The butler stepped forward beside the dining table, hesitating to speak.

Anthony glanced at him. “What is it?”

Evelyn asked with concern, “Enzo, what’s wrong? Is it about Amelia…”

The butler’s face was ashen. “Don Anthony, your wife hasn’t made a sound since last night. Should we open the door and check on her?”

I stirred with sudden hope.

Come on, Anthony. Come see me.

Anthony rose at once, worry creasing his face. “We’ll go right now.”

Evelyn frowned, then quickly mirrored his urgency, standing as well. “Let’s go see. I remember Amelia survived a whole week in the wilderness with no trouble just to complete a family mission. Why would she go silent after just three days? I hope she isn’t faking this just to make you worry…”

At those words, Anthony stopped mid-step.

“She was yelling and crying for the first two days—she sounded pretty strong to me… I’m afraid if I show up now, she might lash out at me again…”

Evelyn spoke with a sigh, and slowly, Anthony sat back down.

He frowned, “You’re right. She can handle herself in the wilderness. The attic is safe. She’s fine. It’s all an act.”

“I’ve heard pregnant women shouldn’t have mood swings—it can affect the baby. But she hates me so much. These three days, she’s probably been thinking of ways to torment me once she’s out… If I could get pregnant, I’d let her torment me all she wanted… But my body…”

Evelyn lowered her head, her voice fading, her eyes reddening again.

Anthony looked at her, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. “Don’t think like that.”

Evelyn wiped her tears and forced a smile. “Alright, I won’t. I’m sure Amelia is fine. Right now, I just need to focus on recovering. I want to be as strong as she is.”

I listened to their exchange, and all I could think was how absurd it all was.

In their minds, my good health and survival skills made me indestructible.

I’d lasted three days in a snowstorm. So three days locked in an attic? That was nothing.

While I was enduring contractions and pounding on the door, he was eating breakfast downstairs.

While I was screaming for help, he was in his study handling paperwork.

While I was bleeding out and taking my last breath, he was at Evelyn’s side, gently urging her to drink warm milk before bed.

He knew nothing about my suffering.

Because he didn’t want to know.

The butler hesitated, then ventured, “Don Anthony, are we going to pick up your wife later? Should I make preparations in advance?”

Anthony replied casually, “Push it to this afternoon. I have a meeting with the Corleone family about the docks this morning.”

The butler nodded in acknowledgement. “Then I’ll have the car ready to take your wife to the hospital.”

Evelyn thought for a moment and leaned closer. “Anthony, let me go with you to get Amelia. I want to apologize to her in person for the trouble I’ve caused these past few days.”

Anthony glanced at her. “Why would you apologize?”

“Amelia probably thinks I’m the reason she was locked up. I want to clear things up.”

A frown creased Anthony’s face. “No need. If she misunderstands you, that’s her problem. You don’t owe her an apology.”

Evelyn shook her head, tears welling in her eyes again. “No, I have to apologize. I don’t want my presence to ruin your relationship.”

Anthony relented, saying, “Fine. Go get ready.”

Evelyn suddenly said in a quiet voice, “I don’t have anything nice to wear. I saw a lot of clothes in Amelia’s closet that she never wears. Could I borrow something?”

“Sure. Whatever you like.”

With Anthony’s permission, Evelyn walked to my room, wearing a victorious smirk. She pulled dresses from my closet and stood before the mirror, cutting them apart, one by one.

She murmured, “Amelia, what are you doing in the attic right now? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Does your stomach hurt?”

Her eyes were vicious as she handled the expensive garments.

“Anthony hasn’t come to see you even once. I told him locking up a pregnant woman for a few days was fine. You’re strong. You could handle it. I told him all that yelling was just an act, that you were trying to make him feel sorry for you. I told him if something were really wrong, you’d have sent word. You didn’t, so you must be okay. Guess what he said?”

She smiled at her reflection before continuing.

“He said women understand women. He’d listen to me.”

She laughed out loud, her whole body shaking with delight.

“Amelia, oh Amelia. All that suffering to carry his babies. What good did it do? He believes me. Not you.”

She stood up, walked to the jewelry cabinet, picked out the diamond ring Anthony had bought me for our wedding, and slipped it on her finger.

“If something happens to you, I’ll give Anthony a performance. I’ll wrap myself around him and sob, asking how something so terrible could have happened to you. I’ll tell him no one knew you’d go into labor early. It’s not his fault. He’ll believe me. He believes everything I say.”

I floated beside her, staring at that smug face, overwhelmed with disgust.

But I couldn’t touch her.

All I could do was watch.

Three o’clock in the afternoon, Anthony came back from his meeting and changed.

He emerged in a crisp black suit, white shirt, the silver family crest catching the light on his cuffs.

He’d taken care with his appearance today, like he was going to meet someone important.

Was it me? I didn’t know.

Evelyn had changed into a dress and even put on makeup.

Perhaps she wanted her own radiant image to stand in stark contrast to my miserable end.

I hated her with every fiber of my being, but there was nothing I could do.

I screamed at her like a madwoman, but she couldn’t hear me.

She gazed at Anthony with that same innocent face.

“Let’s go, Anthony,” she said, linking her arm through his and smiling up at him. “I’ll come with you to the banquet.”

So they were going to a banquet. It seemed Anthony had completely forgotten about me.

Anthony nodded and started walking out with her.

Suddenly, the butler burst through the door, his face twisted with panic. “Don Anthony!”

Anthony stepped back in annoyance. "What’s all this shouting about!"

Evelyn chimed in, acting as if she were the mistress of the house. “That’s rude. Have you forgotten the manners my father taught you?”

The butler frantically straightened his clothes, but his neat outfit did nothing to conceal the shocked expression on his face. “Don Anthony, blood is pouring out of the attic…”

The butler was terrified, his whole body shaking.

Anthony was stunned. “Blood?”

Evelyn cut in, “Oh? Did Amelia go into labor?”

At Evelyn’s words, Anthony, who had been tense, relaxed. “What’s there to panic about? She’s just in labor. Just have someone take her to the hospital.”

The butler stammered, “But… but she’s lost too much blood. Something’s wrong, Don Anthony! It’s not just a little. A large pool has seeped out from under the attic door. Do women really bleed that much during childbirth?”

Anthony’s brow knitted, a flash of concern crossing his expression.

Evelyn quickly covered her mouth and let out a gasp. “From what I know, women don’t bleed that much during childbirth. Isn’t that amount a bit exaggerated? Could it be that…”

The moment her meaning sank in, the concern on Anthony’s face hardened into ice.

“Her theatrics aren’t over. Amelia staged that blood—fake, all of it—just to get released from the attic. Too bad she doesn’t know that women don’t lose this much blood in childbirth. She’s exposed herself.”

The butler tried desperately to explain. “That’s not it—”

“Enough. I’ll go up and see for myself what game Amelia is playing.”

Anthony’s anger was unmistakable. He shook off Evelyn’s arm.

He hissed through clenched teeth, “Amelia, you’d better be telling the truth. If this is another lie—if you’re not in labor—I’ll lock you in there for good.”

I watched Anthony stride toward the attic and let out a bitter smile.

The butler followed, his face pale, his steps growing slower.

I followed them back to the place where I had died.

I looked at Anthony, so elegant and composed, and questions formed in my mind.

Anthony, when you see my body, what will you do?

Will you still believe all those lies Evelyn told you?

When they reached the foot of the attic stairs, the butler suddenly spoke up. “Don Anthony…”

Anthony turned around.

The butler pointed at the stairs and whispered in terror, “The stairs…”

Anthony looked up.

What was on the stairs?

And then he saw it.

Blood—dried, rust-dark—streaked from the attic door down the steps like a river.

My blood.

I never realized I had lost so much blood.

I thought the blood in the room was all there was, but it had flowed all the way out and down the stairs.

Anthony froze.

Evelyn was also stunned, but she recovered quickly.

She covered her mouth and gasped. “Oh my God! How is there so much blood?! Is this real?”

Anthony snapped in anger. “Amelia! You’ve gone too far with this act!”

With that, he stormed up the stairs, reached the attic door, and kicked it open.