Chapter 2 Heartaches

"Madam, please stop crying. You haven't eaten since yesterday. You'll get sick." Inside the room, all that could be heard were Celeste's uncontrollable sobs. Every part of the pillow was soaked with her tears and mucus. She couldn't even open her eyes due to the severe swelling. "Madam, even just soup will do, as long as you have something in your stomach." No matter how much Anna, Celeste's loyal personal maid, tried to coax her, her mistress still didn't get up from the bed. "I-I said I don't want to!" Celeste shouted angrily, burying her face in the pillow. "Why don't you listen to me, Anna? J-Just leave, please!" In Celeste's current state, Anna's heart was also breaking. She had been pushed by her mistress several times, but she still remained in her room, watching and persuading Celeste to eat. "Madam," she said, biting her lower lip to hold back her tears. "Don't let Sir trample on your role as his wife. It's not right for you to just cry and mope in here. You should confront them and show them who you are! What right does that mistress have to live right here in your mansion?" Celeste clung tightly to the pillow as she listened to Anna's words. Her tears fell uncontrollably, the pain in her heart intensifying. It was excruciating, and she couldn't explain it. It felt like she was dying from the pain! "T-The mistress is pregnant." She sat up on the bed and repeatedly hit her stomach. "I'm not! I can't get pregnant for Darson! I can't bear his child! I'm worthless! I'm a useless wife! I'm no longer of any use to my husband... aahhh!!" "Madam!" Anna quickly rushed to her aid. She jumped onto the bed and embraced her from behind, trying to stop her from hurting herself. "Madam! That's not true! You've been such a good wife to Sir! You've done everything, but he's the one who's not content! He's the problem!" Celeste sobbed, her face tilted towards the ceiling, drowning in her own tears. Their story, from the beginning, seemed like a fairy tale to Celeste. She didn't need to search for or choose a man to marry because Darson was already destined for her. It was an arranged marriage between the Allegra and Costa families for the growth of their businesses and the future development and strengthening of their relationship. They both wanted the planned marriage because they were already in love with each other at the tender age of thirteen. They had been together for two decades, and they officially got married when they were twenty-four. Darson was Celeste's puppy love—her first and true love. Celeste was ecstatic during the first three years of their marriage. It was everything she had dreamed of. Darson didn't disappoint her in love, and even the other Allegras treated her as true family. But in the past two years, tragedy struck her parents in a car accident, and their business slowly declined. The wind of change blew for her. Just as she needed her husband's comfort the most, he suddenly changed his heart and cheated on her for the first time, which continues to this day. Until now, the pain in Celeste's heart hasn't changed. The wounds in her chest that haven't healed are bleeding once again. "I am the problem, Anna!" she continued to blame herself, struggling to breathe. "It's true that I'm useless to the Allegras! The business has failed, and I'm barren! I have no use for Darson, so... why would I deny him the opportunity to find another woman? B-But it hurts so much! It hurts so much, Anna!" "Madam! If your husband loves you, he won't look for another woman, even if you're of no use to him! Wake up, madam, and don't be a martyr! He won't be able to deceive you if he truly loves you!" Anna's words didn't help Celeste. Her heart broke even more because of them. "A-Are you saying he doesn't love me anymore?" she struggled to ask, full of questioning, as she looked at Anna. "But he loved me so much before. I was a good wife. I poured all my love into him, Anna. B-Because I was so afraid that he would find someone else—someone better and more perfect." "M-Madam..." "I'm afraid he'll leave me completely, Anna!" tons of tears fell from her eyes, and she buried her face in the maid's embrace. "He's all I have left. I have no family to go back to. My mom and dad have been gone for a long time! My brother is still missing. There's nothing left of my loved ones except Darson! H-He's my whole life. If he's gone, I won't be able to survive!" "Madam..." Anna wanted to assure Celeste that she would never leave her, no matter what happened. But she knew that her mistress didn't need that right now. Her despicable husband was busy with another woman, while Celeste was dying from the pain she felt! Anna's anger toward Darson grew even stronger. She was thinking of ways to secretly get back at him and seek revenge for her mistress! "I-I didn't really push his mistress yesterday, so why is Darson still angry at me?" Celeste asked again. "Chiarra hurt herself, Anna. Believe me, I really didn't push that woman and try to harm the baby in her womb. Yes, I'm angry. I'm so angry, and I want to confront her! B-But I really didn't push her. She hurt herself. Please believe me." Anna stroked Celeste's back. "Madam, I believe you. You wouldn't even kill a mosquito or step on an ant, so how could you do that? That's why I'm even more angry that they're ganging up on you now!" Anna knew that because the Costa family had fallen, Celeste was being treated like trash in the Allegra mansion. But she didn't want to let Celeste know, which would hurt her even more. Celeste's heart was already wounded, and she didn't want to add to it by telling her the truth. But what she couldn't accept was that Darson's mistress, Chiarra, didn't come from a prestigious family either. It was infuriating that someone even lower than a commoner was brought into the mansion and replaced Celeste! Anna discovered that Chiarra was a prostitute who had been with various men. Meanwhile, her mistress had protected her own body her whole life, showing it only to Darson! "D-Darson, don't leave me," Celeste whispered repeatedly into the air, as if she were praying, until she fell asleep.