The Don’s Eternal Loss Chapter 04

The Don’s Eternal Loss Chapter 04

He always said he didn’t want to drag me into family affairs.

So what about Isabella?

“Oh, she comes over all the time,” Mrs. Lombardi’s voice chimed with upbeat enthusiasm. “Such a sweet girl. Knowing how much you love vegetable soup, she even asked me for the recipe.”

“Vivian, I think you two should hang out more.”

“Bella is just so pure-hearted, stop holding a grudge against her.”

My grip tightened on the phone until my knuckles turned white.

I hung up on her.

I dropped the phone to the floor and squatted by the shoe cabinet for a long, long time.

This posture brought back memories of my childhood.

After my father’s affair came to light, my mother used to squat on the kitchen floor just like this, staring blankly ahead.

I would walk over and tug at the hem of her shirt.

The look in her eyes when she turned to face me is something I will never forget.

She wasn’t crying. Her eyes were bone-dry, her expression completely blank.

It was as if she had swallowed every heavy emotion, leaving behind nothing more than a single shallow breath.

That was my expression right now.

Isabella went to Michael’s parents’ house.

Michael’s mother taught her how to make soup.

So she could take care of Michael in the future.

And what about me?

I took care of Michael for twelve years.

From the days he failed his first startup and survived on cheap bread, all the way to securing the family’s first major contract, I stood by his side through every single hurdle.

He suffered from chronic stomach issues, so I went to Chinatown to learn massage therapy.

He battled insomnia, so I read him bedtime stories every single night.

His parents’ health failed, and I worried about them more than he did.

After all those years, I still couldn’t outweigh a so-called innocent Isabella.

I used to think the rift between Michael and me was about Isabella.

Now I saw clearly. It was never an Isabella problem; the Lombardi family had already prepared to swap me out for someone new.

I picked up my phone and submitted my application to Doctors Without Borders.

For the longest time, I had dreamed of seeing a wider world and using my medical skills to save more lives.

Back then, I couldn’t let go of Michael.

So I always turned it down.

Things were different now.

Once my packing was done, I sat in the living room for a long time, quietly bidding farewell to the manor that had sheltered me for five years.

I skipped dinner at Michael’s parents’ place, but I set up a meeting with him for the next day.

Twelve years of history deserved a clean break.

No more dragging things out.

We agreed to meet at a cafe we used to frequent.

Six years ago, Michael was still broke, so our dates were limited to tiny shops tucked away in deep alleyways.

He told me back then, “Once I make it big, I’ll take you out for the best coffee in the city.”

He made it big eventually, but he never once took me out for coffee again.

Michael showed up an hour late.

He offered zero explanation for his tardiness, simply picked up the Americano I ordered for him, took a sip, frowned, and said, “It’s cold.”

“You were an hour late.”

“Something came up at the last minute.”

“A pipe burst at Bella’s place, so I went over to help her sort it out.”

“She’s just a young girl, you couldn’t expect her to sit there crying in a flooded apartment all by herself.”

A pipe burst at Isabella’s place.

So he left me hanging here for an hour.

To make it even more absurd, he was the head of the family now; why on earth did he need to fix plumbing himself?

I looked down at the iced-over Americano sitting in front of me. Cold indeed.

Just like our relationship.

“Michael, let’s break up.”