I sat on the couch in the living room of a house completely foreign to me. Being blind, I relied on familiarity. Here, I didn’t know my surroundings and was likely to fall or injure myself running into things. At least Dante hired a maid for me. Certainly unexpected. I supposed I should be grateful. She introduced herself as Jessica, then asked if she could get me anything?
“Nothing right now. Thank you,” I said.
“All right, ma'am. Call if you need anything.” Her footsteps faded away.
“Is this not worse than death?” I whispered, staring into my black world. I would've considered suicide if I wasn't pregnant. Tears found their way down my cheeks once again as a memory encroached.
“Sweetheart, meet Olivia. She’s a nice girl. You should employ her as your secretary.” That was the day that changed my life forever, the first day I set my eyes on Dante, the monster.
Before that, I worked many jobs to fend for myself and pay my way through college while picturing a better life for myself. With determination, I set my mind to getting a sound education. If given a chance, I’d pursue a career and have a fulfilling life like everyone else.
Then everything happened so fast when I met Dante's grandma, Madam Patricia. She helped me get a job at Dante's company as his secretary, which was great—until I allowed myself to drown in an ocean of love. It was love at first sight for me, too, and I didn't hold back in confessing my feelings. At first, he rejected me. But when an opportunity presented itself, I made use of it.
Dante had told me his mother needed a cornea transplant and agreed to marry me if I would be her donor. He promised to get the best doctor and assured me I had nothing to worry about. I couldn't stand to see the man I was madly in love with in pain. So he played the pity card on me, and I took the bait. Trusting him, that was where and when it all began.
His mother was horrible about it, too. “You can pay her off,” she told Dante. “Why would you marry her because she was my donor? That’s what desperate people do for money. I don't want you to marry such a classless girl.” She said those awful words in front of me, and they broke my heart into pieces. Still, I was blinded by my love for Dante, and I would endure anything to be with him. So I had my chance, and I chose my own fate. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't make that mistake again.
My body shook slightly as I rose from the couch and held my walking stick firmly. Although I didn't know my way in my new surroundings, I wanted to get fresh air and clear my head. Sadly, I soon tripped over something and fell on my butt. I yelped loudly as a sharp pain tore through my abdomen.
I heard the scurrying of hurried footsteps followed by a gasp. “Ma'am, are you okay?” Jessica asked. Then she exclaimed, “You’re bleeding!” in a panic.
“B-bleeding?” Fear gripped me. No! I couldn’t lose my child. He was all I had now.
“What do I do?” Jessica held my hand and helped me to my feet. “Should I take you to the hospital?”
I felt so weak and could barely stand on my own, so we fell back to the ground with her on top of me. The pain grew even worse.
She struggled to move off me. “I can't carry you, ma'am. What should I do?” she asked in a tear-filled voice.
I didn't want to call Dante. He probably wouldn’t even show up. But what choice did I have? I hoped he’d come to my aid this once. “Call my husband, please,” I said, wanting to bite my tongue for still referring to him as such. He didn't deserve that title.
“Yes... Yes, I should call him.” She left and returned a few moments later. “Ma'am, he's not answering my calls,” she said, sounding terrified yet again.
“Dial his number and give me the phone.” I held out a shaky hand, and she dropped the phone into it a few seconds later. My hand trembled as I held the phone to my ear, praying he’d take the call.
My prayer was answered when the phone vibrated briefly, but I couldn’t help but scowl when Emily’s voice met my ear. “Who is this, and why the hell are you disturbing us?” she snapped.
With a sting in my heart, I clenched the phone and gritted my teeth. Tears brimmed in my eyes. The pain in my abdomen was nothing compared to the one in my heart.
“Are you going to say something? Hello?”
I opened my mouth to talk, but words failed me. Instead, I cried my eyes out as I dropped the phone.
“Ma'am... ma'am, are you okay? Ma'am?”
Too weak to respond, I slumped to the floor, wondering if I was going to die. Is it over for me now?
Everything went black.
Sometime later, mechanical beeping and the smell of drugs welcomed me as I forced my eyes open. Though what did it matter? It wasn’t like I could see.
“Where am I?” I asked. I tried to sit up on the bed, but weakness had me laying back down. Fear gripped me when I touched my stomach and didn't feel the presence of my baby. “Where is my baby? What’s going on? Where is my baby?” I cried in a panic. Mustering every ounce of strength, I forced myself to sit up in the bed.
Just then, I heard the door open, followed by thick footsteps and Dante’s familiar cologne. “Dante, you’re here? What’s going on?” Fear and excitement filled me because he came to see me. But he didn’t answer me. “Why aren’t you saying anything, Dante?” His continued silence had me panicking again. I peppered him with questions: Where are you? Where’s our baby? Have you come to take me home? What’s going on?
Finally, he spoke. “Sorry about your loss,” he said in the most nonchalant manner, like it meant nothing to him.
“What?” My lips trembled and my heart pounded hard.
“You lost the child, Olivia. I'm sorry about that,” he said with absolutely no sorrow or sympathy.
My world crumbled. I opened my mouth, but closed it. What could I say?
“It was a boy,” Dante added. “I’ve already instructed the doctor to dispose of him, so you have nothing to worry about.”
Sheer strength of will had me rising from the bed, despite my weakened state. “Are you even human?” I snapped, my voice cracking. My eyes welled. “You… you’re a monster. You don't deserve to be called human. You don't deserve to live among—”
“Don’t insult me. This wasn’t my fault. So why don’t you just cut the crap.”
How could I have been so blind as to have fallen for someone like him? “I hate you,” I yelled. “You’re the worst mistake I ever made!”
“Oh, please. Don’t try to make me out to be the bad guy when all of this was your doing. You’re the one who insisted we marry just because you helped my mom. You chose this fate for yourself, so you only have yourself to be blame!” he snarled.
I bit my lip as the first of my tears fell.
“You should be grateful, not throwing insults at me. I'm doing my best to comfort you. The least you could do is fucking respect that.”
His words broke the last piece of my heart into shreds. I was hoping he'd feel guilty, but I had expected too much from him.
“We’re even now,” he said. “Not that I ever wanted to marry you in the first place. Anyway...”
His footsteps sounded and then grew louder until I felt his presence in front of me. “I’ll give you thirty million dollars. That'll be enough to start a new life, yeah? That'll make up for everything,” he whispered against my ear. “I’ll send the money to you later. But I've already paid the hospital bill, so you can leave here whenever you like. Don't call me or ever let me see your face again. Good luck with your life.”
His footsteps turned and then faded. Then my heart jumped when he slammed the door.
