The Scar That Tested an Alliance

On the day I went to the church to sign the marriage annulment agreement, I tore off the fake scar I had worn for five years, revealing my true face for the first time in years.

When he saw me, the impatience on Marco Bellini's face dissolved into sheer astonishment.

He stared, stunned into silence, before finally letting out a scoff laced with regret.

"If you'd just gotten help for your neurosis sooner, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Without a word, I slipped into the car waiting outside.

After the agreement was signed, Marco lingered, staring at my face.

"If you can't make it on your own, you can always come to me. For old times' sake, I won't leave you high and dry."

A faint smile played on my lips, but I remained silent.

I knew that day would never come.

Because in one hour, I was going to announce my union with Lucian Rinaldi—the man who’d had my back for ten years—to all of Chicago.

————————

1

Stepping out of the church, Marco pressed his car key twice, and the Aston Martin parked at the entrance chirped in response.

A woman in a tight red dress spotted him and hurried over, her high heels tapping an eager rhythm on the pavement.

"Marco, is it all done?"

Marco smiled fondly and nodded.

Jenna snatched the annulment papers, her laughter ringing out, bright and triumphant.

"Congratulations, my love. You're finally free from that marriage."

"Then let's go to Symphony tonight to celebrate properly!"

Seeing that I had stopped at the church entrance, Marco glanced back at me.

"No ride? Need my driver to take you?"

His tone dripped with condescending charity, layered with an unmistakable relief.

As he spoke, he snaked an arm around Jenna's waist, his eyes raking over me.

"You don't have to be embarrassed. Even though our marriage alliance is over, we can still be friends. Jenna isn't sullen and neurotic like you; she'll be happy to agree."

Jenna linked her arm with his, her gaze a clear declaration of victory.

"That's right, Seraphina. Since you don't have a car, just let Marco give you a ride."

Her tone was patronizing, her posture that of someone bestowing a great favor.

In that moment, Jenna was gloating, making it clear she was the ultimate victor.

After all, getting the Principessa of the Valeriano family to willingly dissolve a marriage alliance was a major coup for a mistress—certainly something to brag about.

I remained impassive, giving a slight shake of my head.

"No, thank you. I have other plans."

My phone vibrated. A message from Lucian Rinaldi.

"Arriving at the church in five minutes."

I replied, "Okay."

Jenna's mocking laughter cut through the air.

"Seraphina, are you just standing here because you can't bear to leave him? Still hoping he'll change his mind? You have to know when to let go. The one Marco loves is me. Since the marriage is annulled, you should move on."

Can't bear to leave? The woman was delusional.

"Don't forget, I was the one who proposed the annulment," I reminded her, then glanced coldly at Marco. "A disloyal man like him only brings shame to the Valeriano name. Since you want him so badly, he's all yours."

She leaned in close, her whisper a venomous secret near my ear:

"Seraphina, there's no point in being bitter. Look at you. Even with that scar gone, there's still a faint mark, isn't there? And Marco still doesn't want you. It just proves that for a failure like you, getting your looks back changes nothing. I'm different. As the future lady of the Bellini family, I'll be much better than you ever were. Thanks for stepping aside."

I met the provocation in her eyes with a smirk.

"You certainly are different. I'm sure it's hard to find another woman in Chicago with your… particular talents."

Color drained from Jenna's face, her eyes immediately welling with tears.

"Marco, look at her… I was just being kind, offering your driver, and not only is she ungrateful, she insults me like this."

Marco, who had been smoking a cigar and sizing me up, instantly turned cold.

"Seraphina Valeriano, let me be clear: Jenna is not a mistress. Our families' alliance was over. She just happened to come into my life at the right time. She's the one I truly love."

The same hypocritical excuse. I looked down and smiled.

"Say what you will. It doesn't matter anymore."

I waved the annulment papers in my hand.

"Marco Bellini, you claimed I was trapping you. Well, now you're free. So aren't you going to get the hell out?"

Jenna’s face crumpled into a wounded expression, her eyes welling up as if on cue.

"Seraphina, I've always respected you. Even with the marriage annulled, we can still be friends. Why make things so ugly?"

I scoffed. She, the other woman, knew exactly why Marco and I had come to this. And now she was playing the innocent. I wasn't buying it.

"Jenna Corso, if you ever show your face in front of me again, things will get much uglier."

Rage flashed in Marco's eyes as he slammed the car door shut.

"Jenna, let's go! If she wants to throw our kindness back in our faces, we don't need to stoop to her level."

With a cold snort, Marco wrapped an arm around Jenna, and they sped off.

I watched impassively as their car vanished into the distance.

Suddenly, a deep voice sounded from nearby.

"Seraphina, why the icy stare?"