The Scourge of Angelo Bruno "The Gentle Don"

Chapter 4: Painful Ending!

Angelo's heart shattered at the echoes of the proposed marriage between his wife and Don Romero. His not fully recovered body ached with the pains all rushing back at him. Stunned, he found himself incapable of comprehending the magnitude of the information he just received and although he wished he could do something about it, he just couldn't because he was a nobody and Don Romero wasn't a class to mess with.

Don Romero runs the biggest mafia organization in all of Sicily, he is the dreadiest and most powerful mafia boss in Sicily. Everyone knew his name and feared for who he was. Trisha's three brothers worked for him with Jack and Juan working closely with him at his headquarters, and Johnnie ran the Castellazo carter on his behalf in Avalon.

Even the governor and mayor of Sicily couldn't challenge Don Romero, it was rumored that he assassinated the last governor, kidnapped his deputy, and forced the city to run another election which he seized to put his man in power as the new governor of Sicily. What chance does Angelo have against such a man as Don Romero?

Don Romero's gaze bore into Angelo with disdain,

"Look at me very well, fool." 

Angelo immediately maintained his gaze and attention on the Don as he listened for the words that would pour out of his mouth.

Angelo had wondered why Don Romero still kept him alive since he had an interest in his wife but Don Romero's words were about to open him up to the reason.

Don Romero, asserting that ending Angelo's life swiftly would have been merciful. Instead, he reveled in the opportunity to make Angelo suffer, relishing the chance to humiliate him for his perceived stubbornness.

"I could have snuffed you out like a bug, but no, I had to make it painful," Don Romero sneered, a cruel satisfaction evident in his tone.

Angelo, weakened and defenseless, stood amidst the verbal onslaught. Each family member took turns hurling insults, exacerbating his pains. Trisha, still weeping, faced the wrath of her family's scorn, condemned for her perceived foolishness in choosing Angelo over the powerful Don Romero.

"Shut your hole, you ungrateful brat. With all we are doing to give you a better future and restore the shame you so brought to this family, you still have the guts to sit here and cry for this gold-digger." Trisha's mother began with her again as though she hadn't done enough already.

"You see, I never cease to wonder if truly I gave birth to you. You are just too foolish, naïve, and spellbound to be my child. How on earth can you possibly choose this pig over a great man like Don Romero? Your dumb ass should be grateful we are liberating you from self-destruction, and you should be on your knees worshipping the Don for picking an interest in you."

Angelo just stood there watching and listening to the barrage of humiliations that were fired at him and his wife. He had always endured his in-law's vehement disapproval of his marriage to their daughter in the hopes that someday somehow he would find a way to redeem himself and his love for their daughter by making his life worthy of respect. But their patience towards him wasn't dependent on his plans and timing.

And as if he had not suffered enough, Don Romero was now in the picture. Whatever fate awaited him now, only those seated around him in this living room could best tell him.

"Let's get this done with, your filthy presence is disgusting to me." Baron Rodriguez jumped in on the conversation feeling rather irritated by Angelo's presence in his living room.

He signaled with his finger and the divorce papers were thrust before Angelo, a cruel demand for his signature. Dirty Dog, a menacing presence at Don Romero's side, received explicit instructions to deliver a punch for every moment Angelo hesitated.

"Just to be clear, your friend's death was a light effort to persuade our daughter whom you've spelled, to see reasons with us. But for you, we wouldn't need light persuasion, Dirty Dog will complete what he already began with you and in a very slow and really really painful way."

Dirty Dog drew closer overshadowing him with his presence, his scary face in full brutality mode and with no intentions of making his mouth do anything his hands could do better.

The room resonated with the sickening thuds of each blow, each punch sapping Angelo's strength further. Trisha, unable to bear witnessing his torment, pleaded with him to sign the papers and spare himself. 

"Angelo, please just sign the papers. They'll kill you."

"Listen to the young lady, apparently she has more brains than you do right now." Don Romero advised him even though he enjoyed watching Dirty Dog execute his talents on him.

Reluctantly, Angelo acquiesced, his signature sealing the painful end to his marriage. Deep down he cried hard, he had just signed a divorce with his beloved wife of five years, not of his own volition but because a man who was everything he was not delighted in his wife, and her family who could have been his defenders as their son-in-law, consented to it even more happily.

"Finally!"

"Job done! Well done, Dirty Dog."

"A toast to the end of shame in this family and to the beginning of prestige."

The Rodriguez family and Don Romero raised their glasses in a toast, celebrating the success of the divorce and anticipating the forthcoming union. Angelo, now officially divorced, stood as a broken man, his spirit crushed by the orchestrated cruelty.

"Well, I believe we have a wedding to plan. I'll be taking my leave now and my bride with me." The Don outrageously said as he got up to make his departure.

As Don Romero prepared to depart, Jack interrupted him with his words,

"One last thing, Don." These words stood the entire room as everyone eagerly awaited what the last thing was.

Jack signaled to the guys at the door, and they opened it dragging a young lady into the room.

Angelo's eyes went wide open as he screamed out,

"No. Annabel!!!"