For the past two years, for the sake of the love I shared with my fiancé, Rex, I, Aria Costello, had silently endured the cruel torment of his sister, Juliana. I thought my patience would earn his understanding and protection.

However, when Juliana threatened to kill herself, forcing me to smash the token of our love with my own hands, and my pleas for help to Rex were met with deafening silence, I finally understood that some bonds, once shattered, could never be mended.

In that moment, I decided to end this one-woman show and take back everything that was rightfully mine.

————————

1

For two years, I, Aria Costello, had bent to their every whim.

At first, it was just Rex Gallo's sister, Juliana, forcing me to clean up glass she'd deliberately shattered, my bare hands picking up the shards. Later, she made me slap myself in front of the entire family. She even locked me outside the manor gates on a frigid winter night to endure the biting wind alone. Each new cruelty was more vicious than the last.

"It's all your fault! If you hadn't insisted on dragging Rex to some art exhibition, I wouldn't have been kidnapped!" Juliana stood on the edge of the rooftop terrace, her body trembling with agitation, the glint of madness in her eyes. "Now! Take the letter opener from Rex's desk—the one with the family crest—and smash it! Smash that antique pocket watch he gave you, his precious token of love!"

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Juliana suddenly pressed the sharp point of the letter opener to her own throat. "Or I'll just die right here! Try explaining my dead body to Rex!"

I closed my eyes, resigned. "Don't move. I'll do it."

I took the gleaming letter opener from her hand and, under Juliana's predatory gaze, aimed the tip at the watch's crystal face. I pried it open, then smashed down relentlessly until the precious antique, engraved with both our initials, was reduced to fragments. Only then did Juliana leave with a satisfied smirk.

I crumpled to the floor, the breath knocked out of me as I stared at the ruin scattered around me. I pulled out my phone and sent Rex a message: "Rex, Juliana needs to see a psychiatrist. Today, she..."

The message was marked as read, but no reply ever came.

I stared at the screen for a long, long time. Finally, I pushed myself to my feet. I had to see Don Alaric.

When I arrived at Don Alaric's estate, the grand hall was occupied only by a few grim-faced Soldato.

I told Don Alaric what had happened. After his Consigliere pulled up the Gallo family's legal files, he frowned. "Principessa, according to these documents, your engagement to Mr. Rex Gallo was legally annulled."

"What?" My mind went blank, my voice a trembling whisper. "I never agreed to end the engagement..."

Don Alaric's Consigliere turned the documents toward me. "It says here all procedures were completed. It became effective a month ago."

I gripped my phone tightly, my fingertips going numb, my hand shaking uncontrollably.

I suddenly remembered a month ago, Rex handing me a legal document in Italian, telling me to sign what he claimed was for "us to set up a family trust fund together." At that moment, Juliana was in the next room, smashing things and screaming for me. I couldn't decipher the complex legal jargon, so I just signed it.

The Soldato behind me started whispering.

"The paperwork is finalized. She's wasting the Don's time."

"What a fool, getting played by that Gallo punk and not even knowing it. Serves her right..."

I don't remember how I walked out of that building.

The afternoon sun should have been warm, but a chill pierced me to the bone, and I could feel my teeth chattering.

I marched straight to Rex's office.

The office door was ajar, and laughter drifted out. I froze, instinctively holding my breath. Through the crack in the door, I saw Juliana—the same Juliana who supposedly suffered from agoraphobia after her trauma and hadn't dared to leave the house for two years—now sitting on the sofa, smiling brilliantly.

Roxanne Ricci was nestled beside Rex, leaning intimately over his plate to cut a piece of his steak for him.

"Rex, did Aria come complaining again? All she ever does is cry and whine," Juliana said smugly. "Don't you dare go soft on her!"

Roxanne said gently, "Juliana… Aria has taken care of you for two years. It hasn't been easy for her."

"She deserved it!" Juliana's voice rose to a shriek. "If she hadn't been clinging to Rex, stopping him from picking me up, would I have been kidnapped and tortured by those animals?!"

My nails dug deep into my palms.

Rex frowned, a complex expression flashing across his face, but he said nothing. His silence was his answer.

"Rex," Juliana cooed, changing the subject. "When are you going to tell her the engagement is off and kick her out of our house?"

Rex's voice dropped. "Juliana, she has nowhere else to go. Besides…"

Juliana cut him off with a shrill cry, "Don't tell me you still have feelings for her?! Look at Roxanne! She's a hundred times more useful to the family than Aria!"

Rex's voice was quiet but firm. "Let's not startle her for now. I have other plans."

Juliana sneered, her eyes full of malice. "Fine. If she stays, I'll make her life a living hell. I'm just getting started."

"Don't go too far," Rex murmured, his tone more indulgent than warning.

I stumbled backward, hot tears blurring my vision. My engagement was over. And I was the last one to know.

I walked out of the building and watched the black sedans speeding past, a faint, bitter smile touching my lips.

I'd been watching this farce for two years. It was time to bring down the curtain.

Since I was destined to be an outsider, I would leave on my own terms.

Two years ago, for Rex's sake, I had a falling out with my family. I even swore I would rather die than accept the marriage Don Alaric had arranged for me since childhood with the Callahan Group.

Since the engagement was already void...

Alright then.

I was going back to marry the man I should have married all along.

That evening, when Rex and Juliana returned home, they flicked on the living room lights and recoiled in shock to find me sitting on the sofa.

Juliana was the first to recover, her voice sharp. "What the hell is wrong with you, Aria?!"

"Sitting here in the dark like a ghost, trying to scare us?!"

I looked at her. "I thought you had agoraphobia. Weren't you afraid to go out?"

A flicker of panic crossed Juliana's eyes. "Where I go is none of your business!"

With that, she stormed upstairs without another glance.

Rex approached me, his posture stiff. "I took Juliana to see a psychiatrist."

"She needs to. Today, she forced me to smash the pocket watch. Again. She also said she wants Roxanne to be your wife."

Rex frowned, his voice sharp with impatience. "She's been through a lot. Her mental state isn't stable. Just be patient with her a little longer."

"Be patient?" I stood. "How much longer? She orders me around, forces me to slap myself, locks me out on freezing winter nights, I..."

Rex's face darkened as he cut me off. "Enough! Who do you think is to blame for her condition?!"

My nails dug into my palms.

-

Two years ago, we had just arrived at an art exhibition opening when Juliana called, demanding Rex pick her up.

My fingers were intertwined with his, and I leaned in to kiss his neck, pleading softly, "Today is a very important exhibition for me. Can you please stay with me… just until after the party?"

Rex hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

Before we even entered the venue, Juliana's call came again.

"I'll just explain it to her," Rex said, moving to answer.

I suddenly grabbed his hand, my voice tight with anger. "She always has a reason to call you away. She's an adult; you don't have to watch her every second. In your heart, she's always more important than me, isn't she?"

Rex looked at me and finally sighed. "My parents passed away early. It's just the two of us. Maybe… I am too anxious about her."

Halfway through the exhibition, a Soldato burst in. "Capo! A rival family took Miss Juliana!"

It wasn't until the next day that Rex found Juliana in an abandoned warehouse by the docks.

She had been tortured all night by the family's enemies, covered in wounds, her spirit nearly shattered.

-

"Yes, it's my fault she's like this…" My voice was hoarse. "But for two years, I've poured my soul into caring for her, and she has systematically crushed my dignity. Am I supposed to let her torment me for the rest of my life?"

Rex suddenly fell silent, unable to meet my eyes. Then, in a stiff, unnatural voice, he said, "The doctor said Juliana needs a close female friend around for emotional support, so Roxanne will be moving in tomorrow."

"What?" I stared at him in disbelief.

"Once Juliana gets better, I'll have her move out," Rex said hastily.

I looked at him. "Rex, I went to see Don Alaric today."

Rex froze, his fingers tightening involuntarily.

"They told me our engagement has been nullified," I said with a smile, though tears slid from my eyes. "You had this all planned, didn't you? Just waiting for me to step aside for Roxanne."

Rex lunged forward and grabbed my wrist, his voice tight with urgency. "It's not what you think! Juliana threatened suicide—I had no choice. Don't worry, Aria, once she stabilizes, we'll get re-engaged. I swear I'll make everything right, okay?"

"Threatened to kill herself?" I shook his hand off, my voice rising. "How many times has she used that trick? She uses it every time, and you fall for it every time!"

Rex's temper flared, the veins on his temples throbbing. "She's my sister! The only family I have left in this world! I can't gamble with her life! I can't afford that loss!"

"Aria, why are you always pushing me?! Do you have any idea how hard it is for me, caught between the two of you?! Can't you just be considerate for once?"

I looked into Rex's eyes and almost laughed. Hadn't I been considerate enough?

The first time I met Juliana, she shoved me into the cold swimming pool in front of Rex. He said, "Juliana's just spoiled. Let her have her way."

On our engagement day, Juliana not only didn't show up but also locked our bedroom door. I stood outside in my expensive gown, freezing for half an hour. We ended up spending our engagement night in a spare room.

Back then, Rex had said, "I'm sorry you have to go through this. Just give it some time. Juliana will come around."

After Juliana was kidnapped, she took her anger out on me daily. If she couldn't see me, she would throw a violent tantrum.

Rex begged me with red-rimmed eyes, "Help me, it won't be for long..."

Every single time, I endured.

But now, I was done enduring. "I'm tired, Rex."

Rex immediately pulled me into his arms. "Aria, I love you."

He held me tighter, his voice almost a plea. "For my sake, just hold on a little longer, okay?"

I went rigid in his arms, a silent, false agreement.

After all, our engagement was already over.

It didn't matter anymore.

Finally, Rex let go, saying awkwardly, "You should get some rest. I have some family business to attend to. I'll head back."

With that, he practically fled.

I watched him disappear through the doorway, and the tears I'd been fighting finally broke free.

There was a time when he would bring a hot late-night snack to my studio to pick me up after I stayed up late creating. He remembered all my favorite things. When I was feeling down, he would stay by my bedside all night...

That kindness once made me believe in a lifetime of happiness together.

But our seven years of love had finally run their course.

I wiped away my tears, took out my phone, scheduled an appointment with my lawyer to sign the final documents, and booked a private jet to Chicago, scheduled for three days from now.

The next morning, I was awakened by a commotion downstairs.

I went down to find Roxanne standing in the living room, surrounded by several suitcases.

Juliana was clinging to Roxanne's arm affectionately. "Roxanne, you're finally here!"

Roxanne smiled and patted her hand, then turned to Rex and said softly, "Rex, my mother was worried I wouldn't be comfortable here, so she went a little overboard with the packing. I'm so sorry for all the trouble."

Rex replied casually, "We grew up together, and your mother has always looked after Juliana and me. There's no need to be so formal."

Juliana noticed me, and the smile on her face immediately vanished, her tone sharp and biting. "What are you doing standing there with that sour face? From now on, Roxanne is staying here to keep me company!"

Roxanne approached, her tone gentle. "The doctor said Juliana can't be agitated, so I came over to keep her company and lift her spirits."

I said nothing, just watched them.

Rex said in a low voice, "Aria has already agreed."

"This is the Gallo house. Who cares if she agrees or not?" Juliana sneered. "If she doesn't like it, she can get out."

Then she turned back to Roxanne, her voice becoming sweet again. "Come on, I'll take you upstairs. We'll pick out the best room."

Moments later, a series of heavy thuds echoed from upstairs. I ran up to find my bedroom doorway choked with chaos. My clothes, my personal belongings, my sculpture sketches, my art collection—all of it had been hurled into the hallway.

Everything Rex and I had once carefully chosen together was tossed out like garbage.

Juliana stood in the middle of the bedroom with her hands on her hips, directing the maids.

Roxanne lingered at the door, her voice slow and deliberate. "If I share a room with Juliana, I might disturb her rest. But if I stay too far away, I won't be able to take care of her in time. This room is the closest to hers, so..."

Rex approached, his eyes avoiding mine, and was about to speak.

But I spoke first, my voice eerily calm. "It's fine. You can have whichever room you want."

I knelt and began to gather my things.

"Aria," Rex said, looking down at me on the floor, his voice thick with guilt. "You can stay in the guest room for now. After a while, we'll..."

"You've already moved her in. What difference does it make where I sleep?" I said flatly.

Rex fell silent, his gaze landing on a photo of us on the floor.

It was from our first trip abroad together. He bent down to pick it up, his voice tense. "This was from our first trip to Florence, in front of the Uffizi Gallery. You don't want it anymore?"

I paused for a moment, then finally said, "Throw it away. It's old."

"Aria…" Rex clutched the photo and hurried after me. "What's wrong with you, Aria? You were never like this..."

"Nothing," I replied, a bitter edge to my voice. "I'm just stepping aside for the sake of Juliana's 'illness.' Isn't that what you wanted?"

Rex opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.