I didn’t cry. The betrayal was too vast, too absolute for something as small as tears. Instead, a cold dread coiled in my gut, quickly hardening into something metallic and sharp. I dialed Lidia’s number immediately, my thumb pressing the screen so hard the glass threatened to snap. I was desperate for some absurd explanation, some wild claim of a themed party or a misunderstanding that could salvage even a fragment of my dignity.
She answered on the second ring.
“Sofía,” Lidia said. Her voice was calm, dripping with an amused condescension that made my stomach churn. “I assumed you’d see it eventually. Though I didn’t think you’d be checking social media while you were so busy working.”
“What is this, Lidia?” I demanded, my voice a harsh whisper echoing in the empty office. “What kind of cruel, sick joke is this?”
She sighed, a theatrical sound of exasperation. “It’s not a joke, Sofía. It’s reality. You should accept it. Mauricio filed the annulment papers in a quiet jurisdiction weeks ago. You just haven’t been served yet because you’re never home.”
“An annulment?” My head spun. “We’ve been married for seven years. And Valeria? She works for me.”