After My Fiancé Abandoned Me I Married My Stepbrother Chapter 01
At the family marriage banquet, more than a dozen young women from different families stood in a line with me, waiting for the Moretti family to publicly choose their future brides.
The ones chosen would wear the family rings and become future Donnas.
The ones left behind would be sent to Gray Harbor as marriage pieces in the ceasefire agreement.
I lifted my chin.
Everyone knew the future Don, Vincent Moretti, would choose me.
After all, we had grown up together.
He had always said he loved me.
But at the very last moment, he chose Isabella Rossi.
Because he said, “Isabella is fragile. If no one chooses her, she’ll feel humiliated and cry. You’re different. You know I love you. This isn’t really a big deal, right?”
I smiled, turned around, and left for Gray Harbor.
But then he cried and begged me not to go.
……
After the selection ended, Isabella clung to Vincent’s arm and cried without stopping. Vincent lowered his head and comforted her.
Everyone around me who had been chosen was happy.
Everyone except me.
Because I was the one now destined to be sent to Gray Harbor.
But that should never have been my fate.
I was the daughter of a high-ranking Moretti family member. My birth was noble enough that even if Vincent had not chosen me, I should still have received a good marriage.
But Vincent had once declared, with all his arrogance, that I could only belong to him.
So in the end, no one chose me.
And the man who was supposed to choose me chose someone else.
At that moment, he walked to my side, his voice softened.
“All right. I know you’re upset. But Isabella has no background and no family power. She’s also soft-hearted. If she were the only one left unchosen tonight, she would have been humiliated.”
What about me?
My eyes burned with bitterness.
“Do you even know what tonight’s marriage banquet means?”
This was not like the past.
Ever since Gray Harbor gained a new Don, its power had been growing.
To secure a ceasefire agreement, the Moretti family had decided to send an unmarried woman there for a marriage alliance.
Tonight’s banquet was the final selection for that agreement.
I had thought I would not be the one sacrificed.
Because just yesterday, Vincent had stood before me and smiled.
“I will not choose anyone else. It has always been Serafina. Only Serafina.”
I had believed him then.
Now, looking back, I had been too stupid.
Guilt appeared on Vincent’s face.
“Don’t worry. I won’t get engaged to Isabella. I only chose her this time to protect her dignity. In a few days, I will only get engaged to you.”
“But do you know that because of your choice, I have to go to—”
“Serafina!”
Before I could finish, someone suddenly called my name.
Isabella ran over and hugged Vincent’s arm, tears filling her eyes.
“Don’t yell at Vincent. This is all my fault. I ruined your chance. I embarrassed you. But I couldn’t help it. I’m not as lovable as you. No one else chose me. I only had Vincent.”
As she spoke, she covered her face and began to cry.
“It was only because Vincent helped me. I’m sorry. If you blame me, I can apologize. I’m sorry.”
Before Isabella could finish apologizing, Vincent’s brows had already tightened with concern.
He held Isabella and said to me, “Enough, Serafina. Don’t be so petty. If you act like this, you are not fit to be a Donna at all.”
After saying it, he seemed to realize his tone had been too harsh.
His voice softened again.
“All right. I’ll take Isabella back to her residence first. I’ll come find you later.”
I watched the two of them leave.
The laughter around me grew clearer.
“She talks every day about how Vincent loves her. Turns out it was all fake.”
“If he really loved her, why didn’t he choose her? She used to show off so shamelessly.”
“How funny. She’s the daughter of a high-ranking family member, and now she’s being sent to Gray Harbor to marry that brutal new Don. She’s going to suffer.”
My eyes turned red.
I could not hold on any longer.
I wiped away my tears and walked out, but then a familiar call came in.
“Serafina, does coming to my side make you that miserable? Don’t cry. Come to Gray Harbor. I’ll protect you.”
My steps stopped.
I had never expected that the undefeated new Don of Gray Harbor was my former stepbrother.