Betrayed at the Altar, I Married a Powerful Rival novel · Chapter 18 of 24
Chapter 18: Orange Juice
I looked at the cup, and then I looked at the woman holding it.
Her hand was steady, and both of mine were free.
"No, thank you," I said.
"Gianna, it's only water."
"Then you drink it first."
Her smile stayed on her face and began to crack at the edges.
"I'm not thirsty."
"Neither am I."
She took a step closer, and I saw her shoes.
They were white satin with a row of tiny hand stitches along the seam.
Dario had pricked his fingers on every one of them when he was twenty.
She was wearing my wedding shoes to a prenatal clinic.
"You kept them," I said.
"They're mine." She lifted her chin. "He put them on my feet. Everyone saw."
"Everyone saw."
"Drink it, Gianna, or I'll scream that you hit me."
"Then scream."
She stared at me.
I took the cup out of her hand, gently.
Her mouth opened to say something, and I tipped the cup and poured it slowly over her white satin toes.
The water ran down the stitching and beaded on the satin.
A film of white powder streaked across the left shoe, easy to see.
"Look down," I said.
She did.
"Nurse!" I called, and my voice rang in the little room. "Doctor! Come in here, please!"
Feet came down the corridor at a run.
The nurse reached the door first, with the doctor behind her, and behind the doctor came two capos' wives who had left their chairs the second they heard me.
Federico came last, pushing through them, with Paola's canvas bag in his hand.
Keep reading free with an account. Start Betrayed at the Altar, I Married a Powerful Rival from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.
← Chapter 17 · All chapters · Chapter 19 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend