Page 37 of All is Not Lost

"Over?" He repeats the word like it's foreign, his voice a mere whisper at first. Then, as the reality of my declaration begins to pierce through his initial shock, his tone grows in volume, edged with disbelief. His brows come together, knitting into a frown that conveys both confusion and the beginnings of anger. "You can't just decide that on your own. We have so much history, Sophia. You're my wife?—"

"Ex-wife," I correct him, my heart pounding against my ribs, though my exterior remains composed. "And yes, I can decide that because it's my life, too. And I'm choosing to live it without you."

His face reddens, the color rising from his neck like mercury in a thermometer. "So, that's it then? You've made up your mind? After everything?" His voice crescendos with each question, filling the space between us with sound and fury, signifying the end of whatever fragile hope he might have harbored.

"Daniel," I say, softer now but no less resolute, "it's time we both moved on. For good."

"Fine, move on!" Daniel's voice cracks like a whip through the heavy air of his hotel room. His sandy hair seems to stand on end as if electrified by his turmoil. "But what about me, huh? How do you expect me just to let go?"

I swallow hard, my resolve steeling within me. "You should have thought about that before," I retort. My words are sharp, but my voice doesn't waver. Our history hangs between us, a tapestry frayed by betrayal.

"Before what? Before you decided to shut me out?" he fires back. The blue of his eyes hardens like the sea turning against the shore. "You think you're the only one hurting here? I come here… hoping, wanting us to be together again. And this is what I get?"

"Daniel, please—" I start, but he cuts me off with a bitter laugh.

"Please what, Sophia? Please forgive you for tearing everything apart?" His hands clench into fists at his sides, and I can see the muscle in his jaw twitch with barely restrained anger. “I come here… I traveled all this way to find you, and that’s all you can give me? We’re having a child together, for crying out loud.”

I take a deep breath, willing my racing heart to calm. It's time to end this, once and for all.

"No, Daniel. Please, listen." My voice grows firm, slicing through the tension. "The baby… it's not yours."

His face, red with fury, suddenly drains of color. "What did you say?" he whispers, the fight leaching from his stance.

"I went to the doctor, who confirmed that I am pregnant," I repeat, watching him closely. "But the child isn't yours. It can’t be. When it was conceived, I was here in Italy."

The mixture of disbelief and hurt that crosses his face is almost enough to break me. Almost. But then I remember the countless nights I spent alone, wondering where we went wrong and how he could do what he did, and my determination solidifies.

"Then who's—?" he starts, but I cut him off with a raised hand.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that I don't want you in my life anymore. Not now, not ever again."

Each word feels like a stone dropping into still water, ripples of finality spreading outward.

He opens his mouth, then closes it, lost in the gravity of my declaration. His shoulders slump, the fight evaporating as quickly as it arose.

Turning away from him, I feel the weight of our shared past trying to pull me back. But with every step I take toward the door, I can feel a new strength coursing through me. Relief floods my chest, mingling with the sadness that refuses to be left behind.

"Goodbye for good, Daniel," I say without looking back. The door clicks shut behind me, sealing away the echoes of what we once were.

And boy, it feels good.

As the hotel room door shuts with a soft click of finality and I exit the hotel, the clamor of the city rushes to greet me. I lean against the cool wall for a moment, feeling its solid presence at my back. My heart thuds heavily, a drumbeat of tumultuous emotions—grief for what I've just ended, and yet, an undeniable sprout of hope unfurling within me.

I push off the wall, my steps slow as I navigate what feels like a maze. With each footfall, the heavy cloak of my past relationship slips further from my shoulders, replaced by an invisible shawl of resolve. I draw a deep breath, letting the crisp air fill my lungs, trying to cleanse the remnants of the confrontation lingering in my system.

"Okay, Sophia," I whisper to myself. "You can do this."

My heart still carries the weight of what's been lost, but there's a lightness to my spirit that wasn't there before—a readiness to step forward into a new chapter.

I slip my hand over my not-yet-visible belly, a protective gesture. Inside, a new life is taking root—one that belongs to Giovanni and me. The thought brings a smile to my lips, the first genuine one in what feels like forever. It's as if a switch has been flipped, and the shadows cast by my doubts begin to lift.

"Alright, little one," I murmur, allowing myself a moment of sweet anticipation. "It's just you and me… and Giovanni. We're going to be okay."

The walk to Giovanni's place doesn't feel as long as it did before. The cobbled streets, once daunting mazes, now welcome me like old friends guiding me home. With each step, the pieces of my fractured heart find their way back together, knitting themselves into something stronger, something new.

As I approach his villa, my pulse quickens—not from fear or anxiety but from the thrill of what's to come. I pause at the entrance, gathering my courage. This is where the next chapter begins. This is where I choose love, hope, and a future filled with joy.

Taking another deep breath, I knock and then open the door. The familiar scent of fresh basil and tomatoes wafts through the air, a fragrant herald of the life Giovanni and I will build together. I can almost hear the laughter that will fill these rooms and see the love that will grow within these walls.

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