- The worst mistake I ever made

“I want you to be my son’s nanny, and in return, I will help you regain all that you lost," Giovanni proposed casually, but for a moment, my heart seemed to stop beating.

I felt numb as his words registered in my mind. Giovanni had a son? Was this some kind of joke?

Summoning my courage, I locked eyes with him. It was evident from his expression that he was serious about having a son.

He had left me for another woman, and now he was asking me to be his son’s nanny. What an insult.

I couldn't shake the feeling of being foolish. Wesley had a son with my younger sister behind my back, and now my high school sweetheart was offering me a job as his son’s nanny.

"Where is your son’s mother?" I inquired, and he responded with a cold tone, his back turned to me.

"That's not your concern. So, will you accept the offer or not?"

I couldn't understand why I felt so hurt. I didn't want anything to do with him, but the way he had left me for another woman stung.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips as a barrier seemed to form between us, bringing back painful memories of our past.

He sat down, crossing his legs and pouring himself a drink, while I struggled to comprehend the situation.

"My life is complicated. My reputation isn't suitable for a nanny," I explained. I noticed a flicker of emotion in his eyes, quickly masked. "Your wife wouldn't approve either."

This was my polite way of declining his offer. Despite my resentment towards him, I couldn't help but envy his seemingly perfect life.

I longed for a loving husband and a child of my own, but instead, I was left barren by a deceitful husband.

The notion of good triumphing over evil felt far-fetched in this scenario. Giovanni had caused me immense pain, yet he was the one living a picture-perfect life, much like Wesley.

I watched him reach for a cigarette, only to put it back without lighting it. As he stood up and approached me, I instinctively took a step back.

Anger, pain, fear, and insecurity swirled within me, creating a tumultuous mix of emotions.

“Molly Campbell, you need a lawyer, but how will you afford one?" he reminded me, his words cutting deep at my lowest moment. He pulled open a drawer under the bed and retrieved my most precious asset.

"With your necklace?" he taunted, igniting my anger, but he wasn't finished. "And then what? How will you face the public?"

His questions cut deep into my heart. How could he exploit my vulnerabilities so mercilessly? I refused to be manipulated any longer.

"Why can't you hire a professional nanny for your son?" I questioned, wondering if he was simply trying to make my life difficult. His response did little to reassure me.

"I have my reasons."

A bitter smile played on my lips at his reply, the pain of everything he and Wesley had put me through resurfacing.

"I regret ever depending on a man to solve my problems. Not anymore. But how did you know I needed a lawyer?" I challenged him, feeling uneasy about how much he seemed to know about me after all these years.

"You shared a lot with me last night, though I understand if you don't remember. You even tried to seduce me," he remarked with a hint of a smirk, causing embarrassment to flood through me.

"Relax. I'm not looking to recreate the past. I just want to make amends for the pain I caused you."

I pushed aside memories of the previous night, the alcohol, and the entanglement with this callous man who was nothing like my Gianni.

I couldn't help but scoff at his words, hoping that whatever transformation he had undergone wouldn't turn him into a complete monster, as he seemed devoid of a soul.

My ultimate revenge on both men would be to use Giovanni to retaliate against Wesley. "I'll agree on one condition."

"Tell me," he replied, turning to settle back in the recliner, eliciting a sigh of relief from me.

"After this is all over, I simply want to live alone on an island free from the drama of men in my life," I declared. Before he could respond, I added a stipulation.

"You must not interfere in my personal life once I've regained everything. I will choose where I want to reside thereafter."

A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes, but he nodded, speaking with a calm authority. "A fair agreement."

Having reached a mutual understanding about my role in gaining his assistance to reclaim what I had lost, I took a seat on the sofa, facing him in the recliner.

"So, what is your son's name? Do you have a photo of him?" I inquired, unexpectedly noticing a smile tugging at the corner of his lips at the mention of his son.

“His name is Roger Dawson, and he's four," Giovanni said, showing me a picture of a boy with eyes similar to his own. I had to admit, the boy was undeniably cute, but Giovanni warned me that he was not as easy to handle as he appeared.

"He doesn't like nannies, so I have to be honest with you. It won't be as simple as you might think," Giovanni explained, his voice filled with warmth and love for his son.

Having little experience with toddlers, as Wesley's siblings were teenagers, I knew I had to give it my best shot. After all, Giovanni was my key to reclaiming what Wesley had taken from me.

"If you can help me regain control of the company as promised, your son will be happy. I'll rent an apartment and start working right away," I assured Giovanni.

Facing the need to sell my necklace for funds, Giovanni astonished me with a peculiar offer.

– The Strange Offer

“My house is spacious, you can live in one of the spare rooms." Giovanni said in a way like it was the most natural thing to say.

What exactly did he want here? Why the hell would he have , his ex living under the same roof as his current wife? Was he out of his mind?

"Why is that?" I inquired, wondering where this was heading.

“Roger needs a lot of attention, especially at night,” he stated as I nodded slowly, “To compensate you, I'll provide you with a top divorce lawyer to end your marriage,"

The idea of finding a lawyer was unwelcome at the moment. I had no intention of going back to Wesley, but my revenge required careful planning, and signing divorce papers didn't seem wise just yet.

I needed to strategize on how to reclaim everything before letting him have it all.

"You don't understand. If I do that, everything will go to Wesley," I explained. Giovanni appeared lost in thought before asking abruptly,

"Can I see the divorce papers?"

Without hesitation, I opened my email on my phone and handed it to him, but he declined to take the phone.

Instead, he wrote down his email address and instructed me to forward the documents.

After reviewing them, he was about to speak when my phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, I felt a wave of nausea but answered the call, seething,

"What do you want?"

Wesley’s voice remained irritatingly calm, and I braced myself for more hurtful words from his accomplice, who surprisingly wasn't with him this time.

Otherwise, she wouldn't hesitate to hurl insults my way, which I had grown immune to. "I'm just curious where you spent the night."

Memories of the video call with the two men flooded back. Wesley and Kiara had orchestrated it.

The headache I thought had subsided returned with a vengeance, prompting me to massage my temples as I noticed Giovanni's disapproving expression.

I wondered if it was because I had not excused myself before answering the call but since I already did, I continued the conversation like he didn’t exist.

After all, he had moved on after breaking me like I didn’t matter at all.

“Oh, I assumed you had received the video by now. Did it meet your expectations?" I replied to Wesley's senseless question with a hint of mockery, relishing in his evident frustration.

"Molly, please be cautious. I'm trying to be civil here," Wesley cautioned.

I chuckled in exasperation. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this predicament.

"Stop pretending. You want me to sign the divorce papers? Don't worry, my lawyer will be in touch," I asserted confidently, having reached an agreement with Gio.

Wesley, engrossed in reviewing the divorce agreement, seemed eager to deliver it to me.

"I can bring it to you," he offered.

I couldn't fathom why he thought I would want to see him again.

"What makes you think I want to see your repulsive face? I might just vomit. You, Wesley Thompson, disgust me," I retorted.

A chuckle emanated from the other end of the line, but I remained unfazed, except for the unsettling revelation that piqued my curiosity.

"I don't care, but in case you're unaware, the two men sent pictures of the three of you together. I can't reach them. I'm wondering where they are," Wesley disclosed.

Glancing at Giovanni, I pondered what he might have done to those men.

The events leading up to this moment were a blur and my anger towards Wesley for daring to ask intensified.

"Wesley, your audacity astounds me. You have the nerve to inquire about the whereabouts of the two men you sent to assault me?" I seethed.

Our conversation was surreal, and I suspected Wesley hadn't anticipated my response this morning, perhaps waiting for the final sex video.

I would have been immensely grateful to Giovanni if he were a stranger, but as an old flame, any gratitude I harbored for him had dissipated.

"Well, we've filed a report with your photo. Since you were the last to see them, if they don't surface by noon, the police will come looking for you," Wesley revealed his true intentions.

It cringed me to let Gio know how shameless my own husband was to use all sorts of ways to manipulate my life. But Gio gave me an encouraging nod to go on, which was somehow reassuring.

"Excellent. I look forward to meeting the police. How do you plan to explain your involvement in their attempted sexual assault on me?"

The silence on the other end of the line was expected, but after a moment, he spoke up again.

"Molly, this is more complicated than you realize. Let's meet somewhere, anywhere you choose."

I refused to be deceived again, not willing to compromise my safety for him.

"Wesley, you disgust me. Screw you." I ended the call and powered off my phone, unable to block his number until the divorce was finalized.

I couldn't shake off thoughts about the two men and how I ended up in this situation. Only Gio had the answers.

"Gio, what happened to those men? Did you have them arrested?" I wanted justice, but Gio's nonchalant demeanor troubled me.

"I suggest you focus on the divorce proceedings," he said, disappointment evident in his eyes.

Confused, I pressed, "What do you mean?" My heart raced as Gio delivered a shocking revelation.