The Don and His Arranged Wife Had Three Kids Together, So I Ran

I dragged myself back to the estate. I just wanted my art supplies and my mother's things.

I opened the door and the whole house was covered in balloons and streamers and a giant banner:

DANTE & BIANCA'S BABY SHOWER

Their fourth child, by my count.

Friends were dancing in the middle of the room. On the sofa, the two of them were wrapped up in each other. Dante had her pinned against the cushions, kissing her like nothing else existed. Bianca eventually gave him a soft push, and they pulled apart slowly, neither one ready to let go.

He laid his hand on her stomach, his voice so tender it turned mine.

"Baby, when you're born, Daddy's going to take you out to the shooting range."

Bianca swatted his shoulder lightly.

"Shooting range? We already have two boys. I want a girl this time. Two boys, two girls, perfect."

The way Dante looked at her, the love in his eyes looked ready to spill over. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Whatever you want. As long as the baby arrives safe, I don't care either way."

I stood in the doorway listening. Their voices cut through the electronic music in a way the bass never could.

My hand moved to my own stomach without thinking. Flat now. Almost hollow.

My legs gave a little. I stumbled into a glass nearby, and Dante finally noticed me.

He made a point of putting some distance between himself and Bianca, stood up, straightened his clothes, then came toward me. There was something almost guilty in his voice.

"Nora. Sorry. Bianca's pregnant again."

I stared at him, tears threatening to spill.

"The first one was because the Costello family needed an heir."

"The second was because the family needed a daughter for an alliance marriage."

"The third was because the family business is dangerous and they needed to ensure succession."

"So what's the fourth? What's the reason this time?"

Dante pulled me close. His voice was calm, but what he said left me freezing cold.

"Nora, I'm sorry. This one was an accident. But since Bianca's pregnant, there's no reason not to have the baby."

The breath went out of me. I wrenched myself free and screamed at the top of my lungs.

"If she's pregnant it has to be kept, so why did mine have to go?"

"She's carrying your child. Wasn't I carrying your child too? What makes the difference? Why?"

Before he could answer, a toy gun came out of nowhere and hit me hard in the stomach.

My body hadn't recovered from the procedure. That impact sent cold sweat crawling across my whole body. I dropped to the floor, face white.

Bianca's oldest son wasn't done. He worked through the entire toy basket, hurling things at me one after another.

"You gold-digger! You stayed around Dad to get at the Costello money!"

"Grandpa never accepted you, so you tried to trap my mom's spot by getting pregnant. Dream on!"

When the toys ran out, he grabbed a bottle off the table and threw it at my head.

Blood dripped from my hairline, tapping against the floor.

Dante’s face softened with concern. He turned and roared at his son.

"Daniel! That's enough! Get over here and apologize!"

Bianca looked shaken. She rushed to grab Daniel, and two tears slid down her face.

"Dante, how dare you yell at our child? I nearly died having him. Have you forgotten what you swore to me outside the delivery room?"

Dante's anger dissolved almost instantly. When he turned back to me, his tone shifting from former concern to sharp impatience.

"Nora, Daniel is just a kid. And no matter what he does, he's my son. You were almost a mother yourself. Can't you be a little more patient with children?"

I looked down and laughed. Not at anyone else. At myself.

There was a moment, just then, where I actually thought he might take my side. God, Nora. You really are that stupid.