"Did you hear that? The groom is not here," someone whispered to another.

"I always thought there was something wrong with their relationship, but not once did I think the groom would leave his bride for another woman."

"This is truly embarrassing. I bet her heart is shattered after hearing this."

"It's such a shame."

Whispers of pity continued to echo in the church while Delfina held her flowers, her veil covering her face, silently hoping it could hide how ashamed and hurt she was.

Just two minutes ago, right before she was about to exchange her vows with her fiancé, he left her because her stepsister had gotten into an accident.

He left her on their wedding day, at the altar, just because her stepsister had landed in the hospital.

Delfina tried to cry. It was only normal to cry in a situation like this. Even though she didn't ask, his actions were loud and clear. 

Her fingers clutched the flowers in her hands. She was supposed to throw them once they were officially married to the female guests. But now, she was holding onto them for dear life.

"What are you still standing there for? Your sister is at the hospital. Don't you want to go see her?" her mother asked.

Her neck swiveled as she glanced at the woman, who looked furious with her.

"Aren't you listening to your mother?!" Her father roared, everyone staring at her as if she were a fool who should be smiling like an idiot after her soon-to-be husband left her at the altar where she was supposed to be married just two minutes ago.

"Leave her. Let's go. I'm worried about Navira," her mother said.

Without saying another word, the older couple left the church.

This gave the guests even more to gossip about.

"Her parents left her as well? This is truly sad."

"I never thought they would treat her this way. I always thought she was the Delamontes' favorite daughter. Is it because she was adopted?"

"That still doesn't give them an excuse to humiliate her like this."

"I think she deserves everything that's happening to her. I heard Filippo used to be Navira's boyfriend before Delfina seduced him with her body and asked her father to arrange their marriage. It's a good thing he didn't marry that shameless woman."

All heads turned to the woman who said those words, and she merely shrugged as if she didn't just add fuel to the fire.

Delfina released a sigh.

If the woman's words hurt her, she didn't show it.

"Let's go." She heard a feminine voice say. It was Valentina, her closest friend, urging her.

They stepped out of the church while the stares continued to follow Delfina, no matter how fast she tried to walk.

Once they got to the car, Delfina suddenly stopped.

"I want to go to the hospital," she said. "I want to see her." Her fists were clenched.

"Delfina…"

"You go… I'm sure Marco is already waiting for you. It's late too."

Valentina stared at her friend. Being left alone at the altar was every bride's nightmare, and now she was going to see the person who caused it.

"Alright… take care." They shared a quick hug before departing in their separate cars.

Delfina quickly gathered herself before driving toward the hospital.

It was already 9 p.m. By the time she arrived, it was clocking 9: 20 p.m.

She parked quickly, ready to step out, when she saw familiar figures leaving the hospital. It was her parents, shaking hands with Filippo, exchanging a few words with wide smiles before they departed.

Then her gaze landed on Navira, who was wearing a smile bright enough to turn night into day. Her arms were securely wrapped around Filippo's waist as if letting go for even a second would make him disappear.

Her parents left in their car while Filippo and Navira remained at the entrance, hugging each other intimately.

The tears Delfina hadn't shed when he left her alone at the altar suddenly streamed down her cheeks. Her fists clenched tighter around the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.

She had done everything to be the perfect woman for him, only for him to humiliate her at their wedding and choose her stepsister instead.

Delfina's vision blurred, and she quickly wiped her face clean.

When she saw Filippo and Navira making out, she finally lost it.

She ignited the engine and drove toward them at full speed.

Meanwhile, Filippo was busy kissing Navira passionately when he heard the sound of a car approaching rapidly.

He quickly pushed Navira out of the way, a deep frown on his face. The car screeched to a stop.

"Are you alright?" Filippo asked, scanning Navira to make sure she hadn't been injured by the speeding car.

"I'm fine," she replied softly, her voice melting Filippo's heart.

His gaze softened as his shoulders dropped in relief.

After confirming she was unharmed, Filippo walked over and banged on the heavily tinted window in rage, almost breaking it.

"Are you blind? Didn't you see people on this path? What if someone had gotten hurt?!" He demanded.

The window slowly rolled down, revealing Delfina's tear-stricken face, her eyes red with rage, hurt and disappointment.

Both Filippo and Navira paled.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice calmer this time. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

Delfina couldn't help but scoff.

"So this is how you're going to repay me for everything, Filippo?" He didn't reply. She had much more to say, but she feared she would completely break down if she opened her mouth again.

She glanced at Navira, who refused to meet her eyes, disappointment written all over her face.

Without another word, Delfina sped off.

"Filippo, this is not good. Delfina knows now. Our plan is ruined," Navira said, her hands trembling.

"Don't worry. I'll handle her," he assured her. "It's high time we told her the truth. There's nothing she can do anyways."

...

Delfina arrived at the mansion where she lived with Filippo. They had been living together since the day he proposed to her. 

Their marriage had been arranged ten years ago. Both of them had been against it, but eventually, they fell in love. They had been planning their future since then, only for it to be ruined by one affair.

Delfina's heart felt like it was about to burst through her chest.

Her phone vibrated with notifications. She checked it, only to find messages from Valentina asking how the hospital visit went.

Delfina's fingers hovered above the screen, silently urging herself to type. She needed someone to talk to, but she stopped herself at the last second.

She walked into the mansion and saw some of the servants still cleaning up. They gave her questioning looks because she was still in her wedding dress, and her husband wasn't behind her.

Delfina walked into the room she shared with Filippo with heavy steps, gently closing the door behind her.

She took a seat on the bed, the murmurs of the guests flooding her mind—the condescending looks and the rumor that she had seduced Filippo and stolen him from Navira.

Those speculations only made her wonder how long they had been having fun right behind her back.

Delfina took a deep breath as she reached for her closet, ready to pack her bags, when the door suddenly opened.

Filippo stepped inside, and their eyes met.

"What are you doing?" he asked, but she didn't reply. She ignored his presence as if he didn't exist at all. "Aren't you even going to let me explain why I had to do that?"

She paused and turned to him, her eyes red with rage. "Go ahead, Filippo. Explain to me then. Explain to me why you had to leave the altar halfway through our ceremony!" Her cold blue eyes glared at him.

Her throat burned with even more vile words. Compared to before, when shock had rendered her speechless, she was capable of forming her words now.

"Come on, Delfina," Filippo said with a sigh. "Navira was admitted to the hospital because she was sick."

"Oh really?" Delfina let out a short laugh of disbelief. "With the way you guys were making out, I couldn't even tell she was unwell." Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

Filippo parted his lips to respond but said nothing.

"What? Has the cat got your tongue, Filippo?" She asked, her icy blue eyes dark under the dim light of the walk-in closet. "Did you even plan on telling me this? How long has it been going on?"

"How long has what been going on?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"How long have you been fucking my sister?"

Filippo rubbed his face in frustration, acting as if he had no idea what Delfina was talking about.

"Look, you need to understand that I did what I did because Navira wouldn't stop bothering me." He sighed as he took a step closer to her. "Do you know what she told me this morning?" Filippo asked.

Delfina narrowed her eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"This morning, she called me and said she was going to kill herself if I didn't leave you at the altar. I know how much you love your sister, and I didn't want you to mourn her death on our special day. Believe me, that's why I left you. I love you, Delfina, and I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you."

Delfina wished she could laugh in his face, but every part of her body had gone numb. If he was joking, she couldn't tell. He looked so serious, as if he expected her to believe every word spilling from his mouth like a fool.

Perhaps she was foolish, considering she had believed him for the past many years now.

"Come on, Delfina. I only did what I did because I cared about you. If I hadn't gone to Navira, she would have…" He paused for dra,antic effect. "She would have harmed herself, and then you would've started worrying about her. To promise she'd never do something like that again, she gave me a condition."

"What condition?" Delfina asked, deciding to play along this time.

"She wants me to marry her."

His words felt like a bomb exploding in her head. If seeing her fiancé kiss her sister hadn't been enough, then this was the peak of it.

"But I'll only be marrying her. I won't fall in love with her or anything. I'll just marry her for three years until she gets over her obsession with me. Then I can come back and marry you."

Delfina's lips trembled, her eyes burning with tears, her hands shaking with the urge to slap Filippo across the face.

She didn't resist the urge.

Her palm struck his cheek hard before she could stop herself.

Filippo's head snapped to the side, her fingers leaving a red imprint on his cheek.

"You must think I'm some kind of fool to believe that. After what I saw at the hospital, do you think you can come here and keep manipulating me? You know what? I don't blame you for feeling so confident. I've been the one believing your lies all these years—but I'm done. I'm done being the fool you think you can manipulate whenever you want. I'm done pretending I don't see anything. And… I'm done with this relationship."

Her voice threatened to break as she said every word. Her chest clenched as if she'd been stabbed, but in this case, she was stabbed by the person she loved.

She ignored him and continued packing her clothes.

"If you leave me, you won't have anywhere to go, Delfina. Your family will never accept you if they find out you're breaking up with me. You know about the business alliance, don't you?"

Delfina paused. The business alliance.

Delfina swallowed hard as she turned to face him.

"You can go fuck yourself with the business alliance for all I care."

Filippo's gaze darkened instantly, and before she could continue packing, his hand fisted in her hair, yanking it back as he slammed her against the wall.

"What did you just say to me?" He demanded. 

...

Filippo's gaze instantly darkened, and before she could continue packing her bags, his hand fisted in her hair, yanking it hard as he slammed her against the wall.

"What did you just say to me?" He demanded. 

Delfina gasped in pain when her body hit the rough surface, but she didn't get the chance to register what had happened before rough, large hands wrapped tightly around her neck, cutting off her airflow.

"You've suddenly grown wings and think you can leave me," Filippo spat, his eyes red with rage as he glared down at her frail frame.

Delfina clawed at his hand, tapping desperately for him to let her go, but his grip was too strong. She couldn't breathe, and she could already feel herself slipping closer to unconsciousness.

"But don't worry. I'll gladly cut those wings and put you back in your place," he added, finally releasing her. Her body crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.

Delfina coughed violently, gasping for air as if she had been deprived of oxygen for too long.

"I'm going to show you."

Through blurred vision, she watched Filippo remove his belt, folding it before the first lash struck her skin.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, her chest burning as if her lungs would burst.

But Filippo didn't care. He delivered more lashes than she could count, ignoring her pleas as she begged him to stop. He never did. Instead, he seemed to relish the pain he inflicted with his own hands.

If someone had told Delfina that the man she loved would one day cause her this much pain, she would have thought they were only trying to destroy her perfect relationship.

Both of their families had arranged their marriage over a decade ago.

Delfina had opposed it from the beginning, only to eventually fall in love with him. Never—not once—did she imagine she would be treated this way.

He'd promised to love her and take care of her which he'd done. He'd never hurt her once, never laid his hands on her but now…the person before her, inflicting pain on her, didn't look like the same man who'd made such promises years ago.

She tried to fight back, grab a vase or anything but her hands could only grab onto thin air.

By the time Filippo was finished, her body was bruised and bleeding. She lay sprawled on the floor like a lifeless shell, her blood pooling beneath her, staining her wedding dress a deep crimson.

Filippo sat across from her, his eyes sweeping over her with practiced contempt, as if she were something far beneath him.

He lit a cigarette and took a drag, her nearly lifeless body not bothering him in the slightest.

"That was a workout," he muttered.

The door suddenly opened, and the sound of clicking heels echoed inside.

Delfina's vision was too blurred to see who it was, but the moment she heard the voice, her heart skipped painfully—betrayal and shock crashing into her all at once.

It was Navira. Her sister.

"Hi, my love." Navira rushed toward Filippo, settling onto his lap and looping her arms around his neck. "I didn't expect you to call me so soon."

"Dealing with her didn't take much time," Filippo replied. "I just needed to remind her of her place. Why don't you take a look at my piece of art?"

He tilted his chin toward Delfina, who lay motionless. Her eyes were open, but the pain made it impossible for her to move.

Satisfaction was written all over his face, as if he'd done something worthy.

Navira rose from Filippo's lap and walked toward her with practiced elegance, her heels clicking against the marble floor like a ticking bomb.

She crouched to Delfina's level, scanning her with pure disdain. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… look what you brought upon yourself."

Navira reached forward, her perfectly manicured nails hovering over Delfina's skin as if debating whether to touch her.

"You look like a rag doll, sister." She withdrew her hand with visible disgust. "Maybe if you hadn't overreacted, things wouldn't have turned out like this."

Delfina didn't know when Filippo had called Navira, but it was obvious he had done it so they could mock her together.

"What did I ever do to you?" Delfina asked weakly, trying to move. Pain shot through her spine, forcing her back into stillness.

"Me? You didn't do anything to me," Navira chuckled, twirling a strand of her brown hair. "But your existence has always been a bane in my life."

Despite being the biological child of the Delamonte family, Navira had always felt overshadowed by Delfina. Their parents' attention had always gravitated toward Delfina—the most beautiful, the most elegant, the most admired.

It made Navira's blood boil, knowing she had lived in Delfina's shadow for years.

She had waited patiently—especially after their parents arranged Delfina's marriage to Filippo—waiting for the perfect moment to take him from her. And after years of effort, she finally got what she wanted.

When Navira saw a single tear slip down Delfina's face, satisfaction bloomed within her.

She stood and turned to Filippo, who had watched the exchange silently, a grin curling on his lips as he smoked.

"What are you going to do with her now?" Navira asked, swaying her hips as she returned to him.

"I'll keep her around for now, until we get married. Then we'll decide what to do with her," Filippo replied, his eyes flicking to Delfina for a brief second before returning to Navira.

A smile spread across Navira's lips, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Or," he added, pressing a kiss to her lips, "You can decide what you want to do with her."

Delfina watched in horror as Filippo deepened the kiss, keeping his gaze locked on her, making sure she saw everything.

She watched her fiancé make out with her sister as if she didn't exist—as if she weren't lying in her own blood after what he'd done to her.