Mafia's Regret-Ruin His Wrong Bride

chapter five

Andrew whispers to me, conveying his notice that I did not take part in the toasts that were being offered. I was startled out of my daydream, in which I had imagined kissing his neck, and instead asked him what he meant by it. Andrew is confused as to why I simply gave the appearance of drinking and wonders why I did not tell him that I was feeling bad.

The accusatory undertones in his delivery make it difficult for me to interpret the feelings he is trying to convey. I am completely honest about the fact that I do not have a good response to opiates, and since I have nothing to conceal, I confess that I was already experiencing queasy stomach sensations and believed that drinking alcohol would make the situation even worse.

As a type of response, he asks me why I did not inform him about my illness, and I interpret his question as an indictment against me. I explain to him that notifying him would not have made a difference because what cannot be altered must be endured while simultaneously quoting one of my mother's sayings.

This is a saying that my mother often used, and it has a special significance for me because of the struggles she went through with my father. It seems right that she would use this quote. Although I have not really read Jack Harington's "Lord of Chaos" book, I learned when I was a teenager that the remark was taken from one of his other works.

I retell his query about why I did not inform him about feeling ill, and he emphasises that he would have preferred to be notified in order to prevent any visitors from concluding that our marriage was a result of me being pregnant. I explain that I did not want our guests to assume that our marriage was a result of me being pregnant.

As a result, he desired to obtain all of the information in order to effectively address the matter. In spite of this, I remark, somewhat cynically, that it must be a blessing in disguise that I did not throw up, as he seems to imply. He challenges my anger and asserts that it is his obligation to foresee and resolve any potential problems that may arise.

I am unwilling to disclose this to my emotionally disconnected spouse, so I correct him and explain that I am not furious but hurt, despite the fact that I am correcting him. I reassure him that I am giving it my all and that I did not anticipate the events of the day to play out in this manner, despite the fact that my father has strong religious convictions. While we are continuing to dance, Andrew asks about my father's beliefs, and his demeanour is really calm during the entire interaction.

I reveal that my father is under the impression that not only did I assistSerena in escaping, but that the plan to do so originated with me. If my father has already developed a poor opinion of me, then it is very likely that he will continue to hold that opinion. Andrew inquires as to whether or not I have, in fact, carried out the deeds that are being accused of. When I was startled, I locked eyes with Andrew and noticed the ruthlessness that characterised his stoic stare.

This observation caused me to shake uncontrollably. I vehemently reject any involvement on my part, while emphasising that I am without evidence to either positively support or definitively debunk the charges. Despite the fact that he tilts his head, Andrew maintains his silence. I question whether he believes my account or whether his impression of me is consistent with the one held by my father.

If Andrew had the same tendency as my father to have unfavourable thoughts about me, he might not have chosen to marry me in order to maintain his reputation as the all-powerful Don. This is a fact that I have to admit to myself, albeit with some reluctance. Throughout the duration of the dance, there is no further conversation between us. After all is finished, Papa will be waiting there, dressed and ready for the father-daughter dance. I immediately recoil in the opposite direction, and I refuse to take part in that charade.

This reaction occurs without my even thinking about it. On the other hand, Andrew's palm is pressing down forcefully against my back, which prevents me from moving any further away. He tells me that it is to be anticipated and that he will be dancing with his mother later on in the evening. Having this information does not make the current circumstance any more tolerable for me. It seems likely that he is aware of the fact that I would prefer to dance with his mother rather than with my own father.

I try to keep my tone subdued as I convey my unwillingness to take part in the dance. The unyielding tone that Andrew responds with is accompanied with the recitation of the same quote that I cited previously. He asserts that what can't be altered must be suffered through, and he brushes it off as if it were simply one dance.

My grandfather makes an authoritative gesture with his hand, forcing my older brother to shove me closer to him. When I was in his company before, I had a fleeting sensation of security that swiftly vanished. He is showing me that if I have to choose between taking care of my health and keeping up looks, I will always choose appearances. He is demonstrating this to me.

I've made up my mind to move forward, so I square my shoulders and take a step.

Andrew murmurs to her in a low voice, "Good girl."

Despite the fact that he agrees with me, I can't help but feel repulsed rather than happy. I give my dad the opportunity to guide me into the correct stance for a formal ballroom dance. The piece of music that is currently playing is an orchestral waltz, a selection that was most likely selected with Papà's input.Serena would never have the audacity to challenge him.

In Andrew's master plan for today, this is but another moment that has been meticulously choreographed. It's not his fault that he's pretending to care about me when he doesn't really feel that way, and I can't even be mad at him for making it look like I was in a "love" triangle with my sister and betraying her. After all, he is the don, and he cannot in any way give the impression that he is weak. This makes sense to me.

In addition to this, he has pledged to protect Serena which is a vow that cannot be kept if it is discovered that she has betrayed him. This makes perfect sense to me as well.