After His 13 Betrayals, I Chose to Marry the Mafia Boss

"Tell me, Nolan Carter! Why were you fighting?"

I handed my phone to my boyfriend. His gaze shifted from my face to the phone I had just forced him to take. There, a video showed Nolan involved in a fight with another actor who was the center of media attention, just because he defended a woman.

But that woman wasn’t me, it was a model named Valerie.

"Scarlett, don’t misunderstand! I was just helping Valerie because that actor was being inappropriate and hitting on her. It made Valerie uncomfortable."

I could only laugh bitterly. He was more focused on defending Valerie than caring about my feelings.

I held back my anger in silence, but Nolan gently touched my cheek.

"Honey, don’t be jealous. I was just protecting a coworker. Besides, we were in a photoshoot together at the time."

But the problem was, that wasn’t the first time Nolan was always with Valerie. That marked Nolan’s fifth betrayal of me, which had already become media fodder.

The first betrayal happened when he forgot my birthday, even though I had reminded him over and over. That night, I sat alone until late at night, waiting for Nolan to come. I had prepared a cake and a small celebration. But instead, he celebrated his win as Best Actor with Valerie, forgetting my simple party and not celebrating it with me.

The second, he forgot to pick me up, and instead partied on a yacht with Valerie to celebrate her birthday. Meanwhile, I arrived at my apartment, waiting for news from him with deep concern.

Unbelievable! All my worries about Nolan disappeared the moment I found out everything from an unknown number, and I saw a clear video of Nolan and Valerie laughing together.

The ninth betrayal... the most painful.

Nolan called off our wedding.

Invitations had already been sent out. A luxury hotel had been booked. My wedding dress, which I had passionately sewn myself over the course of months, hung neatly along with his tuxedo.

But all of it ended as just a nightmare. Even more painful was the reason behind it all.

“Our wedding it would lower my marketability in the public eye. Valerie is more suitable as a public figure’s partner. We’ve been contracted as a couple icon.”

Nolan uttered his words as if they meant nothing. But behind those words, my entire world collapsed.

"Calm down, Scarlett! This is just temporary. After the contract ends, we’ll build our dream wedding."

Again and again, Nolan tried to extinguish my disappointment. But it wasn’t enough.

The news spread quickly. While I was busy answering media questions, clarifying the reason our wedding was canceled, Nolan was caught on camera enjoying a romantic dinner with Valerie in Paris.

I was bombarded with comments, accused of seeking attention, laughed at for being left behind.

Nolan disappeared just like that, as if I never existed. As if my love was just a shadow easily blown away by the wind. Three years with him were all for nothing.

That night, I went home to my apartment in silence.

My wedding dress was still hanging gracefully there. But there was no more emotion or happiness when I looked at it, only a rage slowly burning in my chest.

I yanked the dress from its hanger, threw it to the floor. Then I kicked it, dragged it, and ripped it with my bare hands.

Pearl beads scattered on the floor like falling tears. Just like the ones I’d held back since the first betrayal.

I wiped the tears mixed with anger, gathered the scattered dress, then lit a fire. I needed to see something destroyed. If not this pain, then let it be my buried dream.

But for the ninth time of betrayal... I forgave Nolan again.

Maybe I’ll stay quiet until the thirteenth betrayal. An unlucky number that fits to end this cheap drama. Ironically, he once desperately begged to have me.

That same day, I called my father, the man who once tried to arrange my marriage with a wealthy man. Back then I refused, because Nolan begged me on his knees, crying, as if I was everything to him. But now, without hesitation, I actually wanted that arranged marriage to happen.

"Dad, is your marriage proposal from before still on the table? I’ll accept it now."

My father was surprised to hear that, and suddenly chuckled.

"Finally, you changed your mind, Scarlett. Life has to be realistic, right?"

I also gave a bitter laugh while roughly wiping my tears.

This time, I will choose who gets to be my husband. No matter who he is now, at least he's not Nolan and that's enough for me.

****

It had been a few days since Nolan disappeared. I thought he wouldn’t come back, until that night he suddenly showed up at my apartment door.

Without permission, he hugged me. The warmth of his embrace was still the same, and I inhaled the scent of a woman’s perfume on his body.

He kissed my forehead, then my lips, like a lover returning from a long journey.

“I missed you so much, Honey,” he whispered softly. But I stood there like a statue, showing no expression, flat.

When I entered the bedroom. On the bed, he hugged me again from behind, his head resting on my shoulder. Just a little more, and the wall I had worked so hard to build nearly crumbled from his warmth.

Until his phone rang.

He answered it beside me. I could clearly hear Valerie’s voice.

“Nolan, please help me! The lights in my house suddenly went out. I’m afraid of the dark.”

Valerie once again disrupted my relationship with Nolan. Ever since her arrival this past year, when she decided to move to New York, my relationship with Nolan had slowly started to crumble.

It only took a few seconds. Nolan got up, grabbed his jacket.

Without looking back, he left in a hurry. He chose her again.

I lay there alone, hugging the leftover warmth of his body that slowly turned cold and empty.

****

One time, Nolan asked me to make a dress for a famous actress who would be appearing at the annual fashion event.

“Honey, I need something special. A dress that can steal the stage for her. Only you can make that.”

“That dress, match it to your body measurements, because I noticed your body shape is almost the same as hers,” Nolan told me.

I worked on it wholeheartedly. Every fold, every embroidery detail, I crafted as if it were for myself.

And Nolan praised it over and over again.

“This is amazing, baby. This dress will make her shine even more, and she’ll definitely be proud of your magical hands.”

Until the day of the event arrived.

I came as a guest, sat in the third row, waiting to see who would wear my most beautiful creation.

In the final moments of the event. Valerie appeared on stage. Wearing the dress I made, which truly shocked me.

Her steps were confident, her smile full of victory. The cheers and applause of the audience followed every strike of her heels on the runway.

It turned out, Nolan lied to me. It wasn’t a celebrity like he had said. But he gave the dress to Valerie.

I stood up, not waiting for the event to end.

But I ran into Valerie backstage. She gave me a mocking smile as she approached.

“Were you surprised or dazzled by my appearance, Scarlett?” she whispered softly. “You really are a great designer. I admit your dress is stunning. And look, who’s shining tonight.”

I turned my face away, and before I could reply, Valerie walked off with a wide smile.

The monitor backstage lit up. There, Nolan stood beside Valerie. A reporter asked about the beautiful dress.

“Was Miss Valerie’s dress and your outfit tonight designed by Miss Scarlett Hayes?”

Nolan chuckled, then looked at the camera with a crooked smile.

“Who said this was Scarlett’s work? She wasn’t even involved in the process. She doesn’t even know the concept of making this dress and my outfit.”

I stepped back, walking away from that place. Enough, I didn’t want Nolan anymore.