Chapter 13
Raelyn pov
It was two days before Christmas, and the house was so busy with the preparations for the holiday. Rafael was busy with his business meetings, his siblings were lounging around, and me, as usual, tried to stay out of the way, helping wherever I could. But there was an undercurrent of tension that I couldn’t ignore.
Rafael’s mother was coming over, and the thought of it made me nervous. I had only heard a little about the woman from Rafael and his siblings, but the hints were enough to make me apprehensive.
“She’s coming today,” Sofia said rolling her eyes, lounging on the couch. “Honestly, I don’t know why Rafael bothers with her. She’s never been anything but horrible to him and the rest of us.”
I tried to smile. “Maybe she’s just... difficult?”
Sofia snorted. “No, she’s straight up awful human being”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and the whole house seemed to tense instantly.
“Showtime,” Lorenzo muttered under his breath.
Sofia rolled her eyes. “God, this is going to be fun.”
When Rafael’s mother entered, she barely acknowledged my presence not that I wanted to, her sharp eyes went scanning the room like a hawk. Her expression was colder and her voice was no better.
“So it's true? Rafael, are you still wasting your time with this... girl?” she sneered, not even bothering to disguise her disdain.
Rafael, who had been standing next to me stiffened, his jaw clenching. “She’s my wife, mother,” he replied coldly, his voice was low and dangerous.
His mother ignored him, her eyes turning back to me, where i was standing awkwardly by the door. “Come on, girl. I need you to help me with Christmas shopping,” she snapped.
I blinked, caught off guard. “I...I’m not sure if I...”
“I wasn’t asking,” she interrupted. “You will help me.”
Before I could protest further, the older woman was already walking toward the door, expecting me to follow.
“Be careful, Raelyn,” Sofia whispered under her breath as I hesitated whether to follow her or not, but I was too nervous to make a scene.
We reached the mall and it was a chaotic. I found myself trailing behind Rafael's mother as she walked elegantly through the aisles with no regard for my comfort. I was pushed from store to store, grabbing random items off shelves, tossing them into a cart without a word.
Rafael's mother hardly acknowledged my presence except barking orders, and to make things worse, I wasn’t offered a single break. Not a bite to eat, not a moment to sit down. It was as if I was invisible, like I was only there to serve and run errands for her.
Around lunchtime, my stomach growled loudly, but when I tried to mention it, Rafael’s mother shot me an icy glare. “Stop complaining. You’re here to work, not to eat.”
I bit my lip, suppressing the tears that threatened to spill. I was used to being treated like an afterthought, but the lack of basic decency really stung.
By the time we returned home, it was dark, and my feet ached painfully. I had barely eaten all day, and the exhaustion was beginning to take a toll on my body. The house felt too quiet when twe walked in.
“I’m going to do laundry,” I muttered to myself, determined to at least make myself useful. I couldn’t bear to stay idle.
I made my way to the laundry room, tossing clothes into the washer. It was only then that my vision started to blur, my head started spinning from hunger and exhaustion. I reached for the counter to steady my self, but before I could grasp it, everything went black.
Author pov
Downstairs, the sound of a loud thud echoed through the house, and Lorenzo’s eyes widened. “Did you hear that?”
Sofia nodded, looking alarmed. “It came from the laundry room.”
They all rushed upstairs, finding Holly lying on the floor, unconscious. Sofia screamed, and Lorenzo’s face went pale. “What happened? Why isn’t she moving?”
Lorenzo quickly crouched next to her, checking her pulse. “She’s alive, but she’s out cold. We need to get her downstairs and call Rafael.”
Sofia nodded with panic in her eyes and grabbed her phone. “I’ll call him.”
Rafael's phone buzzed loudly as he sat in his office, staring at a file. When he saw the message from Lorenzo, he froze.
“Your wife fainted,we need you home. fratellino”
His heart stopped for a moment and his mind was spinning. Without thinking, he bolted out of his chair and ran out of the office. He wasn’t even aware of the heavy footsteps that followed him until he was in the car, speeding toward home.
When he arrived, his worst fears were confirmed. Raelyn was lying on the couch, pale and still. Lorenzo and Sofia were hovering over her, but neither of them seemed to know what to do.
Rafael pushed past them, kneeling by her side. “Tesoro” he murmured, brushing her hair out of her face. “Bambino, wake up.”
His voice was soft, almost desperate, but when she didn’t stir, he stood up straight, his temper flaring.
“What happened?” he demanded, turning toward his siblings.
“We didn’t know what to do,” Lorenzo admitted with guilt written all over his face. “She fainted after being on her feet all day. She hasn’t eaten, and she’s exhausted.”
Sofia spoke up, her voice shaking. “I don’t know why your mom is like that. She was horrible to her all day, and Raelyn didn’t even get a moment to sit down or eat.”
Rafael’s eyes darkened with fury, but he said nothing. His gaze fell back to his precious wife, and he gently lifted her into his arms.
“I’m taking her upstairs,” he said firmly. “And no one will disturb us.”
He carried her to their bedroom and laid her down on the bed, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. His hands were trembling as he reached for the water and a snack, making sure she would wake up to something comforting.
Downstairs, Rafael’s mother walked in, unaware of the problems she had caused. She looked at her children with a frown.
“What’s all this fuss about?” she asked, her voice dripping with mockery.
Rafael’s cold voice boomed through the air. “You’ve done enough damage for one day, Mother,stay away from my wife. She’s not your maid.”
His mother raised an eyebrow. “She’s nothing but a child. She’ll never understand how things work in this family.”
“You’ve crossed a line,” Rafael said, his eyes narrowing. “And you’ll never cross it again.”
With that, he turned around and walked back up the stairs to their room.
In their bedroom, Raelyn was finally waking up, her eyes fluttered open to see Rafael hovering over her. He sighed in relief when he saw her awake.
“Are you alright?” he asked softly, his voice was laced with concern.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips. “ I'm just tired... and hungry.”
Rafael sighed, brushing her hair back from her face. “I’m sorry, Tesoro, I should have been there.”
Raelyn shook her head gently. “It’s not your fault, Rafael. I just... I didn’t know it would be this hard.”
Rafael pulled her closer, his heart was aching for her, to be close to her. “From now on, you won’t have to worry about any of that. I won’t let anyone treat you like that again.”