Giulia Ricci's chest continuously rose and fell while her thin fingers clutched the edge of the worn blanket that was hanging over her knees as she sat curled on the small bed.
The tear-streaked pillow beside her was proof that she had been crying for hours, muffling the sounds so no one would hear but nothing could hide the truth from her heart.
The door creaked open softly but she didn't look up, already knowing who it was.
Lei Feng, Yong Li's cousin; her friend.
"Giulia…" Lei Feng's voice was low, tentative, almost a whisper. "Are you okay?"
A broken sound escaped her lips. She pressed her hand over her mouth, trying to stop the sobs, but it was no use. Her shoulders trembled as she wept openly.
Lei Feng stepped in, closing the door behind him. He crossed the room with urgency and knelt beside her bed.
"Hey…" He reached out gently, brushing a strand of hair away from her tear-soaked cheek. "Why are you crying? I rushed over as soon as I got your call, now please tell me what happened."
Giulia raised her eyes to his. There was warmth in them and compassion she hadn't seen in hours. Her lip trembled as she whispered, "I am pregnant and Madam Li Na has found out about it."
Lei's eyes darkened. "What does she know?"
"She knows Yong Li is responsible," she replied and broke into another cry.
Lei Feng still wasn't sure why she was crying. "So what did she do?"
Giulia flinched. "She slapped me twice and said I was only looking for ways to trap Yong Li into marrying me. She wants me gone, Lei. She wants me to… to get rid of it." Her voice cracked at the last part.
Lei clenched his jaw. He wiped another tear from her cheek with his thumb, then pulled back, his voice firm. "You're not alone in this. Yong Li needs to know. You both need to make the decision together."
"But she—she told me not to say a word to him," Giulia said, her voice trembling.
Lei gripped her hands tightly. "Then we won't wait. Come to my place tonight. Yong Li will be there after work. We'll tell him together. You deserve that, then we can find a way forward."
A fragile hope flickered in her chest. "Really?"
He nodded. "You have my word."
She nodded slowly, clinging to the hope of salvation he had offered her.
~
The evening came after a long wait and Giulia stepped into Lei Feng's apartment. It was larger than she remembered, tastefully decorated, with warm lighting and expensive artworks hung on the wall.
She glanced around, and her heart raced a bit when she saw no sign of Yong Li.
"You're early," Lei said from behind her, closing the door and moving towards her. "But do not worry, Yong Li is on his way. Traffic, probably."
Giulia offered him a tight smile, though he could tell that she felt a bit awkward. "Oh. That's fine."
"Sit," Lei gestured to the plush sofa. "Can I get you something? Maybe water or wine?"
"Water, please," she replied politely.
He returned moments later with a glass. She hesitated before taking it, something in her gut feeling uncertain about it all. She didn't sip. Instead, she held the glass in her lap, eyes looking nervously toward the door.
Time passed but still there was no sign of Yong Li.
She stood, starting to feel uneasy. "Maybe I should wait outside—"
"Relax, Giulia," Lei said, his tone different now, lower, and heavier. "He'll be here soon."
Something in his eyes had shifted, she didn't seem convinced.
She turned her back, pretending to look at a painting on the wall. "I just… I'd feel better if—" Then she felt it; his hand on her waist and it made her freeze.
"Lei," she whispered, her voice thin with panic.
He leaned in, lips brushing her ear. "What's with your obsession over Yong Li? I have thrown myself at you countless times but you only seem to care about my cousin, even though I was the one who met you first."
"Huh? What are you saying?" Giulia asked, looking all confused. Lei Feng was supposed to be her friend, the one that her and Yong Li trusted with their relationship, so why was he acting weird all of a sudden?
"What? Don't give me that surprise look. Don't act like you don't know I have always had eyes for you. You don't need Yong Li. Not when I've been here all along."
She whirled around, shoving him with both hands. "Stop it. Are you crazy?"
But he didn't stop. He reached for her again, grabbing her wrist, trying to pull her closer.
She struggled, but he was stronger, his intentions written plainly across his face.
"I said stop," she pleaded, crying in panic.
He didn't listen. His lips were inches from hers when—
The door burst open.
"Giulia?" Yong Li's voice was loud, sharp.
Time froze.
Yong Li's eyes landed on them and from his view, Lei's hands were on her and they seemed to be kissing or almost kissing. His expression twisted with instant, unfiltered rage.
"What is going on here?" His voice was high and cold, like he was trying to mask his pain.
Giulia's heart shattered. "No—no, Yong Li, it's not what it looks like!"
"Stay away from me, you slut!"
His voice rang out, then he turned, and began to storm out.
Giulia pushed Lei off with all her strength and bolted after Yong Li.
"Please!" she screamed, running after him, her voice echoing. "Wait up please, hear me out!"
He didn't stop.
Now outside, he climbed into his sleek black car, slamming the door.
Giulia reached the car just in time to grab the door handle.
"Yong Li, please! Let me explain—"
His eyes were cold and unforgiving. "Do not touch me. Mother warned me about you but I never listened. It is true what they say about Italian women, you all are just whores!"
"What you saw is a big misundersta-"
He shoved her back, hard enough to send her sprawling to the floor.
Before she could get up, the engine roared and the car sped off into the night. She lay there for a moment, dazed, her heart breaking wide open.
Footsteps came behind her.
"You can scream all you want," Lei Feng said, his voice filled with smug satisfaction. "He's gone."
She stood slowly, fists clenched, eyes burning. "You… You planned this."
"I gave you a chance to be with me," Lei sneered. "But you destroyed it. Now you will return to the streets that you belong to, Giulia. You never belonged to this family. You're nothing but a whore with a sob story."
She didn't think, she just raised her hand, trying to dash her palm across his cheek but he caught her wrist mid-air, yanked her forward, and shoved her back to the ground.
"Don't— do not fucking attempt to raise your hand on me," he hissed. "Or next time, I won't be so gentle."
Giulia sat in the dirt, sobbing. Her hand cradled her belly instinctively. "What did I do to deserve you? I trusted you! You offered to help me tell him the truth!"
She screamed but he just laughed at her, then turned and walked back into his house.