My Sister Popped The Bubble Of My Happy Marriage Chapter 02

Upper East Side, Manhattan. Rinaldi Townhouse.

The next morning, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door. Serafina stood outside holding a thermal container, and Dante was behind her, carrying her bag.

“You didn’t eat much last night. I made you soup.”

She walked in smiling and slipped into the women’s slippers in the shoe cabinet without missing a beat.

Those were hers. Her own pair.

She went into the kitchen, poured herself water in Dante’s usual cup, as if she had long since treated this place as her home.

Dante saw me watching and frowned.

“Serafina used to come here for family gatherings all the time. You don’t need to make a thing out of this.”

Serafina ladled out the soup and set it in front of me.

“Drink it while it’s hot. I got up early to make it.”

The smell hit me and my stomach turned. I pushed the bowl away.

“Don’t bother next time.”

Her smile dimmed a little.

“Celeste, are you still upset about last night?”

I didn’t answer.

Her phone rang. She saw it was Mother and took it out to the balcony. When she came back, her eyes were red. Not long after, Mother’s call came through to me.

“Serafina brought you soup out of kindness, and you give her that face? She’s always thinking of you, and you can’t even accept a little goodwill?”

Less than half an hour later, my parents and Matteo showed up. Mother started scolding me the moment she walked in. Matteo leaned back on the couch with a cold laugh.

“Only Serafina can put up with you. Anyone else would have written you off by now.”

I didn’t lower my head. Mother’s voice shot up.

“You’re Mrs. Rinaldi now. You live in an Upper East Side townhouse. You enjoy the Rinaldi family’s protection. Can’t you even tolerate your own sister?”

Father heard that and seemed to finally remember the real reason he came. He pulled a document out of his briefcase and set it in front of me.

“Matteo’s investment firm has a funding gap on the port logistics project. The original investor pulled out, and the bank is getting ready to tighten credit.”

He pointed at the signature line.

“You sign a personal guarantee, and then have Dante make a call to the bank that works with Rinaldi Holdings. That should keep the financing alive.”

I looked at the document and didn’t reach for it.

My grandfather, Don Salvatore Santoro, had once been one of the most powerful men in New York’s underworld. In life, he was the only one in the family who truly cared about me. After he died, Father told me most of the shares went to Serafina and Matteo, with the rest held in the family holding company. I had never seen the full will. I didn’t know the actual distribution.

My parents always said that since I couldn’t compete with my sister or measure up to my brother, the greatest contribution I could make to the Santoro family was to marry into the Rinaldi family. So they arranged the marriage.

I had thought that at least Dante truly cared for me. There had been warmth after the wedding. Enough to make me believe I finally had a home of my own.

Now I knew. That happiness was just my own wishful thinking.

“Dad, Celeste isn’t in a good place lately. Don’t push her.”

Serafina spoke up at just the right moment, defending me. Mother immediately grabbed her hand, her face full of pity.

“You’re too good-hearted. That’s why she walks all over you.”

Dante stood beside Serafina the whole time. The look he gave me was pure impatience.

“It’s just helping Matteo out. Santoro and Rinaldi already do business together. Do you really have to make this a scene?”

Serafina lowered her head and said quietly, “Actually, the pipes in my apartment burst. Property management says the water will be off for a few days. I was going to stay at a hotel.”

She paused, then forced a smile.

“Never mind. I won’t bother you.”

She made a call. Soon after, her driver brought her suitcase to the door. Dante reached out and stopped her as she was about to leave.

“What hotel? Your health isn’t good. It’s easier if you stay here.”

I spoke up immediately. “There are hotels nearby. There are apartments too. I can arrange something for her.”

Dante ignored me. He pushed the suitcase straight into the guest room, took the spare key from the drawer, and put it in Serafina’s hand.

“Starting today, you live here. Walk in whenever you want. You don’t need to watch anyone’s face.”

He turned to me, his voice cold.

“Serafina is your sister. This house should have a place for her.”

I stood in the marital home I had decorated with my own hands and watched my husband hand another woman the key to the front door. And not one person in my family, not my parents, not my brother, thought anything was wrong with that.