She Chose Love, Too
"My parents disowned me," she continued, her voice low and steady, eyes fixed on the dark sky dotted with stars. "But I couldn't care less. I didn't want to marry someone I didn't love."
I stayed quiet, letting her words settle in the air like ash. There was no anger in her voice, no bitterness—just truth. Raw, unfiltered, and painful.
"I left with Russell," she continued, "far away from Italy... somewhere quiet, tucked in North Africa. Just us, away from the world."
A beat of silence passed before she added, "Philomena—his wife—filed a concubinage case against us."
My breath hitched. The word itself sounded ancient and cruel.
"But we fought it. Russell told the court he'd given her divorce papers years before, but she refused to sign. Claimed he was abandoning a mentally unstable woman. And honestly, Angel..." She looked at me now, her expression hollow.
"Maybe she wasn't. But the screaming, the drinking, the way she acted... it was enough to convince the judge."
I swallowed hard, watching her strength crack just a little beneath her calm exterior.
"She finally signed," she said softly. "When they diagnosed her with a tumor, she gave up. And she gave me custody of her daughter, Mia. I've raised her as my own ever since."
My chest squeezed.
"A month after Philomena died, Russell and I got married. A few months later... I was pregnant with the twins."
She smiled faintly, but there was grief hidden in the curve of her lips.
"I lost our first child as a result of stress... missed medication, and other circumstances that surrounded us. But Raul and Nikolai came along. And with them, my second chance."
I couldn't look away. There was something beautiful and tragic about her honesty.
"I love both of my sons, Angel," she declared, her voice firmer now. "I know Nikolai thinks I don't, and maybe Raul thinks I favor Nikolai over him. But I love them both. Equally. Deeply."
She exhaled and finally turned her gaze from the water to me.
"When they were born, Raul stuck to me like a shadow. Nikolai, on the other hand, was glued to his father. Maybe that's where it all started."
The night air shifted slightly. I could hear the ocean in the distance. Even the breeze seemed to pause for her words.
"I never forgot who I was before I became Russell's wife. I was the mistress. The outsider. But I swore that wouldn't define the way I raised my children."
I felt a lump rising in my throat.
"It breaks me, Angel. Every time I see Nikolai's name tied to another scandal, I wonder... what did I do wrong? Where did I fail him? But I can't give up on him. I know how it feels to have your own parents cast you out. I'll never do that to my son."
God. My heart ached for her.
She reached for my hand then—soft, warm, maternal.
"And Raul," she whispered. "I forced him to marry Catalina. I thought... I thought she'd be good for him. That she'd heal the parts of him I couldn't reach. But instead... she broke him more."
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.
"I've never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you," she continued, her voice trembling just slightly. "Not since high school. There's love in his eyes again. And hope."
I blinked fast, trying to keep the tears from falling, but it was useless. I felt seen. And understood.
"I don't judge you, Angel," she said. "Not after what I've done. I've lived that kind of love—the kind that starts wrong but feels more right than anything else. So yes... I trust you. And I support you."
Her fingers squeezed mine.
"I know you'll give him the happiness he deserves. I know you won't hurt him."
I let out a shaky breath and gave her hand a gentle squeeze back.
"I promise you, Jazira," I whispered, "I'll never hurt Raul. I'll spend every day making sure he knows how deeply he's loved."
She smiled through her tears and pulled me into a hug. A tight, warm embrace that felt like a mother's—gentle but fiercely protective.
I leaned into it, feeling something in me begin to heal.
For once, it didn't feel like I was walking into battle. It felt like I was stepping into a family.
A soft voice broke through the stillness.
"I think you should go now... before he loses his mind."
We both turned toward the balcony. Raul stood there, pacing, worry etched into every angle of his face.
His gaze was trained on the pool like he was afraid I'd disappeared.
A laugh slipped from my lips. "He really was about to come looking for me."
"You're his whole world now," Jazira said quietly. "Go to him, Angel."
I nodded and stood. "Goodnight, Jazira. Thank you... for everything."
She kissed my forehead and smiled. "Go be with your man."
And I did.
Author's Note 🥀
Whew... if you made it this far, take a deep breath—and maybe a cold shower too 😅
This chapter was a heavy mix of truth, vulnerability, and pain.
If your heart ached a little... good. If you blushed a lot... even better 😏
And if you cried and clenched at the same time...I got a box of tissue over here.
I hope y'all enjoy this story.
Don't be a silent reader, your reviews warm my heart, be sure to leave them.
___angel
💋