Finding Love (Unrequited Love #1)

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Lissa had finally had the courage to leave Lucca and brought Dante along with her. She called her lawyer during her moving process and settled back in Max's apartment for a short amount of time and he had scowled at her for being silly and said that they could stay longer than necessary. Max had been the greatest Uncle a boy could ever ask for; he'd looked after her son while she filed for a Dissolution Order for her marriage with her husband. The reminder of his ultimate betrayal cut deeper than it should have; the wound so fresh that it brought unwanted tears in her eyes. She was tired of begging him to love her back; and what had hurt the most was that he had to see a mistress back in Italy so that she was left out of the picture and had to found out through someone else. Days gone by and Lissa had only been living in her best-friend's place for a month and she still did not get a call from him. Stupid for her to think that he was going to come crawling back into her arms the way she had fantasized. Lissa learnt how to become busy. She focused her attention on Dante and spent every chance to show him that having a mother was enough to fulfill his father's missing presence.

Max was smart enough not to mention anything about Lucca's unfaithfulness but it clearly showed that he was furious of what happened.

“That bastard!” Max said, and had barely managed to keep her voice down since the baby was asleep in his cot. “I could kill him for what he did to you, Lissa.”

Lissa tugged at his arm so that he would settle back down on the stool. “He’d been unfaithful to you during all this time? All those times when he’d been back in Italy; all he did was go around and sleep with that woman. And he had the nerve to use his family as an excuse and was just saying how he regret not being there for you and the baby. What a complete bullshit.”

“Calm down, Max. Please, he’s not worth it. Really, just calm and take a deep breath.”

Max turned his attention towards her and he looked at her with dismay and irritation. “How can you say that when that lying pig cheated behind your back? Grow a pair of backbone, Lissa. You can’t let him get to you and especially now that Dante is here. You have to be strong and stand up to him; for the sake of your son.”

“I am. I am strong. I’ve finally filed for the divorce, Max.” she confessed and looked at him with fear in her eyes. “It’s scary and frightening to do that, did you know. I also took up the custody form with my lawyer and he said that he will do his best to make things happen for me.”

“Good. That asshole should go to jail for committing adultery. Unbelievable.”

She shook her head and made her best-friend see logic. “I can’t do that. I don’t want my son to grow-up without a father. I don’t want him to have a father with a bad reputation to his name in spite of his sins.”

He reached out and wrapped his arms around her. “Do everything you know is right, baby girl. I’ll always be here, and ready to catch you when you fall.”

That little comment brought a goofy smile on her face and hugged him tighter. “Man, I wish you were a man sometimes. So I can marry you and make me happy all the time.”

Her friend snorted but kissed her forehead. “I wish.”

And so with the help of Max’s strong-willed mind; Lissa signed the divorce papers as soon as it had come. The custody situation was still on the process but she was more than happy enough to finally have the paperwork in her hand. Her lawyer had faxed it to her husband’s attorney while she sat back and relax which had been hard to do these days because of the baby. She didn’t mind the work; it was nice to be in a different position. She smiled down at her baby as she nursed him; the same colour of his father’s eyes was nowhere to be seen. Dante was too busy gulping down her milk and burped him before she put him back to bed. He looked small and fragile as she settled him down for his nap.

She was meeting her mother in half an hour so Lissa took a quick shower and gave Max a set of instructions before she left. It had been a long time since she saw her son’s grandmother. Her mother hadn’t met Dante yet but she’d hoped that her mother would love him for who he really was and not treat him the way she had treated her. Lissa hopped out of the burrowed car and met-up at the same restaurant she met her up with.

“Why are you always late?” her mother said, annoyance clear in her voice.

“Hi to you too, mother” she replied, dryly.

She shot her a look, and pushed a glass of iced-tea towards her. “Drink this. Now, where is that grandson of mine?”

Lissa took a sip, and said “he’s asleep. Max is looking after him.”

Her mother looked taken aback, “where’s Lucca? Shouldn’t he be the one looking after the boy?

“He’s not with me.”

“You really filed for that divorce didn’t you?”

She raise her chin up and said bravely. “Yes, I did.”

“I’ve always feared that you’d make the same mistake as me.” her mother murmured.

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. All I’m saying is that getting a divorce is such a stupid thing to do.” she said.

“He’s unfai-“ Lissa just barely caught herself from saying the real reason why she was divorcing Lucca. “He’s not the right man for me, mother.”

“He was just the man of your life. I saw how you looked at him, whenever I’m around.” Her mother reminded her.

“He used to be. But things changed.” She quoted the words she used on Lucca.

“You’re being irrational. You didn’t think this through, I suggest you take the divorce settlement back Melissa. Think about your son,”

Her mother’s reasoning blew everything she believed in. “Can’t you just be happy for me? Isn’t it enough that you have to choose my husband in the first place, and now you’re telling me that I’m making the biggest mistake of my life by divorcing Lucca? This is the first-century mother, no one sticks around anymore when their husband is being unfaithful to them.” She hadn’t meant to blurt the real reason but she couldn’t help herself anymore. It was time her mother see the reality.

“He loves you, Melissa. Don’t you see that?”

She laughed, frustration and hurt mingled together. So her mother was now on his side? Not surprised there. “I think you’re making a mistake. Lucca had never loved me; because if he did he wouldn’t have gotten off to Italy to see his mistress.”

“He told me the real reason on why he came back. You have to give him another chance, Lissa. Don’t make the mistake I made when I was your age. Listen to me,”

She threw a disgusted look at her mother, “listen to you? Can you even hear yourself? All my life, there was never a moment when I didn’t listen to you. Now you want to overrule my life again? No, mother. I’m finally taking over and doing whatever I want.”

She got up from her chair and walked out. Lissa was so mad that she couldn’t even see through the angry tears that blurred her vision. She couldn’t believe her mother was on her husband’s side and even thought of manipulating her into believing that Lucca loved her? Ridiculous.

She drove home and saw that there was a voicemail left for her. She pressed a button and sat down on a chair. She was shaking inside and the need to calm down overwhelmed her. The missed-call was from her lawyer and he had bad news. According to Lucca’s attorney, her soon ex-husband refused to sign the divorce papers if she was not the one to bring it to him.

She laid her head on her arms in a loud thump. Why was he being difficult? Was he blind to see her reasoning? She shook her head and rang her lawyer back; telling him she was going to deal with this herself. She thanked him for a well-done performance and set-out to confront Lucca.

Chapter twelve! Sorry guys, it's short but I just wanted this chapter to be quick because it's a little important and sees Lucca's perspective through Lissa's eyes. Do you think her mother was telling the truth about Lucca loving her back or was it just a way for them (Lucca and Lissa's mother) to manipulate her back into his trap? Comment your thoughts below and tell me what you think. Enjoy x