Isabella’s POV
I strode over to Rosa, ready to slap her one last time. Vincent rushed forward, his hands stopping me. “What are you doing?”
“It’s my fault, Vincent. Mrs. Falcone has every right to be angry with me. First, I asked you to come to the pregnancy check-up with me, then I moved in here.” Rosa put on that innocent act again. “It’s all my fault. I should just leave. I really shouldn’t have come today.”
Fine, then leave. The thought crossed my mind.
To my surprise, Vincent—who had been trying to stop me from slapping Rosa—spoke up. “I agree. You should leave, Rosa. I’m not going to force my wife out of here.”
I was stunned. After everything, I expected him to yell at me, to tell me to leave.
Rosa was taken aback too, but in the next breath, she managed to shed a few tears, pleading, “Ow, my stomach hurts so badly. Is the baby angry with me?”
Once again, I watched as Vincent’s serious expression faltered. He softened—for her. His hand hovered over her stomach, like she was the most delicate thing in the world. It made my blood boil.
The way he always crumbled when she played the victim card made my stomach turn.
“Vincent,” I said through clenched jaws, “You can’t possibly believe her, right?”
But he didn’t look at me, his attention entirely focused on Rosa.”She’s in pain,” he said, his voice gentle, like the words were meant for her, and only her. “Let’s not make things worse.”
And so, Rosa stayed. My room became hers, and I was told to move to the first floor, the small room next to the nanny.
Vincent tried to reassure me, saying, “It’s only until her stomach calms down. I’ll make sure you’re back in your room before you even notice, okay?”
Once again, I was told to wait.
But what Vincent didn’t realize was that I no longer wanted this baby.
A child born without a father by their side, without a family to love and care for them—there was no reason for that life to come into this world.
There was no need for another soul to suffer in this house.
…
After that dramatic move-in day, Rosa settled in, but I never saw her. It was like nothing had changed.
While she was probably enjoying her new space, I was focused on figuring out how to make contact with the outside world. Vincent still hadn’t returned my phone.
I even tried bargaining with Rosa, telling her that if she helped me, I would leave this place for good—meaning Vincent all to herself.
But all she did was look at me with pure dispise.
