Please, take It back wife

As the next head of the Russian mafia, my marriage was purely a family affair. The patriarch, the head of the group, my grandfather, decided everything without even thinking about how I would feel if I was forced to marry a stranger.

Negotiations began with the rival family whose territory was being lost to another group. The largest network of clandestine arms sales to terrorist groups was in trouble.

Out of sheer ambition, it was offered as a prize in exchange for cooperation between the two factions. The beginning of the real hell in my life.

" I WILL NOT MARRY SUCH A HORRIBLE WOMAN!"  I yell at the family Patriarch in his private room.

" You will do what is best for our business or give up your position as head of our family." She speaks in a tone of authority.

" You think you can control my life with threats? " I retort angrily.

" Your cousin is willing to marry the girl, I have other options besides you. Options?"  he says firmly.

I dryly swallow my words, hardly believing what is happening to me.

"Oh, shit!"

I left the office in a huff and ran into the only love of my life. Anabela, a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes, always working out in the morning, leaving everyone else behind. I am completely crazy about her, we met during our childhood, our families have many contracts between us, which ended up making us close.

The reason for my refusal is our platonic passion, we have been secretly dating for 15 years. Because our families are in disagreement, due to the burglary that Anabela's father stopped paying.

His debts are growing and his business is failing. My grandmother, who only thinks about money, is slowly pushing them apart, I have managed to keep the relationship alive, but it is about to end.

" How did the meeting go?" Anabela asks me in the middle of the hallway leading to my room.

I look at her in despair.

"The marriage." I answer with a lump in my throat.

" Is your grandmother going to propose to my parents?"  She asks cheerfully.

"No. The old man has found another bride, whose face I don't even know. " I said, irritated that he was being forced.

"I thought our families were friends, after all these years together. " He says disappointed.

"I don't know what got into him. I really don't understand his mind, everything was going in the direction of our marriage. Why has he suddenly changed his mind? " I put the extra on my face, trying to understand the old man's mind.

I saw her disappointment in her expression, so I pulled her into a warm embrace.

" I will not give in to his demand, you are the woman I want to spend my life with. " I tried to calm her down.

"Don't fight with your family because of me. " He says in a sweet, sad voice.

"I will find a way to convince them that you are the woman I want by my side." I kiss her forehead and gently knead her cheek to calm her.

In the days that followed, the pressure to make the marriage public was enormous, my credit cards were cut, my privileges were revoked, even my beach house.

I had to leave the main house and go and live in a dirty alley with the little money I have left. Anabela lent me a few dollars to keep me going, I had hit rock bottom.

Feeling guilty for my suffering even under these horrible conditions, she proved her love by staying by my side.

" Come home, my love."

We were lying on the single bed in the tiny bedroom, when her wailing voice reached my heart. Asking to come back even if it means I have to marry someone else.

" They will have to give in. " I emphasized.

"They won't! Stop being stubborn! They are voting to put your cousin in the chair that belongs to you. Please obey and marry your grandfather's chosen one. "  She fights with me, distressed by the knowledge that I might lose everything.

" HOW CAN YOU ASK ME TO MARRY SOMEONE ELSE? " I said angrily.

" IT HURTS ME TO SAY THAT TOO! YOU THINK I WANT TO SEE YOU LOSE EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF ME! " She shouted with anger and sadness.

I pulled her close and hugged her tight.

"What will become of us if I get married?"

"We will continue our relationship in hiding, until you take up your post and can file for divorce."

" That could take years."

" It is not my wish to give you to another, but I will bear with my jealousy as long as I keep my distance from the other."

" I swear not to lay a finger on her."

" I love you, Boris."

" I love you too, Anabela."

Together we went to the bloody meeting, to stop my uncle who was convincing everyone to make his useless son the next commander in chief.

Several sub-leaders of the house came forward for the secret vote to remove my chair. By the rules the eldest son always becomes the matriarch of the gang, some cases are exceptions such as disobedience in fulfilling one's obligations or total rejection of one's rights.

The family rules are absolute, as are the orders of the patriarch. My disobedience gave the perfect opportunity for my uncle who wanted this position so badly to make this meeting.

He has no respect for the patriarch!

Approaching the secret room, I hear my uncle's exalted voice.

" He is on deadline to make up his mind. " replies my grandfather.

"He shouldn't even have set a deadline, have you forgotten the rules? The patriarch's orders are absolute. " gestures my uncle.

I had to storm the room to stop him before he could convince the others.

" We have come a long way to start a fight between our family. The new leader's position must continue as it has been in the past, avoiding unnecessary disputes. " says Benedicto, with the approval of the others.

"You shouldn't even be here, you are not of our blood! " He points accusingly at my uncle.

It was at this moment that I called everyone's attention, raising my voice.

"Don't I respect the rules? Do you really want to get into this, Uncle? May I remind you, why is my grandfather still sitting in this chair?"

My uncle looked at Anabela who was beside me with disgust, blazing with hatred.

"You brought him in!" he blurted out.

"Boris is the rightful heir to the house, born of Russian and Italian blood, he was trained for this role!" She puts herself in the crosshairs of the fire to protect me.

"YOU HAVE NO VOICE IN THIS ROOM!" she shouts.

I wanted to hit him, but my wife held my hand to calm my nerves.

" I'll wait outside. " She interlaced her fingers in mine, releasing them as I left the room.

"Sorry about that." I whisper low to her.

"Do whatever it takes to make him swallow his words. "She whispers low to me.

After she left I was able to release my hatred leaving the atmosphere heavy, only made worse by my uncle's refusal to admit that he remains the heir to everything.