He Abandoned Me at Childbirth for His Mistress,Now I'm a Don's Wife

I was so angry I couldn't find the words. I wanted to run after them, shout a few things, but then I glanced at the time. My husband's flight had just landed at the private terminal. In the past, I had always been late picking him up, and I could still remember the sorrowful look in his eyes whenever I showed up late. That quiet disappointment from a man who never raised his voice about anything. Today, I'd been at the gym when it suddenly hit me that I needed to pick him up, so I rushed over, breathless, not even taking the time to change. Maybe it was because I was sweating and my hair was a mess, but Dominic must have thought I was trying to reignite our marriage. I took a deep breath, steadying myself, and walked into the terminal. I had a husband who loved me, so why let two rabid dogs ruin my mood? But as soon as I entered the members-only lounge above the concourse, my brow furrowed. The usually calm and quiet lounge was chaotic today. The air was thick with cigarette smoke and men talked loudly and puffed their cigars like they owned the place. Half-empty tumblers of scotch lined the low tables, and the door soldier who should have been managing the room stood against the far wall doing nothing about it. Dominic was at the center of it all, surrounded by sycophants who lavished him with praise. "Dominic, your outfit's on fire! That arrangement with the Valente Family? It's bound to be a game-changer. You'll be sitting at the head of every table in no time!" "Don't forget us when you make it to the top, Dominic. We're counting on you to share the wealth." Dominic grinned, clearly basking in the attention, his chest puffing up with pride. The kind of man who mistook applause for respect. Next to him stood Adriana, her posture that of a boss's wife, soaking in the compliments like a sponge. I choked on the thick smoke, coughing uncontrollably. A rotund man, balding and gruff, waddled over and sneered. "What are you doing here, sweetheart? This is a members-only lounge, not your personal resting spot. Get out." I pulled out my house token, but my irritation was barely contained. "I'm not in the wrong place. I have standing here." The man opened his mouth to retort, but before he could speak, Dominic approached. He straightened both lapels before settling his gaze on me. His voice was cold, his gaze cutting. "Arthur, is this what you've come to? Begging me for envelopes? Now you're buying your way into the lounge?" Before I could speak, he tossed a few bills at me, his fingers moving like he had all the time in the world. Without a second thought, he ripped my house token in half. "The tribute's refunded. You're no longer welcome here. Can you leave now?" My blood boiled and the words I wanted to scream barely stayed in my throat. I waved down Celia Ricci, my voice trembling with anger. He smoothed the front of his jacket twice before responding, sizing me up with an icy look. "If you don't want the refund, by the rules, you're still allowed to stay." I pointed to the no-smoking sign on the wall. "Can you ask them to put out their cigarettes?" Celia's gaze hardened further. "They've already paid their fines. They're allowed to smoke for the next hour." "If you can't stand it, you're free to leave." His words sliced through me, dripping with condescension. "Honestly, some places just aren't meant for people like you." I took a deep breath, forcing myself to keep calm. "I'll file a complaint against you." Celia sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Ma'am, the lounge is for recognized guests." "Your standing alone means that even if you complain, your words won't carry much weight." "In short, I don't care. Do whatever you want." At that moment, Dominic glanced at me with disdain, his gaze like a cold blade. "Arthur, after three years, you've truly humiliated yourself." Adriana, ever the actress, put on a concerned face, her words dripping with insincerity. The corner of her mouth twitched before she slipped into that soft, pitying voice. "Arthur, you should leave. Staying here will only make a fool of you." A curious associate leaned in, asking Dominic, "Dominic, do you know her?" Dominic's smile faltered for a heartbeat before he recovered, his voice smooth but tinged with arrogance. "When I was younger, I made a mistake. I ended up with the wrong person." The men around him nodded knowingly, their laughter landing a beat late, after they'd checked who else was laughing. "It happens. These women are all the same. They know how to target men with standing." "Who hasn't been taken in by a woman or two in their youth? Once you see through them, it's no problem."

"Now Dominic and his wife are deeply in love, having wandered down the wrong paths to finally find each other." "You have to truly understand how low those gold-digging women can go to appreciate real love. I suppose there's some lesson in that after all." The people around me mocked and belittled me without a shred of restraint. Their laughter landed a beat late, each time, after they had checked who else was laughing. Dominic, who had once been my husband, knew I was being wronged, yet not a single word of defense came from his lips. Instead, he pointed at me with contempt, his voice dripping with disdain. "I don't know where she heard it, but she came here hoping to meet Don Valente." "Look at her. Pathetically begging for money." "Absolutely shameless. It's sickening." The crowd around me stared, their eyes filled with scorn as they tore into me. "Lady, dignity matters. It's time for you to leave." "This is a private club, not some charity kitchen. You're making people uncomfortable. You won't get a single envelope." "You've got arms and legs. Why don't you work for your living instead of always looking for handouts?" I met their harsh words with cold defiance. "I didn't come here begging for money. I just happened to run into Dominic." Dominic sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Your pitiful act of playing coy and you think I'll fall for it? "Arthur, I once loved you, but I've long since run out of patience with you." He pulled Adriana close, a clear show of possession, and shot me a glance. "I have someone else now and we're getting married soon." "As for you, you're neither my first love nor my obsession. You're just a fleeting shadow." "Seeing you here today only brings one feeling: disgust. Your methods are dirty beneath me." He straightened both lapels before he finished, as though the performance needed a frame. The first clap came from nowhere; then, the whole room joined in. The associates clapped eagerly, their faces gleaming with admiration. "Moretti is powerful." "Moretti really knows how to protect his woman. What dominance." The sycophantic display turned my stomach. I couldn't bring myself to engage with these people, so I turned to leave. But Adriana stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Arthur, are you just going to walk away like this?" "Don't you think you owe me an apology?" I blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Adriana pointed to her heels, her voice dripping with pride. "These shoes? Imported tribute leather, bespoke. Worth thirty thousand." "You stepped on me earlier and now the surface is ruined." The corner of her mouth twitched, just barely, before her expression settled into wounded softness. Everyone's gaze shifted to me, their eyes cold and judgmental. A money man in a silk tie sneered, "How can this woman be so uncivilized?" "She's not just uncivilized but vengeful, too," another added. Dominic's eyes locked on me, his expression hardening. "Arthur, you've really sunk to new lows." I could only offer a helpless shrug. "I didn't step on her." Adriana's laugh was sharp and dismissive. "So now you're calling me a liar?" "Soon, I'll be the wife of the Boss of the Moretti Outfit. What's my standing? Would I really waste my time making false accusations against you?" Dominic's expression turned icy at her words. He pointed at me, his voice cutting through the tension. "Arthur, did you or didn't you step on her? Stop lying and embarrassing me." I couldn't hold back a bitter laugh. "You're out of your mind. What does it even have to do with you? Why is this your embarrassment?" "Dominic, stop flattering yourself. I've already stopped caring about you. I didn't come here for you today." His face turned pale with rage. "Fine. You really don't know when to stop, do you?" "Then I won't help you anymore. Pay for the damages, or we'll get the Feds involved." The crowd around us quickly rallied behind Dominic. "Call someone and teach her a lesson." I glanced at the time, my heart sinking. I was about to be late picking him up again.

A moment of silence passed and I finally spoke, my voice steady. "Thirty thousand. I'll pay you first." "But this isn't over. I'll ask the police to investigate." "If I'm at fault, you keep the thirty thousand. If not, you'll return the money and apologize publicly." I reached for my phone to make the transfer, but before I could, Dominic reached out and knocked it from my hands. He jabbed a finger toward my face, his tone dripping with contempt. "Thirty thousand? Do you even have that much? Stop pretending." "If you had thirty thousand, why would you be asking me for money today?" "Arthur, are you planning to borrow it online?" "I never imagined you'd fall this far." The phone shattered on the floor. I turned to leave, but they blocked my way, their eyes full of derision. Celia Ricci locked the private backroom door. He smoothed the front of his jacket twice, then spoke, his words formal and cold. "We're waiting for the authorities. No one can leave until this economic dispute is resolved." I knew beneath his polished tone, it was all just to placate her "important guests." Everyone's eyes turned to me, their judgment heavy in the air. I had no choice but to sit in the corner, silent and waiting for the feds to arrive. As my gaze swept over the crowd, I locked eyes with Adriana. Her gaze was sharp, filled with satisfaction. I froze for a moment. Was she truly enjoying watching me suffer, the same person who had once helped her? I had been Adriana's benefactor. It was something she had proudly proclaimed time and time again. Ever since I sponsored her through school, she had always been deeply grateful. Whenever she had a free moment, she would come to my house to clean, cook, and even do the dishes. Though I had household help, she insisted on doing it all herself. Even at Christmas, she would kneel to kiss my hand in respect, a gesture I tried to stop. But she insisted it was a tradition from the village where she'd grown up, the old country way of honoring a patron. I once believed that good deeds would be repaid, that I had found a grateful, virtuous girl. But over time, I learned that even a small act of kindness could fester into a deep resentment. The more I gave Adriana, the more her jealousy bloomed. The more I offered her, the more entitled she felt, as though I hadn't given her nearly enough. The more humble and meek she appeared in my presence, the more she sought to trample me underfoot and reclaim the dignity she had lost with me. She wasn't just ungrateful. She was a scheming, false woman who would do anything to climb, no matter who she hurt. Her frequent visits to my house gave her the perfect chance to get close to Dominic. I had no idea when their affair had started, but by the time I discovered it, my pregnancy had already advanced. For the sake of the baby, I endured in silence. But I never imagined that on the day I was about to give birth, Adriana would threaten to slit her wrists, forcing Dominic to abandon me on that cold, desolate overpass. The memories still burned so vividly in my mind and I couldn't help but let out a deep, sorrowful sigh. I didn't know when it happened, but suddenly, Adriana had squeezed her way to my side. Her voice was a venomous whisper against my ear. "Sister Arthur, the tables have turned now." "All the things you once had, I have now." "And you... you have nothing." I gave a slow nod, indifferent. "Including that scum, Dominic? He's all yours now. I don't want him anymore." "When I used to sponsor you, you'd fawn over my second-hand clothes and bags." "I didn't expect you'd be so eager to take on a second-hand husband." The corner of her mouth twitched, that tiny hitch before she slipped back into her wounded act. But the act never came. Her face twisted in fury and in a flash, her hand shot up to slap me. I caught her wrist with ease. She sneered bitterly. "No matter what, I've won." "You and Dominic are divorced. Your child didn't survive." "And you'll never see a penny of Dominic's inheritance." "By the way, Sister Arthur, you don't know, do you? When I used to bring you coffee, I secretly slipped abortion pills into it…" The words hit me like a slap to the face. My mind reeled, the painful memories flooding back. The excruciating stomach cramps the day of the miscarriage, the child I never had the chance to meet. Anger surged through me like wildfire. I stood up, trembling with fury, and slapped Adriana across the face. But before I could even process what I'd done, Dominic was already on me. He shouted, his voice full of rage. "Arthur, how dare you hit her?" He kicked me in the chest with brutal force. I gasped in pain, the air knocked out of my lungs as I crumpled to the floor. The marble was cold against my cheek. Somewhere in the room a glass clinked against a table and no one moved to stop it. I couldn't breathe, couldn't even make a sound through the agony ripping through my chest. But Dominic wasn't done. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me up, his voice cold and commanding. "Apologize to Adriana." I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. Dominic shoved me with all his might, sending me crashing into the corner. I struggled to rise, but before I could even get my bearings, Adriana kicked the back of my knee, forcing me to stumble. I collapsed, my knee throbbing with sharp, unrelenting pain. Around us, the associates and brokers did nothing. Some even seemed to watch with eager anticipation, as though ready to join in on the torment. Their laughter, when it came, landed a beat late, after they'd checked who else was laughing. Just then, the door to the private backroom was flung open. Celia Ricci's voice changed entirely. The formality drained out and something close to fear replaced it. "Don Valente. You've arrived." The room went still. Conversations died mid-syllable. I felt the silence press against my skin like a change in altitude. In that instant, tears welled up in my eyes. My husband came.