Flash Marriage: Shrewd Wife, Devious Husband
Chapter 66: The Loyal Tailor

Chapter 66: The Loyal Tailor

On their way back, Marcella noticed the tailor shop her father used to frequent. In fact, Mr. Isaiah Caruso is the only tailor her father trusted with his suit.

She wanted to visit the tailor shop. If they are having a party, Tony should wear a new suit too.

"You don’t like this shop?" she asked as he stopped by the door.

"I was asked not to enter. They don’t want to provide services to me," Tony said.

He didn’t look disappointed. He was just saying.

"Why?" Marcella asked.

Tony shrugged.

Marcella walked inside. The old man was sitting on a chair at the reception. As long as she remembered, the old man sat on that chair to welcome his customers if he was not stitching in the working room behind.

"Old man Caruso!" she shouted in a cheery voice. "How are you doing?"

"Who is that?" Isaiah wore his glasses. "Bambina? Is that really you?"

Isaiah laughed and got out from behind the counter. Spreading his hands out he gave her a tight bear hug. "Where have you been all this while, Bambina? You forgot to greet this old man!"

"Just like you forgot my dad, Isaiah?" Marcella asked getting out of his hug.

"What are you saying?" Isaiah was confused. "Don DeAngelo is an angel," he pressed his palms together. "I consider him as an angel and I know he’s watching over me..."

"So, it’s just your bad eyes you couldn’t recognize Tony, huh?" she asked.

She had certain doubts about Tony. Randy does not like Tony and it seemed personal but Henry trusts Tony as much as her father did. If there is something she needed to know about Tony, she knew Isaiah would be the one to tell her.

"Tony? Tony Crawford? I heard he went into politics. I thought he didn’t want to associate with the likes of me. I haven’t heard from him in a long time until... I heard you married him, Bambina." His face bloomed with a smile and he patted her arm with his shaking hand. "Your father will be~"

"Your shop denied service to him, Isaiah," Marcella interjected him.

"To Tony?" Isaiah turned to look at Tony standing by the door.

Tony shrugged.

Isaiah’s face paled visibly and he rubbed his mouth. "Marcus!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

From the workshop behind, came out a young man. He had tape draped on his shoulders and he was still holding tailoring scissors. She remembered seeing him at her sister’s funeral. He didn’t mention his name or she might have forgotten.

He must be the old man’s son. So, was he the one who forbade Tony from this place?

Marcus looked at Tony and the angry expression on Isaiah’s face. "Paul Romano told me not to trust Tony," he shrugged.

Marcella scoffed. "Paul Romano didn’t let me attend my father’s funeral," she said.

She couldn’t believe what Paul Romano has been doing. He’s been talking to the loyalists of her father as if he was the most loyal one while badmouthing everyone else.

But what else do they know?

She looked at Tony and he looked like he had no care in the world. She would have doubted him had he tried to stop her. But he did nothing of the sort. He must have nothing to hide.

"Did Paul Romano tell you why, Marcus?" she asked. "What did Tony do?"

Marcus had nothing to say. He couldn’t meet her eyes.

"What did he promise, Marcus?" she asked with her eyes focused on him. "What did Paul promise you?"

Isaiah saw the hesitation and embarrassment in Marcus’ eyes. He knew that his son was sold out.

"I did not raise you to be disloyal," he hit his arm. "What did you do?"

"Dad! He promised me nothing. It’s just... Tony is not a very good... " he looked at Tony and then bowed his head. Fiddling with his fingers, he let out a deep breath before looking at his father. "Dad, the shop was not going well as you thought it did when you first handed it over to me. I needed money to keep appearances and Paul offered..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Isaiah started hitting his son.

"It’s fine now. I managed to get a hang of it," Marcus said while getting hit by his father. "And I paid him back. You don’t have to worry..."

Marcella let out a deep breath. Isaiah was mad at his son and she didn’t want to stop him. She cannot stop him. And seeing Marcus getting hit by his old man gave her some comfort.

The people here might say that a father hitting his grown son is too much, but that was the culture she grew up in. A father had every right to his children no matter how old they were. Although the son is stronger than his father, he will have to accept defeat when it comes to his father.

What is the other choice? Hitting his father back? Or stopping his father? Nothing else would send him six feet under faster other than that.

She got reminded of the scars on Tony’s back. They looked like they were made with horse whips. How did he get the scars? Who hit him?

Her father had a horsewhip hanging in his office. He used to threaten to hit her with that whip whenever she crosses the line, he drew for her.

Did my father hit Tony?

Or... was it his grandmother?

It looked too strong to be hit by his grandmother. Could it be Paul?

"I came here to invite you to my wedding party, Isaiah. I thought you didn’t want to do anything with the likes of us when I heard you forbade Tony from the shop," Marcella walked to Isaiah with a glass of water.

The old man was panting after hitting his son.

"No... No, Bambina, no..." Isaiah patted his chest and she held his hand. "Please don’t speak that way..." his eyes reddened. "I will give up my life for the DeAngelo family. I owe you so much." He kissed her hand.

"I know, Isaiah. I know..." Marcella patted his hand. "That’s why I came here to invite you. I also wanted to ask you who else I should invite. I still don’t know who killed my sister, Isaiah..."

"If I can be honest, Bambina..." Isaiah looked at her. "I do not trust Paul Romano... But... He lost his son too. So, it can’t be him..."

"I know..." She nodded. "I want you to stitch Tony’s suit, Isaiah," she smiled brightly.

She has said what she wanted to say. She knew Isaiah will do the rest on her behalf. He will figure out what to do and who to invite.

"It’s my honor, Bambina..." Isaiah stood up. "I am not trusting that imbecile," he glared at his son. "I will do everything myself," he walked to Tony.

"Come son, let’s take your measurements.