Anniversary Ambush: The Don and His Ex

Once, at a family gathering, Marco announced in front of everyone that I was the woman he loved most, and so I would be the one and only Donna in the family.

He would also introduce me to others at various social events, showing off how wonderful I was.

Thinking back on all the good things he had done in the past, I calmly stood up. I didn't even have the slightest urge to read the comments.

Before, when I saw posts like these, I would throw fits, demand an explanation from Marco, and make up every excuse for him.

But the moment I heard him say I'd never leave him, it all clicked. He simply took it for granted that I'd stay, so he felt free to hurt me however he pleased.

And yet, he was the one who pursued me in the beginning.

Back then, I was still in college, and he hadn't yet become the Don. A traffic accident brought the two of us together.

From that moment on, he began pursuing me relentlessly. He kept showering me with jewelry and expensive gifts. And no matter how busy he was, he would come to campus every single night to have dinner with me.

I said yes to Marco, gave up my studies, and became the Donna of a mafia family. In short, I gave him all of my heart.

After we married, he continued to dote on me just as before. It wasn't until Lucia returned from abroad that everything changed.

When Lucia came back, Marco introduced her to me as a friend he'd grown up with and a close buddy of his.

When I first met her, I thought Lucia looked somewhat familiar. It wasn't until Marco stood me up for the first time because of her that I realized belatedly that she and I actually looked somewhat alike.

It sent me spiraling into self-doubt. I kept going to Marco for answers, but all he told me was that we were nothing alike.

I once arrogantly believed that I meant more to Marco than Lucia did.

But later, I heard through family gossip that Lucia was actually Marco's ex-girlfriend. She had broken up with him and gone abroad just one month before he and I met.

And the reason Lucia had returned this time was that her family had been massacred by their enemies, leaving her unable to survive overseas.

Marco assured me over and over again that he no longer had any feelings for Lucia, that he was only taking pity on her.

"She's going through a difficult time right now, so you have to understand that I need to help her get through this."

From then on, Lucia kept showing up in our lives, and the bond between her and Marco only grew tighter.

It wasn't until I overheard their conversation that I could finally no longer deceive myself.

Now that I saw things for what they were, it was time to walk away. I absolutely refused to make myself small for any man.

I went back to the bedroom and started packing up my things. Even though we had been married for several years, I had pathetically little to my name.

As the Donna, I was expected to lead by example. Thus, while the family was expanding, lavish spending was out of the question.

In just a few minutes, I had packed everything up. Looking at the master bedroom, which was almost unchanged, I felt as if a lifetime had passed.

I'd poured all of my heart and soul into Marco and the family, but all I got in return was his betrayal and indifference.

With my suitcase in hand, I sat quietly on the couch in the living room, waiting for Marco to come back.

I wasn't sure if he would come home, but all I wanted was to end things with him once and for all.

It wasn't until 2:00 am that he finally stumbled in, drunk.

When he saw me sitting on the couch, Marco showed not the slightest trace of guilt. Instead, he scolded me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Why didn't you tell me you were being discharged? What would the family think if they found out? Go grab me a can of ginger ale!"

He sat down on the couch with his eyes closed and his brow furrowed, waiting for me to bring him the ginger ale.

I studied him carefully. He was wearing the suit I'd bought him, his hair impeccably groomed, and he carried a faint scent of women's perfume.

He showed no sign whatsoever of being worn out from family affairs. If anything, he looked like he had just come back from a date.

I took one look at his indifferent expression and burst out laughing.

While I was in the hospital, covered in wounds with no one to care for me, he had been out on dates with Lucia. Even after I was discharged, he hadn't shown me the slightest concern.

At the sound of my laughter, Marco finally opened his eyes. When he saw the suitcase at my feet, he demanded in a tone thick with displeasure, "What's with the suitcase?"

"Marco, I want a divorce."