The pictures he showed me were not as bad as I thought. They cut deep though. They cut deep enough for me to know that I had been set up with a liar and a cheater. One who thought that he could use my kindness to his liking. I didn't want to be with him anymore. As soon as the papers came through, I would sign them with a smile and kick him out of the house.
The problem about the pictures was simple. They both looked so well together. They looked like the couple Luca and I pretended so hard to be. It hurt so much. It hurt so much to know that he never loved me. And to think that he had. To think that he was the man that was the father of two of my children.
The man who had another girl sitting on his lap. The man who wasn't worried about getting his picture taken when he wasn't with his wife. He would rather have one of his many whores standing by his side. Why did I fall for him? Why did I believe him when he claimed to love me but was with another?
I fell to the floor as Cameron watched in amusement. It must be nice to get married to someone you love. It must be nice to make others hurt. 'Cause it sure as heck wasn't nice to be a Thompson.
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"Luca, why the heck are you so late?" I complained as soon as he walked through the door.
"You were supposed to have been here two hours ago. Now you only have two hours to get dressed and help me check on everything. Where the heck were you?"
"None of your business," He spat and kept walking past me to the stairs. I grabbed his arm. He turned and I could smell the liquor on his breath. "What, woman?"
"I just...I just wanted to know where you had been. I really don't want to argue with you," I pleaded in a tiny voice. "I'm only worrying because I love you."
"Love me a little less, why don't you?" He growled. "I can't do anything without you breathing down my back wondering where I am."
"Lu--"
"I'm going to get dressed. I'm sure it's not going to take me three hours to get dressed."
I watched as he stomped upstairs. I swear if he wakes the children, I will be pissed. It took me a long time to get them to fall asleep. I cautiously followed him up. He was already pulling off his clothes and pulling on his Armani suit super slow. Was he really mad or teasing?
"I'm sorry." I threw my arms around his waist once he buttoned up his vest. "I'm really sorry."
"Woman, I am really getting tired of--" He exclaimed and threw up his arms a little. "...What are you sorry about?"
"Ialmostcheatedonyou," I sobbed. Who cared if his suit would be ruined?
It took him a couple seconds to decipher my confession. "It's fine. Don't worry ab--You did what?!" He pried my arms from around him.
"I almost--"
"I heard you the first time!"
Luca ran a hand over his face and glared down at me. If only the floor would open up and Satan would stab me with his pitchfork and drag me to Hell. All of this would be avoidable. Even though an eternal punishment would be worse than this, I would gladly be ready to fight off demons any day.
"Luca, I stopped myself. I was tempted, but I realized that I didn't want to add to the bad that is happening in our lives already."
"But you were going to," He argued. "You had that thought in your head to cheat on me?! How could you do such a--"
"What about Sha'Kayla?" I asked.
"What about her?"
"Someone informed me that you were at a bar together. Our favorite bar. That's why you were late. Of all people, you had to be with her."
"Don't change the subject now!" He stalked across the room to the closet to get his shoes. I hoped he tripped and hit his head on the dresser.
"I wasn't. I'm not just going to sit around any longer oblivious to the fact that my husband is out with some whore who can't control who she sleeps with."
"Whore?! Don't you dare call Sha'Kayla a whore!" He spun around. "Would you like it if I called you a whore? I'm sure you wouldn't. But the name suits you if you're going to go around hooking up with random men and getting pregnant."
My eyes widened in 85% anger, 5% disbelief, and 10% surprise.
"How could you be defending her right now?" I exclaimed. "Why can't I be my own person in our relationship? I'd rather you cheat on me with Sam than that...that thing you call a woman."
"And I'd rather you have cheated on me with Lewis than have a child with Asher!"
I covered my mouth, tears spilling from my eyes in waves. How much did he know? I had nothing on him. How long was he going to taint our marriage?
"Vincent--"
"Wow...so it is true?" He laughed and threw up his hands in astonishment. "Why keep it a secret for almost eleven years? Why?!"
"We--we weren't together then," I mumbled. "But we weren't talking about me. Just stop playing around with that whore."
"I made it clear to you that she's not a whore! It doesn't mean that I like her."
Luca made his way over to me and shook my shoulders. Like that was going to get me to talk and spill all my secrets. I was scared of him, but I was not to give him a reason to slap the divorce papers on me any faster. I threw his hands off me and took a step back.
"But I'm a whore if I have a child I didn't tell you about? You don't control me. You don't control what I did before I married you."
"I never said I did!"
"You didn't have to say it. I can tell you wanted to."
"What the actual heck," He mumbled.
I had had enough. He was acting like this was the end of the world. Everything he's done and I forgave him like it was an accident. He used me and if I even think about leaving him he pitches a fit. He cheated on me and if I even look at another man he threatens to kill me. I wanted this over. I wanted him to know that I was not the type of woman to just sit back and be oblivious to what he wanted.
I raised my fist and punched Luca square in the jaw. His face whipped to the left. His hand flew up to this jaw and caressed it for a moment. The look he gave me locked in all my fear. The fear that had gathered once I realized what I had done. I tried backing away to run, but he caught my arm and yanked me back into the room. He slammed the door and wrapped my hair around his hand.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are," He growled in my ear. It sent waves of shivers down my back. "But you can't just punch me and think it's going to fly. I really thought you would have learned from last time."
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"Next time...I won't stop," Luca growled. He buckled his belt, kicked me out of his way and left the room.
I was left bawling on the floor in pain. My dress was torn and bloody. I could tell that my face was swollen and no amount of makeup was going to cover it. My arms were weak from fighting him off for I don't know how long. For all I know, the gala could be in full swing. No one would hear me pleading.
Who would have thought that this would happen? I'd never struck Luca before. Never really had a reason to. He was always so kind. Mostly. Even then, he would never go violent in an argument. He's hit you more than you can count. My conscience rang out. Stop trying to defend this psychopath.
The door to the room creaked open. I tried to lower my cries to sniffles. It didn't work. It only made me cry harder. The door swung open and my dad stood there in all his powerful glory. His face was like a shield. Blocking any expression from revealing his reaction to me crying on the floor. All those years spent pampering me, preparing me for this marriage, was in vain.
"Who did this to you?" He growled. "Who the hell did this to you?!"
I tried to speak. Nothing came out. Not one sound. I guess he knew what I was trying to say.
"Lexi, gattino," He cooed and raced to my side. "Are you okay? Do you want me to kill that bastard?!"
"...I--I went too far. I want out, dad," I sobbed.
"Look. You can't back out now. It's almost over."
"No. He'll keep me as a plaything. I want out now."
Dad took me in his arms and hugged me. I cuddled against him and tried to be strong. I had a daughter who was probably scared. I had a son who didn't know why his mother was crying.
"You--you told me that it would be okay," I said. "He's probably gloating about his victory. He's probably going out to get a quickie with that pathetic excuse of a woman Sha'Kayla."
"You know what..." Dad struggled to get me into bed. "I'm going to get my wife up here to help you. You haven't met her yet, but she's a nice woman. She'll help you get ready for your gala. You'll look as good as new."
"No."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you deserve to look like the queen you are. She's a doctor, so she'll do a good job. I'll be right back."
I huffed in annoyance as he left the room. Ever since my marriage to Luca, he was always checking in on me. It was as if he knew that Luca was this abusive bipolar bastard, yet he set me up with him anyway. What kind of dad did that? I knew that I had been engaged to Luca for the longest. I tried so hard to do things that would make him hate me and not marry me.
You see now that it didn't work. He was a manipulative guy ever since he went out with Samantha. Ever since he met her. Had been trying to rule over my life before it even had a chance to start. That's why I kept secrets. That's why he never knew about Vincent until now. He couldn't do anything now. Everyone was going to find out that he was my son tonight. I'd make sure of that.
"He finally broke, didn't he?"
I looked at the door and sighed. This was his wife? She looked more like a freaking model. When was he ever interested in models?
"I'm Dr. Roberts, but you can call me Tasha," She said. "I'm worried about you. Did no one ever tell you how Luca was as a child?"
"I know how he was as a child," I snapped.
"Well, why didn't you stay away from him?"
"How could I when dad wanted me to marry the bastard? It's how the mafia works." I winced trying to sit up. "...If there had been any other way, I would have taken it. I wouldn't be in this situation right now."
"Somehow I think you would."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing, child. I'm not trying to say anything. No one can escape what God already has in store for them."
"You're one of them, aren't you?" I growled. "I should have known..."
"One of who?" She asked and shut the door. "Preacher? Dumb Christian who thinks she knows everything? I'm not trying to be that person, Lexi. I'm just saying it like it is. God has a path for us all and you can guess that yours was going to be with Luca one way or another."
I ground my teeth together and cursed her. In my head of course. This Tasha woman was getting on my nerves. She was someone I had tried to avoid in the past. Telling me what she thought I should know. If God had a path for us all, then how was I making my own decisions and failing at it horribly?
"I'm going to go get my first-aid kit out of the car. You stay here. If I see you out of bed, I will lock you in this room for the night."
"My house."
"Try me."