Her refusal seemed cold. I argued that Carolina was my sister, that family is there to support each other. Lucía replied, her voice breaking, that she was family too, and that we were just weeks away from becoming parents. The argument escalated. I didn’t understand how she could be so inflexible.
Finally, exhausted, Lucía dropped the knife on the cutting board and asked me to sit down. Her eyes were red, but she wasn’t crying anymore. There was something deeper in her gaze, as if she had been holding something back for a long time.
I froze. I watched her take a deep breath, like someone preparing to reveal a heavy secret. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear my own thoughts.
“That money… it’s not just for the baby. There’s something else. Something that directly affects you.”
And it was then, just as I was about to speak, that my entire world seemed to stop.
Lucía lowered her gaze, nervously fidgeting with her hands. I tried not to pressure her, but my mind was already imagining the worst.
“Please, just tell me,” I pleaded, my voice as gentle as I could manage.
“Javier, I couldn’t have saved those $7,000 on my own. Part of that money… someone else gave it to me.” A chill ran down my spine.
“Who?” I asked, dreading hearing a man’s name that wasn’t mine.Continue reading…
