arm, her eyes never leaving mine. "It's exactly what you think it is," she said with cruel amusement.
"No..." My voice trembled. "Not again, Victoria. That's my husband!" The betrayal from years ago came crashing back—raw, unhealed. How could she do this to me, again?
Lorenzo finally looked at me, his gaze cold, devoid of the warmth I had clung to for years. "What do you want, Laura?" His tone was dismissive, as if this was some minor inconvenience, not the destruction of our marriage.
I wanted to scream. I wanted him to explain—tell me it was a horrible mistake or that I was dreaming. But instead, I asked, "Why? Why her? Why now?"
"I'll leave you guys to sort things out."
Veronica gave him a small smile and I watched as she leaned to plant a kiss on Lorenzo's cheek.
"That was a good fuck, Lorenzo baby. I'll see you, later."
She gave me one more mocking smile before walking out of the room.
He stood, unapologetic and indifferent. "I've moved on, Laura. I don't love you anymore."
His words were like a punch to the gut. I stumbled back, clutching the doorframe for support. "Moved on?" I repeated, disbelief coating every word. "We're married, Lorenzo!"
"Not for much longer." His voice was as cold as his eyes. "I want a divorce."
The room spun around me as his words sank in. Divorce? After everything? After five years of marriage, after I had given up so much to be with him, he was throwing it all away? I took a shaky breath, trying to hold on to the hope I had left.
"Lorenzo, please," I whispered, stepping toward him, my heart in my throat. "We can work through this. Whatever is going on with Victoria, we can fix it. I love you."
He didn't move, didn't soften. "There's nothing to fix," he said bluntly. "I don't love you anymore."
Tears spilled over as I clutched at the last shred of my dignity. "What about the years we've shared? The memories? The love?"
He didn't move. He didn't even blink.
I tried again, my desperation spilling over. "We can move past this, I know we can. Just tell me what I need to do—tell me how to fix it."
He sighed as if I were a nuisance rather than his wife. "There's nothing to fix, Laura," he said sharply.
I swayed on my feet, struggling to stay upright. "No… no, that's not true," I whispered, shaking my head as if denying it would make it less real. "We've been married for five years, Lorenzo. Five years! You can't just throw that away."
"Five years," he repeated, his voice dripping with disdain. "And what do I have to show for it, Laura? Nothing. No legacy, no heir."
I flinched as if he'd struck me. No heir. That's what this was really about. The pain sliced through me, deeper than I could have imagined. He wanted a child. I hadn't been able to give him one. That was why he was doing this.
His eyes flickered to the document on the table. "You know what you need to do, Laura. Sign the papers."
I looked down at the divorce papers, the cruel reality staring back at me. "No, I can't. I just can't." He was my life. My all. I wouldn't survive this.
"You have to do it. My signature is already in it. My mind is made up. If you really love me and want to prove it, sign that divorce papers."
This was unbelievable. He wanted me to prove my love by signing divorce documents and ending our marriage.
"I don't want you as my wife, anymore. It's been five years of being trapped in a worthless marriage with you."
What? How could he say this to me?
I had no more fight left. My heart was too broken to argue. Slowly, numbly, I sank to the floor, my knees hitting the ground as I opened the document with trembling hands.
Immediately my phone buzzed. Mechanically, I pulled it out, my vision blurred with tears. It was a message from Dr. Brian: *Your pregnancy test result is out, Mrs. Smith. Congratulations, you are two weeks pregnant.*
I stared at the words, a flicker of hope igniting in my chest. I looked up at Lorenzo, my heart pounding. "What if I told you I was pregnant?" I asked, my voice trembling.