THE MAFIA’S PET BABY

CHAPTER04

_ A life of pain

I sat in a corner, lost and blank. I had just saved my mom's life, or so I thought. My legs, faced with the physical strain of rushing to the hospital, were hurting so badly.

Shortly after we arrived at the hospital, the rest of the family began to troop in, all of their faces in worry about mom's condition. Dad paced back and forth the entire time while Carly was clinging to Ryan, sobbing uncontrollably. I watched as Ryan held her close, comforting her as if she were the one who had been hurt.

I felt this stinging pain in my chest, it was like a cut that went deeper than just physical pain. What about me, his wife? Didn't I deserve to be consoled, to be held and comforted after everything I had been through?

Our eyes met, and for a moment, I thought I saw recognition, maybe of guilt, in Ryan's eyes. But it was quickly replaced, as if he had already written me off. Carly, on the other hand, seemed to take great pleasure in my pain. She glared at me in anger as she leaned further in Ryan's body.

All of a sudden, she pointed at me. "It's all your fault, Maya," she spat. "If you hadn't put up that ridiculous decoration, Mom would be fine right now."

What? I felt the sudden urge to defend myself, but before I could respond, the doctor came out of the hospital room with a look of relief on his face.

"It's not so deep," he said, smiling. "She only fainted due to the shock, but she's fine now. You can all go see her."

The family rushed towards the hospital room, eager to see mom, while I lagged behind, feeling lost and alone. I had saved her life, but it seemed like no one cared not one bit.

I slipped into the hospital room, trying not to draw attention to myself, but mom's words caught my attention. "Thank you all for saving my life," she said.

The room fell silent, with everyone nodding and smiling, drowning in the praise.

"Mom... it was me who rushed you here," I managed to stammer, trying to remind her of my role in saving her life. But her expression changed in an instant. She gave me this cold, harsh glare, as if I was nothing but an insect buzzing around her head.

She turned her attention back to Carly, gently wiping away her tears and comforting her. I scoffed. A painful reminder.

Carly has always been their favorite child, the golden child who could do no wrong. I, on the other hand, was the black sheep, the one who had made mistakes and disappointed them in every given scenario.

I thought back to the day I had married Ryan, thinking that it would bring me closer to my family, and they'd be glad that I was marrying into one of the richest families. I thought that they would finally accept me for who I was. But I was wrong.

They had deserted me because I chose to marry the man Carly claimed to love, even though it was clear that Carly had never wanted to get married in the first place.

The pain and hurt boiled over, and I broke down in tears. "What did I ever do to deserve this ill-treatment from all of you?" I sobbed, with my voice shaking. "What did I do so wrong that you all can't forgive me?"

My dad's voice came, his words were like a knife to my heart, very cold and detached. "From the day we lost Darren, you ceased being my child," he snapped.

"Papa, that wasn't my fault!" I cried, with tears streaming down my face. Darren's death had been a tragedy, a loss that had torn our family apart. But I was just a child, barely old enough to understand what was happening. How could they blame me for something that wasn't entirely my fault?

The room went silent, with everyone staring at me, but I didn't care.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was barely out of my teenage years when Alessandro, a powerful and feared figure in the city, set his eyes on me. He is known for his ruthless tactics and shady business deals with all influential people. People went to him to borrow money too, and whoever was unable to pay it back, he ended up killing them. He was that heartless, and I was just a young, naive girl who had caught his attention.

He made it clear that he wanted me to be his wife, but I was horrified at the thought. I refused him, and at first, mom stood by my side, supporting my decision. But dad was a different story. He was terrified of Alessandro's power and the damage he could cause, and he constantly pressured me to reconsider. He would send things home as his way to show interest, and we wouldn't even dare touch them because we were scared.

"Mom, but you were on my side at first," I reminded her, pleading with tears streaming down my face as I begged for her support now. But her expression changed, and she looked at me in sadness and hatred.

"Not at the cost of your only brother's life," she screamed, her voice cracking, the tears threatening to fall. I rushed towards her, to cop her hands, but she forcefully pushed mine away.

Alessandro had taken my little brother, Darren, who was only six years old at the time, as a way to manipulate me into marrying him. I thought it was just an empty threat, and I stubbornly refused to give in to his demands.

But then, the unthinkable happened. Darren's lifeless body was sent back to us, and my family was consumed with grief, realizing we couldn't do anything but weep. I myself was devastated.

Now those words are back to haunt me. She had been willing to sacrifice me to save Darren, but things never went as planned. Only if I had just given in to Alessandro's demands. Maybe Darren will still be alive? The thought was too much to bear.

The weight of that guilt stayed with me for years; It was a constant reminder of what we had lost. Living with my parents didn't make it easier either, as they resented me from that day onward. I constantly walked on eggshells, trying not to complicate things further and probably get in their good books again.

But then, Ryan reappeared in my life, and everything changed. When Carly refused to marry him, he turned his attention to me in full. He asked me to be his wife, telling me that his parents were eager for him to marry and produce an heir to carry on their legacy.

At first, I was hesitant, but Ryan's charm won me. He was attentive, kind, and loving, and he made me feel like I was the only person in the world. He would literally worship the ground I walked on, showering me with gifts and affection. He stood up for me countless times, defending me against my parents' criticism.

I was blinded by his love and attention, ignoring the warnings and doubts that others expressed. I didn't care that he had been with Carly before, or that his parents were using me. All I knew was that I felt loved and appreciated for the first time in years, and I was willing to do whatever it took to hold onto that feeling.

Ryan's love was like a balm to my soul, soothing every wound of my past and making me feel whole again. I was so caught up in the romance of it all that I didn't stop to think about the consequences of my actions. I didn't consider the fact that I was marrying a man who had been in love with my sister and was still in love with her.