Three days ago, I almost died.

A birthday cake was needed for my sister, Rosa Esposito's birthday, so my dad told me to pick it up. He claimed that this was my way of making it up to Rosa for accidentally spilling coffee onto her new dress.

When I was cornered in an alley by the thugs, I was in the middle of sending Rosa an apology text. They covered my mouth and dragged me into a van.

That was when I heard them say, "Yup, that's her alright. That's the bitch named Rosa Esposito."

I shook my head, trying to explain that I wasn't Rosa at all. But my name didn't matter at all when blows started raining down on me.

That was how I spent the next three days in living hell.

By the time I wake up in the hospital, my phone harbors a new family photo sent by Rosa. It features my dad, my older brother, Rafael Esposito, as well as my husband, Enzo Vitale. All three of them can be seen surrounding Rosa.

When I was in the middle of getting pinned on the ground while feeling blades slashing my skin, these people were celebrating Rosa's birthday happily with her.

Later on, Rosa smiles at my face. "Do you have any idea how much I hate that face of yours? I also hate how much better you are than me as well as the fact that everyone likes you more than me!

"That's why I've robbed all of their love from you… be it Dad, Rafael, or your husband! You, on the other hand, deserve to be alone till the day you die!"

At that moment, I've made three choices.

First, I forge a miscarriage report.

Next, I place a signed divorce agreement into a giftbox.

Finally, I dial the number of my mentor, Sofia Bianchi.

There, I agree to participate in a classified project research that will last for ten years without getting in contact with anyone. Since then, I, Valentina Esposito, have never existed in this world.

After the call ended, I stared at my phone for a long time.

Professor Sofia Bianchi had agreed to help me forge an abortion report.

My husband, Don Enzo Vitale, would never allow me to take his child away.

When I got home, I pushed the door open.

In the living room, my sister, Rosa Esposito, twirled in front of the mirror in a light purple chiffon dress. My papa, Luca Esposito, sat on the couch, watching her with a fond smile, while my brother, Rafael Esposito, snapped a few photos before stepping over to adjust the bow at the hem of her skirt.

I planned to quietly slip past the living room and head to my room.

"Valentina?"

Rosa spotted me first. A hint of amusement glinted in her eyes, tinged with provocation.

"You're back? Take a look at my dress. Isn't it pretty?"

I didn't respond.

Papa turned around, and the warmth in his eyes vanished completely.

"You still remember how to come home?"

A glass flew straight at me. I didn't react in time. It clipped my forehead, and warm blood trickled down.

He shouted, "I told you to help Rosa with her dress, and you ended up spilling coffee all over it! Do you even know it took six months to have that dress made?"

"That's because—"

"Enough!" he snapped, cutting me off. "You just can't stand seeing her happy."

Rafael let out a cold laugh. "Come on, Papa. What's the point of explaining anything to her? If it weren't for her, Mama would still be alive."

Guilt flooded my chest in an instant.

"Raf, I didn't—" I tried to explain.

"Don't call me that," he said without even glancing at me. "You caused Mama's death, and now you're even here to ruin Rosa's coming-of-age party too?"

Rosa walked over and grabbed my wrist. "Rafael, don't say that about her—"

"Stay out of this!" Papa roared.

He slammed his hand on the coffee table and stood up. "She's been willful and spoiled ever since she was young. She caused your mother's death, and now she's putting on an act just to get attention and ruin your birthday party!"

He turned to me in frustration. "How can you be so selfish?"

"I was kidnapped," I said in defense. "That night, I went to pick up the cake. Someone cornered me in an alley. They kept calling Rosa's name when they grabbed me. They locked me up for three days."

I pointed at the wounds on my body that hadn't healed yet. "I got all of these because they beat me up."

The living room fell silent for a moment, then Papa laughed.

He walked toward me. "Kidnapped? You're telling me you were kidnapped?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Then how are you standing here right now?" he asked. "Did your kidnappers kindly let you go? And you expect me to believe they were calling out Rosa's name? Are you trying to say you suffered in her place?"

"I'm telling the truth! I—"

Before I could finish, a slap cut me off.

I stumbled, nearly losing my balance. A burning pain spread across my cheek.

"The truth?" Papa hissed. "Valentina, do you think I'm an idiot?"

Rafael stepped forward, grabbed my shoulder, and pulled me up. "Get up. Apologize to Rosa."

I clenched my teeth. I hadn't done anything wrong. Why should I apologize?

"I said get up!"

Papa seized my arm and forced my face upward.

"Apologize to Rosa."

I met his gaze and said, "Everything I said is true."

He released me. The back of my head struck the floor hard. Everything went black.

When I woke up again, the sharp smell of disinfectant reached me before my senses fully returned. My head throbbed as if it might split open. I opened my eyes and realized I was lying in a hospital bed, an IV needle inserted into the back of my hand.

"You're awake?"

Enzo's voice came from beside me.

He was sitting in a chair by the bed, and his gaze toward me was complicated. There was exhaustion in his eyes, mixed with disappointment and something else I couldn't quite understand.

"The doctor said you have a mild concussion. The baby is fine and very healthy," he said.

I didn't respond.

After a few seconds of silence, he let out a sigh.

"Valentina, what exactly do you want?"

I looked at him.

"Because of you, Rosa's coming-of-age party was completely ruined," he said, rubbing his temples. "You're her sister. You're older than her. Can't you be more sensible? Did it really have to come to this?"

I opened my mouth, struggling past the tightness in my throat. "I told you I was kidnapped."

He cut me off impatiently. "Enough. Why would kidnappers come after you specifically, and why on Rosa's birthday? Valentina, I know you're not happy with how I treat her, but this isn't something you should take this far—"

He paused, then added, "You're my wife, the Donna. No one would dare touch you."

"You don't believe me?" I asked.

He didn't answer. He just looked at me in silence. But that silence felt more cruel than any words.

I closed my eyes. My chest tightened as though something had clenched around my heart, making it hard to breathe.

I had loved Enzo for 12 years. When I was 12, Mama died while saving me on a rainy night. From that day on, my family turned against me.

I was forced out of the house and nearly lost my life in a car accident. Enzo was the one who saved me. He told me that it didn't matter if I had no family, because he would always love me and stay with me.

When he proposed three years ago, I thought I had finally found true love. But now, his love for me had gradually become divided, slowly shifting toward Rosa instead.

The door opened, and Rosa stepped inside, carrying a bottle of prenatal vitamins with a soft, gentle smile.

"Valentina, you're awake? You really scared me," she said as she approached the bed and set the bottle on the nightstand.

"Don't blame Papa and Rafael. It's all my fault. If I hadn't celebrated my birthday, none of this would have happened. I brought you the best prenatal vitamins from overseas. Enzo, the doctor asked you to go sign some documents."

Enzo stood up. "I'll handle it. Don't cause any more trouble."

As soon as he left, the smile on Rosa's face shifted.

She looked down at me with undisguised mockery. "You've got a tough life, Valentina."

I stared at her.

"Those perverts didn't even manage to get rid of your baby," she said, leaning in close to my ear.

My eyes widened.

I had thought that her giving me that dress was a gesture of reconciliation and that things between us might finally improve.

I never thought it was all a trap she set to have those men torment me.

"I've heard that no woman caught by that kind of group ever escapes alive. You're the first," Rosa whispered.

Tears slipped down my face.

She let out a chuckle. "It's a pity you survived, and an even bigger pity that the baby did too."

She straightened, looking down at me again.

"But it doesn't matter."

She gave me a look full of contempt. "Even if you give birth to this baby, Enzo won't love you for much longer. You saw how good he is to me, didn't you?"

I clenched the bedsheet beneath me.

Suddenly, the doorknob turned.

Rosa reacted faster than the sound.

She took two steps back, grabbed the vase on the nightstand, and smashed it hard onto the floor.

Shards scattered everywhere. She fell on top of them, picked up a piece, and dragged it across her wrist.

Blood began to flow at the exact moment the door opened.

"Rosa!"

Enzo rushed in and scooped her into his arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she trembled against him.

"Enzo, Valentina said I stole Rafael's and Papa's love, so she tried to kill me…" she sobbed.

Enzo looked up at me with a level of disappointment I had never seen before. "What did you say to her?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

Rosa clung to him and cried even harder. "I'm so scared… Enzo, I'm really scared…"

"Don't be afraid. I'm here."

He tightened his hold on her, then stood up and carried her out, disappearing down the hallway.

I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. A red dot stood out to me. There was a surveillance camera in the room. If he had just looked up, he would have seen everything that happened. However, he didn't.

I sat up and reached for the phone on the nightstand. I called my only friend, Isabella Romano. "Help me prepare a divorce agreement."

She went silent for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Are you sure? Weren't you completely devoted to Enzo?"

"Yes," I said, looking out at the night beyond the window. "I need one that takes effect immediately upon signing. I don't want to love him anymore."

"Alright," she replied at once. "Don't worry. I'll always support your decision."

The divorce agreement arrived the next afternoon.

Isabella had always been efficient. When she handed the documents to me, she only asked one thing. "Have you really made up your mind?"

I nodded, took the documents, and walked out of the hospital room. As I turned the corner of the corridor, I stopped in my tracks.

The door to the room ahead was open, and laughter drifted out from inside.

Papa was sitting by the bedside, peeling an orange for Rosa. Rafael leaned against the windowsill, watching her with a smile on his face. Enzo stood at the foot of the bed, looking down at her affectionately.

Rosa was half-reclining against the headboard, with her wrist wrapped in gauze. Her complexion looked bright and healthy, unlike the pitiful state she had been in the day before.

"Rosa is just too kind. That's why she gets bullied," Papa said as he handed her the orange.

"Papa, please don't say that about Valentina. She didn't mean it," Rosa replied softly. "She's just been spoiled since she was young."

I tightened my grip on the envelope in my hand, drew in a steady breath, and stepped inside.

The laughter stopped at once. All four of them turned to look at me simultaneously. Papa's expression turned cold, while Rafael let out a faint scoff and looked away. Enzo frowned slightly.

Rosa blinked, then looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Valentina? What are you doing here?" she asked.

I stopped by the bed and lowered my gaze.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault," I said. "The issue with the cake last time was on me. I've already ordered a new one. Consider it compensation for Rosa."

No one responded. The room was so quiet that even the birds outside could be heard.

Enzo glanced at me and said flatly, "It's good that you've realized your mistake. Go apologize properly to Rosa and stop acting out."

I stepped forward and handed him the documents. "These are hospital examination forms. A family member needs to sign them," I explained.

He took them and lowered his head to review them.

"Enzo," Rosa called out softly from the bed.

She pressed a hand to her forehead and frowned slightly. "My head suddenly hurts. Could you call the doctor for me?"

Enzo immediately turned back and returned the documents to me. "Were there any abnormalities in your checkup results? How is the baby developing? I'll arrange for the best obstetrician to oversee your delivery from start to finish."

With the documents in hand, my pulse began to race.

"I'm fine. The examination results were all normal," I said.

Enzo followed me out of the room.

"I know you don't like Rosa. I've already bought a new house. I'll take you there soon," he said. "As for the kidnapping incident you mentioned, I've investigated it. Those people have been eliminated and their bodies disposed of near Costa Rola."

He reached out and lightly ruffled my hair. "I'll have the driver take you home so you can pack your things. We'll move in together after that. Is that alright?"

"Okay," I replied.

When I got home, the entire house was silent and deserted.

I went upstairs, opened the drawer, and took out the forged abortion report. I placed it with the divorce agreement, then sealed both inside a white gift box with a silver ribbon.

This was the final gift I would leave for Enzo.

An hour later, my phone rang.

"The car is at the entrance," Professor Bianchi said calmly.

I took one last look at the room, then closed the door and went downstairs.

A black sedan was parked outside. The driver opened the door for me. Professor Bianchi was sitting in the back seat. When she saw me, she reached out and took my hand.

"Valentina, you've suffered a lot," she said gently.

My nose stung slightly, but I remained silent.

The car began to move. Professor Bianchi looked at me with a warm, gentle expression. "Since you've decided to leave, you might as well let 'Valentina Esposito' disappear completely."

I looked up as she added, "If the baby is gone, then you can be dead too. That way, they'll never be able to find you."

I fell silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

Shortly after we departed that night, a black sedan lost control on the highway, crashed, and went up in flames.

From that moment on, "Valentina Esposito" no longer existed.