BETRAYED
VITTORIA'S POV
Nothing would have made me guess that the eve of my engagement will cause the total destruction of my life. Had I known, I would have just got myself into the convent and stayed far away from the opposite gender.
***
Everywhere around the Alfonso household was rustling and bustling with friends and family getting things ready for the engagement.
"Hey, have you seen Diego today at all? Shouldn't you two meet to discuss the order of events properly?" My elder brother, Alberto asked, his voice laced with excitement because he's even more anxious than I am. At least, my family won't be laughed at by the community again after I was the only lady above twenty that's left single while all my age mates from other families were married.
"Hmmmm. You're absolutely right." I nodded in affirmation and immediately set myself to leave for Diego's house.
Since after my father's death, my elder brother has always stood in and played the fatherly role in my life, so I can't just go against him.
Even though Diego and I have actually been putting heads together in the preparation, most of our discussions were done through video calls only. He has been quite busy for the past few days and I understand clearly, it's not easy handling a time consuming work and also planning for a big event.
I picked my phone to dial Diego's number, but my hands lazily pressed the power button and the phone got locked.
‘No need to stress myself.’ I thought and thrust the phone back into my bag. I'm actually one that loves surprises–not only receiving them, but also giving people surprises, especially my boyfriend, Diego Alcazar, because I love watching his eyes widened with a bright face and a wide smile that always cascades his face whenever I give him one.
Diego had been my boyfriend for three years. He was all loving, caring, exquisitely handsome, and of course, the best thing that has ever happened to me from the beginning of my adulthood, so I can't wait to see the surprise on his face when he'll set his eyes on me.
I walked with so much pride, carrying my shoulders up as I foolishly expected everyone on the street to see it written on my face that I was about to get engaged to the love of my life, the man competed over by so many ladies, because for many times, my friends and even family have taunted me, wondering if I used charms to get such a young man maintained his eyes on me alone when it is clearly evident that he's more good-looking than I am.
The ride to Diego's house was just twenty minutes. When I knocked once and didn't get a response, I just used the spare key in my possession to gain entrance.
I was in the bedroom, going through some of the new stuff we've bought to start using after our marriage when I heard the squashing sound of keys at the door. I looked through the window, and saw a lady standing behind Diego.
"Oh, it seems like I forgot to lock the door when I left." Diego's voice echoed in a low grunt.
"Next time, try to be more careful." The lady replied casually. Her voice wasn't that if a stranger.
‘How did she get to know Diego and get so close to him like this?’ I thought, but I stayed silent, my palms heaped over my lips to prevent the scream that was about to escape.
Soon, the sound of noises graduated into soft moans, from the living room. I tiptoed and stood at the door connecting the living room and the corridor for more than ten minutes, but nobody noticed my presence.
I watched the man who has promised to spend his forever with me pin another woman beneath him, her legs were wrapped around his waist as her neatly painted fingers held unto his shoulders as if her life depended on him, while he plunged his hard c**k into her, thrusting with an urgency I've never imagined of him.
"f**k, Abby. I've really missed this! You're such a juicy baby." Diego groaned, his voice filled with pleasure.
"Now I'm asking myself why didn't I meet you before your sister? Look how you've charmed me with your magic p*sy in just two days of knowing you." He continued.
"Com'on, but I've always told you the phone since I reached out to you after her birthday post. She doesn't deserve you. You're too good to be hers, Diego. It's not as if she's physically a match to your type." The lady chuckled.
"Yeah, you're right. And she doesn't even look like one who can satisfy my biological needs. I've always had a doubt if she and I will ever make a great match with how she's so strict with her body. Well, All thanks to her for celebrating with me online so that you and I can meet." Diego affirmed without a hint of hesitation.
Tears burnt down the back of my eyes. The hurt–I felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest and thrown into the pit.
Is this how much starved of s*x he is that he could just get off with anything under skirts, not minding how related they are to me? Then why has he always been in support of me keeping my virginity till our wedding night?
"Abby? Diego?" Those words lazily escaped from my lips before I could process what was happening.
Abby immediately pushed Diego off her body and tried to act remorseful, but Diego, he was just there, his eyes sharp without any tinge of sadness.
"Vittoria, is not what you think. I..." Abby was trying to explain before I slammed the door and picked my bag, walking out of the house through the back exit door.
‘Abby, In bed with Diego? Is this how betrayal hurts when gotten from two people you trusted the most?’ I thought to myself.
In Alfonso's clan, Abby has been my most trusted cousin since childhood.
And since the day I posted a picture of me and Diego on his 29th birthday, Abby never failed to applaud me for attracting and keeping such a handsome man to myself. We had even visited her once when we went for an event in California. She chatted Diego up after getting his information from me, telling him to take good care of me because I was her favourite sister, so I least expected something like this from her.
I walked across the road, my feet carefully matching the ground as if the soil was a living thing that I was afraid of hurting with my feets. The betrayal was too much for me to process.
I sobbed bitterly as I flagged down a taxi. "T–take me home." I stuttered, and leaned my head on my palms and continued crying. All I wanted was to get home and soak my pillow with tears.
The driver didn't move, rather he just stayed silent, watching my tears streaming from the window.
"Ma'am, is everything okay?" He asked, making me lose my patience and yell at him.
“But you've not given me an address yet."
I immediately took out my phone and shot the bright screen to the driver's face. "Take me there, now." I instructed.
I couldn't even keep track of time, but before I could clean my tears, the taxi had already pulled off in front of my house.
"Hey, my money." I heard the driver's faint voice when I was almost closing the gate after me, and as if he had pity for my devastated state, he quietly drove off without bothering to get his money.
I walked up the stairs to my room slowly, squeezing my eyes while wishing in my heart that all that I saw was a dream, but the reality was too glaring to be a dream.
"Hey. We need to talk." A deep, husky voice roared from behind before I turned the door knob, it was my elder brother. Alberto always has the habit of ignoring one's mood whenever he has something important to discuss with you.
"Bro, please what is it? Can we talk later? I swear I'm really tired right now and all I need is rest." I mumbled, but I quickly retracted my statement when he shot an angry glare at me.
"Calm down young lady, you'll have all the time in the world to rest after this."
"Okay, go ahead." I mumbled lazily.
"Is everything okay? You look.." he tried to make enquiries but I cut him short immediately.
Alberto took a deep breath. "Vittoria, you know Marcello Giordano, right?" He raised his brows.
"Yes. Sure. Marcello Giordano was such a popular name so why wouldn't I know him?" I nodded.
Although I've been hearing of his name as the most feared and the ruthless Mafia kingpin in New York city, I've never set my eyes on him.
"Well, I heard that he is in town, and you remember what father did to their family right? I just want to advise you to stay low and restrict your movements from now henceforth, because the family has sworn to destroy any one connected to dad by blood."
"And you know how vulnerable you are as a lady, right? I don't think you have any tricks to protect yourself from him once he sees you and decides to come get you as a bait. Henceforth, you can only go out if Diego is together with you."