Divorcing The Don: I Am Free Now

“Lorenzo loved proving to the Underworld how desperately I loved him. So, on every anniversary, he presented me with fake divorce papers, betting with his Capos on the exact minute I would break down and beg him to stay. In our first year, he slid the Syndicate Severance Decree across the mahogany table with a cruel smirk. "If you don't care about me, sign it." I cried and tore the document to shreds. He pulled me into his arms in front of all his men. "I knew it. You cannot bear to leave me." In our second year, he let Gianna-his childhood friend and the Consigliere's daughter-sit right beside him. He looked at my pale face and asked, "What would you do if she actually became the new Donna?" With red eyes, I begged him to stop playing these twisted games. He simply kissed my forehead, his voice dripping with arrogant satisfaction. "Look at you. You really cannot live without me." In our third year, he had his ruthless Syndicate Fixer publicly read another fake decree. He forced me to declare in front of the entire Family, "I will never leave you, Lorenzo." His men secretly recorded my traumatic panic attacks. They cataloged my tears, using my breakdowns to entertain their underground betting ring. Until our eighth anniversary. The Fixer slid the documents toward me once again. But this time, the decree was real. Lorenzo had already signed his name on the dotted line. Gianna sat intimately close to him, asking in a soft, carrying whisper, "Once this little game is over, can I finally be the Donna?" Lorenzo looked at me with absolute certainty, waiting for my usual breakdown. "As long as you drop to your knees and beg like you always do, this decree will not take effect." Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for me to tear the papers and throw myself into his arms. Instead, I calmly picked up a black pen and signed my name on the very last page. The arrogant smile on Lorenzo's face slowly froze. I pushed the finalized decree back to him and slid the heavy, diamond-encrusted Mafia wedding band off my finger. "She can stay," I said, my voice eerily steady. "And you can find someone else to prove their love for your sick bets." Because my love for him was dead.”