No Longer His Donna Chapter 06

No Longer His Donna Chapter 06

In a way, I should be grateful to him. If he hadn’t lied to me, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Just then, I got a call from Don Luciano, Xander’s father.

“Tina, are you coming back to New York soon? You can become my daughter-in-law the second you’re back.”

My heart lurched painfully.

Him saying that meant he had no idea Xander was already with another woman.

A couple of coughs came through the phone.

“This old body of mine isn’t what it used to be. I’m just waiting to see you two marry.”

His words made me bite back what I was about to say.

How many years does a person have in a lifetime? I didn’t want to break his heart.

But if I didn’t tell him, he would find out eventually. So I decided to tell him in person I was ending the

engagement.

I told him, “Don Luciano, I’ve already back in New York. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

After checking into a hotel, I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window with a cup of hot cocoa in hand.

Xander used to love bringing me to this Manhattan hotel. He said you could see the whole city’s night lights

from here.

I’d given him a gold ring here once.

I told him, “Xander, this ring has been with me since I was a kid. The orphanage director told me my parents left it for me, for protection and safety. Now I’m giving it to you. I hope you stay safe and sound forever.”

But the ring was too small. After taking it, he always wore it on his pinky.

Thinking of that, I called Xander and ask for the gold ring back.

He sounded annoyed when he heard it.

“Stephanie is in the hospital with a fever right now, all because of you. I’m in no mood to talk about anything

else. You’d better come here and apologize to her now.”

I went anyway. Not to apologize to Stephanie, but to check what was really wrong with her.

I brought some nutritional supplements with me.

Pushing open the hospital room door, I saw Xander feeding her chicken soup. They were intimate, the picture

of domestic bliss.

The sight still stung a little, but not as sharply as it once had.

I walked in. Xander glanced up at me.

“Apologize to your sister-in-law, and we’ll call this matter closed. You can even come back to live at home.”

The man who once promised to marry me was now telling me to call another woman ‘sister-in-law.’

The absurdity of it almost made me laugh out aloud.

“Xander, please leave the room. I’d like to talk to her alone.”

He seemed reluctant. I added, “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt her.”

After Xander left, I looked at Stephanie lying in the hospital bed.

“Let me check you over.”

She seemed resistant. I said, “I’m a doctor. I’m not here to hurt you.”

On the way here, a friend had called. She told me Stephanie’s full name was Stephanie Holtwick.

She was a widow,her husband had been killed in retaliation by drug dealers.

After his death, left with no income, she was nearly sold to the red-light district by creditors.

Xander had saved her. After that, she became his assistant.

At least, that’s how it started. She was his assistant. Later, their relationship grew closer. She became the

mysterious lover who visited his penthouse five times a week.

They stayed close until this year, when she gave birth to Xander’s son. That was when he decided to marry

her.

Otherwise, he never would have married her.

To be honest, I felt sorry for her.

“Nothing serious. Just a cold that turned into the flu,” I said, coming back to the present. I remembered something then.

“Last time I saw you, you were in a dress.”

“It’s snowing hard in New York now. You should dress warmly. Don’t sacrifice your health for style.”

Then I handed her the supplements I had bought.

“Childbirth takes a toll on the body. I picked these out carefully. They’ll help with your recovery.”

“Yes. I found those three years abroad… fulfilling. I feel being a doctor is my calling. I like that life.”

He dropped his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Tina. I lied to you. I was just afraid you’d make a scene, so I…”

“Xander, what’s done is done. I wish you and Stephanie all the best.”

“Will you… come to the wedding?”

“No.”

After finishing the hot coffee, I got ready to leave.

Xander suddenly asked, “You’ve stopped loving me… just like that?”

I thought his question strange, but I answered anyway. “Xander, you once said you liked steady, mature

women. I became steady. In the process, my tastes changed too.”

“I no longer care for men like you.”

Perhaps it was my imagination, but I thought I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes before I turned and left.

The next day, Xander and I meet at his parents’ house,as we’d agreed, to formally break off the engagement.

I hadn’t been back here in three years.

I remembered living here once. On weekends, Xander would take me golfing on the course or teach me how

to barbecue.

Those were truly happy days.

Xander arrived with Stephanie and their son, Aaron.

I noticed the gold ring I had given Xander was now strung on a necklace, around Aaron’s neck.

Don Luciano stubbed out his cigar, looking utterly bewildered at Xander and Stephanie.

“What is the meaning of this?”