Once They Chose Her, I Chose Myself

Sophia suddenly grabbed my wrist. Her freshly manicured nails left scratches on my arm.

"Why are you never willing to listen to me, Elena? Do you hate me?"

I hissed in pain and shook my wrist free.

Sophia fell backward and shouted, "Save me, Antonio!"

Antonio immediately steadied her, his face twisting in anger. He then slapped me hard across the face before I realized what was going on.

Matteo sprinted toward us and roared, "Why are you always picking a fight with Sophia, Elena? If the Corleone family didn't take you in, you would have been sold off a long time ago and would be living in the slums. You ungrateful bitch!"

I covered my face. There was a loud buzzing in my ear.

It was the first time in my life that someone had struck me.

I felt as if my entire world was falling apart at that moment.

Antonio also seemed to realize that he had struck me as he looked at his hand. He opened his mouth and said, "Elena, I—"

"Va bene," I said as I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. "I don't blame you."

I would treat the slap as repayment to Antonio for saving my life all those years ago. I had settled the score. The two of us no longer owed each other anything.

I turned around and tried to leave, but Matteo continued to block my path.

"Don't leave just yet. Apologize to Sophia right now!"

There was a fierce glint in his eyes. It was as if he were a completely different person compared to the young boy who would run around calling my name in the past.

I knew how ruthless Matteo could be.

In the past, when a foreigner harassed me in a bar, Matteo had led his men to drown the foreigner in the Porco River.

Antonio had handled the aftermath, smoothing out any trouble that arose from the incident.

I never would have imagined that Matteo would use the same ruthless methods on me one day.

I looked into Sophia's smug eyes. I shook my head and said, "I won't apologize. I didn't do anything that I need to apologize for."

Besides, I was already planning to leave. There was no need for them to chase me away.

Matteo looked like he had more to say, but Antonio held him back. He softened his tone and said, "Forget it. I acted impulsively just now. I'll bring your favorite strawberry cream cake for you when I return."

He paused before continuing, "But you have to promise me never to upset Sophia again."

It seemed that Antonio wanted to smooth things over by extending a sweet olive branch to me. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that I was lactose intolerant and couldn't eat cream cakes.

It was hard to believe that Antonio had switched countless chefs in the past to cater to my diet. He even brushed up on his nutrition knowledge to create personalized recipes for me.

Meanwhile, Matteo had monitored my mealtimes like a hawk, making sure I always ate on time.

However, both Antonio and Matteo had forgotten everything they had done for me in the past.

The March breeze whistled through the gaps in the door.

I was freezing in the soaked clothes that clung to me like a second skin. I could feel a fever coming on.

Just as the awful feeling reached its peak within me, Matteo collided right into me.

"You're putting on an act again."

Black spots exploded across my vision before I collapsed on the stairs.

A hint of hesitation flickered in Antonio's eyes when he turned to look at me. But in the end, he still left with Sophia, flanking either side of her with Matteo.

I had no idea how long I lay on the ground. I struggled to crawl back to my feet before calling 911.

The doctor was furious when he saw the condition I was in. "How did you end up like this when you just left the hospital? You're drenched in cold water when your stomach hasn't recovered yet. And why did you continue wearing these wet clothes when it's so windy outside? Do you have a death wish?"

I was too weak to explain and obediently checked myself into the hospital to be monitored for the next three days.

After my fever broke, I discharged myself from the hospital.

I had to leave as soon as possible after being delayed for so many days.