"No. I'm speaking from books. You know, reading. You should try it sometime." I turn my back to leave, but their words still reach my ears.
"Riiiiding," Maria mimics my pronunciation, mocking my accent. "I'm sure she's been riiiiding enough animals to know." I shake my head, leaving them behind to continue their ridicule. It's not as if I expected anything better.
But seeing how beautiful Gianna is, I simply can't fathom how Enzo could have ever thought to marry me over her, even with that danger looming over his head. She's just…stunning.
The urge to bury my head in the sand is almost overwhelming, and I block everything out, my only goal to make it out of the ballroom. But as I put one foot in front of the other, I hear a snap.
I stop, horrified. My hands go immediately to my butt, and I feel the tear along the seam.
No!
My eyes roam wildly around the room, wishing no one would notice. Then, I hurry toward the nearest restroom, hoping I can fix this somehow.
In the bathroom stall, I take off the dress and assess the damage. The tear is so deep that it doesn't seem like just a fluke.
I'm not that big…
No, the dress fit my body perfectly. There's no way I could have strained it until it popped.
Lucia!
"Damn it all!" I grit my teeth in frustration. This was one humiliation too many for one day.
I exit the stall, intent on going back to my room, when I bump into Gianna.
She looks me up and down, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
"Do you really think you can please him?" she asks me, the coy attitude from before all but gone. "Do you think you can keep up with his… appetites?" She smirks, the implication clear. "He's going to get bored with you quickly, and guess where he'll come? It wouldn't be the first time."
Taking a step forward, she gets too far into my personal space, and it makes me uncomfortable. She wants to intimidate me—the poor village girl with the funky accent and gaudy dress. I'm the highlight of the show for them tonight, and I have no doubt that I'll continue to be the butt of their jokes for weeks to come.
"Really?" I drawl, the need to gain the upper hand eating at me. I move closer, my face barely hovering above hers. "Why don't you join us then? I'm sure Enzo wouldn't mind, and I can watch… and learn." I lean into her, taking a strand of hair between my fingers, trying to imitate Enzo's suave flirtation.
"Wh-what do you mean?" she stumbles over her words, her eyes widening.
"If you're so good, maybe I should try you for myself, no?"No sooner are the words out of my mouth than she pushes me away, running out of the bathroom.
Alone, at last, I collapse on the tiled floor, my breath ragged. I draw my knees to my chest and burrow my head between them.
"Why me?" I ask softly, addressing the question to no one in particular, and to everyone.
What did I ever do to deserve so much hate?
It'slate at night when I feel Enzo sliding into bed next to me, keeping to his side so we're not touching. Mustering all the courage I can, I start talking.
"I don't expect you to be faithful to me," I say, taking a deep breath. "I know marriages for people like us aren't built on fidelity and love. But all I ask is that you don't embarrass me. Don't let me see, hear, or smell them. You can fuck whoever you want. Ireallydon't care. Just let me keep my dignity." After today, I don't even know if I have that anymore.
But it's the one thing I'm willing to hold on to. I'm going to be fine, even if it kills me. It's a vow I made to myself and one that I will honor.
He doesn't speak for a moment.
"You really don't care?" he asks softly, his voice barely audible.
"I don't," I lie.
"Fine," he agrees, and for some reason, that one word causes a dull ache in my heart. "Not that I needed your approval, but thank you. I'll be able to conduct my affairs with my mind at peace now," he adds dryly.
"Good. Then I trust you won't bother me," I reply, tugging the duvet up my body and nestling inside its warmth.
