Page 1 of Doormat
Chapter One
Doormat.
That one single word kept rolling around Liana Marchetti’s head as she quickly rushed out of the large mansion where there was currently a party in full swing.She couldn’t believe she had stumbled onto those insults.Not just her, but her friends, Mia, Clarissa, and Tatiana.They had all heard what their new husbands said about them, and she felt completely sick to her stomach.
They had been married a grand total of six months.Some of her friends had been married longer.Tatiana had been married the shortest time.Each of them had found a solidarity between themselves.It was rare to grow up in the Italian Mafia and find good friendships, but Liana knew her friends had her back.It was why none of them had stopped her from leaving the party without her husband—one of the most eligible and scariest men in the mafia, Diego Marchetti.The man she had been ...pledged to marry.
The moment her father had told her what happened, she had attempted to rebel.She didn’t want to marry a man she didn’t love.In fact, she recalled many years ago when her father had promised her that under no circumstances would she be forced to marry a man she didn’t love.However, that had been one of the few promises her father hadn’t been able to keep, and now she had to sit and listen to her husband tell his friends how boring it was being married to her.She was a “doormat”—a boring, dull woman, who made coming home impossible to do.
Liana knew married life was not going to be easy.She had grown up thinking she was going to explore the world, get away from the mafia life that seemed so constricting.After her mother’s death ten years ago, her father had never remarried.He never forced her brother, Luiz, to get married either.Her brother was ten years older than her.
She thought it was going to be different.Her parents had an arranged marriage, but they had found each other and fallen in love.Liana didn’t love her husband.At first, she had been terrified of him, seeing as he had a reputation for crushing men’s skulls.Who wanted to be associated with that?
She wanted to travel, to be free.Her father had told her to put her dreams to the side.That maybe if she was a good wife to Diego, he’d be willing to take her traveling.So, she played the role.
On their wedding night, she didn’t lock herself in the bathroom, even though she wanted to.No, she squared her shoulders and faced the reality that she was about to experience death.Their wedding night had not been fun.Losing her virginity had been painful.Props to Diego, he had made it good, at least in the end.He’d not been mean or cruel.However, he couldn’t stop the presentation of the sheets, which was simply mortifying.She spent breakfast with her friends, attempting to ignore the bloodstained sheets.Her friends had done well to help her.They all knew how to distract each other.
“Take me to my father’s,” she said, approaching her and Diego’s driver, Phill.
“Uh, Miss, I am going to need to check—”
She was done having to get permission from a man who saw her as a freaking doormat.
“I said, take me to my father’s now.If you are not willing to do so and wish to escort your master home, you can stay here and move out of my way so I can drive myself!”She shoved Phill against the car.
She had never been mean or forced anything from anyone.She had always been kind and sweet.Those were the qualities her father used to sell her to Diego.He always said her kindness reminded him of her mother.Her mother had been a free spirit as well, even after she married her father.
Phill didn’t know what to do, but one thing was clear.If he allowed her to drive to her father’s alone, Diego would kill him.The problem was, she had no idea how to drive a car.It was one of the few things her father refused to teach her, and she had a pretty good idea why.She wouldn’t have stuck around.He was worried she would find some reason to drive away from this life, and he wasn’t wrong.There were so many times she had sat in a car with the very intention of driving away.That was all she wanted to do—drive away and be free.
Instead, she listened and now she was married to a pig of a man, who saw her as a boring doormat.Actually, that wasn’t completely correct, because apparently, a doormat could have some fun slogans or something funny on it.Not her.She was dull.
Phill opened the car door, and she grabbed it.
“Get behind the wheel, and start the damn car,” she said.
She knew a lot of fake plays.She had a feeling he intended for her to get into the car, where he would lock the door and go and get Diego.Liana was not going to be sitting in the back.She was sitting right up front with him.
Phill looked doubtful but he rounded the car.She could pretty much see him attempting to figure out what he was supposed to do.Liana waited for him to get behind the wheel, and the ignition turned over.Only then did she slam the door closed and climb into the front seat.
“Miss, this is not appropriate.”
She looked at Phill.“Drive me to my father’s and pray on the way there that I don’t convince him to shoot you.”
Liana would never do such a thing.The threat was all she needed, and Phill didn’t argue with her.He pushed his foot on the gas, and Liana made a note that as soon as possible, she intended to learn how to drive so she could make her escape at any time.
Phill didn’t need to be told directions.They were at Giovanni and Mia’s home for the party.So, it would only be a short ride to get to her father’s.Twenty minutes tops in the car.
She couldn’t believe what she had heard.
“So, Diego, tell me how is married life?We’ve all shared our secrets about our wives.Come on, spill,”Emilo said.
“What is there to tell?Liana is ...great.Yeah, she is great if you like them completely compliant, not bending any rules, and like a puppy with a bone.Honestly, she is a fucking doormat, and no matter what I say, she agrees with me.Which is great, because at least she doesn’t give me a fucking headache with all the nagging.”
“A doormat?”
“Nah, you’re right.A doormat has its uses and can be fucking funny.My wife is none of those things and boring as hell.”
She was pretty sure he said more, but for now, she was not going to think about it.They arrived at her father’s house in exactly twenty minutes.Liana climbed out of the car and told Phill he could leave.Liana had no doubt where he would go.
