Valeria was a junior analyst from my own company. I had personally mentored her. I had approved her promotions. I had sat across from her in the breakroom, giving her advice on her career while she smiled at me with what I now realized was predatory calculation.
The caption beneath Lidia’s image cut deeper than any physical blade ever could. It read: Praising my beautiful son for finally choosing true happiness. Sometimes it takes a mistake to find your destiny. This time, he chose well. A real family begins today.
My fingers trembled violently as I zoomed in on the glowing screen. The background of the photo was a sickening tapestry of betrayal. I recognized his sisters, his cousins, his uncles. Even family friends who had dined at my table, drinking the wine I paid for, were gathered around them beneath lavish floral arches. They were applauding a union that erased my existence entirely. Everyone knew. Entire bloodlines and social circles knew, and not a single soul had warned me.
While I was negotiating international contracts and transferring funds to cover Mauricio’s new imported sports car, they were celebrating his bigamy with my money. But as I stared closer at Valeria’s fitted lace gown, my eyes caught a slight, unmistakable swell at her waistline. The true meaning of Lidia’s words suddenly clicked into place, turning my blood to ice.
Chapter 2: The Shift