- 5 hours ago
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00:00My husband's late brother's widow posted a photo of a pregnancy report on Instagram.
00:04The caption read,
00:05Thank you for your sperm. For giving me the most precious gift.
00:08Under the father column on the report.
00:10Printed in black and white.
00:11Dominic Valenti.
00:12My husband.
00:12I left a single question mark in the comments.
00:15Less than 40 seconds later, Dominic's call came through.
00:18Serena, what do you think you're doing?
00:20What exactly are you being snide about?
00:22Vivian has been a widow for three years.
00:23She wants a child for company. What's wrong with that?
00:26Lucian died for me. He took that bullet in my place.
00:29Taking care of the woman he left behind is the least I can do.
00:32It's a blood debt I owe and you have no right to question it.
00:35The line went dead. I didn't even get a single word in.
00:38Twenty minutes later, Vivian's account updated again.
00:41This time, it was a series of photos of an apartment.
00:43Floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline.
00:46And in the open plan kitchen, the back of a man busy at the counter.
00:49I recognized the property. It was registered under the Valenti name.
00:52I recognized the man too.
00:53I pressed the phone screen dark and sat in blackness for a long time.
00:57On the desk in front of me lay a pregnancy test report.
01:00Two days ago, I found out I was two months pregnant.
01:03I'd planned to tell him on our wedding anniversary.
01:05A surprise. Five years of marriage and we'd never been able to conceive.
01:08I thought this child would be a new hope for us.
01:10Now, it seemed he no longer needed that kind of surprise.
01:13When dawn broke, I dialed the hospital.
01:16Hello. I'd like to schedule an abortion for today.
01:19That was when Dominic walked through the door.
01:21Serena, who are you on the phone with?
01:25He came in carrying a paper bag.
01:28Brought you clam chowder from that place you like. Drink it while it's hot.
01:31I opened the container inside the bag. The soup had already congealed.
01:34Lumpy grains and broth that looked like something regurgitated.
01:38He reached out to put his arm around my shoulder. I shifted away.
01:41Not hungry.
01:42Dominic frowned but poured the soup into a bowl and set it in front of me anyway.
01:46The smell of it hit me, briny and sharp, and my stomach lurched.
01:50I bolted to the bathroom and hunched over the toilet, dry heaving.
01:54He followed and tried to rub my back and knocked his hand away.
01:58Don't touch me!
01:59Dominic's expression darkened.
02:01A flash of impatience crossed those deep brown eyes.
02:04What do you want from me?
02:06I'm already trying my best to manage your feelings, Serena.
02:09What more do you want? For me to get on my knees and apologize?
02:13Then what do you think I should do?
02:14Send her my congratulations?
02:16Tell her how happy I am she's carrying my husband's child?
02:19Lucian died for me. Taking care of Vivian is my responsibility, my obligation.
02:24Nothing happened between us. It was just a sperm donation.
02:27Can you stop making everything so soldered?
02:29Honestly, Serena, right now you look like nothing but a jealous, irrational shrew.
02:33I went still. In those early days after Lucian died, I was the one who took the initiative,
02:38bringing Dominic along to visit her. Whenever something broke in her apartment,
02:42the two of us went together to fix it. It was only later that things began to shift.
02:45At some point, I couldn't pinpoint exactly when, Dominic started going alone to buy her groceries.
02:50Alone to assemble her new furniture. He'd get a call from her in the middle of the night,
02:54throw on his coat, and walk out the door. Every time I confronted him, he'd say the same thing.
02:58She's Lucian's widow.
02:59Then he'd shake me off and leave. But I never imagined he'd go so far as to give her a
03:03child.
03:04Take a good look at yourself.
03:05He flung the words at me and slammed the door behind him. Again.
03:11Soon enough, Vivienne's social media updated once more. In the photo, Dominic's hand rested on her
03:15gently swelling belly, the light warm and intimate. The caption,
03:19Baby's daddy came to be with us. He said,
03:21This is where home really feels warm. I laughed, laughed until the tears came.
03:28At three in the afternoon, I arrived at the hospital. After paying for the procedure,
03:32I sat in the general waiting area for my number to be called. At the far end of the corridor,
03:36the VIP wing had been entirely cleared out. Several bodyguards in black suits stood at attention on
03:42either side. I recognized the Valenti crest on their tie pins. The door to the VIP consultation
03:47room opened, and Dominic walked out with one hand firmly on Vivienne's waist. She wore a cream-colored
03:52loose dress and leaned into his arms, her face a portrait of bliss and devotion. They sat down in the
03:57lounge area, heads close together as they talked. I turned, intending to slip away in the other
04:01direction, but Dominic had already looked up and spotted me. Serena? His brow furrowed,
04:05his gaze cold and heavy. Are you following me? I kept my voice as flat as I could. I'm just
04:10here
04:10to see a doctor. For what? Dominic, don't give Serena a hard time. Maybe it's just a routine
04:16checkup? Let me go talk to her. I don't want you two fighting because of me. You're pregnant,
04:20sit still. The doctor said you need to rest during the first trimester. Don't move around. I'll handle
04:25this. I turned to leave again. Dominic stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. The yank sent me
04:29stumbling backward. I nearly fell. I'm still talking to you, Serena. What are you doing at
04:33the hospital? And I already answered. I'm here to see a doctor. I'm not so idle that I'd waste my
04:40time stalking the two of you. Dominic frowned, seeming about to snatch the receipt from my hand
04:44to check for himself. Serena, I know you're angry, but after Lucy was gone, I was all alone in that
04:50house so lonely. I just had a little life of my own to keep me company. I never meant to
04:55hurt you
04:55and Dom. I calmly withdrew my hand. The next second, Vivian let out a cry, her body pitching sharply
05:00backward. Dominic shoved me aside and caught her in his arms. Are you okay? Does anything hurt?
05:06I'm fine. My legs just went weak. Dom, don't blame Serena. She didn't mean to. Are you really that
05:13vicious, Serena? I didn't touch her. I saw it with my own eyes. If anything happens to her or the
05:20baby,
05:21I will never forgive you. Dominic, he paused mid-motion as he was soothing Vivian. What if I told you
05:28I'm pregnant and I came here today for an abortion? At that moment, Vivian tilted her face up close to
05:34his,
05:34her lips grazing the shell of his ear. Serena, don't try to manipulate me with tricks like that.
05:40No matter what, I'm not leaving Viviana. Serena Valente, are you here? Are you still going through
05:47with the procedure? I don't know how long I stood there, not until the nurse called my name from
05:51the doorway. Yes, I want this pregnancy terminated. Before long, I was wheeled into the operating room,
05:57the blinding surgical light directly overhead. Then, darkness. That evening, when I returned to the
06:02townhouse, the place was pitch black. No calls, no texts, nothing. But when I opened my phone,
06:08there he was again on Vivian's feed. A set of maternity photos. Dominic in a white dress shirt,
06:12wearing a pink cartoon headband for the shoot. Their hands layered together on her gently rounded
06:16belly, gazing tenderly at each other. I liked the post. For an entire week after that, Dominic didn't
06:22come home. I took the antibiotics alone, pressed a hot water bottle to my abdomen alone, and reviewed
06:26the terms of the divorce agreement alone. The day the faxed divorce papers arrived, Dominic called.
06:33Dinner at the family estate tonight. Fine. When I pushed open the dining room doors,
06:38I saw that the chair beside the head of the table, the one that had always been mine,
06:41was occupied by someone else. Vivian, Dominic's mother, Helena, was smiling warmly and holding
06:46her hand. Oh, Serena, you're here. Serena. After Helena found out I was pregnant, she insisted
06:50I move into the estate for my prenatal care. She said it would be easier to look after me here.
06:55Please don't overthink. That's enough, Viviana. Serena, you and Dominic have been married
06:58five years without producing a child. The baby in Vivian's stomach is the sole velouty
07:01heir. It's only natural she lives here. As for you, starting tomorrow, you'll move in
07:05and learn from the housekeeper how to take proper care of a pregnant woman. If Vivian is
07:09satisfied with you in any way, I'll have Dominic divorce you. Instantly, every servant in the
07:12dining room wore a smirk. They were all waiting for me to become the jealous shrew, waiting
07:16for me to lose my mind, to scream, to beg. Instead, I laughed. Well, that works out perfectly.
07:21Helena's brow furrowed. What's that supposed to mean? Helena, I came here tonight for one
07:26reason. To divorce Dominic. The dining room went silent for a few seconds. You, Serena,
07:34don't forget where you came from. The fact that you're even sitting at this table is a privilege
07:38the Velocci family granted you. Then it's settled. I don't want your privilege anymore.
07:44I was about to pull the divorce agreement from my bag when Vivian dropped to her knees without
07:47warning. Serena, I'm begging you, don't do this to my baby. The child is innocent. This
07:53is all my fault. You can't just live on life. Stop. Serena, you're actually trying to force
08:01her to abort the baby? I'm not.
08:06Next instant, before I can finish, he charged across the room and drove his shoe into my lower
08:10abdomen. The force was savage. No restraint. You vicious bitch. Haven't I taught you enough
08:16of a lesson already? My vision was blurring, but I braced myself and dragged my body upright
08:20to inch by inch. Then, with the last of my strength, I pulled the divorce agreement from
08:24my bag and hurled it in his face. My voice sounded far away and hollow. Dominic Valenstie,
08:29we're done. The rage on his face froze. Then I turned and walked toward the door. One step,
08:34two steps. My vision collapsed into blackness. My knees buckled and I went down. Something warm
08:40surged from inside me, soaking through my skirt. My God! Her legs! There's blood everywhere!
08:45John kicked her in the stomach! Is she, is she mismarrying? Call an ambulance!
08:50Hurry! She's passed out!
08:52Serena! Serena! Serena, look at me! Don't close your eyes! Look at me!
08:56I tried to open my mouth and say something, but nothing came out. The blood pooled beneath
09:00me, spreading, and the darkness swallowed me whole.
09:04When I opened my eyes again, I saw a white ceiling, an IV line, and a tear-streaked face
09:10at my bedside. Mom was sitting there, gripping my hand tightly, tears falling harder, but forced
09:15a smile.
09:17Sweetheart, you're awake. How do you feel? Tell mama where it hurts.
09:23Mom.
09:24Mom's here. Mommy's right here.
09:28Cry it out, baby. Just let it all out.
09:31I cried for a long time, until my throat gave out, until my eyes were swollen and raw.
09:37Dad came in after I'd mostly calmed down. He looked at my pale face, and for just a flicker
09:41his eyes went red.
09:42You've suffered, sweetheart. I should never have let you marry into that family.
09:51Back then, Dominic had dimples when he smiled. He liked eating hot dogs with way too much mustard
09:56at late night street stalls. He'd get misty-eyed over the ending of an old movie.
10:02The first time Dad met him, he said,
10:04I don't trust anyone in the mob.
10:08Dominic stood on our front porch, in the rain, for three days. On the morning of the third
10:13day, Dominic collapsed on the steps, and Dad finally opened the door, that evening in
10:18the living room, still running a fever.
10:20I will spend the rest of my life being good to her.
10:23Dad was silent for a long time.
10:30But three years later, Dominic knelt in a pool of blood, clutching his brother's body,
10:35and never smiled like that again.
10:39Mom touched my face and frowned slightly.
10:41Dominic is outside.
10:43Let me see her.
10:46Let me see her.
10:48Please.
10:50Just let me see her.
10:51I closed my eyes briefly.
10:53Let him in.
10:56Serena.
10:57Let him in, Mom.
10:58You two wait outside.
10:59I need to talk to him alone.
11:01My parents exchanged a look, then reluctantly rose and left the room.
11:08The door opened.
11:09Dominic stood there.
11:10His complexion was gray.
11:11His jaw locked.
11:12His eyes threaded with red.
11:13He walked to the bedside.
11:15Serena.
11:16I didn't know you were pregnant.
11:17I didn't know you'd miscarried it.
11:19That day, I just thought you were trying to force Vivian to...
11:21I've already signed the divorce papers.
11:22Sign them.
11:26No!
11:29Serena, I won't sign.
11:31I love you.
11:34You say you just didn't know I was pregnant.
11:36Fine.
11:37Then let me ask you something.
11:40You'd get a call from her in the dead of night and walk out the door,
11:43sometimes at two or three in the morning,
11:45and you called that taking care of her, right?
11:47You bought her an apartment.
11:48A Velati property titled in her name,
11:51and you called that making arrangements, right?
11:55You gave her a child,
11:57and you called that helping her fulfill a wish, right?
12:01Then let me tell you,
12:03if a man has no feelings for a woman,
12:06he doesn't leave his house at 3 a.m. because she called.
12:09He doesn't buy her a home and put her name on the deed,
12:12and she certainly doesn't let her carry his child.
12:16Dominic, you can lie to me.
12:18You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to the facts.
12:22Everything you did for Vivian tells me and tells everyone that you love her.
12:28You're the Don.
12:29You control everything,
12:30but you don't get to control whether I stay or go.
12:33That's not Serena.
12:36I was just, I only...
12:40Sign the papers, Dominic.
12:41There's nothing left to say.
12:44His head snapped up,
12:45and in his eyes,
12:46I saw a kind of panic I'd never seen before.
12:51Serena?
12:52Dad.
12:53Mom.
12:55You've said what you came to say.
12:56Now get out!
12:58No.
12:58Serena, give me one more chance.
13:01Get out!
13:03You're not welcome here.
13:05Dominic didn't move.
13:07He stared at me, unblinking.
13:08Dominic was finally pushed out of the room.
13:13I looked away,
13:14blocked him on every platform and phone number,
13:17and sent Helena a single message.
13:19Please, have your son sign the papers.
13:21It'll free up a spot for the woman he actually wants to protect.
13:27A few days later,
13:28when I went downstairs for a walk,
13:29I found Dominic outside the building entrance.
13:31He was leaning against a black sedan.
13:33No bodyguards.
13:34No driver.
13:35The moment he saw me come out,
13:37he straightened and took a few steps in my direction.
13:45Serena.
13:48His voice was wrecked.
13:50How are you feeling?
13:52Any better?
13:52I was carrying a bag of fruit.
13:55My tone was distant.
13:57Much better.
13:58If there's nothing else,
13:59I'm heading back up.
14:00He reached out to stop me.
14:02Carefully.
14:03Tentatively.
14:03Same design Dominic and I had created together for our wedding band.
14:07No matter what happens,
14:07I'll never take it off.
14:09But I also hadn't forgotten what he'd said to me later.
14:11Viv gets upset when she sees my wedding ring.
14:14It reminds her of Lucien.
14:16Why can't you be more considerate of other people's feelings?
14:18I glanced instinctively at my own left ring finger.
14:22I pushed the box back toward him.
14:23The rings are new.
14:25But what's broken can't be fixed.
14:29After a few seconds of silence,
14:31he erupted.
14:32Serena,
14:33why can't you cut me off some slack just once?
14:35You're the one who didn't tell me about the pregnancy.
14:37If you had just said something,
14:38I never would have walked away at the hospital that day.
14:40I've explained the situation with Vivian.
14:41I don't love her.
14:42I was only looking after her for Lucien,
14:44helping her fulfill a wish.
14:46Why can't you understand that?
14:47At the hospital that day,
14:49your exact words were,
14:51no matter what,
14:53you would not leave her.
14:55The anger froze on his face.
14:57If you won't sign the papers,
14:59then stop coming to find me.
15:01No.
15:02I don't want to see you again.
15:04I turned and walked straight back through the building entrance.
15:06Serena?
15:10But that night,
15:11I received a text from Vivian.
15:13Tomorrow,
15:14a cafe,
15:15I have something to say.
15:19There you are.
15:22Serena,
15:23since things have come this far,
15:24I'm not going to beat around the brush.
15:27Dominic loves me.
15:28Just sign the divorce papers
15:30and stop holding us up.
15:31I think you have it backwards.
15:33The one who won't agree to the divorce is Dominic.
15:36Not me.
15:37That's impossible.
15:38I'm carrying his child.
15:40Why would he not want me?
15:41You must be the one clinging to him,
15:43refusing to let go.
15:44I didn't respond.
15:45The silence seemed to infuriate her.
15:47I bet you don't know yet.
15:49This baby wasn't conceived the way Dominic told you.
15:52No providing a sample.
15:53No artificial insermination.
15:57Dominic and I slept together.
15:59More than once.
16:00The air went still for a beat.
16:02Is that so?
16:09Dominic and I slept together.
16:11More than once.
16:12The air went still for a beat.
16:14Is that so?
16:22I stood.
16:23I picked up the still, half-full Americana
16:26and threw it squarely in her face.
16:29You're insane!
16:31Viviana,
16:32you should be grateful you're pregnant right now.
16:36I grabbed my bag and walked out.
16:38After leaving the cafe,
16:41I went straight to the law office
16:43and handed the voice recorder I'd been carrying to my attorney.
16:50Three days later,
16:51at the hearing,
16:52the old men poured over the evidence.
16:54Finally,
16:55one of them struck the gavel.
16:57Some frowned.
16:58Some gazed thin,
16:59knowing smiles.
17:00By ruling of the family joint council,
17:02the infidelity is substantiated.
17:04The marriage of Dominic Valeto and Serena Valeto
17:06shall be automatically dissolved in one month.
17:08Dominic's shoulders collapsed.
17:11And walking out through the council hall doors,
17:14Dominic was standing at the bottom of the steps.
17:16Serena,
17:19do you hate me that much?
17:21You really won't leave any room at all.
17:23I took out my phone,
17:24pulled up the recording,
17:25and pressed play.
17:26Vivian's voice poured from me.
17:28Dominic and I slept together,
17:29more than once.
17:31I can explain.
17:32That day,
17:32I helped her move some things back to her place
17:33and she said she wanted to cook dinner to thank me.
17:35We had some wine and then,
17:36and I don't know how it just...
17:38Dominic.
17:39Lucien took a bullet for you
17:40and you turned around
17:41and took care of his wife
17:42all the way into her bed.
17:45If he could crawl out of that grave,
17:48the first person he'd put down is you.
17:51Serena,
17:52but I only love you.
17:53It was only that one time with her.
17:55I don't need love that cheap.
17:58Perhaps out of guilt,
18:00Dominic transferred a substantial sum
18:02into my account during the divorce proceedings.
18:04I accepted every cent.
18:07It was enough to live comfortably
18:08for a long time,
18:10so I bought a one-way ticket to Barcelona
18:12and set off traveling alone.
18:20From Las Ramblas
18:22to the Charles Bridge in Prague.
18:27From the black sand beaches of Iceland
18:29to a stargazing camp in New Zealand.
18:32At every stop,
18:34I mailed my parents a postcard
18:36and logged my experiences on a blog.
18:38When I came home after a long stretch of travel,
18:41Mom eagerly filled me in over dinner
18:43on the aftermath of Dominic and Vivienne.
18:44Do you know what happened to Dominic
18:46and Vivianian later?
18:49After our divorce,
18:50Vivienne,
18:51belly and all,
18:51staged a coup.
18:52Dominic refused to marry her.
18:54He said he'd only ever looked after her
18:55out of guilt toward Lucien,
18:56that there had never been any real feeling.
18:58Vivienne dropped every pretense
19:00and weaponized the baby.
19:01Marry her,
19:02or she'd get an abortion.
19:03Helena,
19:04desperate for an heir,
19:05couldn't stomach that kind of threat.
19:06She strong-armed Dominic into a wedding,
19:09but married life was nothing
19:10like what Vivienne had envisioned.
19:11Dominic was glacially cold to her.
19:13He never came back to the estate,
19:15never ate dinner with her,
19:16wouldn't even sit at the same table.
19:17He shut himself in his downtown apartment to work,
19:19the way he used to shut me out.
19:21No,
19:21worse than he'd ever been with me.
19:23Vivienne had no sense of security.
19:24She probably understood better than anyone
19:26how she'd clawed her way to the top.
19:28And that made her all the more paranoid.
19:30When Dominic didn't come home,
19:31she'd hunt him down at the office,
19:33making scenes in the lobby,
19:34demanding he come back with her.
19:37She started crashing business functions.
19:39There was one occasion
19:40when Dominic was at a critical juncture
19:42in a joint deal with several other families,
19:44and Vivienne somehow got hold
19:46of the restaurant address.
19:47She burst into the private dining room
19:50and demanded to know why
19:51he hadn't answered his phone.
19:56Every person at that table
19:58was a power player
19:59from one of the branch families.
20:00For the Don's wife
20:01to throw a tantrum in that setting,
20:03loss of face doesn't begin to cover it.
20:05The deal nearly fell apart.
20:06Afterward,
20:07the straw that finally broke everything
20:09came a month later.
20:10Dominic was out at an evening function
20:12and hadn't come home.
20:13Vivienne tracked him to the venue.
20:15She spotted a young woman
20:16seated beside Dominic,
20:17pouring his wine.
20:18Nothing more than a liaison
20:20from the other party's PR team.
20:21She stormed over
20:22and slapped the woman across the face.
20:24The kind of people who circulate
20:25in those rooms
20:26are not the kind you provoke.
20:27The woman hit back immediately.
20:29In the scuffle,
20:30Vivienne's belly struck the edge of a table.
20:32The child was rushed to the ICU,
20:34put on a ventilator,
20:35a tiny life bristling with tubes,
20:37fighting inside an incubator
20:38for nearly three weeks.
20:40In the end,
20:40the baby didn't make it.
20:43With the child gone,
20:44Dominic initiated
20:45the joint council's arbitration
20:47that very same day.
20:48On the grounds that Vivienne
20:49had gravely damaged
20:50the family's reputation
20:52and commercial interests,
20:53the marriage
20:54was forcibly dissolved.
20:56Vivienne must have known
20:56it was over.
20:57She took a severance payout
20:58and vanished from the city.
21:00Helena was now back
21:01to working every connection she had,
21:04scouting for a new daughter-in-law.
21:05But the Valenti circus
21:06of the past two years
21:08had already made the rounds
21:09through every drawing room
21:10in their circle.
21:13Serves him right.
21:15If he'd treated you
21:16the way he should have,
21:17would any of this have happened?
21:18I smiled,
21:19but offered no comment.
21:20They had nothing to do
21:21with me anymore.
21:21I went back to packing my bags.
21:23The ticket for my next trip
21:24was already booked.
21:27Go on, then.
21:29Send me lots of pretty photos.
21:32I zipped my backpack shut,
21:34stood up,
21:35and flashed her an OK sign.
21:37Don't worry.
21:38I thought my life was finally
21:40about to settle
21:41into real peace and quiet.
21:43What I didn't expect
21:44was to run into Dominic
21:45one more time
21:46before I left.
21:47When he appeared,
21:48I flinched.
21:49His face was ashen,
21:51his hair a mess,
21:52nothing like the commanding
21:53dawn he'd once been.
21:55Serena, Vivian, and I
21:56are divorced.
21:57The baby's gone, too.
21:59And?
21:59It was the baby
22:00that bothered you, wasn't it?
22:01The baby's gone now.
22:02We can start over.
22:05Dominic, there is
22:06no starting over.
22:08We're done.
22:11No.
22:12Serena, you loved me
22:13so much once.
22:15I know it was all
22:16because of Viviana
22:16and the baby
22:17that you left me.
22:18There's nothing standing
22:18between us anymore.
22:20Give me one more chance.
22:21I'll love you
22:22right this time.
22:23better than before.
22:24He grabbed my hand,
22:25practically begging.
22:27But Dominic,
22:28I don't love you anymore.
22:30It's over.
22:32Move forward.
22:34He shook his head,
22:35unable to believe
22:36what he was hearing.
22:37In the end,
22:38he walked away
22:39with red-rimmed eyes.
22:40Serena doesn't love me anymore.
22:42Doesn't love me.
22:43So utterly wrecked,
22:44he almost looked pitiable.
22:45I watched his unsteady figure
22:47retreat into the distance.
22:48The once untouchable godfather,
22:50reduced to this.
22:51When I boarded the flight
22:53to Copenhagen,
22:54I slid open the window shade.
22:56Outside,
22:57the morning sky
22:58was on fire with dawn.
23:00Blazing.
23:01Breathtaking.
23:01I was moving forward,
23:02and I wouldn't look back.
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