Hinovel
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Summary
Lia, a twenty-one year old lady from a wealthy mafia Italian family finally finds love in a rival mafia family. After much persuasion she and her lover, Franco are able to convince their families that their love for each other was real and deep and they later get married. However, on their wedding day Franco starts to behave strangely. He is not the man that Lia used to know when they were dating. He changes from the sweet loving and caring gentleman that he was when he courted her to an arrogant and abusive husband. "I'll make your sister's life a living hell." Franco promises Lia’s elder brother, on their wedding day. Lorenzo tries to persuade Lia to call off the wedding but Lia does not listen to Franco. After the wedding, Lia begins to experience what Lorenzo her brother tried to warn her about. Franco had started abusing her both physically and verbally. However, Lia not knowing the reason for this sudden change in her husband was determined to keep her marriage until something happens and she can take it no more. Lia ends up going back to her father’s house. Her brother Lorenzo discovers some scars and bruises on his sister’s body giving him a clearer picture of what she had been through while she was with Franco. He accuses her of lying and covering up for Franco all this while. This only infuriated Lorenzo the more. He swore he would kill Franco for breaking his sister’s heart and taking his family for granted and goes ahead to advise Lia not to bother thinking of going back to Franco because to him Franco was already a dead man. What had caused the sudden change in Lia’s husband, Franco? Would Lia be able to restore the love she was sure Franco once had for her? Can she save Franco from Lorenzo’s anger and promise to avenge every pain he had put her through? Read this compelling story to find out if love is truly enough to bring about the love, peace and harmony Lia desires.
Chapter 1 Prologue
Lia sat by the windowsill in the bedroom. Franco had not hit her in a while however the pain that shot through her whole body made it difficult to forget their last fight. The word ‘fight’ almost made her laugh out. It wasn’t exactly a fight. She was no match for Franco. He was about six feet four while she was just five feet six. The difference in their height was very glaring even when she wore her four inches heels.
Looking at the red marks which were gradually fading away made her happy. Her father’s birthday would be coming up in two weeks and she did not want questioning stares following her everywhere.
She could easily give the excuse that she was not feeling too well but then that would be bringing up another story entirely as the family would now start to count the days they should be expecting her first child. Their first grandchild actually.
The truth was that though she got married two years ago she had not been able to conceive. She was not sure if there was a problem with her or her husband or if the pain and anxiety she experienced in their union was not helping to welcome any baby into her womb.
The love she had for Franco was nothing she could explain. He meant everything to her from the first day she set her eyes on him. She did not bother holding herself back a bit as she knew deep down that he was the one.
He was the one that she had kept herself for all these years and she worshipped the ground that he walked on.
Nothing he did ever seemed to change that. All the lies and excuses she had to come up with just to ensure people did not start to detest him for what he made her go through from the day they got married.
“I’m okay I missed a step and fell off the stairs.”
“I can’t take my sunglasses off. I think I’m coming down with some sort of allergy.”
“I won’t be able to attend your birthday party because Franco and I won’t be around.” Lia had once told her best friend because Franco her husband had refused her going for her best friend’s birthday party. She had been forbidden from going for any party he won’t be attending except that of her immediate family. She could not bring herself to tell Sofia the truth.
But today she would be leaving him a letter telling him that she can no longer be with him unless he is willing to change and seek help.
The letter had been written and dropped on their bedroom dressing table.
Lia looked at the table one more time. A beautiful gift from her mother-in-law presented to them on their wedding night. It was brown in color and without being told it was not hard to see that it had been made from the finest wood.
In the past, she loved to sit there sometimes and talk to herself. Sometimes asking the image that appeared in the mirror questions that she knew only she could answer.
Today she had finally gotten the response and was not thinking of changing her mind.
As Lia continued to let her thoughts linger, she got up from the side of the windowsill carried her already parked suitcase and walked out of the bedroom door closing it as gently as she could as she did whenever Franco was around and did not want to annoy him with her noise as he once said.
She had sometimes told herself that she will never leave him. This was her home now and she had to build it just as her mother had built hers. Her case was different though. Her father adored her mother.
She had tolerated all that Franco had done to her in the past but yesterday evening she had walked into their bedroom and had caught him stark naked with another lady on their matrimonial bed.
“Get out!” He had barked at her. And when they were finally through, he had asked her to prepare dinner for him after seeing the lady off without any sign of remorse whatsoever.
She had obeyed every of his command but had resolved to leave before he got back from work the next day.
She needed some space from this abusive marriage that she found herself in. She needed some space from this place that had once meant everything to her. She was leaving Franco the only man that she had ever loved. But for how long? Maybe for a while. Maybe forever.
As she slipped into the backseat of the taxi already waiting for her outside their magnificent home, with tears running down her eyes, her thought suddenly shifted to when she met Franco for the first time.