He Chose His Brother's Widow, I Chose Another Don

After his older brother died, my husband, Theodore Ricci, brought his brother's widow, Brynn, and her daughter, Amy, into the Ricci family home. He kept them close and saw to their every need. The tenth time Theodore left our daughter, Lucia Ricci, and me for Brynn and Amy, I started teaching Lucia not to depend on him. I told her to call him Don Ricci. We were on our way to the amusement park when Brynn called to say Amy had had a nightmare, and Theodore left us. I pulled our daughter into my arms, her eyes red from crying, and did my best to comfort her. We got caught in the crossfire between rival families. Theodore ignored our daughter's cries for help and ran to protect Amy. Dragging my injured leg, I carried Lucia on my back all the way to the hospital. "It's okay," I told her. "Even if Don Ricci isn't here, Mommy will always protect you." When Theodore realized our daughter was pulling away from him, he tried to make it up to her. He went all out planning her birthday party and promised that at the celebration, he'd announce she would one day be the Ricci family's heir. But just as the party was about to start, Brynn called again. "Theodore, some kid pushed Amy down, and she's crying for you!" Theodore looked at me, torn. Before I could speak, our daughter waved at him. "It's okay, Don Ricci. Go do what you need to do. I have Mommy with me." That was when I understood. Our daughter no longer needed him either. He was a father in name only. Chapter 1 Theodore froze when he heard her call him that. He patted Lucia's head. "Be good. Daddy will make it up to you next time." Our daughter said nothing. She just gripped my hand. Lucia had always been sweet and mature for her age, which made seeing her like this hurt even more. I looked at Theodore and asked, "Couldn't you send one of your men to check on her? Today's birthday party means so much to—" Theodore frowned and cut me off. "Delia, when did you get so cold? Amy's hurt. She's my niece. Are you telling me not to care?" I wanted to say more, but Lucia stepped forward, putting herself between us. She looked at Theodore and spoke slowly. "Go ahead, Don Ricci. Aunt Brynn and Amy need you more." Then she waved at him, took my hand, and said she wanted to cut me a slice of her birthday cake. This time, Lucia didn't cry when he let her down. She held herself together like a little grown-up. But I knew how much she'd looked forward to the party Theodore had promised her. As I watched her small figure walk away, a dull ache settled in my chest. Theodore had once been a good husband and father. I was weak for a long time after Lucia was born. Theodore set aside the family business to stay by my bedside and take care of me. He cooked me healthy meals, working his way through a cookbook page by page. So I could rest, he slept in the guest room with our daughter. Sometimes, at three or four in the morning, I'd hear him singing lullabies to her, badly but lovingly. Then Theodore's brother, Luca Ricci, died in a plane crash, and everything changed. Theodore moved Brynn and Amy into the house and gave them the room he'd once set up just for me. He promised he was only looking after his sister-in-law and niece for his brother's sake. Once Amy grew up, he said, he'd send them away. I believed him. But slowly, I realized there was more to it. To cheer Brynn up, he set off fireworks over the harbor all night, forgetting it was our wedding anniversary. He put the lilies Brynn had given him in the vase we'd bought together, forgetting I was allergic to them. Again and again, he chose another child over our daughter. When our daughter's school held a parent-child event, Theodore said he was too busy with Ricci family business to attend. Then he turned around and played dad to Amy, posing for pictures with her and joining in the games. The other kids laughed at Lucia. They said her dad didn't love her enough to show up. Just then, I saw a post from Brynn on social media. In the photo, Theodore had Amy on his shoulders, and Brynn was smiling happily with her arm linked through his. They looked more like a family than we did. Seeing how disappointed our daughter was, I went to Theodore with my phone in hand. "Since you've found yourself a new family, let's get a divorce." Theodore's face darkened. He gripped my shoulders. "Lucia is my only heir. Delia, we're never getting divorced. Don't bring it up again." After the way he'd been acting lately, his words sounded like a bad joke. He said he loved Lucia and me, but he kept leaving us for someone else. Chapter 2 Lucia huddled in the corner of the couch, crying and scared. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, and the sharp pain cleared my head a little. I knew Theodore didn't deserve another ounce of my love. But if I took Lucia and left right away, she'd miss her father terribly. So I deliberately started weaning her off Theodore. Little by little, I would ease him out of our lives. I tucked the divorce papers into a stack of bills for clothes and jewelry and had Theodore sign everything. Theodore was usually careful, so I was afraid he'd notice. Ironically, he was in such a hurry to take Amy to the museum that he signed without even looking. I watched him rush out, let out a cold laugh, and made a call. "Dad, send someone to bring me home in a month." "All right. No Holst daughter has to put up with a marriage like that. Your mother and I have your back." A lump rose in my throat, and warmth spread through my chest. After I hung up, I knew what I had to do. I would spend the next month helping Lucia let go of Theodore. But Lucia was still little. She needed her father's love and attention. At the amusement park, Brynn called Theodore, and he turned to leave. I prompted Lucia to say, "Bye, Don Ricci." She did, but after he left, she cried in my arms all afternoon. By the end, her eyes were red and swollen. When we got caught in a clash between rival families and were both hurt, the doctor at the hospital asked where her father was. Lucia said, "Don Ricci is busy with work." But as soon as the doctor left, she threw herself into my arms. In a hurt voice, she said Daddy had forgotten about her because he was busy protecting Amy. But today was different. On the 28th day, she didn't cry or make a fuss. She just waved at Theodore as if she were saying goodbye to a stranger. Even Theodore stopped in his tracks at her calm reaction. I was still lost in thought when Lucia handed me a slice of cake, and I noticed her eyes were wet. My heart ached, and my eyes burned. Then Lucia looked up at me and asked solemnly, "Mommy, do you know what I wished for? "I think I want a new daddy. One who's only mine..." Chapter 3 Theodore never made it back before the party ended. I saw the guests off, took Lucia home, and started packing. My phone chimed with a message from Brynn. In the video, Theodore was playing games with Amy. Theodore was a neat freak. Once, Lucia got just a little red ink on his shirt, and he couldn't stand it. He took the shirt off and threw it in the trash. After that, my sweet, thoughtful girl never brought her paintbrushes into his office again. Now he was letting Amy cover his face in paint. At the end of the video, Brynn turned the camera on herself. The pigeon blood ruby earrings she wore looked familiar. The earrings were beautifully crafted, a one-of-a-kind pair by a famous French designer. They were worth a fortune. I loved them, and I'd mentioned them to Theodore a few times. Theodore had told me a wealthy businessman had bought them at auction and he couldn't track them down. Yet here they were, dangling from Brynn's ears. Brynn stroked the earrings and smiled. "All I did was say they were pretty, and Theodore bought them for me. He's just as gentle and thoughtful as his brother was." Before, I would have stormed over and demanded to know why Theodore had lied to me. Now Brynn's gloating just seemed absurd. Some people aren't worth the effort. Theodore came home late with a beautiful gift box. Inside was the collectible figure Lucia had recently become obsessed with. Lucia knew her dad was busy, so she rarely told him what she liked. She hadn't expected him to know. Lucia's eyes lit up with surprise. Theodore stepped forward and picked her up. "Happy birthday, my princess." He turned to me. "I'm sorry. Amy is my brother's only child. If anything happened to her, Brynn would fall apart. I'm just helping look after her." When I said nothing, he stroked Lucia's hair. "I promised to take Lucia to the amusement park last time, but we never went. Tomorrow, we'll all go together. "I promise. Nothing will get in the way this time." I was still hesitating when Lucia grabbed the hem of my shirt. "Mommy, I want to go!" I couldn't bear to let her down, so I nodded. "Okay." Lucia happily carried her new toy to her room. The moment her door closed, Theodore wrapped his arms around me from behind. His voice was gentle, but there was a probing edge to it. "Lucia's been pulling away from me lately..." My heart tightened. Then Theodore leaned down, kissed the corner of my mouth, and whispered, "Delia, I know I've neglected you and our daughter because of Brynn and Amy. I'll make it up to you." He held me so close I could hear his heartbeat. "I'll settle Brynn and her daughter somewhere else as soon as I can. Then I'll give you and Lucia all my attention." For a moment, warmth reached the part of my heart I'd shut away from him. My resolve to leave wavered. His tenderness and patience reminded me of how things used to be. In church, he'd sworn on his life that he'd always love me, take care of me, and put me first. In the delivery room, he'd gazed at our tiny baby, so happy his eyes welled up. He'd kissed away my tears and thanked me for giving him a little princess. We were so happy back then. If he kept his promise tomorrow and let nothing interrupt our time together, I'd tell him the truth and give him a chance to start over. Chapter 4 I took Lucia to the amusement park first. Eight o'clock came, then nine, then half past ten. Theodore never showed up. "Is Dad... Is Don Ricci not coming?" our daughter asked quietly. I finally gave in and called Theodore. "Delia?" He sounded flustered, as if he'd only just remembered us. "Something urgent came up. The deal at the port went wrong, and I can't get away. I'll send my assistant to stay with you..." He'd broken his promise again. The flicker of hope that had briefly sparked in me died for good. "Don't bother," I said coldly, and hung up. He didn't know that from that moment on, our daughter and I no longer needed him. I crouched beside Lucia, held her close, and smoothed her hair. "Sweetheart, it's okay if he doesn't come. You've got Mommy." Lucia nodded, as understanding as ever. She laughed on the carousel and spread her arms wide on the swing ride, shouting with joy. Watching her, I felt my heart melt. But something happened on our way home from the amusement park. A black van pulled up beside us. Every instinct told me we were in danger. I grabbed Lucia's hand, scooped her up, and ran. Then I called Theodore. He rejected the first call. He didn't answer the second time. Just as I was losing hope, I spotted Theodore through the window of a brightly lit restaurant at the end of the street. He was sitting with Brynn and Amy. It was Amy's birthday. She had her hands clasped and her eyes closed as she made a wish. Theodore and Brynn watched her with loving smiles. They looked like a happy little family, and it hurt to see them. So that was Theodore's emergency. Nothing had gone wrong at the port. He'd lied to me. The call connected just as the man behind me caught up. "Theodore, come save me and our daughter! We're in the alley right outside Eden!" I screamed as the man grabbed Lucia's arm. "Daddy, save me and Mommy!" she cried. But at the mention of the restaurant, Theodore's face changed. His voice turned sharp. "Enough, Delia. I don't know how you found out where I am, but I'll let it go this time. "Yes, I'm with Amy for her birthday, but I've already told Brynn this is the last time. "And don't drag our daughter into your act. You'll teach her bad habits." As the accusations kept coming, I nearly screamed. "No, Theodore! Turn around—" He hung up on me. I gripped my phone, my fingers ice-cold, as a wave of helplessness washed over me. Then Theodore stood to leave. He was so close. If he'd looked back just once, he would have seen us being dragged toward the van. But just then, Amy tugged at his sleeve, and he bent down to pick her up. The man yanked my arm. I fought him as he dragged me toward the van, and my phone slipped from my hand. The screen lit up with a text from Theodore. "Be good and go home. Wait for me. I bought that amusement park for you and our daughter." They took us to an abandoned building. Our kidnapper looked familiar, and when I got a clear look at his face, I recognized him. It was Keane, who had been Luca's sworn enemy. "I was after Brynn and her daughter, but Theodore never leaves their side. He ignores his own wife and daughter and dotes on another man's. I never got a chance." He tapped my cheek with his pistol. His words cut deep. Theodore had been so busy celebrating Amy's birthday that he'd pushed our daughter and me straight into danger without even realizing it! Lucia trembled beside me. I held her close and tried to stay calm. "What do you want? Money? Shipping routes? I can give you anything." He leered at me and reached for my face. "That's what I wanted at first. But now I think you'll do just fine too..." The moment Keane touched me, gunshots rang out. Within seconds, his men were on the ground and he was pinned down. Before I called Theodore for help, I'd secretly twisted my ring to turn on the tiny transmitter inside. My father's people received the signal and came at once. The abandoned building went up in flames. I threw my wedding ring into the ruins, held my daughter close, and boarded a private jet that carried us off into the deep blue night. My daughter and I were going to start a new life...