Page 44 of Fight Me Little Pearl

I’d told him my fears about Vica this morning, and he’d assured me there was nothing to it. He lied and said he had not slept with another woman since I came into the picture, and like the fool, I believed it. I believed him. I actually believed him. I was ready to make this work. I’d managed to convince myselfthat he wasn’t like my father and that I was being too hard on him.

Turns out he’s a lying, cheating bastard!

Exactly like my father.

But what did I expect? I’d seen it happen before; why did I think it would be different with me? My father and Valentino are cut from the same cloth. Didn’t I once see my father bring one of his mistresses home to sleep with her on the same bed he shared with my mother? Men like that, like Valentino, have no loyalty. I felt so guilty, but I never told my mother because I didn’t want to hurt her. I just waited until she was gone then I changed the sheets so my mother wouldn’t have to sleep on the same sheets as the woman.

It was incredibly foolish of me to think Valentino would be loyal or faithful to me.

My body feels as heavy as stone as I slowly trudge up the stairs and return to our bedroom. As soon as I close the door, I lose the fight, and hot tears pour down my cheeks. I hate that I’m crying over Valentino, and the thought makes me sob harder. God, when did I let my guard down so low that Valentino could hurt me? The pain is unbearable.

I curl into a ball, feeling my heart beat like a wounded bird, and sob inconsolably. An hour later, when I’ve cried so many tears, my body is spent.

Nonna Fabiola’s words suddenly appear in my head. “Every moment is precious.”

No, this intolerable pain is not precious. I wipe my face with the toweling robe I had discarded earlier and run out of the room. Downstairs, I find one of the servants and tell her I want to be taken to Nonna Fabiola, but she tells me Nonna Fabiola has already returned to her home at the edge of Lake Garda.

My shoulders slump with disappointment. Where do I turn to? Who do I trust?

I leave the maid and walk outside. The sun is shining brightly. In the distance, I can see men working on the land. I take a deep breath and decide to go for a long, long walk. I’ll have to figure out how to go back to my uncaring old self. It’s high time I realize that this is a transactional marriage. Valentino married me because of the land he needed to complete his development, and now that he already has it, it must be such fun to have me eating out of his hand as well.

What a lovely game. A wife. A mistress. Oh no, no, not just one mistress. Any amount he wants.

I thought of Thomas. And this is why I would have been happier with a man like Thomas, a principled man who would never cheat on me. Even though he doesn’t give me butterflies or set my body on fire with a glance, at least he won’t hurt me.

At least, he can be trusted.

Chapter Twenty-One

FRANCESCA

Ireturn home later that night to a furious Valentino. He’s pacing the living room, and when he sees me he stops and looks me up and down, his eyes like daggers. I make for the stairs, ignoring him.

“What the fuck, Francesca?” he growls, coming after me. “You’re just going to walk past me like you don’t see me?”

“Good evening, husband,” I force cheerfulness into my voice.

“Good evening husband? Are you fucking with me?”

“Nope. You’re my husband and I’m wishing you a good evening.”

I sprint up the steps and hear him following me. As I reach the top of the stairs his hand grabs my arm and whirls me around. I smile manically at him. “Had fun today?”

“Where are you coming from?” he asks, a black scowl on his face. “And what the fuck are you wearing?”

“It’s called a dress,” I say innocently.

“I can see the outline of your breasts, Francesca.”

When I chose this dress, I knew the fabric was clingy and sexually suggestive, but I didn’t care then and don’t care now. “Relax, Boss. I just went for a walk.”

Valentino pinches his forehead and takes a deep breath, then raises his head. “Francesca, please, you cannot disappear without letting anyone know where you are. I was worried and-”

“Worried? Awwww…” I mock.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“You know what, you should let my enemies get to me. Then you’ll be free of me, have your precious piece of land, and you’ll be able to openly fuck as many women as you please.”

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