I thought it would be enough for me to live for half a lifetime. My hand brushed over the money wrapped in a handkerchief inside my bag and I couldn’t help but smile. Finally, I could start living for myself.
I took my few belongings and hurried to the house in the east. I spent the day changing the locks and setting up my bed. Even when I lay down that night, I kept touching the property deed and the money.
The house was now in my name. It really gave me a feeling of safety I had never known before. I thought leaving Fabio would hurt and make me miserable. After all, I had loved him during our three years of marriage.
But to my surprise, I slept soundly that night.
Our marriage had been arranged by our families. Fabio’s father and my grandfather were both police officers who had fought side by side against the mafia. Because of that bond, our families decided on the marriage.
But the marriage was meant for Serena, not me. She had been the precious ‘daughter’ of the Altomare Family for eighteen years. Instead, I was the real daughter of the Altomare Family. I had been mistakenly switched at birth by a careless midwife.