The Stupid Wife’s Last Stand Chapter 01

The Stupid Wife’s Last Stand Chapter 01

Everyone in Chicago knew Mrs. Moretti was a few cards short of a full deck.

My IQ was only seventy-five, just a hair above a cognitive disability.

The whispers about the “simpleton bride” never really stopped.

So when my husband, Dante Moretti, the head of the city’s most feared syndicate, slid an ultrasound image across the table toward me, I stared at it for three full minutes before finding my voice.

“Dante, I had a checkup yesterday,” I said. “I’m not pregnant.”

He turned his face away, avoiding my eyes. “I know. It’s mine with someone else.”

Unlike the society wives who would have screamed and thrown wineglasses the moment they found out about an illegitimate child, I did not cry.

I did not shout. I was still processing the logistics.

Why would my husband go to someone else for a child?

Dante must have mistaken my silence for acceptance.

He leaned down and patted my head, the way someone might soothe a child.

“Good,” he said softly. “Just be sweet and don’t make trouble.”

His voice stayed gentle. “The Moretti heir has to be intelligent. As for you… well, you know yourself.”

“It’s fine. You probably don’t care anyway. You just need to know. You’ll always be the only Mrs. Moretti.”

A dull ache spread through my chest.

I really was stupid. Only now did I remember what this was called.

When a husband had a child with another woman, that was cheating.

And when a marriage broke like that, it was supposed to end.

Dante lit a cigarette with careless ease. “Actually, you know her. It’s Mia.”

Mia.

Of course I knew Mia. I had sponsored her for seven years, ever since I found her in the projects.

The smoke stung my eyes until tears spilled out. Dante did not notice until they dropped onto the table.

He frowned, annoyed, and crushed the cigarette out.

“Sorry, Autumn. I forgot the smoke bothers you.”

He opened the window. “You know I’ve been under a lot of pressure. I have the weight of the entire organization on my shoulders.”

I knew he could not quit smoking. But because of my health, he used to smoke only in his office and never brought the smell home.

Now he waved the smoke away and explained.

“After Mia found out she was pregnant, she insisted on finishing the project she was handling before taking time off. So I banned smoking at the company. Even for myself. has been through the roof.”

“We have to be good to the baby, right?”

When he mentioned Mia, a gentle smile flickered in his eyes.

It was so obvious even I could see it.

Dante, why did you make cheating sound so simple?

As if I were nothing at all.

The smoke cleared, but my tears would not stop. He frowned and stepped closer, reaching out to wipe my cheeks.

“Autumn, you understand. This isn’t cheating.”

I took one step back.

That was when his patience snapped. “Enough. I just need an heir. An intelligent heir.”

“Can you give me an intelligent child?”

It felt as if my heart had been ripped out by the roots.

I stared at him, trembling, unable to believe what I had heard.

He froze. His throat bobbed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I promise we’ll have children later. Children like you. Cute. Sheltered.”

“But first, I need a smart heir. Mia is exceptional. You supported her for years. You’re her benefactor She’s not like those gold diggers trying to crawl into my bed, so I chose her.”

He sighed. “See? I’ve been thinking about you this whole time.”

I stared at him, and suddenly I remembered a long time ago.

Before I met Dante, my father used to tie me up from the rafters. He would sit at the dinner table, laughing as he ate his dinner and watched me dangle.

“You’re too stupid to survive in the real world. Daddy’s just trying to bring out your potential.”

“Parents who spoil their kids raise failures. I’m doing this for your own good.”

I had heard those words so many times that I believed them.

Whenever I hated myself, I hurt myself, trying to trigger some hidden talent.

But once, Dante slapped the knife out of my hand and shouted.

“He’s full of shit. Bad people dress their malice in the guise of love. Listen to me. Always trust your gut. If it hurts, leave. Don’t listen to their excuses.”

I lowered my head and pressed a hand to my chest.

It hurt now.

Dante, you told me that if it hurt, I should leave.

I wiped my eyes, yanked the ring off my finger, and threw it onto the floor.

“You’re bad now,” I said. “I’m leaving. I don’t want to be with you anymore.”

Dante blinked once.

Then he let out a cold laugh. “Leave? And go where? To visit that abusive father of yours in prison?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Autumn. Once you walk out that door, you won’t even be able to feed yourself.”

An alarm went off. He glanced at his phone.

“I have to take Mia to her appointment.”

When he looked back at me, there was nothing in his eyes but impatience.

“I’ve been more than good enough to you. Now I just want a child with someone else. Stop throwing a tantrum.”

The door slammed shut behind him.