The Day She Married, I Joined Her Enemy

I spent the night partying naked with three models.

The next morning, Katerina, the Godmother, shoved a gun into my hand, her face a storm cloud.

Come back to me, or kill me.

But I just smiled and shot her in the leg.

I won't kill you, but I won't forgive you either.

Her eyes scarlet, she collapsed onto the ground, watching as the models and I walked away.

All because for ten years, as her right-hand man, I'd helped her seize territory, only for her to choose to marry some college boy instead of keeping her promise to marry me.

My crew couldn't wrap their heads around it, all of them outraged on my behalf.

"Sean Murphy fought by your side to build this empire, he was your most effective weapon. Weren't you always proudest of him? Why are you marrying someone else now?"

Katerina snuffed out her cigarette, absently tracing the matching silver ring she wore with Lucas.

"Sean? A man whose hands are stained with blood. Every time I think of sharing a bed with him, it makes me sick. How could he ever compare to my darling Lucas?"

"But Sean is incredibly shrewd. What if he finds out and breaks ties with you?"

Katerina frowned, scoffing. "The entire East Coast is mine now. What's one man? Do you think the territory will just disappear without him?"

Little did she know, I'd heard every word from just outside the door.

Tossing the healing salve I'd meant to give her into the trash, I immediately messaged Veronica, her sworn enemy.

"Want Katerina's territory? And her life? They're yours!"

I was about to arrange a speedboat to leave the island when Katerina tracked me down.

"A critical shipment is arriving the day after tomorrow. You'll need to personally dispatch some of your guys to handle the reception. And clear out your house, I need it!"

She commanded in a stern, low voice, but all I felt was a bitter amusement.

To marry Lucas, she truly didn't care if I lived or died. Even if it meant Veronica striking at her stronghold, she'd still send me to risk my life to bring that pretty boy back. She really was crazy in love, wasn't she?

Need my house? Wouldn't that be for Lucas to live in?

I coldly grunted in response.

Seeing my flat reaction, Katerina frowned in annoyance.

"What's with the attitude? We haven't gone public with our relationship because the situation is unstable. Veronica is watching closely, and I can't let my crew drop their guard just for you."

"Right now, your most important task is to help me escape Veronica's siege."

Katerina always treated me this way.

I used to think it was her way of protecting me, so I fought tooth and nail, strategizing and negotiating tirelessly for her. But now, it all just felt absurd.

I placed the speedboat dispatch order in front of her. "No attitude. I'm used to it."

Katerina sensed something was off. A flicker of impatience crossed her eyes, and her pen even tore through the paper as she signed.

"Sean! What's with the sour face again? All I'm asking for is your house! Everything on this island belongs to me, Sean. Even your life. So what makes you think I can't boss you around?"

She tossed the paper in my face. "From now on, don't bother me with trivial matters like island procurement. I don't have time for you"

Knowing she'd misunderstood, I didn't explain.

I gave a perfunctory nod, then pushed open the door and left. Looking at the speedboat that would soon be mine, I smiled, a sense of relief washing over me.

I'd been with Katerina in this criminal enterprise for ten years.

We grew up together, partners I trusted with my life, and even the most intimate of lovers.

I'd always dreamed of marrying her. Shed even hinted that once she controlled the entire East Coast, she'd give me what I wanted.

But now, I finally realized the truth.

It was just my delusional fantasy, and her lie, woven from her exploitation of my feelings.

Now, she was marrying someone else.

That evening, a squad of heavily armed mercenaries escorted Lucas onto the island.

He wore a white tuxedo, his seemingly innocent eyes brimming with smug triumph.

"Mr. Murphy has worked hard for the Godmother for over a decade. He's earned his stripes."

"I'll definitely get her to promote you, and introduce you to a few more models. A gentleman's personal life shouldn't be neglected, right?"

"Unlike the Godmother, who can't wait another minute. She's marrying me tomorrow. Oh, it's just"

I tightened my grip on the gun, barely suppressing the urge to blow his brains out.

"Let's go." I swept him with a cold glance and started to walk away.

But Lucas blocked me, pulling a diary from his bag. He gave me a sly grin.

"These are all the love notes the Godmother wrote about missing me over the years. It's too heavy for my bag, so would you mind tossing it for me, Mr. Murphy?"

With that, he strutted off. I faced the cold wind whipping against the rocks, my hands trembling as I opened the diary.

April 12, 2024: When I risked my life to get her out of that ambush, she wrote: "Lucas, if I survive this, I'll marry you."

August 5, 2023: When I found out Veronica had ambushed her during a business trip, I stormed the enemy camp alone with two pistols to rescue her.

She wrote: "Darling, you smell so good today."

January 24, 2021: When she was arrested by the police, and I decided to take the fall for her, she wrote:

"If it were you, I'd never let you suffer like this."

Every word in that diary was a knife twisting in my gut, a raw wound bleeding profusely as if my heart had been ripped out.

How many times had I begged Katerina to marry me? She would always kiss my forehead. "Sean, just wait for me."

"I have too many enemies. I'm afraid I haven't cleared enough obstacles for you. Once I control the entire East Coast, I'll marry you, okay?"

But countless times, my pleas were met with nothing but excuses.

Finally, a message popped up on my phone. Two short, powerful words that left no room for retreat.

"Deal!"

Tapping my phone screen, I still couldn't resist confirming a few things, so I asked the other side:

"August 5, 2023, you were the one who ambushed Katerina, right?"

The reply was instant, every word dripping with indignation:

"I'm totally innocent, damn it!"

"Seriously? So that's why you chased me for nine blocks with two pistols? It wasn't me, I swear!"

I scoffed at myself.

Turns out, Katerina saw me as nothing more than a clown, someone to be toyed with.

If that was the case, why should I stay here and let them laugh at me?

After finalizing the details of the rendezvous with Veronica, I walked back, only to overhear Katerina talking with her crew by the yacht.

"Godmother, Lucas's tuxedo has arrived. It's the bespoke one you bid on at the auction."

"But what if Sean throws a fit and exposes our hideout? We could all be taken down"

Katerina shrugged it off. "I love Lucas, and I'll only marry him. Tomorrow's wedding must be peaceful. I won't allow any mishaps."

"Not even from Sean. I'll make sure he stays quiet."

"Also, keep your mouths shut. If I hear even a whisper, I'll feed you to the fish!"

Even though I'd already decided to leave, hearing the woman I once loved speak of deceiving me, reducing me to nothing, still left a searing pain in my chest.

Back in my room, I packed my things.

Aside from my passport and other documents, I looked at the room full of weapons and realized Katerina had never given me anything.

She'd only ever thrown weapons at me, telling me to protect her.

I'd once asked her for a watch or cufflinks, but she'd said:

"Sean, even with a Rolex, you won't look like you belong in high society. Don't waste good things."

Yet Lucas's luggage contained an entire carload of designer clothes and jewelry.

Why could he have it all, and I couldn't?

I rummaged through the closet, found my only decent suit buried deep within, put on dress shoes, and tidied my hair.

Just then, Lucas barged into my room without knocking.

"Sean, you saw the diary, right? The Godmother's favorite"

His words caught in his throat. He stopped, staring at me, my freshly styled appearance making him pause.

When he recovered, he scowled, scoffing.

"I thought you'd at least have some dignity and leave when you realized the Godmother didn't love you."

"But you're still trying to get her attention? How shameless!"

He lunged at me, trying to grab me, but his movements were clumsy, and I easily blocked his hand.

"Sean! If you touch me, the Godmother will never let you get away with it!" Lucas shrieked.

I crossed my arms. "Thanks for the compliment. I certainly look better than you."

The next second, he dropped to his knees, slapping himself across the face.

"Mr. Murphy, I was wrong. I was clueless, wanting to marry the Godmother. Just please don't ruin the wedding, you can hit me however you want!"

Confused, I suddenly felt a powerful kick aiming at me.

"Sean! Are you deaf? How dare you lay a hand on Lucas!"

Katerina's furious kick. If it had connected, I'd have been seriously injured.

So, what exactly was I to her?

Just a loyal hound she kept? A punching bag to toss aside once she'd used me up?

I barely managed to dodge it, but my ankle twisted awkwardly, and I winced, forcing myself to look at her through the pain.

Katerina quickly helped Lucas up, her piercing gaze falling on me.

She looked at my appearance, her eyes softening ever so slightly, but her words remained ice cold.

"Sean, no matter how neatly you dress up, you won't ever be half as good as Lucas in my eyes."

Lucas sniffled, holding Katerina's hand.

"Godmother, Mr. Murphy forced it out of me. I couldn't keep the secret. I'm so sorry"

Katerina pulled him into a hug, her voice softening. "It's just a small thing, darling. No one blames you."

I gave a bitter laugh.

Only moments ago, she'd ordered her crew to guard the wedding details like state secrets, but once Lucas spilled the beans, it was suddenly "no big deal."

He was utterly fearless around her, completely spoiled rotten.

And me? Was I just a fool?

"So you're really marrying him?" I drilled my eyes into Katerina.

I desperately wanted to know how she'd explain herself.

I'd expected her to at least feel guilty, to panic, to beg me to let go of the past and accept their union.

But Katerina merely frowned, unfazed.

"Yes, the wedding is tomorrow. You're allowed to attend, but don't cause any trouble. Sean, don't force me to deal with you."

In that instant, my last shred of hope for Katerina shattered.

It wasn't that it wasn't the right time for marriage, it was just not the right time with me.

When it came to Lucas, all the talk of tight situations and being under siege was no longer an obstacle.

She could even condescendingly invite me to their wedding, completely unconcerned.

How could a person be so heartless?

I fought back the burning in my eyes, gritting my teeth. "Get out"

But Lucas pushed his luck.

"Godmother, I don't know many people here. I'd love for Mr. Murphy to be our groomsman, but I'm afraid to offend him"

Seeing her beloved beg so cautiously, Katerina's expression softened. She turned to me.

"Sean, since you already know we're getting married, being a groomsman shouldn't be a big deal, right? You won't mind?"

"I don't want to see either of you! Get out!"

My fury finally erupted. I grabbed the baseball bat from the corner and chased them out the door.

"Get out!"

Slamming the door shut, I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.

As I struggled, my phone screen suddenly lit up. It was a message from Veronica.

I clicked on the message, annoyed, but then froze.

"That suit really suits you."

"Take off your shoes and treat that ankle."

I was surprised she knew my ankle was bothering me.

Treat it?

Just then, a drone flew to the window, dangling a small box.

I opened it to find a perfectly tailored red suit jacket and a small bottle of pain relief spray.

So she'd known about Katerina's hideout all along, but hadn't made a move. I really had found the right ally.

After spraying the medicine as directed, I was about to go wash up when Katerina returned.

She held a tube of ointment in her hand.

"Don't move, I'll take care of it."

It seemed to be raining outside; her shoulders were a little damp, but she dried her hands first before carefully massaging my ankle.

I was always incredibly sensitive to pain.

When I first started fighting for Katerina, even a minor scrape would make me wince.

Whenever I got hurt, no matter if her own face was bruised, she would always stay by my side, letting me grip her arm as I endured the pain.

Those years, though dangerous, felt secure.

But I don't know when, her presence by my bed vanished.

Later, I suffered countless injuries, big and small, but she never gave them a second glance.

Now I wasn't afraid of pain anymore, yet she suddenly came to care for me again.

Was it a guilty conscience?

Katerina's apologetic voice drifted to me:

"Sean, you've lost weight. I'm sorry for neglecting you lately."

"I didn't tell you about the wedding because I was afraid you'd overthink it. Lucas saved my life, and he's being hunted because of me. I have to protect him."

"But don't worry, I won't touch him. I only love you. Once Veronica is dealt with, I'll clean everything up, and then we can be together, okay?"

She massaged my ankle, and my gaze was fixed on the wedding ring on her ring finger.

I looked at her, my eyes filled with despair, and asked:

"Katerina, after all these years, did you ever love me?"

She paused, then knelt and pulled me into a hug, her voice incredibly gentle. "Yes, I do. I only love you, Sean."

Then, she held a glass of milk to my lips, her eyes soft.

"Here, drink some milk and get some rest. If you want to go to the wedding tomorrow, go. I won't stop you."

But I tasted it. Something had been added to the milk.

Enough to knock someone out for a whole day.

My throat felt constricted, making it almost impossible to breathe.

She was still lying to me, just so Lucas could marry her tomorrow without a hitch.

So, her "keeping quiet" meant this.

I drank all the milk, a single tear tracing a cold path down my cheek. My heart was as cold as ice.

Katerina smiled, a truly genuine smile. I closed my eyes under her gentle gaze.

But she didn't know that after years of fighting for her, suffering sleepless nights, I'd developed a tolerance for these kinds of drugs.

A while later, Lucas's grumbling voice, filled with annoyance, sounded outside the door:

"Godmother, you've been gone so long, I thought you weren't coming back tonight!"

Katerina's voice was laced with a laugh, as if she'd just kissed him.

"How could I? He's just a useful shield. Veronica is still watching me, and having him nearby is helpful."

"Veronica is cautious because of him, she won't go for the kill with me."

Lucas whined. "Stop moving your hands ugh, you're annoying~"

"Hmm, I just love annoying you" Katerina's voice deepened.

The sound of rustling fabric followed, as the two of them started getting intimate outside my door.

My heart felt like it was being repeatedly crushed by a blunt object, a soul-wrenching agony.

I had always been unconditionally obedient to Katerina. Yet she had never shown me such fervent love.

"Sean, can you go see my lawyer?"

"Sean, my conflict with Veronica has escalated, come support me."

And I would always agree to her every demand, even if it meant risking my life.

Finally, they left. I didn't sleep a wink all night.