Sweet Revenge for my Arranged Husband

Chapter 2: Me or Her

Paola had been living in the house for several days, and she acted as if she owned the entire place while I felt insignificant.

One day, I decided to confront Fernando. He needed to make a choice between me and Paola. I went to his office without any warning.

When he saw me, he frowned with annoyance, his gaze filled with irritation. I was afraid of his intense stare, but that didn't deter me.

"Fernando, we need to talk!"

"Isabella, don't you see? I'm busy!"

"It won't take long!" I insisted.

"Okay, tell me, be quick."

"We need to talk about Paola! She can't stay in this house! I am your wife," I said to him, but Fernando just laughed at me. However, I continued. "You have to choose. Me or her!"

"Girl, there is nothing to choose from here. Are you joking? I'm only married to you on paper. So Paola, she's my true wife because she's the one I love."

"Then divorce me!" I challenged him.

"No, I can't do that! As long as my father is still alive and managing the family assets, I have to be married to you. Nothing would make me happier than divorcing you, but at the moment, I have to tolerate being with you."

"I can't handle this situation. If Paola doesn't leave, then I will!"

"Perfect! If you want to leave, go. We won't get divorced, but if that's what you want, go. You're just doing me a favor anyway."

"Is that really what you want?" I asked him.

"Nothing irritates me more than seeing you every day. Your presence reminds me that I cannot be truly happy with the woman I love."

"Perfect!" I turned around and left his office. I went to my room and packed my suitcase. In truth, I didn't put much in it. I could buy everything I needed again.

When I came downstairs, I found Paola waiting there, as if she had been expecting me.

"So you're leaving, huh. You have no idea how much joy you have brought us with your decision."

"Remember this, Paola. I am the wife, and you are just a mistress. Stay and wallow with him all you want, but you will never stop being my shadow. Oh, and remember that if you get pregnant, your child will be born out of wedlock. So if I were you, I wouldn't do that."

After I said those words, she slapped me.

"Your behavior is not worthy of anyone, Paola."

I left that place. Yes, I may be an 18-year-old girl, but I am still a Castrioti.

If Fernando believed that he could take advantage of my status and that I would remain silent in the face of his wife's humiliations, he was wrong.

I arrived at my apartment, and strangely, I had a feeling of being at home.

Just a minute later, I heard the sound of the doorbell. I went out to see who it was. It was rather strange because I hadn't informed anyone that I was staying there. But I was sure that Dad would find out eventually.

The apartment was mine, in my name. However, deep down, I knew that he had bought it. I felt like someone who had been handed a strike.

But I was surprised to see that it was Fernando. I opened the door and he immediately started yelling at me.

"Who do you think you are to say those things to Paola, huh?! She is my wife! And you are just a nobody!"

"Exactly! She's just a nobody, and I am your wife! Just make that clear to her," I retorted.

"You are a spoiled brat! I curse the day I met you!" After he said that, he gave me a strong slap, causing me to fall and stumble onto the pavement.

No one had ever laid a hand on me before. It hurts horribly. I placed my hand on my face and looked at him with a gaze full of hatred.

Then he ended up saying, "Stay away from my wife and me!" After saying that, he left my apartment.

I cried like never before. I felt so foolish. I thought that because I loved him, he would love and accept me like in the movies.

I cried for hours, releasing all my pain and resentment.

I stayed at home for a few days, not even getting out of bed. I even contemplated whether it would be better if I just ended my life there. Until someone entered the room.

"Jesus! You scared me, Isabela!"

"Nana."

"What are you doing here?" she asked me. My nana often came to clean my apartment.

"I'll be staying here again, Nana."

"And why is that? You should be living with your husband."

"My husband doesn't want me. He's now with the woman he loves."

Nana remained silent. She looked at me with sadness in her eyes. After a while, she called me to eat. That's when I told her about everything that had happened.

"What will you do now? Will you tell your father?" she asked.

"I don't know, Nana. Maybe I'll just go back to university. There's no need for my dad to know everything. I'll just go back to studying."

And as the days passed, my life started to return to how it was before I got married. Except now, almost every magazine and newspaper carried stories about our marriage.

Many of my classmates were envious that I had such a handsome husband.

As for my studies, at the age of nineteen, I graduated from medical school. Nana was the only one who accompanied me on the day of my graduation.

I made the decision to apply for my surgical internship in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins.

They didn't hesitate to accept me. At the age of 24, I was already a Neurosurgeon. I returned to California where I began working at a university hospital as a senior surgeon.

During that time, I never heard any news about my husband, except for what was published in magazines and newspapers.

I thought I would see him with Paola in the media, given our publicized marriage. However, whenever he was asked about his 'wife', he would simply say that I didn't like attending public events, and as an understanding husband, he respected my decision.

My dad was also aware of our separation. But as long as we remained married on paper, it was enough for him.

I never once used my connections as a member of a wealthy family or as Fernando's wife to advance my career.

My intellect and upbringing proved to be advantageous, especially during my time in boarding school and residency. It became easier for me to make friends, even though most of my colleagues were older than me.

At the age of twenty, the age difference wasn't so noticeable.

After what Fernando did to me, I transformed from a shy and optimistic girl into a cold and calculating woman.

A few days into my work at the hospital, I learned that my father-in-law was ill. By chance, I was in the VIP area of the hospital where I worked, and I didn't hesitate to seek him out. When I entered, he greeted me politely.

"Isabela, dear. I haven't seen you for years. When you married my son, you were barely a girl, and look at you now, you are a beautiful woman. I know that you are now a doctor."

Indeed, at the age of 18, I had blossomed into a pretty young woman, although my appearance still retained a youthful charm.

Now, my curves have become more developed. I had the figure of a woman. My bust wasn't overly large, but it was full and well-shaped. I had a small waist and wide hips. My legs were long and slender. Fencing had become my hobby, so I made sure to stay in good shape. My buttocks were firm. I could say that they had improved after a few years.

"Thank you, Mr. Thompson! It's true, I studied medicine. I am now a neurosurgeon, which is why I haven't had much time to visit you over these years. I apologize, I know it was rude of me."

"Dear, you don't have to worry. Don't think that I'm unaware of what my son has been up to. I don't understand it myself. He has a beautiful and talented wife, yet he insists on being involved with a woman who does nothing but ask him for money."

"Well, you'll have to ask your son about that. I'm afraid I can't answer that," I replied to him.

I continued talking to Mr. Thompson. The truth was, I liked him, especially because he was kind to me.