Chapter 3

Gina Died.

 These words seemed like the perfect remedy to drive Giovanna insane for good. She put both hands on her head and felt like it wasn’t real. A young girl, who had dreams, was gone.  And it was all her fault and her inability to face her husband. 

 If I had just been a little bit brave one more time, Gina would still be alive. 

 The memories of two days ago, when he said goodbye to Nicholas, invaded his mind. The immeasurable pain, the loss of a man who had saved him, still destroyed his heart. Now they mingled with the pain of losing his sister.

 "What was so important that you couldn’t save Gina? Irma, now with the smudged makeup, held Giovanna’s blouse tightly, but the terror was in her eyes, "Why do you run away when people need you most?"

Like the pain kept her quiet, she couldn’t say anything else. Irma was still screaming, but she wasn’t the only one to feel that way. 

 "Since you were born you have brought nothing but misfortunes into my life," he shouted once again. Irma ran over the words demonstrating that no longer reason right.

 Giovanna looked at her for the last time and turned her back leaving the hospital. At that time, already breathing the fresh air and watching the movement of the avenue just in front of her, she thought it would be good if that car had hit her that morning. It would be less painful than all the events that followed. 

 She couldn’t remember how she got to the car so quickly. She maneuvered the vehicle towards the road. Her world was blurred by tears. When she finally arrived at the mansion, she looked through the rearview mirror and contained a hiccup as the image of Gina, so full of life, increased in her memories. He got out of the car with difficulty, as if carrying the world on his back. The mansion was silent, only the servants did the daily services. He went upstairs and as soon as he entered the room, the pain gained immeasurable dimensions, making Giovana scream so much, that his despair echoed throughout the mansion. 

 Half an hour later, he went to the bathroom. The jet of strong water struck his skin as a punishment. When he finally came out of the bath, he put on some clothes and started to store all the others in his bag. He remembered that there was no more reason to stay there. Nicholas was gone, and as Antony himself had said, that marriage too. About that, she still couldn’t think straight, as if reality hadn’t knocked on her door. The pain of Gina’s death took up all the space and the guilt did not let her reason. 

However, even as her mind began to slow, Giovana realized that she was not ready to leave. Instead, he sat on the bed for the last time and watched the sun fade, hiding behind the mountain, letting the darkness spread gently through the room. He wondered if one day he would forgive himself for that failure that cost his sister her life.

 When he finally came down the stairs with his bags in his hands, he heard Antony’s voice coming from the office. He walked there, knowing the second voice that came from the environment. It was Ricardo, Antony’s friend.

 "Did you divorce her?" Ricardo spoke softly.

 Giovana took a peek and saw Antony leaning against the desk with a glass of wine in his hands, as if celebrating that moment.

 "My sister just passed away, and he’s celebrating?"

 She was disgusted to see him in such a position.

 "You know she’s a good wife. All she did was love you." Ricardo continued.

 Antony laughed, facing the man with irony.

 "I never wanted her love," he frowned and drank another long sip of wine, "I only submitted to this husband role to have my share in the inheritance.

 Giovana was immediately forced to stop listening. It was brutal to hear him say it out loud. Now he could understand that divorce had been a solution to half of his problems. As she walked out of the mansion, she wondered why she allowed herself to be so humiliated by Antony. For those three long years she had been treated as worthless. Antony despised her and all she did was obey him and love him.

"Where are you going, ma'am? Tania interrupted your journey, forcing Giovana to stop still at the door.

 "I am no longer your mistress," she replied, looking right into the governess’s eyes, "I am divorced from Antony.

 "Are you telling me you’re leaving?" There were tears in the woman’s eyes.

 "Don’t whine Tania", took two steps forward, hugging Tania, "tell your boss that I’ve vacated the mansion, and that Gina’s burial will be tomorrow. 

 After throwing the suitcase in the passenger seat, Giovana started the car, promising not to look back. Anyway, that part of his life was resolved. It was time to make new plans. To start over.

 Twenty minutes later, Tania entered the office, doing what Giovana had asked.

 "Gina died?" she asked urgently, her eyes wide and the astonishment of the news spread on her face.

 Antony picked up the phone and called Irma. He needed to understand what part of the story he got lost in.

 "Gina needed a blood transfusion and as the hospital blood bank was empty, only Giovana could donate the blood to her sister. But for some reason, Giovana left, and when he returned to the hospital it was too late.

 When the call was terminated, she sat carefully, her head throbbing, her stomach wrapped. Antony put the pieces together and came to a painful conclusion: he forced her to sign the divorce papers while Gina died in the hospital. That’s why Giovana said Gina needed her. 

 "I need to find Giovana," he said desperately.

 "Giovana is no longer in the mansion," Tania said, "she’s gone".

 His thoughts turned to Giovana, and he was invaded by a huge loneliness.