When Luca realized that I hadn't asked for money for five days now, he thought I'd finally stopped being a greedy slumdog and handed me a black card as if giving alms.

"I can foot your mother's medical bills, but only as long as you stop trying to siphon money off the family. I'm doing all this because I want you to become an outstanding Donna, y'know."

He had no idea that my mother was already dead, or that I'd signed the divorce papers—I certainly didn't need the money now.

As I left, I found myself still wearing the soda can pull tab that he gave me on a whim for my wedding ring.

I sighed—no one would believe that the noble Donna of the Gambino family needed approval just to get money for socks.

All because he believed Lina, his secretary, who told him that I had married him for his money.

When my mother's heart started failing five years ago, Lina refused to approve my request to foot the bill and even framed me for lying.

Luca had no idea that I was only bearing with this abuse because my mother was being nursed in his private hospital.

Now that my mother was gone, I decided to be myself again and leave him forever.

The Gambinos' special encrypted communication device hummed, and I heard Luca sighing in exasperation. "I've told the hospital to resume our mother's treatment, so behave and stop lying just to hoard money. I know it's difficult with your humble roots, but our treasury is not yours to siphon off."

Even as I listened, I was staring at my mother's lifeless body, covered under a white cloth.

"Yeah," I replied shortly, and put away the communication device to sign the divorce papers.

He must be thinking that I was throwing a tantrum by not asking him for money.

After all, I led the most undignified marriage with him, just to save my mother who had a heart condition.

I had no income because he forbade me from working, telling me that the Gambino Donna had no reason to work outside his house.

However, he also insists on putting me on a budget—every cent I spend must clear a very strict approval procedure by the family, whether I was buying bread, candles, or even wool socks for my mother.

And the approver was Lina, his secretary and his first love.

In fact, she was the reason I was subjected to such strict regulation, saying that a slumdog like me wouldn't understand how society worked, and that I married Luca for his money.

-

Three days ago, the Gambino-owned hospital sent me a notice of termination illness as my mother suffered a relapse of her congestive heart failure and needed surgery right away.

For Luca, the cost was equal to a gun in his vast armory.

But as I repeatedly called him anxiously, there was only an answer on the thirteenth time, and it was Lina who answered.

"What is it? Don Gambino is having a meeting with the other Dons."

My mother's doctor was urging beside me, "Hurry up. The patient's vitals are dropping, and we need to operate now or it'll be too late…"

"Just let me talk to Luca!" I cried, my voice cracking. "My mom's dying! I need the money!"

Lina simply laughed. "You know the rules. Submit an application, and I'll approve it. You know the Don hates being interrupted during meetings—you'll just get him upset."

And with that, the line went dead.

Having no choice, I took photos of the medical bill to attach to my application, making sure to zoom in on the cause, amount to be paid, and everything important.

After I sent it, I stared at the device screen fixedly, all while my heart tightened as the doctor kept pestering me.

Twenty minutes later, the device finally vibrated again—not with an approval, but that my application was rejected!

"The document is so blurry. Please upload it again," Lina's voice said from the other end.

I felt like all my blood had run dry right then.

Beside me, the doctor was stamping his feet anxiously. "The patient will die if we keep dragging this on…"

I patiently took another photo and sent it, and a reply only came ten minutes later.

[Insufficient evidence. Please attach a video of the surgical procedure.]

I died inside—there was no way I'd have a video of the surgery when I didn't even have the money for it!

Lina was just screwing with me!

But I had no choice and yelled at her over the device, "Lina, please! Just approve the request—my mother's dying! If you just help her, I'll do anything you say—"

Lina cut me off shortly and coolly. "This isn't about me, Donna. It's family rules, and I can only obey it. I know slumdogs like you are born with plenty of issues, but the family rules don't bend just because of you!"

I froze and fell on my knees, my heart sinking as I heard the rush of footsteps in the operating room.

Through it all, I kept messaging Luca however I could.

"Please, Luca! Just save my mother!"

"Just save her, and I'll do anything you say!"

"I promise I won't cause trouble anymore or argue with Lina! I'll behave!"

Thirty minutes later, my device suddenly vibrated.

My hands were shaking so much I almost dropped it—it was Luca.

"Your mother's dying?" he asked quietly, probing but with a hint of sympathy.

"Yes!" I cried.

"No, Don!" Suddenly, Lina cried out from the other end, anxious and aggrieved. "We have footage from security—she's lying! Her mother is eating fruits in her room and is the picture of good health! Honestly, how could she do this? Using her mother as an excuse just to steal the family's money…"

Luca was heaving right then. "You're even lying to me now?! Erin Solozzo, I gave you a chance, but you really disappoint me!"

Even before I could argue, the device went dead again, and the operating room lights turned off.

The doctor stepped out, shrugging. "We did our best. Who knows, she could've been saved five minutes earlier if you'd just paid…"

I froze, watching as the nurses pulled a white cloth over my mother's withered form.

She led a frugal life just to fund my tuition fees and would always sneak what spare change the Gambinos gave her to me.

But now, because a fee wasn't paid, she died at this expensive private hospital that was allegedly the 'Salvation of the Gambinos'.

Oh, the irony!

I could still feel the warmth of the communication device in my palm, but what warmth I felt toward Luca was gone along with my mother's heartbeat!

-

Over the next three days, I personally oversaw my mother's cremation and other funeral matters without bothering Luca.

He was always worried about me touching his money?

Fine.

From now on, I would be Erin Solozzo again, and I would have zero associations to the Gambinos.

Suddenly, I felt my communication device vibrating.

[Request approved.]

I stared at it, pursing my lips—it was Luca sending alms.

He had no idea I didn't need such laughable charity anymore.

In the evening, Lina even went out of her way to send me the bill of the private dinner she just had with Luca, and the cost of the bottle of Romanee-Conti they had was exactly the cost of my mother's surgery.

And behind it, she wrote with her lipstick, "The Don said only people who share this wine with him have the right to spend the family's wealth."

She even added a smiley just for good measure!

Furious, I crumpled the bill in my hand and charged into Luca's office, only to find him putting a new necklace around Lina's neck.

He paused when he saw my haggard appearance and came over to touch my face, but I slapped him away, bellowing with a cracked voice, "Just one bottle of your wine would be enough to save my mother!"

Lina promptly hid behind him. "I think there's a misunderstanding here, Donna…"

Luca frowned at me in turn. "It's not what you think. Lina just sealed a deal with the Vatican Bank, and it's her reward—"

I suddenly left and smacked her with the bill. "Reward?! A reward of blood, indeed!"

And with that, I turned to leave without looking back.

Returning to the manor, I began packing my belongings, which I didn't have much despite being married to Luca for three years.

All the family wealth was locked up in the safe in the vault room, all entrusted by Luca to Lina and to be governed by her whim.

Only she knew the password, which was why I needed her approval for everything, including my mother's medicine.

It was just like queuing up outside a soup kitchen.

One time, I asked for fifty euros more to get my mother some socks, and Lina flung the note at my face in front of the entire accounting department. "A slumdog is always a slumdog! All you do is take money from us!"

Then, she forced me to publicly apologize and made me stand outside in the winter snow for three hours.

Luca knew that, but he merely clapped my shoulder and said, "I know you married me for my money, but know your place. You have no business being the Donna if money is all you care about—and I don't want you to be like that."

I sighed at those memories and reached into the bottom of the bedside drawer, taking out my red academic certificate.

Three years ago, I was praised as a prodigy in chemistry, having won the top prize in the youth category for the invention and innovation of new metals.

But after that, I succumbed to Luca's relentless wooing

He promised me a family and to fulfill my dreams, and I had every intention to help his business to new heights with my metals research, improving his arms development.

But he chose to believe Lina instead, forcing me out of a job and reducing me to a housewife suffering everyone's whims.

Plucking the soda can pull tab that he called my wedding band, I flung it into a trash can and headed out with my suitcase.

There was nothing in there, aside from some bleached clothes, my mother's ashes, and my academic certificates.

However, I had just reached the door when Eliza the chef called out to me, looking at me sideways and scoffing hostilely. "Just give up already. You'll just come back like you did all the time before! What's even the point of such cheap drama?"

It wasn't a surprise that she didn't respect me, when her salary was a ton better than my monthly allowance.

I was the Donna in name only, but I had nothing to my name.

Meanwhile, Eliza was still huffing at me. "Don't forget that the Don wants his Cointreau tonight!"

I stopped and snapped coolly, "Go get if you want, or tell Lina to do it. She's just a slut who got where she is by sucking up to others, no? It's the best possible job for her!"

The other servants clamored among themselves, while Eliza was reeling in shock, obviously not expecting me to snap.

Eventually, she recovered and bellowed "How dare you badmouth Lady Lina! You'd better watch it, or I'll tell the Don!"

In their minds, they had probably already acknowledged Lina as their real Donna.

"Whatever." I laughed coolly and turned away.

As I basked in the sun, I had never felt more relieved.