Thirty Years, One Mistake Chapter 02
I walked into Luca’s penthouse in a daze. My mom texted me: [So? Is Luca over the moon now that he knows you’re pregnant?]
I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept my voice calm. [Not yet. I just got here. Haven’t told him.]
The apartment door opened from outside. It was Luca, coming back.
Our eyes met. His flickered for a few seconds, then he recovered.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would’ve picked you up.”
I said flatly, “I wanted to surprise you.”
He smiled and ruffled my hair. “I hate to put you through that.”
“Flying must be exhausting. It’s just my birthday — you didn’t have to come all this way.”
Luca was about to say more when his phone rang.
He looked down to reply. I saw that familiar tenderness and patience in his eyes.
Then he looked apologetic. “I have a meeting with some other family heads tonight. I hate to leave you alone, darling.”
Before I could answer, he grabbed something from the closet.
I understood instantly. He’d come back to get that woman’s things.
This temporary apartment — I’d decorated it myself, bit by bit.
But the vase I’d spent half a day hunting down was gone. Even the couple photo on the fridge had disappeared.
A sharp, wet cold seeped through my rain soaked clothes and into my chest.
I stood up, grabbed my suitcase, and headed for the door.
Luca followed. “Are you mad?”
He put his arm around my shoulder. “The apartment’s a mess. I’ll book you a nice hotel nearby.”
“I promise I’ll spend all day with you tomorrow. Okay?”
He turned his head to kiss me, like always.
A strange citrus smell hit my nose. Her scent.
I turned my face away. Luca didn’t seem to notice. He couldn’t wait to leave.
By the elevator, someone whistled at me, his eyes crawling over me.
“How much? If he doesn’t want you, I’ll take you.”
“He’s got a girlfriend — I’ve seen her. You’re so beautiful. Why are you acting cheap?”
“All the neighbors know them. He won’t even let her walk. He’s carried her from the garage to the door. She looks so happy.”
He grabbed my waist and grinned, leaning in to kiss me.
I flipped him over my shoulder and slammed him on the ground. “Don’t touch me, you jerk.”
I left without looking back.
At the airport, I still couldn’t figure out why Luca had betrayed me again.
For the first two years of our marriage, I had nightmares constantly.
In the dreams, Luca was naked, tangled up with strange women.
I’d wake up crying.
He’d hold me and comfort me, over and over.
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
He changed every password to my birthday. He introduced me as his wife at every public event.
He reported every meeting, every person he saw.
Even when he had to stay away, he’d leave the video call on all night, falling asleep to the sound of my breathing.
We were both carefully rebuilding that trust.
So when did it start?
I vaguely remembered her name. I opened a social app and searched.
It took me less than a minute to find her — because her profile picture was taken in Luca’s office.
