"The man who was almost your husband has died."
❝Giulio…?❞ the name left her lips as a whisper, softer as the sound of wind that breezes through the treetops. How long hadn’t she spoken this name? She had almost forgotten the sound of it. For years Alessia had refused to talk about and on some days she even had forbidden herself to think about him. There were still so many questions …. so many things to say to him. But regardless, she had been so sure that she didn’t want to see him ever again, any secret hopes of seeing him again had been strictly fought down. Anything that would have to do with him would only hurt her more. Or that she had thought. But know she had to learn, that even Giulio’s literally absence could hurt her even more. The possibility of seeing him again had always been there. A chance for …. for whatever. Maybe finding a way out of this nightmare she was living in ever since. Not by a magical kiss like in a fairytale, of course. But by screaming and shouting and finally getting some satisfaction. Or maybe, just maybe, by just making her peace with their past. A chance she had been robbed of. Giuio’s life … simply wiped away. It was strange to think of a world without him. To imagine his tanned skin turned pale and his vivid eyes empty. Giulio had deserved much for what he had done to her. But not that. Nobody deserved to die. How could this have happened?
❝Well, I couldn’t care less!❞ Oh, her pretendence was awful. Her monotonous voice that was intended to sound cold and calm appeared weak and breathy. Her hands, pressed to fists, trembled. What a lousy traitor her body was! Suddenly she felt awful. Weak, as if her legs couldn’t hold the weight of her body anymore. She felt sick and cold. She felt like she was that girl again. Alessia fell silent for a very long time, until her dry lips finally parted again ❝I hope he didn’t suffer…❞ She wasn’t even sure if she had said this out loud. If yes, her voice had been to weak to be even heard by herself.