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‘Wait here, Lorenzo!’ I shouted.
I stormed back into the bedroom, through the door and down to the living room to find Charlie, who I now spotted chatting to Roxy. I knew I needed to try and stay calm for the baby’s sake, but I couldn’t help myself. I was livid.
‘Charlie!’ I screamed. ‘Did you take a letter from the coffee table in Lorenzo’s flat that was addressed to me and hide it?’
He looked stunned and immediately turned bright red. His face said it all.
‘Youbastard!’ The whole room fell silent and gasped in horror at the unscheduled show that had been added to the party entertainment itinerary. ‘You saw how upset I was, and you just left me to think Lorenzo didn’t care, when you knew all along that he hadn’t just upped and left. You were happy to see me in pain, just to get back at me. I fuckinghateyou!’
I left the room seething, and seconds later I could hear him running after me down the hallway.
‘Sophia,’ he said, grabbing onto my arm. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…I wasn’t thinking clearly. You’d just told me you’d jumped into bed with another man literally five minutes after leaving me, despite knowing what I’d been through with Zara, and I was hurt, so when I saw the letter, I just… I just…he’s not good enough for you!’
He followed me into the bedroom, where Lorenzo was now standing, arms folded.
‘Sophia, he’s just achef, for goodness’ sake!’ Charlie shouted. ‘He can’t provide for you and our baby. I can give you botheverythingyou’ll ever need. What can he offer you? A plate of pasta and some grotty accommodation? I can give you so much more!’
Lorenzo stepped forward and punched Charlie squarely in the face, sending him crashing to the wooden floor.
I gasped in shock. That was one right hook Lorenzo had on him. I could almost see the stars buzzing around Charlie’s head, like when the characters got knocked out in the old-school cartoons.
Lorenzo wrapped his arm around my waist and stroked my bump.
‘Nobody talks to my wife like that,’ he said, looking down at Charlie, who was rubbing his cheek, which was, unsurprisingly, looking very sore. ‘You took my letter for Sophia. You made me look like a bad man. You upset her andourbaby. It is time for you to leave. I will take care of Sophia andour child. I am not a rich man, but I know how to respect and love a woman. If you loved Sophia and Sophia loved you, you would not need to hide my letter from her. Go back to your castle, rich man,’ Lorenzo said, shooing Charlie away and wrinkling his face with disgust.
My hero!
Wait. Did Lorenzo just call me hiswife?
Although I wasn’t a wedding kind of woman, I had to admit, that was such a sweet thing to say.
Charlie struggled to get back on his feet. ‘You two cretins deserve each other,’ he barked. ‘Sophia, I’m sorely disappointed in you. All I tried to do was to give you a good life, toelevateyou, and this is how you repay me? You’re an ungrateful, common whore!’
Lorenzo lunged forward to punch him again.
‘No, Lorenzo,’ I said calmly, holding his hand back. ‘Leave it.’ I turned to Charlie, who was now upright, albeit still a little unsteady on his feet. ‘Charlie, I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but I was honest with you about how I felt. I tried, but we both know it wasn’t working. I want to stay on good terms. That’s why I came to you and apologised, and why I invited you here tonight. But what you did hiding that letter from me was just wrong.’
‘Oh and sleeping with two guys literally hours apart, getting pregnant and not knowing who the father is, isn’t?’ he snapped.
Touché. Although technically, if Charlie would just tell me the truth about what happened with the condom, it would be a lot less confusing…
‘Unbelievable,’ said Charlie as he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
I turned to Lorenzo and rested my head on his chest.
‘I’m sorry I doubted you, Lorenzo.’
‘I am sorry I left you, Sophia,’ he said, resting his chin on my head. ‘But I have lot of problems. At first when I left, I thought perhaps it is best I did not come back. I looked up Charlie on the internet when I got home. I knew he was a rich man, but notthatrich. So I thought, perhaps it would be better if you stay with him. He could give you more than I can. Then I worried if I was ready. If I can be a good father…’ He paused, and a troubled expression engulfed his face. ‘You remember I told you I had difficult life, especially with women?’ he asked.
‘Yes…’ I replied, bracing myself for what was coming next.
We sat down on the sofa opposite the balcony doors.
‘When I was twenty-nine, I fell in love with a woman. She told me she was pregnant. We had not known each other a long time. I thought it had happened quickly, but I was happy. I always wanted children. People told me that she was no good. But she was beautiful—looked like the actress Eva Mendes. But I did not listen. I loved her.’ He rested his hands on top of mine and his face turned serious.
‘Go on,’ I said encouragingly.
‘I worked two jobs to get enough money to look after the baby and to buy her the nice clothes that she wanted. I loved my son. His name was Stefano. But when he was six months, a man came to the house saying he wants to seehisson. My girlfriend, she had an affair with a married man, realised she was pregnant with his baby, but because he would not leave his wife and stopped giving her money, she met me and decided to use me to support them instead. Even though she lied, I forgave her. I said I would still look after them. But then the man’s wife heard about this and kicked him out, so my girlfriend left to be with him, and she took Stefano with her.’
