Marcella was notably quiet, not eating, not drinking.
A lull settled over the table, which Stella sensed immediately. ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked Marcella. ‘Hey?’ She shook her arm, trying to rouse her from her trance.
Marcella couldn’t answer, casting a worried look across to Carlotta, who chewed the inside of her cheek. Both dropped their heads, unable to make eye contact with Stella.
‘Ok. What’s going on here? You’re both acting really weird and it’s starting to freak me out.’
‘You tell her. I can’t.’ With tears welling in her eyes, Marcella shook her head.
Taking a deep breath, Carlotta began, ‘Stella, we’ve brought you here for a reason.’
Eyes darting between her friends, Stella was only more worried. ‘Whatreason?’
Carlotta took Stella’s right hand and moved closer to her. ‘Cara, we need to tell you something. About Vincent.’ She glanced across at Marcella, who was wiping tears from her eyes. ‘It’s big.’
‘Oh God. Is he ok? Has something happened to him?’ Mind racing, she couldn’t help but remember her failed attempts at contacting him that morning. A cold sweat rose to the surface of her skin.
‘No, it’s nothing like that,’ continued Carlotta. ‘It’s actually something he’sdone.’
Stella apprehensively pulled away from Carlotta’s hold. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Vincent has been lying to you, Stella.’
Upon hearing this, Stella’s eyes snapped across to Marcella. ‘Not this again!’
Carlotta’s tone tightened. ‘Just stop and listen. Please, Stella. Marcella has suspected for a while now that something has been . . . off. That . . . perhaps . . . he has been seeing other women.’
Stella, upon hearing this, laughed at the stupidity. ‘You can’t be serious. Vincent wouldn’t cheat on me. We care very much for each other. We bloody live together! And not that it should matter, buthe’sbeen cheated on and it broke him in two!’ Stella turned to face Marcella. ‘We’ve already dealt with this, Marcella. Please, stop it.’
On a deep exhale, Marcella said, ‘I worked that shift in Monti the other day. For Claudio. Remember? I passed a bar on the way home and saw someone sitting in the front window – someone who looked just like Vincent – kissing a woman.’
‘This is Italy. Someone isalwayskissing someone. This is ridiculous.’ Indignant, Stella stood and made to gather her belongings. She had heard enough.
‘When I got home that night, Vincent still wasn’t home. A “damage control press conference”, remember? You told me yourself.’
‘Stella, you need to believe what we are telling you.’ Carlotta rose to her feet to coax her back to the table. ‘Vincent has been cheating on you with many women. Myself included.’
Throwing her hands up in the air, Stella was now irate. ‘What the hell is going on here?’ Red-faced and shaky, she turned to face Carlotta, ‘What do you mean? Have you slept with him? You haven’t even met him for God’s sake!’
‘Actually, I did meet him . . . twice. But Vincent,cara mia, didn’t meetme. He met “Elisabetta”.’ Carlotta gestured for Marcella to explain.
‘Stellina, I asked Carlotta to help me set up Vincent, to see if he really was lying. Or was at least the cheating type. I couldn’t guarantee that the man kissing the woman in the window was Vincent. And to be completely honest, I couldn’t understand why he always worked late with his colleague Pietro. We have never met him! Does he even exist?’
‘Just because Federico cheated on you, Marcella, that doesn’t mean that everyone else’s boyfriends are capable of the same thing.’ Her repeated snip was cruel.
Evidently bruised by this comment, Marcella swallowed her pride. ‘You’re upset. You don’t mean that. Stellina, listen to me. I pretended to arrange a coffee date with Vincent yesterday. I didn’t go.No,no. I sent Carlotta. I wanted to see if she might catch his attention, distract him. And . . . it worked.’
‘Yes, it’s all true, Stella. Vincent flirted with me. Well, with “Elisabetta”. He took my number and later messaged, wanting to go to dinner.’
Stella was pale, caught between shock and horror. She could neither process nor fully comprehend what she was hearing.
Carlotta continued, ‘Well, Marcella arranged a catch-up for us at Giacomino’s bar last night, and he caught Vincent in the act.Mi dispiace tantissimo,cara. I’m so sorry.’
Pursing her lips, Marcella added, ‘There’s more.’ Bracing herself, she took Carlotta’s phone and refreshed the screen.
The audio of Giacomino’s recorded video filled the apartment. The swiftness of Vincent’s betrayal slapped Stella across the face then stabbed her through the heart. As his unmistakable voice bounced off the walls, Stella crumbled inside. Closing her eyes, she sat down at the table, unable to look at the screen. The end of the recording left nothing but deafening silence; a silence so profound that Stella thought she could hear her own heart beating.
Marcella, who had wrapped her arms around Stella, held her tightly.
