Toys For The Big Boys ✓

(42) The Forsaken Wife

     I quickly ran out of my bedroom and went downstairs to see Romeo coming out of the limo.

     He was thirteen-years-old now. He was so handsome and sadly so unfamiliar that I suddenly felt teary when I stared at him.

     "Mother," he greets with a smile.

     He runs to me and gently kisses my cheeks before giving me a bouquet of roses.

     "Oh son, you shouldn't have," I say as I hand the roses to one of the maids.

     "No, it's from father. He said you love roses so he made sure to buy this for you," he tells me, and I was once again teary by just hearing that it came from Claudio.

     "Your father is such a romantic," I say.

     Romeo smiles and takes out his handkerchief to wipe the tears off my cheeks, "I'm sorry he couldn't come. There was trouble again and father-"

     I quickly cut Romeo off and said, "No, it's okay. I know your father is a busy man."

     Romeo smiles, but I knew that it was a smile that told me he pitied me, "Happy birthday mother," he says instead.

     I hugged Romeo as tight as I could and answered, "Thank you son. Thank you."

     It was always like that.

     Once a year I'd only see Romeo maybe two or five times. It pained my heart to see him grow up every time we meet.

     Claudio became older and busier, so our meeting was also minimal.

     I was a wife and a mother of two powerful men and I couldn't even do anything.

     Whenever we have parties, women would stare at me and judge me like I was the most pitiful thing in the world. But I learned to ignore them because men respected me anyways. I was untouchable thanks to Claudio. So women's shallow words did not bother me...

    Most of the time...

     "Have you heard about Claudio Valentino's sixteen-year-old son?"

     "What about him?"

     "I heard he killed four of his men again for fun. What kind of monster have they raised?" I heard two women say as I was walking around at a party that I was invited at.

     I always loved these parties because most of the wives of the Mafia boss would be here too.

     "I'm sorry?" I quickly say, stopping in front of them.

    They looked surprised, but mostly because there were six men behind me.

     "Oh look, the mother of the monster," the woman bravely says.

     "The monster that you will call godfather in the future," I reminded them.

     "Really now? I heard Claudio was planning to take your sons rights for the seat," the other woman tells me.

     I chuckled and then seriously looked at them with a smirk, "I'm glad you're worried. But my son is doing an excellent job in keeping the position that he was born to have."

     "Your son won't last in this world. He'll eventually be killed, and without him, you will once again be nothing," she bravely tells me.

     I clenched on my fist and tried my best not to make a scene.

     "You have the guts to talk like that in front of your godfather's wife," I calmly said, making the two women laugh.

     "You mean the godfather's slut?" she says to me.