Chapter Four

Inside a skyscraper, a beautiful lady walked out of a small hall with her hands on her forehead. She appeared stressed. She entered an office about a few walks away and settled on the chair.

It was Stella. She had just concluded a meeting with the company Chairman and the Chief Operating Officer. 

She was feeling dizzy, following the stress she had to go through to compile her message as the manager of the company. However, most of her worries were what had happened the previous day. She couldn't forget about it. 

The thought of going back home to face Lex was unbearable. She acted like she didn't care, but in reality, she felt ashamed of what she had done. 

Her phone rang, and she darted her eyes around in search of it. It was in her drawer, so she picked it up. It was a strange caller ID. 

After a few glances, she picked up the call and placed the phone on her ear. 

“Hello?" Her melodic voice called out, and after a short silence, she jumped on her feet.

“What?!" She exclaimed.

“Lex was involved in an accident? How did this happen? Where is he receiving treatment please?" She asked with so much concern. "Ok, I'll be there right away," she said and picked up her car key.

In no time she was out of her office, headed for the hospital.

Around 4 pm, she arrived at the hospital. Surprisingly, Mariana and Maron were already seated in the waiting room when she entered.

“Mom? What happened? What's the situation?" She asked curiously, but Mariana pulled her into a hug Ignoring her questions. Immediately, the door flung open, and a doctor walked into the waiting room.

“Doctor?” Stella called, more like a question, to be sure he was the one handling Lex's treatment. 

“You're the wife of the patient, Lex Giovanni, is that right?” Asked the doctor, and Stella quickly nodded her head in agreement.

"What's the situation, Doctor?" She asked, and he took off his glasses before clearing his throat.

“He was involved in a terrible accident, but we were able to save his life. However, there is a problem. He suffered terrible brain damage, and there is a high chance that he will never walk again. I'm sorry ma'am,” said the doctor.

There was a sudden silence in the room as soon as the doctor stopped talking. It was as if there was no living soul around. Stella watched the doctor walk towards the exit. 

She stood agape, with her eyes on him but she wasn't present. His words were replaying in her head, and she couldn't process what she just heard.

Her mother's touch brought her back to reality, and she swallowed hard with a hard gaze upon the white wall like the answers she sought were written there. 

Her heart began to pound, like a drum against her ribcage, each beat echoing her mounting fear. 

“Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed as she turned towards her Mom. Her eyes misted with unshed tears. She shook her head severally, and Mariana dragged her closely.

“This is my fault. This happened the moment I broke his heart. This is my fault, Mom,” she lamented, but Mariana shushed her by placing her finger on her lips.

"Stop it, child!" Mariana yelled at her.

“It's not like you were the heartless driver who almost took his life. You didn't do this to him, honey. Besides, this is good news, don't you think? I bet you wanted him out of your life for good.”

“Well, didn't you hear what the doctor just said? He had brain damage. In case you don't know what it means, I can relate it to you.”

“Lex might not even recognize you when he leaves this place. The divorce will hold, and you'll be free from him for good. This is good news, darling,” Mariana said to her with a vibrant smile on her face. 

Stella was dumbfounded. Her gaze was filled with shock and disbelief as she switched glances between Mariana and Maron disgustingly.

“Mom?" She called with a shocked expression, and Mariana sighed.

"How could you say such a thing, Mom? Are you this evil? No matter how much you hate Lex your hatred shouldn't get to you wishing him such tragedy. This is disgusting,” she stated in a sobbing voice. 

“I'm not wishing him tragedy. It's already done, honey. I'm only stating the obvious. The surprising tragedy is in our favor, that's all I'm saying, ok?" Mariana protested, but Stella couldn't believe it.

“So you don't care even if he had lost his life? All that you have ever cared about is a rich son-in-law who can bring money to the table, isn't it? Lest you forget, whether I get divorced or not, that's on me. You have no right to make that decision for me!” 

Mariana swallowed and rolled her eyes dismissively while staring at her enraged daughter. 

“See you at home," Stella said in a low voice and walked out, while Mariana and Maron stared at her in silence.

She slammed the door behind her, and Mariana rolled her eyes, letting out a deep breath.

“Did I say something wrong?" She said to Maron, and he let out a clumsy laugh.

“I mean, Lex is broke. Is it bad for a mother to want the best for her daughter? Imagine your sister getting married to a wealthy man like Paul Asher. He can protect her properly.”

“Lex is a nobody. He is nothing in the society. Stella should be married to someone of her class, or even someone higher. Instead, she lowered her prestige by marrying a low life like Lex.”

Maron nodded his head in support of her statement, but what they never knew was Lex's darkest secret. His true background which nobody knows of, not even his beloved wife. 

***

Lex was born to Mexican parents. His father, Ramos Giovanni was well-known and feared across Mexico. He was a brutal cartel boss whose name alone was enough to put fear into anybody.

His mother on the other hand was unknown. It was rumored that his father impregnated a whore, and she gave birth to Lex. She abandoned the baby with his father and ran away to avoid the responsibility that comes with parenting. 

Growing up in the house of Ramos Giovanni was never easy for Lex. He had all the money in the world, and his father was filthy rich, but he was never happy due to constant humiliation from his 3 siblings and stepmothers; the 2 legitimate wives of Ramos Giovanni. 

Lex developed a toxic hatred for his older siblings. 2 days after he graduated from college, he organized a group of gangs and created a fake shootout, having his death in the shootout reported to his father.

However, his body was never found. Lex relocated to Chicago to start a new life away from the Mafia world. He craved an honest/simple life. 

Upon his arrival in Chicago, he ran into Stella. Their love story was an inspiring one, and soon they had fallen deeply for each other. Even though Lex was a graduate, he couldn't seek a proper job.

On different occasions, he had luckily escaped his father's spies who were scattered all over the world. The search for Lex didn't end, and many still believed that he wasn't dead. 

To stay hidden from his father and his identity, he had to keep a low profile and do local jobs. He even became an introvert. If that's the price to remain married to Stella, he didn't care. 

She was his biggest source of happiness, and he wasn't ready to lose her. But now, it would seem that all that he had fought for over the years was about to disappear in the blink of an eye.