The Overlooked Wife

I was rushed into the emergency room, and my condition was critical because of the delay.

The young nurse said to me anxiously, "Ma'am, besides your husband, is there anyone else we can contact? Your situation is very serious. Someone needs to sign for the surgery."

I forced myself upright through the searing pain. "Let me sign it myself."

My hand trembled as I signed the consent form. The nurses' hushed conversation drifted to my ears.

"How pitiful. You really have to be careful who you marry! Look at the other wife next door. She just has a shallow scratch on her foot, and the boss is beside himself with worry. Look at this woman. She's miscarrying, and her husband is nowhere to be found..."

The anesthetic pulled me into thick darkness, letting me forget the piercing pain for a moment. However, for the hurt Dante caused me, not even powerful anesthesia could make me forget it.

In my dreams, I seemed to return to that warm moment this morning.

Dante held me close, whispering tenderly in my ear, "Today is our fifth anniversary. If I didn't have this last-minute business trip, I'd spend the whole day with you. I'll rush back tonight, and I'll bring you a gift!

"Giulia, we've been married for five years. How is it that I still love you this much? Promise me you'll never leave, okay? I can't even imagine what I'd do without you. From now on, I want to spend every anniversary with you!"

Yet in just one day, how did all my sweetness and happiness shatter completely?

When I woke from unconsciousness, I opened my eyes to meet the young nurse's pitying gaze.

"The baby couldn't be saved. If you'd gotten to the hospital earlier or if the blood loss hadn't been so severe, we could've saved it."

I closed my eyes quietly and let the tears slide down from the corners. The commotion from the next ward drifted faintly to my ears.

It was Dante and that unfamiliar woman.

"Why won't you transfer hospitals? The Rossini family's private hospital has medical resources ten times better than this place. I've hired a top medical team at premium rates. They'll guarantee your wound won't scar."

"There's no need. You're being too anxious. It's just a minor scrape. There's no reason to go through the trouble of changing hospitals. I'm fine here."

"You can stay here if you want, but I decide which doctor treats you. You got such a deep cut. I need the top medical team to evaluate and treat it to make sure it doesn't scar..."

At the same time, the young nurse came to my bedside and said softly, "Ma'am, we couldn't reach the primary contact in your phone. Do you need me to contact other family members to come and stay with you?"

The nurse handed my phone back to me, her eyes full of undisguised sympathy. The stark contrast made it impossible for me to deceive myself any longer.

Five years of marriage had been nothing but a complete and utter lie.

"No need. Please arrange for my discharge." My voice was hoarse but utterly resolute.

Shock filled the nurse's face. "Ma'am, you were hit by a stray bullet and just had a miscarriage. Your body is extremely weak. Staying in the hospital to recover is the best option."

I shook my head, my mind unchanged. "No need. I can still manage. Please help me with the paperwork. I don't want to stay here for another second."

Every single minute in this place suffocated me.

…

Back at the villa, I dragged my weakened body around and began packing my things. I called my lawyer friend, Luca Ferretti.

"I want you to draft a divorce agreement and handle the follow-up proceedings."

"Giulia, who are you talking to? Who's getting divorced?"

Dante, who had just walked through the door, interrupted me with a pale face. His eyes held unprecedented panic.