He didn’t deny it. His shoulders sagged as he nodded, the weight of his confession pressing down on him. “Yes, I knew. I knew from the beginning.”
His words felt like another betrayal, another knife twisting in my already wounded heart. “And you didn’t say anything? You just… let me believe it was all real?”
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” he said, stepping closer. “And I didn’t think it would come to this. I thought Marco might…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening. “I thought he might learn to love you. But when I saw how he treated you, how he kept using you… I couldn’t stand by anymore.”
I shook my head, disbelief and anger swirling inside me. “You let me live a lie for years, Vito. You let me love a man who never loved me back. How could you do that to me?”
“I thought I was protecting you,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “At first, I thought I was doing the right thing. But I was wrong, Celia. I was so wrong.”
I turned away, my hands trembling as I wiped at my tears. “And now what? What am I supposed to do with this?” I gestured to the contract, the damning evidence of my hollow marriage. “My whole life has been a lie. I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “I feel like I’m falling apart, Vito. I don’t even know where to begin picking up the pieces.”
“You don’t have to do it alone,” he said, his voice quiet but resolute.
I turned to him, confusion etched across my face. “What are you saying?”
He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his next words carefully. Then, taking a deep breath, he said, “I’m saying I’ll be here for you, Celia.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with promise. I searched his face, looking for any sign of deceit, but all I saw was sincerity.
“Why?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why would you do that for me?”
Vito’s eyes softened, a flicker of vulnerability breaking through his usually stoic demeanor.
“Because I care about you, Celia. More than I ever should have.”
The room seemed smaller, the walls pressing in as Vito’s confession echoed in my mind. He cared about me. More than he ever should have. But could I believe him?
“You expect me to trust you now?” I said, my voice sharp despite the lump in my throat. “After years of lies and watching Marco betray me?”
Vito sighed. “I know you don’t trust me, Celia. But if I wanted to hurt you, I could’ve stayed quiet and let Marco destroy you.”