The orphanage I grew up in was very poor. Not every child had the chance to go to school.

But after I returned to my real family, I didn’t get any apology or comfort from my parents. Instead, I only got coldness. At that time, I told myself, ‘It’s fine. As long as I can study, nothing else matters.’

They said that since Serena’s parents had passed away, they couldn’t send her away. They would keep her at home and treat her like their own daughter. Meanwhile, I lived in a damp, dark attic of a small Spanish-style house. Mr. and Mrs. Altomare said that there weren’t enough rooms.

In that house, I didn’t look like a daughter of the family at all. It was more like a maid’s child. It wasn’t until my parents told me to get married that I found out the truth. They told me that the match was arranged by my grandfather.

It turned out that the soldier Serena had once loved had been badly injured in battle and was now paralyzed.

Serena cried endlessly, saying, “I can’t marry a disabled man. My whole life would be ruined!”

The marriage eventually fell on me. I could have refused, but I agreed with it when I remembered the memory of that tall, straight man. He looked so steady and proud. That year, I was 18 years old. In fact, I was about to take the university entrance exam.

Initially, I wanted to wait until after the test to get married, but my parents didn’t allow it. They even canceled my exam registration. So, at an age when I should have been studying, I became the wife of Fabio, a twenty-three-year-old man who had earned first-class honors from the police academy.

When I first went to see Fabio, he flew into a rage, smashed a vase at my feet and shouted for Serena. Meanwhile, Serena was already happily preparing for university due to our father’s arrangement even though her grades barely met the minimum score.

On our wedding day, my mother cried endlessly. She was talking about the hardships of our family, Serena’s sadness and my father’s gray hair. I stood there quietly.

None of that had anything to do with me. I agreed to the marriage only because of Fabio. I didn’t know if I truly loved him, but at least being with him would give me a kind of freedom.

I had read in the newspaper how Fabio fought bravely against the mafia who tried to revolt close to our borders and how he caught drug traffickers with his bare hands. The papers praised his courage and sense of justice.

I had always admired brave and selfless people, especially those police officers who gave their lives for the country. To marry such a man felt like an honor, not a shame.

On our wedding day, Fabio sat in his wheelchair and stayed silent the whole time. I was nervous, my hands shaking and I kept wiping away sweat. I almost tripped while walking down the aisle. People around us burst out laughing.

I vaguely heard someone mention Serena’s name. Fabio’s face grew darker. In that moment, I understood. Fabio surely still loved Serena. Otherwise, why would he hate me so much? For the first time, I regretted both the marriage and my hidden feelings for him.

The Altomare Family was powerful. The wedding caused a great stir in society. But his parents were kind and gentle toward me. I actually felt more at ease in their home than I ever had in the Altomare Family’s house.

Since I loved reading, I was overjoyed when I saw their large study full of books. At first, Fabio ignored me. But he then eventually started talking to me more. He would push his wheelchair into the study to recommend books and stopped refusing my help so often.

Later, the Altomare Family found a master of Romani folk medicine who had lived in seclusion for many years. The master said there was still hope for Fabio’s recovery. That day, everyone was filled with joy.

The master gave Fabio some herbs and said it had to be done once a week, along with massages and herbal medicine. I learned the massage techniques from the folk doctor and personally made herbal remedies for Fabio. Even though I missed my college exam, I didn’t give up on studying.

From then on, my days were spent between my books and helping Fabio recover.

On the first day, Fabio felt very uncomfortable and even told me to leave. However, I refused to give up. I kept massaging him. After all, I wanted him to recover soon. Besides, I was afraid the servants wouldn’t be as careful or strong enough to help him properly.

I learned fast. Within a week, I had memorized every acupuncture point on the human body, earning praise from the old folk medicine master. Slowly, Fabio got used to my massages, moving from resistance to acceptance.

A year later, he finally regained feeling in his legs and could even stand up. That day, I cried for a long time, truly happy for him. The Altomare Family celebrated with fireworks.

I pushed Fabio’s wheelchair around the yard and he gently held my hand and thanked me. At that moment, I saw light in Fabio’s eyes again. It was real, warm and full of life.

The next year, the master said Fabio’s recovery was going very well and that he would soon be able to walk on his own. He even praised my massage for helping his progress. We both started to believe in hope again.

One evening, I went to the bathroom to bring Fabio his pajamas. Unexpectedly, he stood up. His bronze skin glowed under the light, so my face turned red at once. I quickly turned around, stammering apologies at the door.

That night, both of us were too shy to speak. We were lying in bed quietly with our hearts beating fast. I couldn’t even tell whose heartbeat I was hearing. His or mine.

The kiss happened naturally. Everything that followed did too. From then on, we became close, truly close and both of us found joy in it. Our relationship began to blossom.

Fabio soon returned to the police stations, taking on light command work. Every day when he came home, he brought me small gifts. New clothes, a hairpin, or jewelry.

By the third year, Fabio could walk completely on his own. His steps were slow, but it was a miracle that he could walk again at all. That day, we hugged each other and cried for a long time. Fabio gently wiped away my tears and kissed me again and again.

I thought to myself, ‘This is happiness.’

But that happiness didn’t last long because Serena came back. The day she returned, Fabio didn’t cling to me for once. For once, my parents called us and invited us home for dinner.

Serena had been gone for three years. She hadn’t come home once during that time. At every New Year’s gathering, Mr. and Mrs. Altomare would awkwardly say that Serena was busy with her studies. Fabio stayed silent and expressionless. I could never tell what he was thinking.

As for me, even though I was their real daughter, I had barely visited my family since getting married.

When we arrived that evening, I saw a beautiful young woman rush into Fabio’s arms like a gust of wind. I stood there watching, while Fabio didn’t push her away. The woman had become more mature, but she still called him ‘Big Fabio’. Her tears soaked into Fabio’s army-green uniform.

Seeing this scene, my chest tightened as if needles were piercing my heart. I instantly regretted agreeing to come back. When Serena finally noticed me, she straightened up and smiled faintly.

“I’m sorry, Sofia. I was just so happy to see Fabio standing again. Oh wait, should I call you brother-in-law now?”

Fabio’s jaw tightened. With a cold look, he took my hand and sat down beside me. Serena stared at us in shock.

Dinner that night was terrible. My parents didn’t ask how I’d been at all. Instead, they kept encouraging Serena to talk to Fabio, saying how she still missed her Big Fabio.

At that moment, I couldn’t help thinking. My parents were basically trying to push Serena toward my husband.

From that day on, Serena became like a buzzing fly. She was always around Fabio and me. Initially, Fabio resisted her presence. But he completely gave in within a month.

After Fabio’s legs healed, he often attended gatherings with his police officers. He always brought me along. His officers were friendly and their wives were gentle and polite. But ever since Serena came back, those gatherings turned into trips for the three of us.

Serena said she hadn’t seen Fabio’s officers in years and wanted to visit them too. Somehow, every time we went, she would ‘accidentally’ show up on the same road we took. I doubted Fabio noticed, but he didn’t stop her. He simply allowed her to tag along.

Soon, even his officers began to be won over by Serena’s charm. Some whispered that Serena was Fabio’s true love and that I had stolen him away. At that time, I never thought about divorce. I truly loved Fabio.

But then something happened that made me realize. Fabio and I could never live together again. Fabio’s team was sent to the mountains for an investigation. He said the scenery was beautiful and wanted to take me with him. But before we left, I saw Serena standing there with a suitcase in hand.

She ran up to us, smiling brightly.

“Hey, why are you two so late?”

I turned to Fabio. I couldn’t understand why Serena insisted on joining every trip. Even worse, Fabio never even asked my opinion. Weren’t we husband and wife?

Fabio’s face turned serious as he responded, “She insisted on coming. I couldn’t stop her.”

He said it to me, but his eyes were on Serena. They were full of affection. I couldn’t help but get quietly into the passenger seat.

“Sofia, can I sit in the front? I’ve been getting carsick lately.”

“If you’re carsick, you shouldn’t come,” I replied coldly.

Her eyes immediately turned red and then Fabio spoke up, “Go sit in the back. If she throws up, it’ll be worse.”

I stared at him in disbelief. Fabio seemed startled by my look, realizing how harsh his words were. But he didn’t take them back. Without saying a word, I climbed into the back seat. Serena lifted her chin proudly and sat in front.

On the way, she kept talking and laughing. Fabio didn’t say much, but I saw the faint smile on his lips as he listened. My heart ached.

I could only think to myself, ‘Fabio, I’ll forgive you just this once. Only this once.’

***

Montefioralle Village was indeed beautiful. A main road ran along the edge of the mountain, but fallen rocks often blocked the path. Fabio’s team was there to help clear the debris. Fabio directed his men, giving orders calmly and confidently.

Many other police officers’ families had also come along. I saw our neighbor, Monica Castellano and her brother, Leonardo Castellano, who was a police officer. We gathered in the village square, listening to the locals describe the mountain’s dangers.

Later, I wandered to the small village school. Inside, a few children were writing quietly, but there was no teacher. An old villager explained that the teacher had left and wasn’t coming back.

I picked up their worn books and began reading stories aloud. Slowly, the children gathered around me, their eyes bright with excitement. By afternoon, I didn’t want to leave. Their eager faces made my heart warm.

‘So this is what it feels like to be a teacher,’ I thought.

After the police officers finished setting up camp that evening, someone called us over for dinner.

We were still cooking when a villager ran up, shouting breathlessly, “Wolves! Wolves are in the village!”

The police officers immediately grabbed their weapons and followed the man into the dark. As for us, the police officers’ families, we stood frozen in fear. Why had wolves come into the village at this hour?