The Don Postponed, I Disappeared

Eight years with Marcello Cartel. I took three bullets for him, suffered two miscarriages, and finally, our wedding day was here. But the day before, Marcello said we had to postpone. "Gia’s pregnant." "The kid isn't mine. But we grew up together, and she’s like a sister to me." "I need to marry her first. Otherwise, people will talk, and she’s too fragile to handle the whispers." "We’re pushing our wedding back three years. Don't contact me until then." "You'll explain it to the Commission. Tell them you weren't ready to be the Don's wife." I sent back one word: "Okay." Then I booked a one-way ticket to Paris for three days later. I'm not showing up to his wedding tomorrow. And I'm sure as hell not waiting another three years. Because I am done with him. For good. Chapter 1 When Marcello's message came through, I was staring at my own reflection in the mirror, clad in my wedding dress. Today was supposed to be the final walkthrough for tomorrow's ceremony, but Marcello was a no-show. Instead, all I got were those cold, blunt texts. The words on the screen were a cruel, absurd joke. Eight years. I'd fought by his side through hell and high water, bled for him, taken three bullets. And all I get is "postponed for three years" while taking the fall for a canceled wedding. I didn't cry. I didn't demand answers. I just replied, "Okay." I closed the chat and mindlessly opened Instagram. The first post on my feed was Gia's. In the photo, that diamond ring sat on her pale finger—the one that should've been mine, the ring meant for the Cartel boss's wife. In the background was a sonogram. The caption: "He chose me in the end." The comments were full of congratulations. "You two are perfect together!" "A baby already? The Don sure didn't waste any time." Out of hundreds of comments, no one mentioned me, the actual fiancée. Everyone conveniently forgot I existed. But the moment I stepped out of my apartment building, cameras flashed in my face, blinding me. "Miss Cora! Why the sudden change in bride for tomorrow's wedding?" "Is it true Don Marcello got Gia pregnant? What's your comment?" "Has the Cartel kicked you to the curb?" Microphones were practically shoved down my throat. I stopped and gazed at the cameras. No tears. No breakdown. I forced a flawless smile. "I wish them a lifetime of happiness." The crowd went dead silent. I pushed past the reporters, got into my car, and floored it. It didn't take long for the video of my "blessing" to go viral that night. My phone rang. It was Marcello. "Cora, are you out of your mind?!" His furious voice blasted through the speaker. "What the hell did you say to the press? Do you have any idea how humiliated Gia feels?" Humiliated. So he did know what that word meant. My voice was calm. "I'm not crazy. I genuinely wish you both happiness." But Marcello couldn't hear the sincerity. He was convinced I was causing a scene. "Oh, please. You think I don't know what you're doing?" "Everyone knows tomorrow was supposed to be our wedding. You making those passive-aggressive comments just makes Gia look like a joke!" "Apologize to her! She's crying so hard she can't breathe!" I could hear a woman sobbing in the background. "Marcello, forget it! I shouldn't have asked for your help. I'll just go get an abortion right now! So what if I can never be a mother? It's better than being called a homewrecker!" "Shut up, Gia, don't talk like that." Marcello's tone softened instantly, dripping with tenderness. "We're getting our marriage license tomorrow. You'll be the legal wife of the Don. If anyone laughs at you, I'll put a bullet in their head." How touching. "But what about Cora?" Gia whimpered, her voice dripping with false pity. "She must hate me." "It's only three years," Marcello said dismissively. "She'll understand." "Now stop crying, or your stomach will hurt again. Plus, your eyes will be swollen. How are you going to be my beautiful bride tomorrow?" Gia giggled through her tears. Marcello sighed in relief, then his tone toward me hardened again. "Cora, why haven't you apologized to Gia yet?" "And if I say no?" I sneered. "Stop being so difficult! I already promised I'd marry you in three years. How long are you going to throw this tantrum?" He was losing his patience, his voice dropping into a low, authoritative growl. "Fine, don't apologize publicly. But you need to fix this with your actions! Call the Commission right now and tell them you backed out. Stop letting them drag Gia's name through the mud!" Chapter 2 The call abruptly ended. The dial tone was piercing in the empty room. I tossed my phone onto the sofa. Two seconds later, the screen lit up. A text from Marcello. "Cora, stop making a scene, okay? Just do me this one favor." "I know these three years will be hard on you. I swear, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you." I stared at the text and smirked. The rest of his life? I’d already given him my youth, my love, and my blood. Eight whole years. Nearly three thousand days and nights. Hiding in sewers to evade rival gangs, taking bullets for him in the crossfire. And now, he was going to hold another woman’s hand and make vows in front of a priest. It was the sickest joke I’d ever heard. Before I could reply, the screen flashed. He unsent the messages. A new text popped up. "Unsent those. Gia gets insecure, she might overthink if she sees them. Let's just not talk for these three years." Because of his mistress's "insecurities," he wouldn't even leave an empty promise in writing. I typed back a single, cold word: "Okay." Hit send. A glaring red exclamation mark popped up. [Message Not Sent. You have been blocked by this user.] Clean and ruthless. I let out a cold laugh. I opened my socials and posted a single statement for all my friends and the Commission: "I, Cora, am officially calling off my engagement to Mr. Marcello for personal reasons." Within a minute, my phone vibrated like crazy. Floods of DMs. "Cora, are you insane? He's the Don of the Cartel!" "You're just handing over a powerful husband to someone else? What about your eight years together?" I glanced at them and didn't reply to a single one. Powerful husband? He was already someone else's husband. A notification dinged. A multimedia message from an unknown number. I opened it. It was a signed marriage certificate. Followed by high-res photos. Marcello had Gia pinned against the hood of a sports car, kissing her deeply. Gia's arms were wrapped around his neck, the diamond ring on her finger blindingly bright. Below was a taunting message: "Thanks for stepping aside, Cora. Marcello signed the papers right away just to cheer me up." I didn't even blink. I deleted the message and blocked the number. Just then, my father called. The second I answered, he started screaming. "Cora! Have you lost your mind?! Why would you post a statement like that! If you don't marry him now, what if he doesn't want you in a few years?" I didn't bother hiding it. "It wasn't my choice," I said flatly. "It was his." He paused, then said, "Then you must have done something wrong! Swallow your pride, beg a little. Don't throw away all these years without getting anything out of it!" Actually, my father wasn't entirely wrong. Over these eight years, I took three bullets for Marcello. One went straight through my abdomen. I was a month pregnant at the time. We lost another baby. The one before that, Marcello had made it clear he didn't want it. Said he wasn't ready. Every time I brought up marriage over the years, he would hold me and say, "Cora, wait a little longer. Once my position as Don is secure, I'll give you the grandest wedding in New York." I believed him. I waited until he purged his enemies and claimed his throne. And my reward was him giving Gia his name. It was all for nothing. "I'm not going to try and win him back," I told my father. "It is what it is. I'm never getting back together with him." Ignoring his frantic yelling, I hung up. For years, I'd loved Marcello blindly, swallowing every grievance just to give him what he wanted. Just like now. He wanted to marry Gia. In that moment, even though my heart was bleeding, I finally felt relieved. Chapter 3 After hanging up, I pulled out an emerald bracelet. Marcello’s mother, Carmela, had slipped it onto my wrist herself. "Cora, this is passed down only to the daughters-in-law. You saved my son's life. The Cartel recognizes you." She had always been good to me and despised how Gia clung to Marcello. But now, this bracelet didn't belong to me anymore. I couriered it back to Carmela. Almost the second it was signed for, my phone rang. "Cora, what is the meaning of this? Why return the bracelet?" "Ma'am, I've had a change in work assignment. I'll be in Paris for three years, and the bracelet is too valuable to take with me." "Liar." Carmela cut me off sharply. "Did that bastard Marcello do something? What are these rumors online? And what's going on with that little bitch, Gia?!" "Ma'am, it's really just work." I kept the truth to myself, wanting to keep some dignity intact in front of the elders. "Don't try to hide it from me, I know my own son!" Carmela scoffed. "Stay right there. I'm going to ask Marcello what the hell he's playing at!" She hung up decisively. I shoved my phone in my pocket, grabbed the garment bag from the sofa, and left the apartment. It held the wedding dress. I didn't need it anymore. When I pushed open the doors to the bridal boutique, the consultant greeted me with a smile. "Miss Cora, here for your final fitting?" "No, I'm returning it." I handed her the bag. "I won't be needing it." The consultant froze. Before she could say a word, the curtain to the VIP fitting room was pulled back. "Marcello, do you like this mermaid gown, or the ballgown from earlier?" Gia's sickly sweet voice echoed across the showroom. I looked up. Marcello was sitting on the sofa, holding a glass of champagne. He looked at Gia in her white gown with eyes full of tenderness. "They both look beautiful. If you're the one wearing it, we'll buy them both." I stopped dead in my tracks. I remembered three months ago when I came to try on dresses. Marcello claimed there was an emergency gang meeting and told me to go alone. I stood in front of the mirror in a heavy dress for two hours by myself. The pictures I sent him only earned a dismissive, "Looks great. Still busy." He didn't lack time. He just didn't want to spend it on me. "Oh, Cora? What are you doing here?" Gia caught sight of me. She lifted her skirt and sauntered over, the victor claiming her prize, and intentionally jutted out her perfectly flat stomach. "Are you here to try on dresses too? Oh, my bad, I forgot, your wedding got postponed." She covered her mouth, smiling like an innocent demon. Marcello's head snapped around. When he saw me, a flash of panic crossed his eyes. "Cora, what are you doing here?" He frowned at the garment bag. "You're returning it? No need. You'll wear it in three years anyway." I didn't tell him I was never marrying him. "Since you're here, help me pick!" Gia grabbed my arm. "I heard you studied art, so you must have a good eye. Which one is better for tomorrow?" I tried to leave, but Marcello blocked my path. "Actually, you being here is perfect. It'll help shut down the rumors about Gia." Seeing my resistance, his tone turned slightly threatening. "Cora, play along. It's time you learned how to be a proper Don's wife." I stopped fighting. Not because of some bullshit wifely duty, but because I was leaving soon, and I didn't want to blow my cover. Looking at the man I’d loved for eight years, both the love and hate were dissolving into pure, cold numbness. "Sure." I turned and pointed at Gia's dress. "The mermaid cut suits her." Just then, Marcello's phone rang. The second he answered, his face dropped. "Mother... It's not what you think... Gia is... Mother!" Carmela's screaming was loud enough for me to hear. He hung up, yanking at his tie in frustration. He looked at me, a calculating gleam suddenly appearing in his eyes. "My mother is furious. She's demanding I marry you tomorrow." "And?" I sneered. Marcello took a deep breath. "The wedding goes on. You put on the dress and show up tomorrow." "But when the priest asks if you take me, you're going to leave me at the altar." My eyes widened. "That way, I can tell my mother you humiliated me. To save the Cartel's face, I'll pull Gia from the crowd to take your place." He looked at me with maddening self-righteousness. "Just play your part, and I promise you, in three years, I will give you a wedding ten times grander than tomorrow's." I looked at him like he was a complete psychopath. I couldn't believe this was the man I'd loved. But considering he was already Gia's husband, nothing surprised me anymore. Chapter 4 "Fine, I'll do it." My tone was so eerily calm it surprised even me. To secure my escape and avoid extra trouble, I just agreed. Marcello was visibly taken aback. He hadn't expected me to agree so easily. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes before he breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad you understand." His voice softened. "Your birthday is in a few days. I got your gift early." "Wait here, I'll go get it from the car." With that, he walked out of the boutique. Leaving just me and Gia in the showroom. The moment he was out of earshot, she tilted her chin, her arrogance on full display. "Cora, you really are pathetic! You know I'm already his wife, and you still want to play pretend at a wedding?" "So what if his mother hates me? She can't stop him from marrying me!" "Tomorrow is my wedding! Marcello is my man!" "And you’ll just be the homewrecker everyone despises!" "Don't dream about him divorcing me for you in three years either, because..." She patted her flat stomach, smiling wickedly. "I'm carrying Cartel blood. The Don's only child." Her taunts were sharp and direct. I lowered my eyes to hide the sudden surge of tears. So, Marcello had betrayed me. And treated me like an idiot, asking me to wait three years. Doing the math, it must have been on our anniversary a few months ago. I’d cooked a massive dinner of all his favorites and waited up all night. Marcello never came home. He walked in the next morning, exhausted, smelling faintly of perfume. "Gang emergency. Had to handle it," he'd said. I saw the dark circles under his eyes and my heart ached for him. I didn't doubt him for a second. I even ran him a hot bath and made soup. Now I realized the perfume he smelled of that day was the exact same scent radiating off Gia right now. Disgusting. I averted my gaze. I didn't want to stay a second longer. "Excuse me." Face cold, I walked straight toward the exit. "Stop right there!" Gia's voice spiked. Just as I reached the edge of the boutique's stairs, she yanked my coat from behind. Before I could even react, she let go. "Ahhh!" Gia let out a bloodcurdling scream and tumbled down the stairs. It happened so fast. Her pull had thrown me off balance. A sharp pain shot through my ankle as I hit the floor hard. The showroom erupted into chaos. "Gia!" Marcello rushed in like a madman. He didn't even glance at me on the floor. He scooped Gia into his arms. The hem of her pristine white gown was rapidly turning crimson. "Marcello... it hurts... our baby..." Gia cried weakly against his chest, gasping for air. "I just wanted Cora to stay... why did she push me...?" "Don't speak! I'm taking you to the hospital!" Marcello looked heartbroken, his hands shaking. He stood up with Gia in his arms, his gaze landing on me with pure venom. The eyes that once held such love for me were now filled with murderous rage. "Cora, you've disappointed me!" He looked down at me, his voice freezing cold. "If anything happens to Gia or her baby, we're through!" Dropping that warning, he stormed out without looking back. The engine roared to life and faded into the distance. The consultant was hiding behind the counter, too terrified to speak. I sat on the cold floor, the pain in my ankle excruciating. Staring out at the empty street, I whispered, "We were through a long time ago." I didn't ask for help. I grabbed the railing and forced myself up. Every step felt like walking on glass. I limped out of the bridal shop. My ankle would heal. But the wound in my chest was still bleeding out. Chapter 5 The first thing I did when I got back to the apartment was call Lucas, the boss of New York's second-largest mafia family, and Marcello's sworn enemy. "Lucas, it's Cora." A chuckle came through the line. "Well, if it isn't the Don's lady. To what do I owe the pleasure?" "The Cartel controls a shipping company that owns two-thirds of New York's routes. I hold 20% of its shares," I said bluntly. "Market price. It's yours." There was a two-second silence, followed by roaring laughter. "Cora, you're a crazy bitch. But I love it. Deal." Half an hour later, the funds cleared. The share transfer was official. Consider it my "wedding gift" to Marcello. With that done, I pulled a small suitcase from the closet. A few clothes, my passport, and my own savings. I didn't take a single thing that belonged to the Cartel. My flight to Paris was booked for tomorrow. If I could just survive tonight, I'd be completely free. At 2:00 AM. BOOM! The reinforced apartment door was blown open. Splinters and metal shrapnel flew everywhere. I had barely sat up in bed when Marcello charged in, reeking of blood. Like an uncontrollable beast, he grabbed me by the hair and dragged me off the bed. "You vicious bitch!" His eyes were bloodshot, veins popping on his neck as he screamed hysterically. "Gia miscarried! Because you pushed her, she hemorrhaged! They had to remove her uterus!" "She’s only twenty! She can never be a mother now!" My scalp was tearing. Forced to look up at him, I said coldly, "She threw herself down the stairs." "You're still lying!" Marcello raised a hand as if to hit me, but smashed his fist into the wall instead. "The boutique has cameras," I said clearly, fighting the pain. "Go check them. See who's lying." "Fuck the cameras! I trust what I saw!" He had lost his mind. He wasn't listening to a word I said. "Put your clothes on. You're coming with me." He dragged me out of the apartment like a ragdoll and shoved me into his car. The sports car tore through the empty New York streets, running a dozen red lights before slamming the brakes in front of a private hospital. He marched me inside and shoved open the door to a VIP suite. Gia lay pale on the hospital bed. When she saw me, she shrank into the blankets, trembling. "Kneel!" Marcello kicked the back of my knees. I hit the hard marble floor heavily. "Apologize to Gia!" He forced my shoulders down with enough strength to shatter bone. I clenched my jaw, glaring at the floor in dead silence. "You think keeping your mouth shut makes this go away?" His cruel voice echoed in the room. "Cora, you owe Gia a life. You owe her a whole body." He paused, letting out a breath. "Since you ruined her chances of having children, the first baby you have will be given to Gia to raise. It's the least you can do to make it right." My head snapped up, staring at him in sheer disbelief. Fighting the pain in my legs, I struggled fiercely. "Marcello, you're insane! I told you, check the cameras! She grabbed me!" It fell on deaf ears. He looked down at me, his eyes entirely void of emotion. "Not only did you rob her of her baby and her womb, but you sold 20% of the shipping shares to Lucas behind my back!" He grabbed my jaw, grinding his teeth. "You caused this mess. Giving her a child is your damn penance!" Looking at his furious face, I suddenly found it hilarious. He knew about the shares. The man who valued his mafia empire above all else had put the 20% share loss second to Gia.