Chapter 1
After pregnant my uncle’s baby, I found out I was just a substitute of his first love.
I went to share this good news with him full of joy, only to overhear his conversation with a group of friends just beyond the door.
“Luca, Cece’s back. So what are you gonna do with your pretty little niece now?”
My uncle scoffed, “She’s just a substitute.”
Laughter erupted. Then someone chuckled maliciously, “Luca, you’ve been playing with her for a while. What if she’s pregnant?”
He scoffed. “Then she better get rid of it. A bastard like that illegitimate
and unwanted–I don’t want it.”
The test report in my hand was soaked with tears before I even realized I was crying. Shaking, I turned and walked away.
A taxi stopped by.
“Miss, where to?”
I looked down at my slightly swollen belly, and with tears streaming down, I whispered
“To the hospital.”
***
0000
After I booked the abortion, I walked out of the hospital like I felt nothing.
On my way to school, Luca called me.
After a second of silence, I picked up.
His deep voice sounded so casual, like nothing had happened.
“Gen, something came up, so I can’t make it to your graduation ceremony.”
It was the first time in three years I had ever asked him for anything, and just like that, he broke his promise without even bothering to explain.
I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could ask why, I heard a soft giggle on the other end.
It was a woman’s voice on the other end. She sounded young, playful, and full of contempt.
Right then, a name popped into my head. It was Cecelia Bernardi, Luca’s precious first love.
The next second, I remembered what he had said that morning outside his door. He said he was going with Cecelia to get her nails done.
Whatever tiny bit of resentment I still had vanished right then.
So I just smiled and accepted it, plain and simple.
Luca seemed caught off guard for a second, like he felt a little guilty and wanted to make it up to me.
He lowered his voice and said softly, “Good girl, I’ll bring you back a gift tonight…‘
25.25%
However, before he could finish, I heard a loud bang. It sounded like someone had slammed a door shut on the other end.
A voice teased him, “Hahaha! Go comfort your honey, she’s upset!”
Luca cursed with a low chuckle and then hung up on me without caring whether I heard any of it.
All that was left was the busy tone buzzing in my ear, mocking how ridiculous I had been.
I pulled up the corners of my lips. Yeah, I really did overestimate myself.
Luca is my father’s cousin, who had no blood ties to me. The year my parents split up, neither of them wanted me.
I was out in the rain barefoot, crying my eyes out, while those two fought to see who could hurt me more.
In the end, my birth parents left me behind, but Luca–this man who was not related to me at all–picked me up without saying a word.
He looked at me, small and pitiful like a soaked chick, and for the first time ever, he blushed.
Then, he tossed down a thick pile of cash, cutting my parents off once and
for all.
“Gen is mine now. Get lost while you still can.
From then on, he was my dad, my mom, and later, my lover too.
The night Cecelia ran off with another man, Luca cried like the world was ending.
So, when I crawled into his arms that night, he did not push me away.
59.64%
02:18
Back then, I was so proud because I thought all my efforts had finally paid
off.
And now, he brought me straight back to reality.
