The Godfather, Matteo Cross, loved me like I was his whole world. However, he had once cheated on me with a college student. To make it up to me, Matteo pushed aside all family business affairs and stayed by my side for eight straight months, the kind where we were together twenty-four hours a day, never apart for even a second.

I thought he had finally changed until last night, when I woke from a nightmare and went looking for my medication. As I passed the study, I heard Matteo speaking softly and affectionately into his phone.

“Baby, you’re so tempting… Just hang in there a little longer. Once you give birth to the child, I’ll stay with you.”

It took me only three seconds to accept the truth: the man who once swore he loved me was completely gone. With that, I decided then and there to immigrate to Atlantica with my grandfather.

I stood at the doorway and watched the entire exchange, my heart feeling as though it was wrenched out of my chest.

So, the reason he stayed by my side for those eight months was that he was afraid I’d find out his mistress was pregnant and try to hurt them?

I snickered and turned toward the living room. Not long after, Matteo walked out of the study.

Seeing the lights on, he asked me, “Why are you awake?”

When I didn’t answer, he quickly crossed the room, pulled me into his arms, and pressed a warm hand against my forehead.

“I had to deal with some work stuff earlier. Did another nightmare wake you up? I’ll call the family doctor over.”

“There’s no need.” I moved away from his touch.

Matteo chuckled softly before picking up a gift box from the table.

“I was planning to surprise you tomorrow morning, but since you’ve found it, go ahead and open it. You’ll love it.”

I unwrapped the box and found a jewelry set inside. However, from the full collection, he had only given me one piece. The rest were probably meant for the woman he cheated with, Riley Shaw.

Riley was a proud artist who looked down on women like me, the so-called “perfect wife.” She often made bold statements about that at public events.

“If a woman discovers her man cheated, she should leave him.”

However, as the woman who inserted herself into someone else’s marriage, did she really have the right to say that?

I ran my fingers over the cold jewelry and replied politely, distant as ever. “Thank you.”

“Get some more sleep. I’ll wake you once breakfast is ready.” Matteo took my hand and led me toward the bedroom upstairs.

Halfway up the stairs, I suddenly asked, “What exactly do you like about Riley?”

He paused.

“Kelsey, you’re the woman I love. It’s just that Riley and I happened to be very compatible in bed.”

My heart ached painfully.

“Matteo, I’m your wife, and I’m listening!”

He kissed my lips lightly and laughed. “I stayed with you for eight months straight. Don’t you know how I feel about you by now? The girls out there are just like decorative flowers. When one wilts, I can always buy another. But you’re different. You’re my wife, and even in death, you’ll be my wife.”

Then, his tone suddenly shifted. He sounded almost amused, “But honestly, you really aren’t as adventurous as Riley in bed.”

He was completely unaware that my dignity was being crushed with every one of his jokes.

I stared at the side profile of Matteo’s face, and in that moment, I finally understood. The love he gave me was tragic. After six years of marriage, I was exhausted, so much so that I no longer wanted to hold together this marriage that existed in name only.

While Matteo was distracted, I quietly sent my father a message.

[Dad, I regret running away from home. I’m willing to immigrate to Atlantica with Grandpa. Please get the paperwork done as soon as possible.]

He replied. [You should’ve done this a long time ago, but it’s not too late. I’ll sort out everything for you, my dearest daughter.]

The moment I received Dad’s message, I finally let out a breath of relief, and strangely enough, I felt touched.

Back then, I had refused an arranged marriage and had recklessly run away from home. Then, I met Matteo and married him. Dad never attended the wedding, but over the years, he stopped blaming me for my youthful impulsiveness.

Matteo suddenly sighed. “I’ve always just been after a bit of excitement with other women out there, but I’ve cut ties with all of them. Now, I only stay by your side. You’re the only person I truly love.”

Was that so? Then what was he doing in the study just now? Did he deserve the courage it took for me to give up everything just to gamble on his sincerity?

I once thought meeting Matteo was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to me. However, on the night of our wedding, I received intimate photos of him and Riley.

At the time, I thought someone was jealous of our happiness and trying to sabotage us. Yet, I waited all night for Matteo to come home, and no explanation or apology came. That was when I understood that the love Matteo showed before marriage had never even amounted to one.

Matteo continued smiling as he said, “It’s been eight months. Are you still hung up on those unimportant people? So, how about I take you overseas to get some air? Or we could visit your parents.”

Instead, I asked, “What are you planning to tell Riley?”

“Compared to my wife’s feelings, she means nothing.” Matteo still wore that same smile, though now it looked stiff.

I almost laughed at his words and asked, “How exactly do you love me? Would you give up Riley for me? If you can–”

“I can.”

For a brief second, warmth spread through my chest. However, I came back to my senses just as quickly. Without Riley, there would only be another woman after her. Matteo would never truly settle down.

Slowly, I pushed his hand away and turned to leave.

“Sofia.” Matteo’s expression darkened, and his restrained anger slipped into his voice. “There are countless women who would kill to have your place, women more shameless and desperate than you could imagine. So what exactly do I need to do before you’ll finally believe that I love you?”

I never thought he would say something like that. I laughed several times, hard enough that I almost lost my breath. I laughed at myself for believing him and wasting six years of my life on him. Yet, even after all those years, there was still a tiny part of me holding onto hope that maybe one day Matteo would finally wake up and return to the way we used to be.

I never cared about his money. All I wanted was his love, his heart, and to spend the rest of his life together. However, at that moment, Matteo simply looked at me with cold indifference. All the pain and bitterness I carried stemmed from a man I could never hold onto.

Amidst the tension, the butler suddenly entered the room. He glanced at me cautiously before speaking to Matteo.

“Sir, someone is here to see you. It’s… Riley…”

Matteo instinctively looked toward me, but before he could stop anything, Riley had appeared in front of us. She was dressed elegantly, looking every bit the gentle woman.

“I-I didn’t mean to interrupt. Matteo, I missed you.”

Matteo hurried over to support her.

“Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you– Forget it. How are you feeling?”

Riley shook her head. “The baby and I both missed you. The staff at the villa kept stopping me from seeing you, so I snuck out. Can you make them leave me alone?”

Matteo hesitated for a moment before stepping aside to make a phone call. The second he left, Riley looked at me with malice, and the sweetness on her face instantly disappeared.

“A woman trapped in a dead marriage will always end up abandoned by her husband. Leave on your own accord, and we can both live peacefully. But if you refuse…”

She paused, a smug smile curling across her lips as she rested a hand over her stomach.

“Men look for women for two reasons: children and pleasure. Anyone can give them children, and pleasure can be found anywhere. There are younger, prettier, and more obedient women than I am, but none of them can satisfy Matteo the way I do. And now, I can even take your place.”

Suddenly, Riley slapped herself across the face and cried out, “I never tried to hurt you! Why do you have to force my hand? I’d give up everything for Matteo. Please just let me see him once a month.”

Matteo returned just in time to witness the scene. Assuming I had bullied her, his expression immediately turned ugly.

“Sofia!” he snapped. “How dare you hit her?”

I did not try to defend myself. "Your mistress disrespected me, so I gave her a slap to teach her a lesson. If you want to stand up for her, you can slap me back."

Matteo froze for a few seconds before letting out an angry laugh.

“How could I ever hit you? Sofia, stay here and think about what you’ve done.”

The entire time, the woman in his arms, Riley, said nothing. However, her eyes sparkled with satisfaction, and every now and then, she shot me a smug look.

I was exhausted, and honestly, I was done. After they left, I started packing my things. Yet, looking through everything in the room, I realized there was nothing I wanted to take with me.

Every single thing in this house had been a gift from Matteo, yet his assistants had picked everything out while he barely paid attention, signing off on gifts without ever caring what they were. From Riley’s social media posts, however, I knew Matteo had personally made things for her by hand. Every gift was made with genuine love.

Just as I was lost in thought, Matteo suddenly came back. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and said, “Why are you packing so late at night? Are you planning to run away? Or are you getting ready to travel overseas with me to clear your head? Sofia, you shouldn’t have laid a hand on Riley earlier. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lost my temper with you.”

Without waiting for a response, he leaned down to kiss me. When I turned away, he paused, clearly surprised, before letting out a low chuckle.

“What’s wrong with you? Frigid now?”

“I don’t feel well. I’m not interested.”

Matteo hated being rejected. Still, he lowered his head and kissed my forehead instead.

“But you’re my wife. You’ll be by my side, even when we’re fifty or sixty.”

The old me would’ve clung to words like that and convince myself that I was the one who would stay by his side until the end. Now, I pushed him away gently and continued packing.

Matteo was about to say something when his phone rang. The moment he answered, his expression softened immediately.

“Okay, okay. I’ll come and see you right now. Don’t cry. Hearing you cry makes my heart ache,” he said patiently.

Riley’s choked voice came through the phone. “But if you leave, what about Sofia? It’s already past one in the morning… Did I interrupt both of you in bed?”

Matteo answered honestly, “No.”

As he spoke, he was already getting dressed and heading out the door.

I quietly wiped the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. Then, the phone on the table vibrated. I thought it would be a message from Matteo trying to explain himself, but when I picked it up, it was Dad calling.

“The immigration paperwork has been processed. As for you and Matteo…”

“I’m divorcing him, Dad.”

He fell silent for a moment before he finally said, “I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

I choked back my tears and agreed.

At dawn, just before boarding the plane, I took one last look at the photo of Matteo and me on my phone and deleted it.

Matteo Cross, we would never see each other again.