Now, I am divorced.

Overcoming stages

Ana's POV

Believing I wouldn't have to see Belial again, I tried to keep my mind occupied with university. I was close to taking exams, and soon, I would have to defend my research paper, but the thought of finding a job wouldn't leave my mind. Otherwise, the money I had saved would be gone.

So, with all the attitude in the world, after finishing my classes, I left the university without imagining that I would face my nightmare.

"Are you happy now!?"

Some arms had surprised me as I walked distractedly on the sidewalk.

"What's wrong with you, Belial?"

"This is what you wanted! You did it! You screwed me over!"

I didn't understand. His gaze was terrifying, as if injected with blood, and the veins in his arms were dilated. I had never seen him so angry.

"I don't have time for you, goodbye."

"She lost the baby!" he shouted so loudly that many heard it. "You caused my son to die! After insulting her, you made her sick and... I will never forgive you for this, Ana! What was my son's fault? What was his fault!? You have destroyed me!"

"She lost the baby..." I murmured, surprised but with a strange fear, thinking I could go through the same thing. "Don't blame me for something I didn't do."

"Then who did it!?" His anger led him to shake my shoulders. "He was my son! Do you know how I feel?"

"That's enough... I didn't do anything!" When I finally managed to make him let go, I felt a pain in my stomach, one that I managed to hide. "Go blame someone else; I have nothing to say to you."

"Ana! I'm not finished!"

He got into his car and followed me.

"I've already told you, I don't know you!"

In this way, I left without looking back, but when I realized he was following me, I felt the pangs in my stomach increase. I had to find a way to lose sight of him; he couldn't know about my pregnancy. So, I started running, but without realizing it, I ended up colliding with some people; my glasses fell to the ground, and one of them looked at me in astonishment. She was a redhead I remembered seeing before, but I escaped as soon as I took my glasses.

When I finally managed to evade Belial, I leaned against the wall of an alley. However, the pain increased, and when I lowered my gaze, I noticed my pants stained with blood.

"My baby..." I whispered, feeling like I was running out of air. "My baby... Ouch!" I sobbed in increasing pain.

"Another day without clients... What a day!"

A voice complaining about her bad day appeared in the passage, which left me cringing in pain.

It was a heavily made-up woman with suggestive clothing, but upon seeing my condition, she rushed to help me.

"Hey, what happened to you? God, you're losing a lot of blood!"

"My baby..." I barely managed to say. "Help me, please..."

After that, I lost consciousness, and I don't remember how it happened or how I did it, but when I woke up, I found green eyes checking on my condition.

"You woke up; don't move. I'm going to call the doctor."

That guy left and came back with someone I already knew. It was my doctor, also a friend of Rogelio's.

"Oh Ana, what a scare you gave us."

Then I remembered.

"My baby! How is my baby?"

"Now rest. You had a risk of miscarriage from being under high stress, and your illness doesn't help much. You're only four months pregnant, so look at yourself... Ana, I won't lie to you; things will get worse. I know Rogelio's death hasn't been easy to face either."

"But my baby..."

"Yes, the baby's okay," he responded resignedly, understanding that my only interest was my child's life.

"Well, if you care about your baby, you should also care about yourself," the green-eyed guy added. Remember that the baby feels everything you're going through."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Oh, he's Josh, a resident in medicine."

"I've never seen him before."

"And speaking of seeing, the woman who brought you is waiting in the waiting room. You were lucky she found you," he told me.

I remembered the woman with copper-colored hair and asked the doctor to let her in.

"Are you sure? She doesn't seem trustworthy."

"If she brought me here and is waiting for me, that's enough."

Resigned, he nodded and walked away, leaving me alone with the guy reading my medical history.

"Am I that bad?" I asked without looking at him.

"Well, what can I say? A pregnant woman with leukemia is not something you see every day."

"You're quite delicate in how you say things," I let out a small smile.

"Yes, I've been told that," he returned the smile. "Sometimes, with time, emotions fade away."

"I wish that would happen to me."

"Let me guess, problems with the father of your child?"

"I don't want to talk about him."

"Then I guessed right, but you know something, I've also been engaged. She left me because I didn't have much time. I thought I would feel empty, but I focused on becoming the professional I wanted to be. You have a life forming inside you, don't look outside for what you already have with you." He left my medical records on the small table. He planned to continue with his rounds, but he stopped just as he was at the door.

"Beautiful eyes, don't dim their shine."

And when he left, I saw the woman who entered with some distrust until she saw me.

"Oh, woman! I almost had a heart attack when I saw you covered in so much blood."

I had to thank her; she had saved my life. We talked for a long time, and little by little, I started to like her more. But then I remembered Will and knew I had to call him. Sure enough, as soon as he heard my voice and learned what had happened, he came to see me.

His look of concern was the same as the one he gave Rogelio. He seemed to fear the worst, but I would not give up easily.

When I was finally discharged, they made it clear that I needed to be very careful with my pregnancy. So, in the following days, Will accompanied me to the university. I had already missed classes and only had exams to recover my grades. I was getting closer to obtaining my degree and being able to say that I did it... just like I will say when this disease disappears from my body. I had to stay optimistic; I haven't died yet.

...

It was a morning when Will hadn't arrived to accompany me back home. It seemed he had a personal problem, so he called me to apologize, but for me, there was no problem. After all, what problem could I have?

Suddenly, a notification came to my phone. The news never stopped, but when I saw the headline, it sent chills down my spine.

"He got married," I said in barely audible words, but it was bound to happen; there was no reason for me to be surprised. They were alike.

I was walking on the sidewalk, trying to find a taxi, when I heard sad howls. Driven by curiosity, I entered a dirty alley where I found a small dog in a cardboard box, covered in mud and hungry.

"Hello, little one, are you alone?"

It could barely open its eyes because of how dirty they were.

"They left you alone too, didn't they? I know what it feels like. It hurts at first, but someone comes along when you least expect it."

Taking it in my hands, I lifted the little puppy out of the box. It was a small Husky, and I couldn't understand how someone could abandon such a beautiful creature. But that wasn't the only surprise. My eyes couldn't believe it when it fully opened its eyes, revealing blue and green colors in each eye. It was just like me, and immediately, I felt more connected. My chest ached, and I couldn't help but remember my situation. This little animal represented what they had done to my soul. Covered in mud, abandoned, and mistreated, but with the will to live, and so it would.

I took the puppy home, only to be surprised by finding Will and my late husband's lawyer there.

"Did something happen?"

"Everything happened, Ana," Will said excitedly. "The lawyer for my lord has brought these papers. They state clearly that you are the owner and lady of everything."

"Owner? I don't understand."

"A judge has ordered those intruders to leave," Will said, tears falling as he hugged me. "Ana, you are the sole heir."

Suddenly, the lawyer began to explain everything.

"That family wanted to take advantage of your vulnerability. They had Rogelio sign some papers, and he always suspected they would use them for something bad one day, and he was right. So I invalidated those papers to present my client's last will."

I was still surprised.

"That means..."

"You can leave this place and return to your home, your life, Mrs. Ana Ardley."

I will never forget Rogelio, who, even in death, continued to help me. I vowed never to bow my head, to double my efforts. It was time to bury the past.

...

After so much effort, I graduated. I was a woman whose illness couldn't stop.

The months passed, and my belly grew, just like the spots on my body continued to increase. The exhaustion was twice as strong; the discomfort never left my body. Everything pointed out that I wouldn't make it, but I had decided to achieve it. Nothing would defeat me.

And while the news showed Belial and Ratja talking about how well the business was going and how close they were as a couple, I had my baby.

Weak and almost on the verge of death, my only support was seeing my daughter in my arms. I had my motivation.

"She's beautiful, baby," the doctor who placed my daughter on my chest said. The tears were inevitable, and I cried with all my strength. I held her while she cried, filling her lungs with air.

"It's okay, it's okay," I repeated, pressing her against my heart. "Mommy is here... Mommy won't let your crying go unnoticed. Mommy will protect you; Mommy will always love you." Little by little, her crying ceased, and instinctively I cradled her with the love in my heart.

"You are my sunshine... My only sunshine... You make me happy when the skies are gray...You'll never know, dear, how much I love you... Please don't take my sunshine away."

...

Time passed, and my life did not stop. I worked to better myself and triumphed over my illness.

I could conquer the world, and my work was well-known. My designs were considered sophisticated and exquisite. A taste that sparked the interest of more than one fashion company. I had it all, and I was happy.

"Ana, may I come in?"

Leaving the small painting on my desk, I nodded.

"You know you can, Will."

He entered with some papers, noting my big smile.

"I see you're very happy."

"And how could I not be? The latest fashion show was a success. But you know what? I'm considering accepting the offer from one of the companies that called me. I could do a special collaboration."

About that... This arrived." He handed me a document, and upon seeing the initials, I recognized the logo.

"Bercelli? I don't understand."

"It seems that the president's move didn't go well. There are rumors that he's bankrupt, and many will lose their jobs."

"How can that be? They just announced their new collection recently."

"It turned out to be a failure. The losses were staggering. Now your ex-husband, Belial Bercelli, is on the verge of bankrupting the brand."

"Wow..." I was surprised. "And he sends me this?"

"No, actually, I don't think he's even aware. That document was sent by the Bercelli patriarch, Belial's grandfather. He's begging for your help."

"My help! It must be a joke. The patriarch was the only one in that family who accepted me happily, and I hold him dear, but... Asking me for this? It's absurd."

"When the potential is high, it's recognized. You're a fantastic designer, and everything you touch is a success."

"But what will happen when they see Vera?"

"No one knows you had a daughter; they don't need to know."

Will was right. It would only be work, but I had better offers. If Belial had gotten himself into that problem, he should have solved it on his own.

Suddenly, Will was caught by a phone call.

"It's the Bercelli patriarch," he told me as he saw the number. "I gave him my number; I didn't think he would call. Should I answer?"

"He's an older gentleman and the only one in that family who hasn't done anything to me. Go ahead."

Will answered, and immediately, he handed me his phone.

"He wants to talk to you."

I agreed to respond out of respect, and after years, I heard the man's voice.

"Ana?"

"Mr. Camp, long time no see."

"Dear Ana, I am so glad you answered my call. I imagine you already know about the crisis we're going through."

"I'm aware. You can't imagine how sorry I am but about your proposal..."

"Ana, I beg you, Bercelli is a brand I founded when I was still single. I don't want to die seeing my company fall."

"Sir..."

"I implore you, Ana. Only your hands can help us."

I didn't know what to answer, but at that moment, the doors of my office opened, revealing a happy face, along with the dog that ran around my office.

"Mama!"

"Are you busy?" he asked seriously.

"Um... It's fine, I accept," I replied to prevent him from hearing my daughter's voice. "I will attend 'Bercelli' tomorrow."

I hung up and only then became aware of what I had gotten myself into.

"Mama, who was that?"

My five-year-old girl had all of my features except for my eyes. Her eyes were light blue, the same as her father's.

"Work, my dear. It's just work, nothing to worry about."

There it was. No matter who was in front of me, I am a professional. My designs are the best, and I have great self-assurance. They are just another client.