PROLOGUE
Vera Laurenti was a eighteen year old girl who had just graduated from High School. She never had a normal childhood. She grew up without her parents who didn’t want her. She was an outsider of the family. Her grandparents raised her with much love since she was born. She felt forever thankful for them.
On her graduation day, she met the Minettis who her grandparents knew for many years. She learned that she was arranged to be married to the famous CEO Adrian Minetti two years before her birth by her grandfather and Adrian’s grandfather, Pietro.
As she started her life with Adrian, she never imagined that she would feel so alone and unwanted by her new husband. She started to see Adrian’s true colors towards her. Would Adrian be the one who change her life into heaven or to hell?
This book is from my own imagination.
DO I BRING IT OUT…
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EPISODE 1
“I am done!”
Finally, I had graduated from high school with honors. Many parents were waiting for their children to take pictures. I didn’t look for my parents. They didn’t come to my graduation. Today, my brother, David, was graduating from Harvard Law School. They went there to see his graduation.
Growing up, I never got support from my parents since I was born. My brother was the precious child in my parent’s eyes. He would go beyond their expectation in academics and athletics. They loved him dearly.
My parents planned to never have a child after David but, their plan failed eight years later. When my mother found out about being pregnant, she and my father wanted to get an abortion but, my grandparents didn’t want them to get one. They managed to convince them to keep the pregnancy.
When I was born, my parents had thought of putting me up for adoption. My grandfather managed to convince them to not do such a thing. Instead, my grandparents would raise me as their very own giving me attention, love, and support. When I heard the truth, I was grateful for them. They became my guardians and my parents.
I had seen my parents over the years but, I never got close to them. I would tell them about my successes in school and athletics but, they never seemed to be interested in me. They would boast about my brother’s success in front of everyone to hear. Sometimes, I wondered why they had me born.
My other relatives were drawn to my brother and my parents than me. They were never concerned for me and thought that I didn’t exist in the family. I felt like an outsider. My grandparents were different. They tried to include me in everything. They were the only family to me.
As David got older and more popular, my parents became more involved with his life and fame. He appeared in magazines and the media. When he was in law school, I heard that he had was expected to become a top lawyer by his professors. I didn’t care about his fame. I tried to live my own life.
As I grew up, I worried about my self and my grandparents. I accepted the fact that my parents were never going to be there for me. As for David, I wasn’t too sure. I never had an relationship with him.
I took my diploma and walked to my grandparents who were waiting for me. My grandfather gave me a smile and opened his arms to me. I walked right into them. “Good job Vera. I’m very proud of you,” he said to me.
“Thank you grandpa,” I said to him and released him from my hug. Grandmother gave me a hug. “Our precious Vera. I’m so proud of you,” she said to me. We took a few pictures together and made our way to the car.
“We should go out and celebrate,” grandfather suggested to us. “I agree,” grandmother said to him. {It would be nice.} “Do you have work today?” Grandfather asked me. I worked at a small cafe in our neighborhood. It was a way for me to help support my grandparents. “No. Not today,” I told him.
“That’s great,” he said to me. “Where should we go?” I asked them. We were driving on a major street of San Francisco. “How about your favorite Italian restaurant,” my grandfather suggested.
“Yes please,” I said to him. My grandfather made a turn to another street to drive to North Beach. Soon, we drove into the parking lot of my favorite Italian restaurant, Georgio Italia. We got out of the car and made our way to the restaurant.
What should I order this time? I was walking a bit ahead of my grandparents. My grandparents walked slow due to their age. I slowed down a bit so that they could catch up to me. I turned my head to see a nice looking car driving into the parking lot. Nice car.
Once my grandparents were next to me, I walked with them in their pace. I opened the door for my grandparents and walked inside to see many people who were waiting for their seat in the restaurant. So many people. It’s going to be a midnight meal at this rate.
I was tempted to tell my grandparents that I would be fine to eat a nice home cook meal. After a few minutes, I felt a gust of wind behind me. I turned my head a bit to see an elderly couple who looked very upperclass. The elderly man who was in a wheelchair looked at my direction. Is he looking at me?
“Claudio?”
My grandfather turned his head to see the elderly man who had called him. “Pietro?” my grandfather said a name. Grandpa know him? The elderly man gave him a smile. “My old friend,” he said to him.
My grandfather walked over and gave the elderly man a hug. Grandmother and the elderly woman greeted each other. “It had been a long time,” my grandfather said to him. The elderly man nodded his head in a good mood. “Yes. It has been a long time,” my grandfather said to him.
The elderly man turned his head to me. “Who is this?” the elderly man asked. I walked over next to my grandfather. “This is my granddaughter, Valeria. She likes to be called Vera for short. She had just graduated today,” my grandfather introduced me to his friend.
The elderly man gave out his hand. “Pietro Minetti,” he introduced himself. I shook his hand. “Vera Laurenti,” I introduced myself him. “It’s nice to meet you and congratulations,” he said to me. I gave him a smile. “Thank you,” I said to him. I met his wife who was Maria.
I turned my head to my grandparents. “Maybe we should leave. I don’t mind a home cook meal,” I finally said to them. “Nonsense. It’s your graduation,” my grandfather said to me. “I know but..” “Wait here,” Pietro cut me off.
He wheeled himself to a waiting staff. I couldn’t hear him because many people were talking at the same time. Soon, I saw a chef come out of the restaurant. Pietro and the chef shook hands and exchange some words. I guess they know each other. Next thing I knew, the chef was talking to a waiter. After a while, the waiter went off somewhere.
Pietro gestured us over. I followed behind my grandparents and Maria. Once we got to him, the waiter returned with some menus in his hand. “Follow me,” he said to us. I looked at Pietro who was about to move the wheels of his wheelchair himself.
I took one handle and placed my other hand on his shoulder to let him know that I was behind him. “Let me,” I told him. He gave me a smile and patted my hand. “Thank you Vera,” he said to me. I pushed the wheelchair and followed the waiter.
We walked into a private room. I pushed him to the head of the table. “Thank you,” he said to me. “Your welcome,” I said to him and sat between my grandparents. “You have a caring granddaughter,” Pietro said to my grandfather.
“Yes. She is very caring,” my grandfather said to him. The waiter passed out the menus and left us in private. I looked down at the menu.
What do I want? I was choosing between chicken carbonara, shrimp scampi, and baked tilapia with shrimp.
Soon, the waiter comeback with his order check book. “Hello. I’m Marcelo and I’ll be your waiter. Are you all ready to order?” he asked us. As a start of our dinner, Pietro ordered everyone a salad. One by one, the waiter wrote our entrees from each person. After he finished writing my grandmother’s entree, he looked up from his order check book at me with a smile.
“What would you like?” he asked me. “I’ll have the shrimp scampi,” I said to him. He wrote down my order. “Anything to drink?” he asked everyone. “Wine all around,” Pietro said to the waiter. I raised my hand to get the waiter’s attention. “Except for me. I’ll have a glass of water,” I said to him. “Certainly,” the waiter said to me.
After we told him our order, he walked out of the room. My grandparents and the Minettis were having conversations. I sat quietly and listened to them speak. After a while, the waiter came back with four glasses, a bottle of wine, and a glass of water. He poured the wine to the elderly and gave me my water before he left the room again.
“How long has it been since we saw each other?” Pietro asked my grandfather. “I would say about twenty years. Your grandson would have been four at the time,” grandfather said to him. I listened to their conversation. I guess they are talking about old times. I took a sip of my water.
Grandmother and Maria were having their own conversation about their husbands. The waiter came back with our salads and our entrees. I had to say that dinner was the best. After our meal, we ordered tiramisu for our dessert. Yes. My favorite dessert.
Once the tiramisu came to the table, I took a bite. It was delicious. “Vera is a beautiful lady. She is the perfect match for my grandson,” I heard Pietro say. Huh? I looked up at them. “Indeed. Remember our promise?” grandfather said to him.
“Of course,” Pietro said to him. Grandmother and Maria stopped their conversation and looked at them. They seemed to know something. Something didn’t feel right. “You mean about the marriage between them?” grandmother said out loud to them.
Quickly, I grabbed a napkin and coughed my tiramisu into it. I was in shock.
Marriage!
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