On our tenth year anniversary, I'm making out with my husband, Don Raimondo Brocchi, in his office.

Just as I'm about to secretly slip the pregnancy report into his hand as a surprise, his secretary, Anna Altamura, walks into the office.

We're forced to stop our makeout session. Meanwhile, Anna shoots me a provocative look before she begins chatting with Raimondo in fluent Italese.

"Don Brocchi, who do you like more in bed? Me or the Donna?"

Raimondo lets out a soft chuckle. The vibrations of his voice makes my back crawl with numbness.

"You, of course. After all, you're younger and tighter, amore. Meanwhile, Cassia is already 30 years old."

Haughtily, Anna picks up a document before returning to her seat.

What they don't know is that my Nonno hails from Sicaria. That means I understand each and every Italese word they just said.

After forcing myself to calm down, I locate the invitation mailed from Anworth Institute that comes with a permanent position in my inbox. Then, I key in a short response to the person in charge.

I agree to travel to the institution.

Before my trip, I will make sure to terminate everything that belongs to me.

Seeing that I had set the cake down without taking a bite, Raimondo Brocchi reached for my hand and stroked it gently. "What's wrong, amore mio? Not feeling well?"

I looked into his concerned eyes, put my phone away, and forced down the revulsion churning inside me. Then, I curled my lips into a faint smile.

Just seconds ago, he had been mocking me with Anna Altamura, his secretary and lover. Now, he was putting on the act of a devoted husband, so hopelessly in love with his wife.

I couldn't help but wonder how much longer he could keep up the performance in front of me.

"I'm fine," I said. "I was just curious what you two were talking about. It sounded like you guys were making a funny joke."

Raimondo glanced toward Anna, who was seated outside the office. They exchanged a knowing smile.

He then turned back to me, smiling as he placed the cake into my hands and affectionately brushed a finger along the bridge of my nose.

"We were just talking about a client," he said. "She's getting older and keeps changing her mind every other day. A real pain in the ass."

I took a small bite of frosting. The sweet cream somehow tasted bitter on my tongue.

Raimondo had forgotten that my Nonno built his empire in Sicaria, where I spent almost six years growing up under his care. He had even forgotten that the first time he confessed to me, he did it in Italese.

"I'm tired. I'm going to rest for a while," I said.

Ignoring the flicker of surprise in Raimondo's eyes, I stood and headed for the lounge. I didn't hesitate to brush away his hand that was holding onto me.

He froze, concern filling his voice. "Amore mio, what's the matter?"

Everyone around us looked at me with envy. In the past, I would've felt proud of it—smug, even.

The man I chose was naturally the best in every way. Unfortunately, his affection was never mine alone. He handed it out just as easily to younger, prettier women.

"It's nothing. You should get back to work. Don't you have a meeting to get to?" I reminded him, wearing a perfunctory smile.

Raimondo nodded. "Alright, then. Get some rest. Anna's waiting for me for the meeting."

With that, he left. Standing by the door, Anna made sure to throw me one last provocative glance before trailing after him.

I knew she was doing it deliberately. In fact, she understood better than Raimondo that I could understand every word of their conversation.

I pushed her to the back of my mind and numbly walked into Raimondo's private lounge. I only wanted a moment to collect myself, yet with just a casual glance, I spotted a used condom tossed carelessly into the trash can.

That was the man I had loved for a decade.

At that moment, I couldn't even tell anymore whether all those times he claimed he was busy with work had been real. Or had they simply been excuses to fool around with Anna behind my back?

Nausea twisted violently in my stomach. I rushed into the bathroom, bracing both hands against the sink as I retched uncontrollably.

The water kept running while I scrubbed my lips again and again, as if I could wash away every trace of Raimondo's touch from moments earlier.

When I finally looked up again, my miserable reflection in the mirror stared back at me. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. It grew harsher and louder until I finally covered my face and broke into quiet sobs.

All this time, I wanted to give my baby a family. Now, it would stay nothing more than a wishful dream.

I sat alone on the lounge floor in a daze when my phone suddenly vibrated, cutting through my thoughts. In that split second, I realized that our marriage was truly, irreversibly over.

A name flashed across my phone screen—Lina Serafini, the only friend I could trust.

"Cassia, I just saw your reply to the email. This is great! You finally agreed to come back to your work. I'm seriously so happy you're returning!" she exclaimed.

"How about a flight three days from now in the afternoon? That still gives you more time to spend with your Don."

"Lina, I need your help…" I said. "I need you to fake a plane crash."

"Huh, why? Is that your husband's idea?"

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. "No, it's mine. Our marriage is over, Lina. I know him; he's paranoid, obsessive, and too proud for his own good. The only way he'll truly let me go is if he believes I'm dead."

Silence lingered on the line for a long time before she let out a weary sigh. "Fine. I'll arrange top-level security for you and make sure your identity disappears for good."

…

After the plane returned to Sicaria, Raimondo escorted me back to the estate, only to leave again. I finally breathed easier. After dismissing the household staff, I started packing my bags.

Inside the wardrobe hung Raimondo's tailored suits that I had personally picked out for him over the years. On the vanity sat the jewelry he had gifted me on anniversaries and holidays.

Everywhere around the room were thousands of intimate photos we had taken together over the past decade. One fire in the fireplace consumed them all. Our memories turned into ashes.

When the night fell, my phone lit up with a call from Lina. "Everything's set in place. We'll execute the plan in two days."

"Grazie mille, Lina. Once I leave—"

Before I could finish, a familiar, deep voice sounded from behind me. "What are you talking about, amore mio? You're leaving?"

At the doorway, Raimondo stood with a deep frown, so drunk he had to brace himself against the frame to stay upright.

I quickly ended the call with Lina, walked over, and helped him onto the bed before undoing his clothes. He grabbed my wrist, his dark eyes locking onto mine, as if trying to pry into my deepest thoughts.

I flashed him a faint smile, slowly slipping my hand free as I denied, "You heard wrong, Raimondo. I was talking to a friend. She told me about a socialite she knows whose husband cheated on her. They're in the middle of a divorce and fighting over the assets. That's all."

He stayed silent, his eyes still scrutinizing every shift in my expression.

Suddenly, my eyes reddened and brimmed with tears. I was overcome with emotions. My voice came out trembling as I asked, "Raimondo, would you ever cheat on me, too? I'm not young anymore. Would you find someone younger, sexier, and more innocent to keep you company instead?"

Raimondo raised a hand and gently wiped the tears sliding down my cheeks. Then he pulled me tightly into his arms.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "How could I ever abandon you, Cassia? You'll always be my Donna, until the day I die. I swear to God, I will never betray you. The Donna of the Brocchi family will always be you and only you!"

I murmured softly against his chest in response.

His calloused hand stroked the top of my head, as if he were soothing a frightened puppy. "Stop overthinking, okay? I'm not like other men. You're the only one I've ever needed. If you ever leave me one day, I'll end my life without a second thought."

Resting my cheek against the warmth of his chest, I nodded.

In the past, I would've immediately burst into tears, covered his mouth, and stomped my feet while scolding him for saying something so extreme. This time, I simply looked at his gentle face in silence.

I was just an amateur who had barely stepped onto the stage. How could I compare to a seasoned actor like him, who had put on a show for ten years?

Calmly, I pulled away from his embrace. It was then that someone knocked on the door.

"Don Brocchi, the garden is ready."

Raimondo stood and scooped me up effortlessly with one arm. "Come see the gift I prepared for you."

…

The moonlight hung dim and hazy above the estate grounds. In the garden was a sea of red, adorned with countless roses.

"Happy tenth anniversary, amore mio."

Looking at the heart-shaped sea of roses spread across the lawn, I pretended to be surprised and played along perfectly. At one point, I even let my eyes glisten with tears.

He kissed my cheek and was about to say something when his phone rang. He declined the call immediately.

A few seconds later, it rang again, then again. After several repeats, his expression slowly darkened.

Seeing that, I so kindly nudged his hand like the thoughtful wife I had always been. "It's okay. Go take care of it. We still have plenty of time ahead of us, don't we?"

Raimondo sighed helplessly. "It's my secretary. Probably some urgent matters at the company. I need to drop by the office."

I nodded with a calm smile. "Go ahead."

When his phone rang again, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation. Not long after, the sound of the car engine echoed outside the estate grounds.

I stood by the window and watched his car disappear into the night.

What kind of urgent business could make a man as obsessed with sleep and routine as Raimondo rush out in the middle of the night?

I pulled a car out of the garage and decided to see for myself.

Raimondo's car stopped in front of a villa.

Anna, wrapped in a nightgown, was already waiting outside. The moment she saw him, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him like they couldn't stand being apart for even a breath.

"Don Brocchi, you've already spent three hours and fifteen minutes with her. I only got three minutes with you earlier. I'm jealous."

He kissed her forehead with unmistakable indulgence. "I gave you that entire rose heart in the garden the other day for our anniversary. Was that not enough? Anyway, I'm all yours tonight. I promised you, Anna. As long as you don't let Cassia find out about us, everything she has, I'll give you double."

Anna's fingers trailed along his chest through the fabric of his shirt, tracing the lines of his muscles.

"You're bringing up those roses? The nerve of you. If I hadn't reminded you it was your wedding anniversary and told you to clear out the roses in the garden, you would've exposed yourself before her.

"The roses you gave me are sitting in her estate now. What do I have? You can't blame me for not being satisfied when I don't even have the real thing."

Raimondo lifted her effortlessly onto his shoulder. "Well, you have me now."

Their laughter echoed through the silent night, lingering long after they disappeared inside the villa.

So, even the roses hadn't been meant for me. They were secondhand props, given to Anna first before getting recycled back to me.

My hands tightened around the steering wheel. For a split second, I wanted nothing more than to slam the accelerator and crash into the villa gate, dragging their affair into the open for everyone to see.

But what would that accomplish? Pity from strangers? Or just Raimondo's rage and Anna's mockery?

No. I would gain nothing. In the eyes of others, I would only turn from a betrayed wife into a hysterical, deranged woman.

I slumped against the steering wheel, shaking in silence. Tears spilled out without warning, but not for the marriage that had fallen apart. It was the last shred of relief inside me breaking loose and evaporating with them.

After I managed to pull myself together, I drove to a roadside motel and checked in alone instead of returning to the estate.

…

The next morning, just as dawn broke, my phone screen lit up. An unknown number sent me a photo of a pregnancy test report. Seconds later, a message followed. It was from Anna.

"Don Brocchi said that for the sake of our baby, he'll give me everything you have. An infertile woman like you should've left the Brocchi family already instead of embarrassing yourself.

"You know what? I'll even allow you to stay on the island and give you a respectable job so you can support yourself."

I stared at the screen, neither ruffled nor tempted to reply. Instead, I simply congratulated her in my mind. "You'll have your wish fulfilled very soon, Anna, and so will I. Tomorrow, I'll say goodbye for good."

Meanwhile, the household staff kept texting me nonstop, asking where I was and urging me to come home. "Please return, Donna. Don Brocchi keeps asking where you went and when you left. He's smashed almost everything in the room!"

And so, I drove back to the estate.

The moment Raimondo saw me, he rushed forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Where did you go? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there? I went looking for you and accidentally fell down the stairs. Look at the scratch on my arm… Cassia, please stop scaring me like this. Do you understand?"

He cupped my face, forcing me to meet his gaze. "You don't know how much I need you, Cassia. A few hours without you, and it was already killing me… like I've been poisoned. Only when I see you can I finally breathe again and feel secure…"

"Really?" I muttered under my breath, staring blankly at the ceiling.

For the rest of the morning, Raimondo didn't let me out of his sight. Even while working, he kept my hand in his, as if I would disappear before his eyes.

I casually mentioned my departure, pretending it was nothing. "Your birthday is coming up. I'm flying out tomorrow afternoon on a private jet to pick up your gift myself."

He frowned immediately. "So soon? I'll send someone to handle it instead."

I shook my head and laced my fingers through his like I used to. "No. I don't want something this small to hold up your work. Besides, it's my gift for you. I want to see it myself before bringing it home, just to make sure everything's good."

He studied me for a moment. The stubbornness in my eyes must've softened something in him, because he ultimately gave in. "Alright, fine. But once you land, you must video-call me. I want to make sure you arrive safely."

I lowered my head, hiding the final trace of resolve in my eyes. "Okay."

After lunch, I handed Raimondo a small, elegantly wrapped box. "For you. But you're not allowed to open it for another three days."

He didn't ask any questions. Instead, he grinned and pulled me into his arms, whispering in my ear, "Come home soon. Without you, I can't even sleep at night."

I gently patted his back and said nothing.

Inside that delicate box were two things I had prepared long ago. One was my pregnancy test report, and the other was a phone filled with every text, photo, and video Anna had sent me of their affair.

When news of the crash reached him, he would open it early. And when he did, I wanted it to burn into his memory forever, pained by his regret for ever betraying me.

He would live every remaining day in remorse, replaying the last words he had just spoken to me over and over again.

Just after noon, Anna grew impatient and started urging Raimondo to return to the office. He claimed there was still an important meeting and left in a hurry.

I stood at the estate gates with a smile, watching his car disappear down the road. At that moment, the taunt strings around my heart finally snapped.

All the sweet nothings he had once whispered, all the great devotion he had deceitfully shown, and all the careful effort I had spent trying to preserve this marriage flashed through my mind like a fading film reel, then slipped away.

When I looked at the estate where I had lived with him for a decade, I felt nothing.

Everyone knew Raimondo loved Anna. I had been the only fool left in the dark. There was nothing left in the Brocchi family worth holding onto or pleasing.

This gilded cage that had imprisoned me for a decade would soon welcome a new Donna in my place.

…

On the appointed afternoon, I arrived at the airport with my luggage. Through the plane window, I watched the island slowly shrink into the distance.

I whispered my final goodbye.

Farewell, Raimondo. Never again.

…

That night, Anna received a phone call. The news had her so excited that she had to compose herself before taking a deep breath and pulling Raimondo aside from the dinner party.

"Don Brocchi, we just got news. Cassia's private jet crashed into a valley. Unfortunately, there were no survivors."

Raimondo froze. His face paled in the next second, and he nearly collapsed. "What? No, that's impossible. That's… impossible!"