Ican’t let this go on.
“Are you sure about this, sir?” Jason, my lawyer, asks as he finalizes the annulment and the transfer of properties papers.
“Yes, I’m sure. Do your fucking job.”
I’ll tell her everything tonight. Bare my soul to her and then give her the choice. She can walk away with everything, and I’ll her go. For real. Or she canchooseto be with me. Even if I don’t deserve her.
“Everything is done and laid out on the table for you, sir. Do you need anything else?”
“No. You can leave.”
His steps ring out against the marble. The early morning light peeks through the living room curtains. The staff have been sent home for the week, with full pay. It’s just me and her left here.
It’s not long before the sound of her heels echoes down the hall. She pauses at the entrance of the room, unsure whether to step in or not.
“Sit down, Mara.”
“I don’t?—”
“Sit. Down. You will listen, and then you can decide what you want to do. The choice will be yours.”
There’s a beat of silence before the scrape of the chair against the floor sounds in the room.
“You may think that I married you because I want to control you or possess you, but in truth it’s a lot more pathetic than that.”
She doesn’t stop me, so I continue.
“You called me a coward last night. And to be truthful, I agree. I was—am—a coward. I was raised by monsters to be a monster. I didn’t push you away purely because I was scared of feeling emotions. Yes, that was one of the reasons, but not the only reason.”
My chest constricts, and I have to fight myself to see this through to the end.
“My mother wasn’t always a monster.”
Mara inhales sharply at the mention of Helen.
“My father, on the other hand, was. At least to my knowledge. I will tell you this, but once the words are out, you cannot tell Romiro.” When she doesn’t say anything, I say, “I need you to promise.”
“I promise no other soul will hear what you will say.” The words are soft, small, almost as if she’s trying to reassure a feral dog.
“Romiro and I were a product of…rape. Helen used to throw that fact in my face every day of our lives. Romiro probably repressed the memory because he was too young to remember. The night he was conceived, my fath—my sperm donor—made me watch as he brutalized her. She bled for fifteen hours after the fact.”
“That’s enough,” Mara says, her voice broken.
I turn sharply to look at her. Her face is a mess, her eyes red-rimmed and tears falling down her cheeks.
“I don’t want to hear the rest please.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”
I rush toward her, pushing her face into my chest. This is fucking painful. She wraps her arms around me, pulling me close.
“I know you didn’t. I know,” she says as she continues to sob.
“I didn’t marry you to control you. I married you because I love you. Because I can’t imagine a day without you. But if you decide you can no longer be with me, then I will let you go.” I pull the papers from the other end of the table and place them in front of her.
She eyes them, pain flashing in her eyes. “What are those, Nicolo?”
Her gaze lifts to mine when I don’t answer her.
