I Was The Mafia’s Maid Now I’m Their Regret Chapter 03
“Cosima Marino, congratulations. Your admission letter from Aurelia Academy came in.”
I had just gotten back to school when the college counselor called me into her office.
“A full scholarship. You’re the first student from our school to ever receive one. The academy is in Boston, and the admissions committee even called personally. They’re very keen to have you.”
“You were also admitted to several other top schools. Have you decided where you want to go? You could talk it over with your parents, too.”
I smiled.
“In our family, we usually make that decision for ourselves.”
The truth was, it wasn’t that they trusted our judgment.
They just didn’t care where I went.
Six months earlier, I’d won a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad.
The local paper had come to our house to interview me.
My mother said exactly one thing to the reporter.
“This one spends all her time on useless numbers.”
Then she turned around and posted on Facebook.
“This is my son. He skipped all the way to twelfth grade and is the designated heir of the Marino Family.”
The post was flooded with likes and comments.
Every single one was praising Nico.
On the basement shelves sat Francesca’s worn-out dance shoes and Nico’s discarded game consoles.
I had to search for a long time before I found the package with my name on it, tucked away in a corner.
It was a trophy that had arrived a month ago.
The engraving read:
*Congratulations to Cosima Marino for winning the International Mathematical Olympiad Gold Medal.*
No one had cared.
I wiped the dust off it with the hem of my shirt, wanting to show it to them.
But as I reached the doorway, I heard Mom on the phone with my aunt, her voice full of pride.
“Francesca is getting more and more recognition in her troupe. She may be asked to perform at several of the winter gatherings hosted by the allied Families.”
“And Nico will definitely get into a top-tier school. Once he’s formally brought into the Family, the underboss position will be his.”
My aunt must have asked about me.
Mom paused for a second.
“Cosima? She’s about the same. Her name has never once appeared in the service ledger. Her future is at the estate, working.”
Francesca had been with the dance company for three years and was still nowhere near a lead role.
But that glimmer of a possibility was enough for Mom to boast about endlessly.
Nico was even further from taking over the Family.
And yet Mom spoke as if it were a done deal.
As for me, I was standing there with an international award in my hands and full-scholarship offers from the best schools in the country.
And all she had to say was, “about the same.”
After Mom hung up, Francesca moved closer to her.
“Mom, do I really have a shot at that performance this time?”
“Of course. Your father already had the consigliere put in a good word for you.”
“Then I need to start preparing.”
Nico leaned in, too.
“I have a physics competition next week. I want to buy a few prep books.”
None of them noticed the trophy in my arms.
And even if they had, no one would have asked about it.
In their eyes, I had always been the one who did the work.
Not a child worth taking seriously.
Back in my room, I found an email from a professor at Aurelia Academy.
He said he admired my research and my talent. If I was willing, he wanted me to join his applied cryptography group and participate in an important national project.
At the end, he wrote:
*I am very eager to meet you. I believe you are going to do remarkable things.*
There, no one would toss my trophies into the basement.
No one would assume I should step aside for the heir.
I picked up a pen, but I didn’t sign the acceptance form right away.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go.
I just wanted to give myself one last chance—and them one, too.