We were celebrating our wedding anniversary with the family at a fancy restaurant. When I went to the bathroom, I watched as my husband took my drink and poured something into it. When I returned, I decided to discreetly swap it for his sister’s, who had always despised and humiliated me. But 30 minutes later, I remember that night in full detail.

The reflection of the lights of the restaurant on the polished table, the clinking of glasses, the soft conversations at the neighboring tables. 20 years of marriage. 20 long years with a man who, I thought, I knew better than myself. Miguel smiled as he raised his glass, but his eyes were still cold, like two pieces of ice.

Every year we celebrated our anniversary, but this time everything was different. Not on the outside everything seemed perfect. An elegant restaurant in the center of Madrid, white tablecloths, exquisite dishes. My husband’s whole family sitting at the same table. His mother, Isabel, with her eternal expression of disapproval.

her father Antonio, quiet and self-contained, and of course her sister Lucia, her adored only sister, who looked at me with barely concealed contempt. For 20 years she made it clear to me that I was not enough for her brother, that anyone like me did not belong to her refined family of Ancestry. I apologized and got up from the table. I needed a few minutes alone to clear my mind.

In the women’s bathroom I spent almost 10 minutes looking at my reflection in the mirror, small wrinkles around my eyes, some silver threads between what was once a fiery red mane. At 42 I still looked good, but time does not forgive. Maybe that was the problem. Miguel would have started looking at younger girls. That idea had been around me for months when I began to notice strange things in his behavior.

On my way back to the table I stopped next to a column. Something caught my attention. Miguel, thinking no one was watching, took my glass of wine and poured something into it from a small envelope he hid in his hand. The gesture was so quick that I hardly noticed it. My heart rose to my throat. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

My husband, the man with whom I shared 20 years of life, had just poured something into my glass. I leaned on my spine trying to calm the tremor in my legs. What was that? A sleeping pill. Poison. Absurd thoughts crossed my mind at full speed. Why would I do that? What was happening? I stood there paralyzed by the soc, watching Miguel whisper something in Lucia’s ear.

They had always been very close, always against the world, including me. The decision came suddenly, as if someone had whispered it to me. I would go back to the table, smile, pretend I hadn’t seen anything, and then, when no one noticed, I would change the glasses. Mine for Lucia’s, let her drink what her pretty family had prepared for me. I wasn’t going to become her victim.

Whatever they were up to. As I made that decision, I felt a strange calm. I smiled at the reflection on the shiny surface of my spine and returned to the table with a nonchalant expression on my face. After 20 years, I had learned to act well. It was necessary. In my husband’s family, composure and knowing how to keep up appearances were always valued.

How many times had he swallowed Lucia’s comments and teeth, pretending that he did not listen to her stalks. How many times did I pretend not to see the condescending looks of my mother-in-law, who even after two decades still believed that her son’s marriage had been a mistake.

Miguel greeted me with a smile, but I noticed the attention on his shoulders. “All right, honey?” he asked, helping me to sit down. I nodded and smiled, trying to get the smile into my eyes. Sure, I’m just a little tired. Lucía did not take long to take advantage of the opportunity. Elena, do you look a little deteriorated? Don’t you think it’s time for you and Miguel to go home? Anniversary or not, if one is sold out.

He didn’t finish the sentence, his thin lips curled into something resembling a compassionate smile. “Thank you for your concern, Lucia, but I feel perfect,” I replied in a neutral tone. Although you should try this wonderful wine. It goes perfectly with your dress. I pointed to her burgundy dress and took my glass, pretending I was going to take a sip.

Lucia, always weak in the face of praise about her impeccable style, smiled contentedly and leaned towards her glass. I just had to wait for the right moment. The waiter brought the main course and everyone was distracted by the food. I left my drink pretending to look for something in my bag. Then, while Lucia was talking excitedly to my mother-in-law about her last trip to Europe, I changed our glasses in one swift motion.

My heart was pounding so hard that I swore everyone at the table could hear it. Miguel gave me a strange look and for a second I thought he had noticed what I did, but he didn’t say anything. He cut off a piece of meat and continued talking to his father. Lucia, at the end of her story, raised her glass.

“I make a toast to the happy couple,” he said with a smile that did not reach his cold eyes. “For Miguel and Elena, 20 years together, quite an achievement. For you,” my in-laws repeated in unison. I watched as Lucia brought the glass to her lips. my glass and he took a big drink. Then he smiled at me from across the table with such a triumphant look that for a moment I doubted what he had done.

And if I was wrong, and if I just imagined it and Miguel didn’t put anything in my drink. The next half hour became eternal. I barely touched Lucia’s wine and I was just pretending to drink. The conversation at the table flowed calmly. they talked about family news, work, plans for the future. Miguel commented on the possible expansion of his business and Lucía intervened from time to time, as always, wanting to show how much she knew about her brother’s affairs.

Suddenly, he fell silent in the middle of a sentence. His hand, which held the fork, trembled and hung in the air. A strange spasm crossed his face and his eyes widened. I didn’t know if it was from surprise or fear. “Lucia, are you okay?” asked Miguel, noticing first the change in his sister. Lucia tried to answer, but only a hoarse sound came out of her throat.

He put his hand to his chest and his face was covered with red spots. The fork fell noisily on the plate. “I feel bad,” she finally managed to say and at that moment her eyes rolled and she began to slide out of the chair. Everything happened so quickly that I couldn’t even understand what I felt.

Soc, fear, terror when I realized that if there was something in that cup and now that gift it was for Lucía. Miguel ran to his sister and held her fainting body. My mother-in-law screamed, attracting the attention of the entire restaurant. An ambulance. Call an ambulance. Miguel was already ordering with his voice trembling with panic. I was still sitting, unable to move.

I saw how the waiters ran from one side to the other, how the restaurant manager called 911, how my mother-in-law cried over her daughter’s motionless body. And during all that chaos, only one thought hit my head. What have I done? But even through fear, another colder, clearer idea was breaking through, which Miguel had tried to do to me. When the ambulance arrived, Lucía was still unconscious. Paramedics quickly lifted her onto the gurney.

They asked a few questions about what I had eaten or drunk. Miguel, pale as a sheet, answered awkwardly, without looking at me once. I’ll go with her,” my mother-in-law said, clutching her bag. And I immediately added Miguel. I stood up. I go too. Miguel looked at me as if he had just noticed that I was there. I saw something strange in his eyes.

Fear, anger, contempt. I couldn’t identify him. No, he said curtly. Stay with Dad. We’ll let you know as soon as we know something. I wanted to protest, but my father-in-law put a hand on my shoulder. Let them go. We would only hinder the doctors. I watched as they walked away.

Miguel, holding his mother between soybeans, the paramedics pushing the stretcher with Lucia. The doors of the restaurant closed behind them. My father-in-law and I were left alone at the table, surrounded by half-eaten plates and wine glasses still full. Antonio sighed and looked at me for a long time thoughtfully. “What a strange situation, don’t you think?” he murmured. I didn’t know what he meant.

Did you know? Are you me? Or perhaps he was suspicious of his own son? Yes, very strange. I said without knowing what else to answer. Antonio nodded as if he had confirmed some idea in his mind and beckoned to the waiter. Can you bring me the check. And that they ask us for a taxi. On the way home we didn’t say anything.

I was looking out the window at the city lights speeding by, thinking about everything that had happened. What was in that envelope? poison, some drug. And most importantly, why? Why would Miguel want to poison me on our anniversary in front of the whole family? I went back to review our years together. When did everything start to break? At what point did that crack between us appear that ended up becoming an abyss? We met when I was 22 and he was 27.

a successful young businessman from a wealthy family. Me, a simple girl from the countryside who came to Madrid to study. Our romance was quick and after 6 months he proposed to me. Her family opposed it from the beginning, especially Lucia. She is two years older than Miguel and always felt that she should guide her brother.

When he took me to meet them, I immediately felt his rejection. He scanned me from top to bottom and asked Miguel. Are you sure? He didn’t ask me, but him, as if I were an object he was considering buying. But Miguel loved me then. Or at least that’s what I thought. He did not listen to his sister or his parents. We got married despite his opposition. The first years were happy.

We had a daughter, Carmen, and I thought that would soften her family’s attitude towards me. But it was not like that. Carmen was adored, accepted without reservation, but I was still seen as an intruder. Over time I learned to live with it. I learned to smile when Lucia made her poisonous comments. I learned to ignore my mother-in-law’s coldness.

I learned to appreciate the few gestures of closeness of my father-in-law, who seemed to treat me with a little more humanity than the others. I learned not to notice how Miguel was slowly moving away, how he was getting back from work later and later, how our conversations were reduced to the basics, how his hugs became colder and colder.

Carmen grew up, entered university abroad. The last two years I lived in England and only came on holidays. Since he left, the house felt emptier, more alien. We’re here,” said the taxi driver, pulling me out of my thoughts. My father-in-law paid and we went down in front of our house to a large mansion in La Moraleja, a house that I never felt like mine, despite having lived in it for almost 20 years.

Do you want me to come in with you? He offered me. You shouldn’t be left alone tonight. I looked at him surprised. In all these years it was the first time he had a gesture like that with me. Thanks, but I’m fine. You need to rest, too. Assented. As you wish. Call me if you need anything. I entered the empty house and immediately felt the weight of silence.

Normally it didn’t bother me, but that night every creak, every sound startled me. I turned on all the lights as if it could protect me from the dark thoughts that were suffocating me. And if Lucia died and if I was the cause of her death. Although she was never my friend, although she did everything possible to make my life bitter, I never wished her death.

And what would happen when Miguel returned? What would you say to him? Sorry, love. I saw you pouring something into my glass and decided to change it for your sister. No, of course not. I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. My hands were shaking so much that the glass hit the counter. Never in my life have I felt so lost and scared.

The phone rang suddenly, making me jump. I spilled the water. On the screen appeared Miguel’s name. I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down and replied, “Yes, Elena.” Miguel’s voice sounded strange, muffled. Lucía is in intensive care. Doctors say it was poisoning. They washed him, but he is still unconscious.

“Oh my God,” I muttered, not knowing what else to say. “How could that happen?” I don’t know,” he replied after a pause. “Maybe it was the wine or something in the food.” “Mom is hysterical. I’ll stay here tonight.” And are you okay? I’m in Socual than you, I answered, trying to sound calm. Let me know if there are any news. Okay, of course. Then Elena, after a silence, said, you didn’t drink anything from your glass, did you? My heart skipped a beat. No, I barely tasted it.

Why? Nothing, he just asked. The doctors said that all of us who were at the table should be attentive in case we feel something strange. I’m fine, I lied. Because it wasn’t right. I was terrified, confused and in Deu I will call you if there is news. He hung up the call and I stood in the kitchen clutching the phone in my hand. There was something in his voice.

He was scared, that was obvious, but there was something else, a subtle relief when he heard that he hadn’t drunk from my cup. I went upstairs to our room and sat on the bed. My mind was in a mess, my heart pounding like crazy. I knew I had to do something, but I had no idea what. call the police and say that my husband tried to poison me, but that when he changed the glasses he ended up poisoning his sister.

Suddenly I remembered a conversation I overheard a few months ago. Miguel and Lucía did not know that he had arrived earlier than usual. I was going up the stairs when I heard their voices in the office. “You have to solve this, Miguel,” Lucia said. How much longer will you wait? The situation is only getting worse. I know,” he replied sounding tired and annoyed.

“But it’s not as easy as you think. There’s no easy way out and you know that, but the longer you procrastinate, the harder it will be later.” Lucía, I can’t, I just didn’t finish the sentence. You have to find a way that doesn’t arouse suspicion. Time is running out, brother. If you don’t decide, I’ll do it.

At the time I didn’t think much of it. I assumed they were talking about business, but now those words resounded in my head with another meaning. You have to find a way that doesn’t arouse suspicion. What if they talked about me? What if Miguel and Lucia planned to get rid of me? The doorbell startled me. I looked at the clock after midnight.

Who could it be at this hour? Miguel said he would stay in the hospital. My mother-in-law was also there. My father-in-law, but why wouldn’t he call sooner? I went down and went to the door. I looked through the peephole. A young, serious policeman in uniform. My breath was short. They already knew it. Did you already know what had happened in the restaurant? With trembling hands I opened the door.

Elena Ferrer asked. I’m Officer Rodriguez. Can I come in? We need to talk. I nodded silently and let him in. Only one idea hammered into my head. They know, they already know everything. Sit down, please, I offered pointing to the room. What happened? Officer Rodriguez remained standing. We received a notice from the hospital.

His relative, Lucía Martínez, was admitted with signs of poisoning. Doctors believe it was not accidental food poisoning, but intentional. They found traces of a potent substance in his blood. I slumped into the armchair, feeling the floor open up beneath my feet. It’s terrible.

But why did he come to see me? We are interviewing everyone who was at the restaurant table. Your husband told us that you returned home. I need to ask you a few questions. I nodded trying to stay calm. Sure, ask what you need. Did you notice anything strange about someone’s behavior at the table? I swallowed hard. To say it or not. To say that I saw Miguel pour something into my glass.

But then I would have to explain why Lucía was the one who ended up poisoned. No, nothing out of the ordinary. Lied. Everything went normally. We were having dinner, talking. Then suddenly Lucia felt bad. Did you notice if anyone came over to your glass, any waiter or any of the diners? I shook my head. No, I didn’t see anything. You yourself were absent from the table.

I only went to the bathroom for about 10 minutes. The officer wrote something down in his notebook. Who else was absent? I thought for a moment. Miguel got up a couple of times to take calls. My mother-in-law, I’m not sure, I think she went to the bathroom too. My father-in-law sat the whole time. At least that’s what I remember. And Lucía went out once, but I don’t remember when exactly. The officer nodded.

I understand. One last question. Do you know if someone had reasons to hurt Lucia? I almost laughed. I had reasons. Many. 20 years of motifs. 20 years of humiliation. Malicious comments, constant contempt. I didn’t answer. As far as I know, everyone got along well with her. Lucía is a charming person.

The lie came out easy, too easy. Well, the officer closed the notebook. If you remember anything else that might be helpful, please give me a call. He handed me a card. I walked him to the door and then returned to the living room, plopping down in the armchair. The police. An investigation. This was getting too serious.

What if someone saw when I changed the cups? What if they find traces? What if Lucia dies? No, I couldn’t think of that. He is not going to die. He cannot die. It would be too much, too horrible. I looked at the phone doubting if Miguel would call. But what would you say to him? And what would he say to me? If he really tried to poison me, talking to him would only put me in more danger.

I went upstairs to our room and started to pack calmly. A couple of changes of clothes, documents, some cash I had saved just in case. I couldn’t stay in that house. I couldn’t wait for Miguel to come back. I needed time to think, to decide what to do. With my suitcase ready, I got out, took the keys to my car and left the house.

At that moment, the phone rang again inside my bag. I took it out expecting to see Miguel’s name on the screen, but it was Antonio, my father-in-law. Yes, Antonio. I tried to sound calm. Elena, her voice was low and tense. Are you home alone? Yes. Miguel is in the hospital with Lucía. I know. Listen to me well. Don’t stop there.

Psalm. I was paralyzed. What? Why? I can’t talk on the phone. Just trust me. You have to go and be very careful. They may be watching you. Who? Antonio. What’s going on? We’ll talk later. For now, just go and don’t tell anyone where you’re going.

Not even me, he hung up, leaving me in a state of utter confusion. What was that? A warning of who and why suddenly my father-in-law wanted to protect me, but I didn’t have time to think. I got in the car and left the garage. Where to go? I didn’t have many options. I had almost no friends left that I could really trust.

Over the years, living with Miguel, I moved away from almost all of them. His family, his friends, his world, all of that became mine too. Lucia had made sure that my old friendships vanished. They are not of our level, my dear,” he said in his false friendly tone. And Miguel always agreed with him. There was only one person I could go to, Pilar, an old friend from university.

We kept in touch, although we rarely saw each other. She lived on the outskirts, in a small house she inherited from her grandmother. The last time we saw each other was a year ago for his birthday. Miguel was on a business trip and could not accompany me or perhaps he did not want to. I dialed his number praying that he would answer despite the time. Hello. His voice sounded sleepy. Pilar, it’s me, Elena.

Sorry I call so late, but I need your help. Can I come to your house right now? He woke up immediately. Of course. What happened? I’ll explain it to you when I arrive. I just have nowhere else to go. Come, I’ll wait for you here. I hung up the call and looked in the rearview mirror. Someone was following me. Antonio said they might be watching me.

Who will they be? Miguel, the police, someone else. When we reached the main road, I decided to take extreme precautions. I changed my route several times. I turned aimlessly. I stopped at gas stations to see if anyone was following me, but everything was quiet. No one was after me. An hour and a half later I arrived at Pilar’s house in Torrelodones. She was waiting for me at the door wrapped in a dressing gown.

Elena, what’s going on?, she asked as soon as I got out of the car. Are you ok? I shook my head. No, no, I’m fine. Can we enter? I’ll explain it all to you inside. We enter the house. Pilar took me to the kitchen and put water to boil. “Speak,” he said, sitting across from me. And I told him everything from the beginning.

How I saw Miguel pour something into my glass, how I decided to change it, how Lucía collapsed, the visit of the policeman, the strange call from my father-in-law. Pilar listened to me in silence. His eyes widened wider and wider as the story progressed. “Oh my God, Elena,” she whispered when I finished. It’s a nightmare.

Do you really think Miguel tried to poison you? I don’t know what to think, I answered sincerely. I saw with my own eyes how he poured something into my glass. That’s a fact. But why? For what? We have been together for 20 years. We have a daughter. Yes, we’ve drifted apart lately, but it doesn’t enter my head from there to something like that. And your father-in-law? Why did he warn you? I don’t know.

He always treated me better than the rest of his family, but a warning like that. Maybe he knows something. Maybe he’s aware of Miguel’s plans. Pilar swirled her cup of tea thoughtfully. And insurance, do you have life insurance? I nodded. Yes, both. Pretty high sums. We hired him a few years ago at Miguel’s insistence. He said that it was something normal in our economic level. And who is the beneficiary of yours? Miguel.

Of course. Guilló from his. Pilar raised her eyebrows with intention. There you have a possible reason. But it is absurd. Miguel doesn’t need money. Your business is doing well. He earns a lot more than my insurance would be worth. Are you sure about that? Do you really know their financial situation? I kept thinking.

In recent years Miguel did not share many details of his company with me. I knew that I had a chain of restaurants and nightclubs, some investment projects, but I did not know specific figures. I’m not sure, I admitted. But he never complained about money problems. We live in a luxurious house. We have two cars. Holidays abroad at least twice a year. He doesn’t seem like someone desperate for money.

No, it doesn’t seem like it, Pilar agreed. But you yourself said that lately it has changed. Maybe your business isn’t as good as it seems. I remembered that a few months ago Miguel was unusually tense and irritable. He received a call during dinner, apologized, and left the dining room.

When he returned, he was pale and clearly upset. I asked him if everything was okay and he just answered. Problems with one of the projects. Nothing serious. But that night he drank much more than usual and then I heard him talking on the phone locked in his office until very late. It’s possible, I said. But still, from having financial problems to trying to kill someone, there is an abyss.

And if he fell in love with another, Pilar suggested. And if you want to divorce, but you do not want to distribute the assets. That idea had already crossed my mind. I had noticed how Miguel was encouraged when he received certain messages on his cell phone. As if thinking I didn’t see it, I smiled looking at the screen. As he was staying more and more at business dinners. If it were, divorce would be easier than murder.

I replied. We have a prenuptial agreement. In the event of a divorce, I would receive a set amount, but most of the assets would still be his. And if they don’t want to pay you even that or if the contract has a clause about infidelity. It does, I admitted. If it is proven that I was unfaithful, I receive nothing. If he is the one who is unfaithful, half of everything corresponds to me.

So there you have another reason. I shook my head. Still, I can’t believe it. 20 years old, Pilar. 20 years together. It really could change so much, people change, Elena, especially when there is a lot of money at stake or a new lover. We stayed in the kitchen until dawn, reviewing possibilities, trying to understand what could be happening. Around 6 in the morning my cell phone rang.

Miguel, don’t answer, Pilar said immediately. You don’t know what information it has. The police may have already found someone who saw you changing the glasses. I listened to him and let the phone ring until it stopped. A minute later a message arrived. Where are you? Call me, it’s urgent. Pilar took my phone and turned it off.

Better to be off the radar for now. First we have to understand what is happening before talking to him. I agreed, even though a part of me wanted to hear his voice, to ask him directly, “Why? Why did you do it?” But Pilar was right, first you had to understand the situation. We decided that I would stay with her for a few days. Pilar lived alone.

 

I was working from home as an interior designer, so my presence wouldn’t be a problem. After breakfast, which neither of us could finish, I lay down in the guest room. Fatigue and stress overcame me and I fell into a heavy and restless sleep. Pilar woke me up by shaking me by the shoulder.

Elena, wake up. There is news. I sat up in bed, still half asleep. Outside it was already night. What time is it? Almost 8 p.m. You slept all day. But that doesn’t matter. Turn on your phone. I took the mobile phone that Pilar handed me and turned it on.

Notifications of missed calls and messages immediately began to arrive. Most of them were Miguel’s, some Antonio’s, one Carmen’s. I opened my daughter’s message. Mom, where are you? Dad can’t reach you. He says that something happened with Aunt Lucia. Call me as soon as you can. I felt a chill. Pilar, what happened to Lucía? I don’t know for sure.

I turned on your phone an hour ago, saw all those messages and decided to search for news and found this. He handed me his tablet with the page of a local news site. The headline read, sister of a well-known businessman in critical condition after poisoning. I started reading the article.

It said that Lucía Martínez, sister of the well-known businessman and owner of a restaurant chain Miguel Martínez, was in intensive care after being poisoned during a family dinner. His condition was critical. Police had opened an investigation into the possibility of intentional poisoning. “Oh my God,” I whispered. “He is in critical condition.” And yes, her. I couldn’t finish the sentence.

“What have I done, Pilar? You didn’t want to hurt him, Pilar said firmly. You were defending yourself. If anyone is to blame, it’s Michael who poured something into your glass. And if I was wrong, what if I misunderstood? What if it was something harmless, vitamins or medicine? And I thought it was. I kept quiet. It sounded ridiculous even to me. No, that doesn’t make sense.

No one secretly puts vitamins in someone else’s glass. Exactly, Pilar nodded. But the big question was, what to do now? Stay here? Go to the hospital? Call Miguel. I kept thinking. I have to know how Lucía is and I have to confess. I can’t live with this. If something happens to him, I will never forgive myself. Wait, Pilar stopped me. Don’t rush.

First you have to know what was really in that glass. And if it was poison, you could be next. But how are we going to know? I have a friend in the police, an old schoolmate. I can call him and ask him to investigate the case unofficially. Of course. Do you think he will accept? I once did him a big favor. I don’t think he will deny me.

Pilar took her phone and left the room. I sat on the bed staring at the wall in front of me. My head was spinning. What should I do? What was the right decision? 10 minutes later, Pilar returned. He will call me as soon as he knows something, but it may take time. Thank you. I squeezed his hand. You’re a true friend. I don’t know what I would do without you.

I’m here for whatever you need. He smiled at me. Now let’s think about what else we can do. I have to call Carmen. Trinket. She’s worried. Pilar nodded. Yes, but carefully. Don’t tell him where you are or what happened. Tell them that you had to go out for work or that you forgot your cell phone at home. Kind of. I dialed my daughter’s number.

Carmen answered instantly as if she had been waiting for him with the phone in her hand. Mom, finally. Where are you? Why don’t you answer? Dad is desperate. Excuse me, honey, I said trying to make my voice sound calm. My mobile phone was discharged and I left the charger at home. I’m with a friend. I needed to clear my head a bit.

What friend? Why didn’t you tell Dad? Do you know what happened to Aunt Lucia? Yes, I heard it. It’s horrible. How is he? he is still unconscious. Doctors say she was poisoned with a very potent substance. They are doing everything they can, but their voice broke. Mom, it’s very strong. Who could do something like that to him? I don’t know, honey. The police will find out.

And dad hasn’t been separated from Aunt Lucia. Grandma is also in the hospital. Everyone is waiting for him to wake up. Dad has called you many times. He is very worried. Tell him I’m okay. I just needed to be alone for a while. After the restaurant thing I stayed at Soc. Okay, I’ll tell you. But are you going home soon? I soon lied. I just need a little time.

Well, Carmen said and I noticed the doubt in her voice. But call Dad. Yes, he is really distressed. I will. I love you, baby. And I to you, Mom. I hung up the call and looked at Pilar. She didn’t believe me and I don’t blame her. It sounded unconvincing, even to me. The important thing is that you gained some time,” Pilar replied. “Now let’s think about what to do.

“We sat down in the kitchen again. We made tea, although none of us were hungry or thirsty. We just needed to get our hands on something. “If Miguel really tried to poison you,” Pilar said reflectively, “he must have had a strong motive. Money, another woman or something else we don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it all day,” I replied.

And I can’t find an explanation. Yes, our marriage wasn’t perfect in recent years. Yes, we distanced ourselves, but from there to this. And if it has to do with his business, Pilar proposed. And if it has problems that you don’t know about, debts, threats, something illegal. I was thoughtful. Miguel was always ambitious.

His business grew fast, especially in the beginning. I never questioned how he managed to grow so fast. I thought it was because of talent and luck. And if there was something else behind it. I don’t know. I answered sincerely. He never told me the details. He said that I didn’t want to worry, that those were things. of men. And your father-in-law was involved in Miguel’s business. Before, yes. It helped him get started.

He lent him money to open his first restaurant, but when the business took off, Miguel bought his share. He is now retired. At least officially and not officially. I don’t know. Sometimes they locked themselves in the office and talked for hours. I never asked what. And why did he warn you? Why did he tell you to leave the house? That’s the weirdest thing of all.

We were never especially close. He was always polite to me, unlike my mother-in-law or Lucia, but nothing else. Why did you decide to protect me now? Maybe he knows something you can’t be. But what? And why can’t he tell me directly? Our dialogue was interrupted by the sound of Pilar’s cell phone. He looked at the screen.

It’s Marco, my contact in the police. I’m going to answer. He came out of the kitchen leaving me alone with my thoughts. I thought about Miguel, how we met, how we fell in love, how happy I was during the first years of marriage. At what point did everything go wrong? When did he go from being a loving husband to a man who could pour something into my cup? Pilar returned a few minutes later and her expression told me that the news was not good.

What’s wrong?, I asked, feeling my heart racing. they found a very powerful tranquilizer in Lucia’s blood. At a very high dose, combined with alcohol, it could have been deadly. If she hadn’t been treated so quickly, she would have died. I felt my blood run cold. So, did Miguel really want to kill me? It seems so, Pilar replied in a low voice.

Marco said that the police are already handling the hypothesis of premeditated poisoning. They are interviewing everyone who was in the restaurant. Waiters, customers, looking for witnesses. They are also reviewing the recordings of the security cameras. The cameras, I whispered. If they see that I changed the glasses, yes, that’s a problem, but for now, as far as Marco understands, they don’t have a clear suspect. They’re checking everyone, including Miguel and you. Me.

Yes, you were there. You had access to Lucia’s glass and to be honest you had reasons not to get along with her. I shook my head. But I would never, ever do something like that. Not on my own. I know, but the police don’t know. They have to consider all possibilities. I put my hands to my head.

What do I do, Pilar? If they find proof that I changed the cups, they will arrest me. But if I say that I saw Miguel putting something in mine and that’s why I changed them, no one is going to believe me. I have no proof. Is there anything else? Pilar said in an even more serious tone. Marco said that your husband has been very attentive to know if you went to the police.

He has gone to the police station several times asking if anyone has seen you. He says he’s very worried because you disappeared after the incident with his sister. “He’s looking for me,” I said. Not as a question, but as a certainty. Yes, and so it seems very insistently.

Marco commented that he seems more concerned about knowing where you are and that you could have told the police than about your well-being. We remained silent, taking in all the information. I felt a chill run down my spine. Miguel was looking for me and it wasn’t out of concern. He was afraid that I would tell the police. Marco also said police have requested the restaurant’s camera footage. Pilar continued.

They will be reviewed soon. If they show that you changed the glasses, then I will be in serious trouble. Completed. I get it. But what am I supposed to do? To present myself to the police. To say that I saw Miguel pour something into my glass and that’s why I changed it. No evidence. It will sound like a desperate excuse to protect me.

And your father-in-law? Pilar asked suddenly. He warned you, “What if he knows something? What if I could back up what you say?” I was thoughtful. Maybe, but I don’t know if I can trust him. And if it is a trap. And if he told me on Miguel’s orders to know where he would go. So why tell you to leave? If they wanted to find you, it would have been easier for you to stay home.

You’re right, I nodded. But then why wasn’t it clear? Why so much ambiguity and warnings? He may not know everything himself. Or maybe you’re afraid to talk on the phone. What if you saw him in person in a public place? I shook my head, too risky.

If Miguel is looking for me, he may be watching his father too. I can’t risk it. So what? Are you going to hide here until it’s all over? No. I replied firmly. I can’t live like this. Fleeing in fear. I have to face this, to know what’s going on. At that moment my phone rang. On the screen appeared my father-in-law’s name. It’s him, I told Pilar.

“Answer,” he said after a brief pause. “But be careful. Don’t say where you are.” I took a deep breath and replied, “Hi, Elena. My father-in-law’s voice sounded strained. Are you safe? Yes, I replied. I’m with some friends. Okay, listen to me. I need to talk to you in person. It’s very important. I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I replied cautiously.

Miguel is looking for me. They may be watching you too. I know. That’s why I want to meet in a neutral place, the National Library of Spain, in the rare book room. There are almost no people there, especially in the afternoon. I’ll be there tomorrow at 6. Come if you can. There’s something I need to tell you and show you. Show me not on the phone, Elena.

Just come if you want to know the truth. It’s not just about you, it’s also about Carmen. The mention of my daughter made me tense. What about Carmen? Is she in danger? No, not for now. But just come and be careful. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going, not even your friends. He hung up leaving me confused and my heart pounding.

I looked at Pilar, who was sitting next to me and had heard the whole conversation. “Are you going to go?” she asked. “I don’t know,” I replied sincerely. On the one hand, I need to know what’s going on. On the other, it could be a trap, but it’s a library, a public place. There will be people, cameras. If it was an ambush, it wouldn’t be very smart. You’re right, but she said she won’t tell anyone, not even you.

Why so much secrecy? Maybe he doesn’t want anyone else involved. If what he knows is dangerous, he may be trying to protect you and those close to you. I was thoughtful. It sounded reasonable, but something kept troubling me. Something in my father-in-law’s voice, in his words. He mentioned Carmen.

I said, she said this involved her, too. What did she mean by that? I don’t know, but if your daughter really might be in danger, you have to find out, Pilar replied. I nodded. You are right. I’ll go, but I’ll be very cautious. I can accompany you, Pilar proposed. I’ll stay at a distance and if something strange happens, I’ll intervene. No, I shook my head. My father-in-law said to go alone.

If he sees you, he may not say what he knows. And I need the truth, the whole truth. We spent the rest of the afternoon organizing every detail of the meeting. I decided to go by taxi so as not to use my car and go unnoticed. I would arrive in time, check the place. If I noticed anything strange, I would leave immediately.

Pilar would wait for my call. If I didn’t contact her within an hour after the appointment, she would call the police. The night was restless. I barely slept tossing and turning in bed, mentally reviewing everything that had happened in the last few days. In the morning we went over the plan again and I called the hospital to ask about Lucia’s condition, but they told me that they could only give information to direct relatives. The day became eternal.

I was too nervous to read or watch TV. I tried to help Pilar with household chores, but she noticed how upset I was and sent me to rest. It was finally time to get ready. I put on simple clothes that Pilar lent me, dark jeans, a gray sweater, and a black jacket. I put my hair up in a bun and put on sunglasses.

Although the day was cloudy, it wasn’t a great costume, but it was better than nothing. “Stay in touch,” said Pilar, escorting me to the taxi. “And remember, if something doesn’t add up, leave right away.” “I promise.” I hugged her and got into the car. During the journey she looked out the window, attentive to see if any car was not following.

But the streets were filled with the usual afternoon traffic and I didn’t notice anything suspicious. I asked the taxi driver to drop me off one block from the library. I walked the rest of the way looking around. The old National Library building stood at the end of the street. Its stone walls seemed to guard thousands of secrets. One of them perhaps had to do with me and my family.

I climbed the wide steps and walked through the main entrance. Inside it was cool and silence reigned. Some visitors were sitting in the main room, concentrating on books or in front of their laptops. The librarian at the counter paid no attention to me as I walked past him on my way to the stairs.

The rare book room was on the third floor. I climbed slowly with gentle steps. There was no one in the hallway. I walked over to the door of the living room and glanced cautiously. It was a large room, with high ceilings and west-facing windows. The sun was already beginning to set, tinting everything with a golden light. The shelves formed a labyrinth in which it was easy to get lost.

In the back corner I saw my father-in-law. He was sitting at a table with his back to the window, so his face was in darkness. In front of him was a folder with documents. I took a deep breath and walked into the room. He raised his head at the sound of my footsteps. His expression was a mixture of relief and concern.

Elena, he said in a low voice, you came. Yes, I replied by sitting across from him. I want to know the truth, the whole truth. He looked around, as if making sure no one was around, and pushed the folder toward me. Check this out. I opened the folder and saw photographs. Lots of photographs. In all of them, Miguel appeared with a woman having lunch in a restaurant, walking through the retreat, entering a hotel.

In some they held hands, in others they kissed. “What is this?” I asked, though I already knew. Miguel is deceiving you, he said more than a year ago. Her name is Alejandra Ríos. He works in one of its nightclubs. But that’s not all. He turned the page and documents, balance sheets, bank statements, contracts appeared. Miguel’s business is in ruins, he continued.

In the last two years it has had a lot of losses. It has already closed three restaurants and two clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy. He has debts, large debts, and some of his creditors are not exactly patient or kind. I went through the pages trying to assimilate the information, the figures, the graphs, everything pointed to the same thing.

Miguel was on the verge of financial collapse. But what do I have to do with all this? And Carmen. My father-in-law sighed and took out another document from the inside pocket of his jacket. Here’s your life insurance policy. Miguel increased the sum insured 6 months ago, 3 million euros. And he is the only beneficiary. I took the document with trembling hands.

In fact, the figure had been increased and I remembered signing those papers. Miguel then told me that it was something routine, an update for inflation. I didn’t think it was important. He wanted to kill me for the insurance. My voice trembled, but three million would not be enough to save his business if his debts were so great. It’s not just because of business, my father-in-law replied quietly.

Is there anything else? The house you live in. According to the documents, it is in the name of both of them. But there is a detail. If something happens to you, your part doesn’t go to Miguel, but to Carmen. Miguel asked you several times to change the will. Do you remember it? I nodded. Yes, he mentioned it several times last year. I said that the papers had to be updated, that it was something normal, but I was always postponing it due to lack of time.

And two weeks ago, he continued, he managed to convince Carmen to sign a power of attorney to manage her assets, including what she could inherit. What? I couldn’t believe it. He did tell her that it was to protect his estate from taxes and other problems, that it was for his good. She believed him. He always trusted his father. I felt a lump rise up my throat. So, if I had died, my part of the house passed to Carmen and Miguel with that power could dispose of it. Sell it, mortgage it. Exactly. Assented.

Plus the insurance, plus your personal savings, which would also go to Carmen, therefore, to him. enough to pay off his most dangerous debts and start over with another woman, without a wife to hinder him. I looked at the documents in front of me and could only think of one thing. He wanted to kill me. My husband wanted to kill me.

“But why are you helping me?” I asked, looking up at my father-in-law. You were always on his side. He smiled sadly. I love my son Elena, but I can’t allow him to become a murderer and I can’t allow him to destroy Carmen’s life. She is my granddaughter and I love her as much as my son. And Lucia, she knew all this. My father-in-law nodded.

Yes, he always knew all his secrets and supported him. He never loved you. I thought you weren’t worthy of this family. When Miguel told her about his problems, she was the one who gave him the idea, get rid of you and collect the money. I remembered that conversation I overheard months ago. You have to solve this problem, Michael.

How long are you going to wait? At that moment I thought they were talking about business. Now I understood that they were talking about me. I was the problem that needed to be solved and my mother-in-law was also aware of it. No, he shook his head. Isabel knows nothing about Miguel’s financial problems or plans. She believes they are simply going through a marital crisis. Now what? Asked.

What do I do with all this? You have to protect yourself,” he said firmly and protect Carmen. I have a trusted attorney. It can help you with documents. Revoke the power of attorney that Carmen gave to Miguel. Shield your assets. You have to go to the police. But I have no proof that he poured anything into my glass. If you have them. There is a recording from the restaurant’s security camera. I saw it.

You can clearly see how Miguel adds something to your glass. Did you see the recording? How? I have contacts in the restaurant. I asked for the video with the excuse that I wanted to check if any waiter had taken cufflinks that I supposedly lost that night. They gave it to me and I saw. And what exactly do you see? Miguel adds something to your glass when you get up to go to the bathroom.

Then you come back, sit down and shortly after you change the glasses. Yours and Lucia’s. I stood motionless. Did you see it? And you didn’t give it to the police? I made a copy, but I haven’t delivered it yet. I wanted to talk to you first. Why? Because I wanted to understand what had happened. Why did you change the glasses? Did you know that Miguel had thrown something? I nodded. Yes, I saw it.

I was next to a column and I saw it clearly. I didn’t know what to do. I panicked and decided to change the glasses. I didn’t want to hurt Lucia, I swear. I just wanted to protect myself. My father-in-law looked at me for a long time, then nodded slowly. I believe you. And I think the police will believe you too, especially when they see the video. But they can accuse me of trying to poison Lucia.

I knew there was something in the cup and I still changed it. It was self-defense. Elena, you didn’t know what was in that glass. You only reacted to a threat. Anyone would have done the same. I wasn’t entirely sure it was that simple, but I nodded. Now what? Should I go to the police? Yes, he said decisively. The sooner the better.

Miguel is not going to stop looking for you and when he finds you I don’t know what he is capable of. He is desperate and desperate people do terrible things. I picked up the documents and put them back in the folder. Thanks for everything. He smiled sadly. Don’t thank me.

I’m just doing the right thing, even if it hurts me to see what my son has become. We left the library together, but through different exits. He gave me the lawyer’s contact and insisted once again that I go to the police as soon as possible. I promised him I would. On the way to Pilar’s house I tried to collect my thoughts.

What I had just discovered was too much, too painful. My husband, the father of my daughter, the man with whom I shared 20 years of my life, wanted to kill me for money, for another woman, to start a new life without me. Pilar opened the door as soon as I rang the doorbell. Just by looking at my face, he knew the news wasn’t good. What happened? What did your father-in-law tell you? I entered the living room.

I sat down on the couch and told him everything I had learned. Pilar listened without interrupting, nodding or shaking her head from time to time. Oh my God, Elena said when I finished. It’s terrible. I can’t believe Miguel is capable of something like that. I didn’t believe it either, but the documents, the photos, what his father said, everything fits. And what are you going to do now? what my father-in-law recommended to me.

I’ll go to the police, tell everything, show the documents and see what happens. And Carmen, are you going to tell her? I was silent. Carmen adored her father. She had always been Daddy’s girl. How would you tell him that his father wanted to kill his mother? What used it? That he manipulated her into signing a power of attorney? I don’t know, I answered sincerely. Not yet.

First I want to talk to the police, hand over the papers, make sure that she is protected. Then we will talk. When will you go to the police station? Tomorrow morning. My father-in-law told me that there is a researcher who can be trusted. Captain García. I have to ask about him. Perfect, Pilar nodded. I’ll go with you.

And don’t argue with me, he added when he saw that he was going to protest. You don’t have to be alone in this. I squeezed his hand gratefully. Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you. We went to bed early, but I couldn’t fall asleep again. Thoughts kept swirling in my head.

I remembered my marriage to Miguel, the good times, the happy days. I searched my memory for signs, clues that he had changed, that he was becoming capable of such a betrayal, but I couldn’t find anything. or maybe he didn’t want to see it. In the morning we had breakfast, got ready and left for the police station. I was carrying the folder with the documents that my father-in-law had given me.

We were just about to leave when my phone rang. Carmen’s name appeared on the screen. “It’s my daughter,” I told Pilar. I have to answer. Pilar nodded and stepped aside to let me talk in private. “Hi, honey,” I said, trying to sound calm. “How are you, Mom?” His voice sounded tense, frightening. “Mom, where are you?” “I’m with a friend, I told you.

What’s wrong?” “Mom, you have to come now.” Aunt Lucia woke up. He is conscious and he is talking. He’s saying weird things about you, about dad. I felt my heart stop for an instant. What is he saying? He says he saw you change the glasses, that you tried to poison her, but he also says weird things about dad, like he wants to. Mom, what’s going on? The police are already here.

They are taking his statement. They asked for you. Mom, please come. I looked at Pilar, who turned around when she noticed the change in my voice. Carmen, listen to me carefully. Don’t tell anyone where I am, not the police or your father. I’m going to go, but first I have to do something important. And please be careful. Don’t be left alone with your father.

What? Mom, you’re scaring me. Why should I be afraid of Dad? Just do what I tell you. Trust me. I’ll explain everything to you when I arrive, but now I need you to be sure. I hung up the call and looked at Pilar. Lucía has woken up. He saw me change the glasses and told the police. Pilar murmured. That changes everything.

Now they have a witness. You’re in danger, Elena. Not just me, I said with a trembling voice. Carmen too. If Michael finds out that Lucia has told the truth, if he realizes that his plans were discovered, he is desperate and a desperate man can do anything. So, we have to act now, Pilar said decisively. Let’s go straight to the police.

We look for this García, we show them the documents, we tell them everything. They have to protect you and Carmen. I nodded trying to stay calm. Yes, you’re right. There is no other option. We left the house and got into Pilar’s car. I was too upset to drive.

On the way to the police station I tried to call my father-in-law, but he didn’t answer. Maybe she was also in the hospital at her daughter’s bedside. Oh, worse, Michael had already discovered his betrayal. The police station received us with its usual bustle. The officer on duty, behind the counter, looked at us with a mixture of tiredness and reluctance.

How can I help them? I need to talk to Captain Garcia, I said. It’s very important. The captain is busy. If you want to file a complaint, you can do it with me. It doesn’t have to be him. It is about the case of the poisoning of Lucía Martínez. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Upon hearing the victim’s name, the officer changed his expression. Wait here.

He picked up the internal phone, said something quietly, and then nodded. Pass. Second floor, office 206. We go upstairs and find the right door. I played feeling my heart beat in my throat. Go ahead, said a voice from within. Captain Garcia turned out to be a robust, middle-aged man, with a sharp eye and early gray hair.

He was sitting behind a desk full of papers and typing something quickly into the computer. “Take a seat,” he said without taking his eyes off the monitor. “How can I help you?” My name is Elena Ferrer. I began by making an effort to keep my voice steady. I am the wife of Miguel Martínez and sister-in-law of Lucía Martínez, the woman who was poisoned three days ago in a restaurant.

The captain looked away from the computer and looked at me intently. Elena Ferrer, we are just looking for her. Where has he been these last few days? At a friend’s house. I nodded, pointing to Pilar. After what happened in the restaurant, I was in a state of Soc and then after that I discovered something that made me fear for my life. Garcia leaned forward. His gaze became even more piercing. Continue.

I took out the folder that my father-in-law had given me and put it on the table. Here are the documents, financial reports of my husband’s business, insurance policies, photographs. All of which shows that my husband, Miguel Martínez, was planning to murder me. The captain raised his eyebrows in surprise, but said nothing. He opened the folder and began to review the documents.

That night in the restaurant I continued. I saw how Miguel poured something into my glass when he thought he didn’t see it. I decided to exchange my glass for that of his sister Lucia. I didn’t know what it was or how dangerous it could be. I was just trying to protect myself. Garcia looked up. You changed the glasses knowing that there was something in yours. Yes, I looked down. I know it was wrong.

I should have refused to drink or said it out loud, but I was paralyzed with fear. I wasn’t thinking clearly. Lucia Martinez regained consciousness this morning, Garcia said. He assures that he saw her change the glasses, but he also said something else. She said that her husband planned to kill you and that she knew about it. I looked at him surprised. He confessed it.

But why? Maybe out of guilt or fear. The poisoning was serious. He was on the verge of death. Those kinds of experiences sometimes change people. The captain continued to review the documents. This is very serious, Elena. Attempted murder, conspiracy, financial fraud.

I need to take your official statement and we must guarantee your safety. And my daughter Carmen is in the hospital with Lucía and Miguel. I fear for her. Garcia immediately picked up the phone. Please contact the Department of Child Protection. Urgent. He is 19 years old. Interrupted. He is of legal age. The captain nodded and adjusted the order.

So, with the operational group, they should send a unit to the central hospital, to Lucía Martínez’s room. It’s a potentially dangerous situation. He hung up and looked back at me. Don’t worry. Your daughter will be protected. Now let’s start from the beginning. I want to know all the details. For the next two hours I told Captain Garcia everything. I told her about my marriage to Miguel, about her sister Lucia, about how our relationship had changed in recent years.

of what I saw in the restaurant, of my decision to change the glasses, of the visit of people to my house, of my father-in-law’s warning, of my escape and of what I discovered yesterday in the library. Garcia listened intently, taking notes and asking a few questions to clarify details.

When I finished, he leaned back in his chair and looked at me with a thoughtful expression. It is a complex situation, but we have proof. The documents that his father-in-law delivered, Lucía Martínez’s statement, the recording of the restaurant’s camera that we have already received. In it you can clearly see how your husband adds something to his glass and how later you change the glasses.

It coincides with his version. And now what will happen? Asked. We will stop her husband for questioning. Given the seriousness of the accusations and the evidence gathered, it is most likely that the judge will order preventive detention for the duration of the investigation. You and your daughter will be under protection. And as for Lucía Martínez, considering her confession and her participation, she will also have to answer to justice when she recovers. And I’m going to be arrested for changing the glasses.

García remained thoughtful. Technically you acted in self-defense. You were protecting yourself from a direct threat to your life, but it will be the prosecutor’s office and the judge who will make the decision. Honestly, under the circumstances, I doubt you’ll be charged with serious charges, but we must follow procedure.

At that moment, an agent poked his head through the door of the office. Captain, the team is already in hospital, but Miguel Martínez is not there, nor is his daughter. I felt my blood run cold. What? Where are they? We are finding out,” the agent replied. Lucía Martínez is still in her room under surveillance. The doctor said Miguel left an hour ago just after his sister gave her testimony. He took his daughter.

He said they were coming home. “They must be found immediately,” Garcia ordered. “Alert all the stalls. that they check their house, the airport, the stations. He may try to run away. I clenched my hands until my knuckles turned white. My daughter took my daughter. We will find it, García said with confidence.

He won’t be able to get very far. But I couldn’t calm down. Miguel was cornered, desperate. What could I do? Where would he take Carmen? And for what? How do they laugh or did they have another plan? Then it hit me. The power of attorney. He has the power of attorney that Carmen signed for him to manage his assets, including what he would inherit if something happened to me.

If I die, my part of the house passes to Carmen and he could use it as he wished. But now that his plans have been discovered, that doesn’t make sense. Pilar, who had remained silent all this time, intervened. He won’t be able to kill you without being caught. Unless I’m planning something else,” Garcia said quietly. Something we have not foreseen.

At that moment, my phone rang. On the screen appeared Miguel’s name. I showed the captain my cell phone. Answer, ordered. Turn on the speaker. Try to find out where he is and what he plans to do, but don’t tell him you’re at the police station. I nodded and answered by activating the speaker. Miguel, Elena, her voice sounded strangely calm. Finally you answer.

He was worried. Where is Carmen? Is he with you? Yes, he is with me. It is ok. Do not worry. I want to talk to her later. First we have to talk about you and me. Alone. Talk about what? My voice was shaking, but I tried not to let it be noticed. About our future, about what happened in the restaurant, about what we are going to do now. Lucia woke up.

He has told many things. I know. Carmen called me. Then you know we have to see each other now. I am waiting for you at our lake house in Toledo. Come alone. No police, no friends, just you and me. If you’re not here in an hour or if I see police movement, paused, let’s just say there will be consequences. Are you threatening Carmen? My voice broke.

I’m just saying we need to talk privately. This is a family matter, Elena. And family problems are solved in the family. Okay,” I said. “I’ll go for an hour.” “I’ll wait for you,” he said and hung up. I looked at Garcia. They listened to him. She is in our lake house with Carmen and wants her to go alone. “It’s a trap,” the captain said. He is desperate.

He has nothing to lose. It can be very dangerous. I know. But I have to go. He is with my daughter. We will go with you discreetly. We will surround the house, we will be prepared. But you will not enter alone. It’s too risky. If she sees the police, she could hurt Carmen. We will act with caution, García assured me. My men know how to move undetected, but I can’t allow you to risk your life. I knew the captain was right. Miguel was cornered.

His plans were falling apart. I could be capable of anything, but it was my daughter and I couldn’t sit around waiting for the police to figure everything out for me. Okay, I agreed. But let me talk to him. Perhaps she can convince him to surrender without violence. Garcia nodded.

We will give him that opportunity, but at the slightest hint of danger we will intervene. There is no discussion. Over the next 20 minutes, a plan was drawn up. I would drive my own car to the lake house, just as Miguel had demanded. The police would follow me at a distance without being seen. they would surround the house while remaining hidden.

He would carry a hidden microphone so that they could hear what was happening inside. If the situation became dangerous, they would intervene immediately. Before leaving, Garcia warned me once again: “Don’t take any chances. Don’t try to be a hero. His only mission is to buy time and, if possible, get him to free his daughter. The rest is on us.

I nodded, perfectly understanding the gravity of it all. Pilar hugged me tightly before I got into the car. Take care of yourself and remember, you are stronger than you think. The journey to the house took about 40 minutes. All that time I was thinking about what I would say to Miguel. how I could look him in the eye after having loved him for 20 years, knowing now that he had wanted to kill me. How to explain to my daughter that the father she had admired so much was not the man she thought he was.

The lake house greeted me with an eerie silence. The large three-storey chalet, built of light stone, stood by the water, surrounded by tall pine trees. That place that once seemed cozy and beautiful to me, now felt dark, threatening. Miguel’s car was in front of the house, so they were really there.

I parked, checked that the microphone attached to the inside of my neck was working and got out of the vehicle. I took a deep breath of the cold forest air and headed for the door. My hand trembled when I rang the doorbell. The door opened almost immediately. Miguel was there. He looked tired, with an emaciated face, like someone who hadn’t slept for days, but his eyes were clear, determined.

Elena said taking a step to the side to let me pass. I’m glad you came. Where is Carmen? I asked as I walked in looking around. He is upstairs in his room resting. She’s exhausted from all this circus. I want to see it. Sure, but let’s talk first. Come to the living room. I walked through the spacious hall and into the drawing-room. The large windows looked out onto the lake, which at that moment was as still as a mirror, reflecting the gray autumn sky. Miguel motioned for me to sit in an armchair, but he remained standing. So he started with a

almost casual tone. Lucia told the police that she saw you change the glasses and that I poured something into yours. Yes, he told it. And it’s true. I saw you pour something into my glass when you thought I wasn’t looking. What was Miguel? Poison. A sleeping pill. He smiled, but that smile didn’t reach his eyes. A tranquilizer, strong, but not lethal, at least not for a healthy person.

Although with alcohol the effect could be unpredictable. Did you want to kill me? It wasn’t a question, it was an affirmation. Miguel shrugged. Rather, I wanted you to sleep soundly in public, with witnesses. It would have been embarrassing, but not fatal. And then, perhaps on another occasion, under more suitable conditions, something safer, more definitive.

I looked at him without being able to believe what I heard. He talked about murdering me as calmly as one discusses the dinner menu. Why, Miguel? For money? By insurance, by her I meant his lover, the woman in the photos in her father’s folder all together. Money, freedom, a new life.

Do you know that our marriage was long dead, Elena? We live like two strangers. Divorce would have been expensive and complicated. I needed a quick and clean solution. A clean solution. Killing your wife is a clean solution. In certain circumstances, yes. Business is going badly, creditors are pressuring. Some do not accept excuses. I needed money and I needed it now.

Your insurance, your part of the house, your personal savings, all that would have passed to Carmen and with the power of attorney she signed for me it would be mine in practice. And Lucía knew it. Did it help you? Of course. We were always closer to each other than to anyone else. He always supported me and never loved you, you know that well. And did your father know something? Miguel’s face twisted with rage.

My father is a traitor. No, I didn’t. At least not everything. I knew I had problems with the business, but not my plans with you. Until recently. After the restaurant he started to get suspicious, to ask questions and then, I’m sure, he contacted you. Where is it now? I have no idea. I guess at home.

I don’t think he dares to confront me openly. After all, I’m his son. And what are you planning to do now? After Lucia told the police everything, Miguel went to the window looking at the lake. The plan changed, but the goal remains the same. I need the money to start a new life. And I’ve got some up my sleeve. Carmen, I said quietly, are you using our daughter as a bargaining chip? Not exactly, but rather as a partner.

He is now of age, he can make his own decisions and he is on my side, Elena. It always has been. What did you say to him? What lie did you put in his head? Miguel turned to me with a smile that almost seemed sincere. I told her the truth, that her mother tried to poison my sister, that you changed the glasses knowing that there was something in yours, that you ran away instead of helping Lucia, that you always envied my family, our position, our money and that now you try to blame me to save you. And she believed you.

Do you really think I’m capable of something like that? Not at first. But when Lucia confirmed that she saw you change the glasses, when the police started asking questions, when you disappeared without giving explanations. Yes, he began to believe. I want to talk to her right now. Miguel nodded. Of course. He’s upstairs in his room.

Go, I’ll wait for you here. I went upstairs with my heart pounding. What was I going to say to my daughter? How to explain all this to him? And he would believe me after everything his father had told him. Carmen’s room was at the end of the hallway. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I played louder again.

Silence. I opened it carefully and poked my head out. Carmen was not there. The bed was carefully made and on it was a backpack, as if someone were preparing for a trip. On the bedside table, a glass of water and a bottle of pills. I picked it up and read the label. a powerful sleeping pill. I looked at the glass. There was a white residue at the bottom.

I felt a chill down my spine. I went through the rest of the rooms in the apartment, all empty. Carmen had disappeared. Oh. A terrible thought crossed my mind. I ran down to the living room. Miguel was still with his back to me, looking at the lake. Hearing my footsteps, he turned calmly. Where is Carmen? I asked, feeling myself panicked. It’s not upstairs.

Where is he? It’s where it should be, he replied calmly. What did you do to him? If you hurt him, I did. Hurting my own daughter. What kind of monster do you think I am, Elena? I love Carmen. It’s my blood. I would never hurt him. So where is it? And why were there sleeping pills in his room? Ah, that made a nonchalant gesture with his hand.

It was just a tranquilizer. I was very upset by all this. I gave him a pill so he could rest. Then I took her to a quieter place. Where? Where did you take her? to a safe place where she is well cared for, where she can wait for this whole storm to pass. Stop playing with me, Miguel. Where is our daughter? He looked at me with a faint smile, as if he enjoyed my anguish. He’s on the yacht.

On my yacht, which is now about 10 miles offshore. With her go people I totally trust. They have clear instructions. If something happens to me or if I don’t communicate at the agreed time, they will take Carmen away to a place where neither you nor the police will find her. You kidnapped your own daughter. You’re completely crazy. No, I’m just adapting. Plan A failed. Let’s go with plan B.

And in this plan, Carmen is a key player. What do you want? The same as always. Money, freedom, a new life. And you’re going to help me. How? Very easy. You are going to sign documents to transfer all your assets in Carmen’s name. Bank accounts, properties, stocks, everything.

And since I have your power of attorney, I will be able to manage it as I wish. And if I refuse, then you will never see our daughter again. It will disappear forever. I looked at that man I once loved and I no longer recognized him. How could he have become this monster? How was he able to use his own daughter in his foul play? Are you bluffing? I said trying to stay calm. You won’t hurt Carmen.

You yourself said that you love her. Yes, I love her, but I also love myself and my freedom. And if I have to choose between prison or a new life, even if it’s without my daughter, I choose the latter. You won’t be able to hide for long. The police will find you, wherever you are, perhaps.

But by then I’ll be away with a new identity and money in the bank. Do you know how much a new identity costs on the black market? with real documents, history, credit, not so much and I have contacts in the right circles. Trust me, I know what I’m doing. I was trying to buy time by hoping that the police were listening to everything through the microphone and that they were already acting. I had to keep talking, keep getting information.

And how do you expect all of this to work? I sign and you just let go of Carmen. Not exactly. First I have to verify that all the funds have been transferred and are available to me. It may take a day or two. Then, when I’m sure everything is in order, I’ll tell you where to find it.

Or maybe I’ll bring it to you myself. It depends on the circumstances. And do you expect them to trust you? After all you’ve done, you have no choice, Elena. Either you trust me or you risk never seeing our daughter again. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself and think clearly.

Miguel was on the ropes, but he was still dangerous and had in his hands the most valuable thing he had. Carmen. Okay, I said. I will finally sign. But first I want to talk to Carmen. I want to know that it’s okay. Miguel nodded. A reasonable request. He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and turned on the speakerphone. Raúl, how are our guests? All right, boss, replied a male voice.

She is still asleep. I tell him something when he wakes up. No, just stick with the plan. I’ll get in touch later. He hung up and looked at me. See? It’s okay, she’s just asleep. The sleeping pill will soon wear off and you will wake up. That’s not a test. I want to talk to her, to hear her voice. Later, when he wakes up. Now we have to deal with the documents. You’re all set. All that’s missing is your signature.

He walked to the table, opened the briefcase that was there and took out a folder with documents. It’s very simple. Transfer of funds from all your accounts in Carmen’s name, session of your part of the house and some more papers related to your assets. I walked over, took the documents, and started going through them.

As he said, forms for bank transfers, donation contract, share session, all in Carmen’s name. And Lucía, I asked looking to gain more time. He told the police everything. He betrayed you. Miguel’s expression was distorted by rage. Yes, he betrayed me. I didn’t expect it. I always thought he would be on my side, no matter what, but it seems that the fear of death changes people.

He was frightened and decided to save his skin by giving me up. And what do you plan to do with it? Nothing. May he live with his betrayal. that he remembers every day that he was about to kill his own brother by handing him over to the police. For someone like her, that’s worse than dying. At that moment I heard a noise outside. Miguel heard it too.

He tensed, went to the window and looked outside. “You didn’t come alone,” she said. And his voice became cold and threatening. Who’s with you? The police. Din alone. As you asked, don’t lie to me. He grabbed my arm tightly until he hurt me. I see them there among the trees. They are surrounding the house. You brought in the police. He dragged me to the window and forced me to look.

And yes, among the trunks there were shadows moving. The agents were taking positions, believing that no one was noticing, but they underestimated Miguel’s vigilance. How stupid you are,” she muttered through gritted teeth. “Did you think they would help you? What would save Carmen? Now you will never see her again.

He pushed me aside and pulled out his phone. Raúl, execute plan B. I’ll get in touch when I can.” “No,” I shouted trying to snatch his cell phone. Don’t do anything to him, please. But it was too late. Miguel had hung up. He looked at me with an icy fury. You ruined everything. I gave you a chance to fix it peacefully and you brought in the police.

Now he assumes the consequences. What are they going to do with it? Where are they taking her? to a place where neither you nor your friends from the police will be able to find her. Perhaps to South America or Africa, to a place where the laws are flexible for the right price, everything can be negotiated. It’s your daughter, Miguel, how can you do this to her? I didn’t do anything to him. It was you.

Your decisions sealed his fate. Only you. At that moment, Captain Garcia’s voice resounded from a loudspeaker outside the house. Miguel Martinez, the house is surrounded. Step out with your hands up. Give up and no one will get hurt. Miguel laughed. See? They don’t even realize that they no longer have the best card. They think that Carmen is still here, that they can pressure me with their security.

But she is far away and every minute farther away. I looked at him and a wave of rage grew inside me. That man who was once loved by a monster. He was willing to sacrifice his own daughter for money and freedom. he tried to kill me, he used his sister and now he threatened to disappear Carmen.

“You won’t escape this,” I said quietly. “Even if you run away from the police, even if you hide on the other side of the world, I will find you and bring our daughter back, whatever it takes.” He smiled contemptuously. “Strong words. But you were always weak, Elena. It always depends. of me, of my family. What can you do without us? You’re nobody. Wrong.

You were always wrong with me and that will be your biggest mistake. The voice over the loudspeaker boomed firmer again. This is your last chance, Miguel Martinez. Come out with your hands up or we’ll go in. Miguel looked at me, then looked at the door. and fixed his eyes on mine again. For the first time since we started talking I saw fear in his eyes.

I knew that I was cornered, that there was no way out. “They won’t take me alive,” he said, his voice trembling. I won’t spend the rest of my life in prison. Turn yourself in, Miguel. It is the only way out. No, there is still another. He hurried to the table, opened a drawer, and pulled out a pistol. I was paralyzed when I saw him point it at me. What are you doing? What I was supposed to do a long time ago. To end our history.

I heard the rumble of glass breaking. The police had initiated the assault. Miguel heard it too. He looked back nervously and then focused back on me. “Goodbye, Elena,” he said, raising the gun. Time stopped. I saw his finger pull the trigger, the barrel pointed straight at my chest.

In a second, my entire life flashed before my eyes. My childhood, my youth, the moment I met Miguel, the birth of Carmen, our 20 years together. And I knew I didn’t want to die. Not now, not while my daughter was in danger, not by the hand of the man who betrayed everything I believed in. I threw myself to the side just as he pulled the trigger.

The roar of the shot deafened me. The bullet whistled next to me and embedded itself in the wall. I fell to the floor, rolled until I was covered behind the sofa. Miguel took aim again, but at that moment the door burst open and the police burst into the room. “Drop the gun on the ground. Right now,” they shouted.

Miguel stood motionless looking at the agents, then at me and again at the agents. His face was deformed by rage and despair. And then, in horror, I saw him turn the gun toward his own 100. I didn’t scream, but it was too late. The shot rang out like thunder. Miguel’s body fell heavily to the ground. Blood spread on the light carpet, forming a horrible red wing around his head.

I looked at him without being able to believe what had just happened. The man with whom I shared 20 years of my life had just taken his own life before my eyes. the father of my daughter, my husband. The policemen ran towards him, looked for his pulse, but it was evident that he was dead. Others came to me, helped me up.

“Is it okay?” they asked me, but I couldn’t answer. I could only look at Miguel’s motionless body and think of only one thing. Carmen, where is my Carmen? Captain Garcia entered the room, assessed the scene at a glance, and approached me. Elena is injured. I shook my head. No, but Carmen sent her on a yacht far from here. We have to find it now.

Garcia nodded firmly. We listened to the whole conversation. An operation has already been activated. The coast guard and helicopters are searching for the vessel. We will find it. Don’t worry. He doesn’t understand it. He gave the order to execute plan B. I don’t know what it means, but it sounded threatening. They can take it anywhere. We have to act fast and we are doing it. But we need more data.

What do you know about the yacht? name, description. I tried to concentrate, to remember everything I knew about Miguel’s yacht. It’s called Estrella del Mar. It is white, about 25 m long. He had it at the Viento Yacht Club, on the east coast. Perfect, García nodded. We already have something. We will pass this information on to the coast guard. Now he has to get out of here.

Experts need to review the scene. He accompanied me to the street, where several patrol cars, ambulances and even a press van had already gathered. The journalists tried to get closer, but the police cordon kept them at bay. I got into Garcia’s car and we drove away from the house. I felt empty, scared. Miguel was dead.

Carmen, disappeared. My life was falling apart before my eyes and I didn’t know how to put the pieces back together. Now what? I asked, looking out the window as the trees sped by. Let’s go to the headquarters. He has to give his official statement. Then we will wait for news from the coast guard. They will find the yacht, Elena.

they will find his daughter. I nodded, unable to say a word. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that I would soon see Carmen again, but the fear for her squeezed my chest with claws of ice. And if plan B was already underway. What if they took her to a place we can never bring her back from? At the police station I answered mechanically to the inspector’s questions, signed documents, accepted the coffee they offered me. Everything was fog. I couldn’t think of anything else but Carmen.

Where is he? What are they doing to him? Do you know that your father is dead? Hours later, García entered the office where I was giving my statement. His face said it all. There was news. Did they find it? I asked, standing up suddenly. They found the yacht, the coast guard said. He located it 20 km from the coast, but there was no one on board.

What do you mean no one? Carmen had to be there. Those men Raúl was empty. There was no sign of her daughter or anyone else. Just a note. What do you notice? Garcia pulled out of his pocket a plastic bag with a folded sheet of paper inside. Our experts have already reviewed it. The fingerprints belong to a certain Raúl Díaz with a history of kidnapping and extortion. He was one of her husband’s bodyguards.

He unfolded the note so that he could read it through the plastic. Plan B. activated. Load moved waiting for further instructions at point C. Load, I repeated, feeling nausea rise up my throat. They are calling my daughter a burden. It is common in this type of operation. Cargo means the target of the kidnapping. Point C.

It is probably a pre-arranged meeting place. Where is that point? What is that place? We don’t know, but we are investigating it. We are reviewing all of her husband’s connections, his contacts, the places he used to frequent. If there is a pattern, we will find it. But it could take days, even weeks.

And what will happen to Carmen in the meantime? What will they do to him? As long as it serves as a laugh, they will not hurt you. They are waiting for instructions from their husband. Instructions that will never come because he is dead. That gives us an advantage, time or the opposite. I said in a bitter voice. When they realize that Michael won’t respond, they may panic, do something impulsive. They could get rid of it.

Garcia looked at me with seriousness and compassion. I understand their fear, but these men are professionals, they don’t act on impulse. They are going to wait. And we have a letter that they do not know. Which one? Her husband’s phone. We can use it to contact the kidnappers, impersonate him, arrange a money delivery and when they show up we catch them. I was thoughtful.

It sounded risky, but it was better than doing nothing. And he thinks it will work. What won’t they suspect? We’ll be careful. Just messages, no calls. If you’ve seen the news about his death, we can say it was a tactic to mislead the police. It could work. And if it doesn’t work, if you suspect something, then we’ll put plan B into action. We’ll keep looking for them by other means.

We’ll go through all the known hiding places, all the contacts. Sooner or later we’ll find them. Sooner or later I repeated in a low voice. And what will happen to Carmen in the meantime? García didn’t answer. He didn’t have an answer. We both knew that time was against us. The longer Carmen spent in the hands of those men, the less likely he was to find her safe and sound.

I want to participate in the operation,” I said firmly. I want to know every step, every decision, all of that goes against protocol. You’re a civilian and you’re my daughter. And if you want me to help, if you want me to help you in any way you can, then you need to keep me informed. It’s non-negotiable. Garcia looked at me for a few seconds, then nodded.

Okay, but you should promise that you are not going to get directly involved. No acting on your own, no contacting the hijackers without us knowing. Is that clear? Yes, I promise. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. A young officer came in. Captain, there’s a call for you. They say it’s urgent.

Garcia came out, leaving me alone in the office. I stared out the window at the city at dusk, the lights coming on, the people coming home from work. A normal life, an ordinary sunset. For everyone, except me. For me, this day had become a nightmare with no way out. Garcia returned a few minutes later.

His expression said it all. It was not good news. What happened? I asked, feeling fear squeeze my chest. We received information from some of our informants. Apparently, her husband had a significant debt to certain people, people with whom it is better not to have any dealings and those people may be involved in Carmen’s kidnapping.

What kind of people? A criminal organization dedicated to debt collection and illegal gambling. According to our data, her husband owed them around 5 million euros, money he did not have and they took Carmen as collateral until he paid off the debt. It is possible or it may be part of another plan. We are still finding out the details.

I slumped into a chair feeling my strength abandon me. 5 million. I don’t have that amount even close. It’s not about paying a ransom, García replied quickly. We don’t negotiate with criminals. We’re going to find his daughter and bring her back without agreements. But I heard the doubt in his voice. Not even he himself believed in what he was saying.

If Carmen was really in the hands of an organized criminal network, every minute that passed reduced the chances of finding her safe and sound. What can I do? I asked with tears that threatened to flow. Tell me, what can I do to get my daughter back? Garcia sat down across from me. His face became serious, focused.

Help us find the point to think if your husband had a special place, a place that was important to him, maybe something related to the letter C. I closed my eyes trying to concentrate. A place with Cala Benirras, where we used to walk. Cerro del Parque, that corner that Miguel fixed in the back garden. Calderón, where did he often take me? And then I remembered. Basin.

We used to go there on vacation. We had a summer house. Miguel loved that place. He said that his soul rested there. How long has it been since they have been there? A couple of years ago. Miguel said that the house needed renovations, that it was not worth investing in such a remote area. I thought maybe I had sold it, but I’m not sure. Do you remember the address? Yes.

Sierra de Cuenca Village, Pino Street number seven. It’s about an hour from the city. Garcia picked up the phone and began giving orders. I heard him organize the operation, ask for an intervention team, ask for information about the house and its surroundings and prayed. I prayed that my hunch would be right, that Carmen would be there, that she would be okay.

When the call ended, he turned to me. We left immediately. The intervention team will be there in an hour. They will surround the property, make reconnaissance and if Carmen is inside, we will remove her. You will stay here under protection. I will keep you posted. No, I said firmly. I’m going with you. That is not possible.

It is a police operation, not a family visit. It could be dangerous. I do not ask you to participate in the assault. I just want to be close, wait in the car if I need to, but I have to be there when they find my daughter. I need to see her, to know that she is okay. García wanted to object, but when he saw my determination he gave up.

Okay, but he will be at a safe distance under the surveillance of my agents and will not intervene in anything. He promises, I promise. We left 20 minutes later. I was in the back seat of a police car while Garcia was in front next to the driver. Behind us were several vehicles with plainclothes officers. The intervention team had to arrive before us to prepare the operation. The road seemed eternal to me.

Every minute seemed to last for hours. I looked out the window, at the darkening forest on both sides of the road, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what awaited us. Would we find Carmen or would it be another disappointment? Another dead end. García was in contact with the operations center all the way.

From time to time he would inform me, “The team is already in place. They are doing a reconnaissance, collecting information. Finally we turn off the main road onto a narrow path through the trees. After a few more kilometers, we arrived at a clearing where there were already several cars without police markings.

“Wait here,” Garcia said as he got out of the car. I’ll be back in a few minutes. I saw him approach a group gathered next to one of the vehicles leaning over something. A map of. They were planning the intervention. I kept watching them from the car without being able to take my eyes off. They talked, pointed to the map, nodded. Then Garcia broke away from the group and came back to me.

The house is under surveillance,” he said as he sat down next to me. “Our men have seen movement inside, at least three men and possibly a woman or a girl, but it’s hard to say. The windows are covered.” “It must be Carmen,” I said, clinging to hope. It has to be her. We hope so. Now the team is taking up positions around the house.

As soon as they are ready, we will start the operation. How will they do it? First we will try to establish contact. We will ask them to surrender peacefully. If they refuse, we will have to intervene by force, but we will be extremely cautious. There may be a reen inside. I nodded with my heart pounding hard in my chest.

The minutes lengthened as if time had stopped. García received messages on the radio, responded with short sentences, gave orders. Finally he turned to me. They are ready. They are going to start. I held my breath looking in the direction of the house, although from our position we could not see.

Suddenly, in the stillness of the night forest, a voice echoed amplified by a megaphone. Attention, the police are speaking. The house is surrounded. Go out with your hands up. This is your only chance. Silence. No answer, no movement. I repeat, the house is surrounded. Come out with your hands up or we will enter by force. Silence again. Garcia said something over the radio, heard the answer, and then looked at me.

They do not respond. We started the operation. I nodded without being able to speak. In the next instant, the calm of the night was broken by gunfire. One, two, a full burst. Then, screams, footsteps, more gunshots. What’s going on? I asked with a heavy soul. They are resisting, García replied with a somber face. They have opened fire on ours.

And Carmen, what about Carmen? I don’t know. We are waiting for news. The shooting lasted a few more minutes and then stopped. García listened attentively to the radio. His face was pure focus and tension. “The house is clear,” he finally said. Two criminals dead, one captured. “They are looking for the hostages.” I held my breath waiting for news.

Every second seemed like an eternity. Finally, García’s radio came to life. We have found a girl inside,” said a voice. She is unconscious, but alive. It looks like she was sedated. We asked for medical assistance. It’s her? I asked in a trembling voice, feeling tears fill my eyes. It’s Carmen.

Now we will know, García replied speaking on the radio. Describe the girl. Apparently 18 or 19 years old, dark hair, average height. She wears jeans and a sky blue blouse. There are no visible lesions. It’s her, I exclaimed. It’s Carmen. It is ok. It seems so. García nodded. The ambulance is already on its way.

You will be taken to the hospital for examination. I want to see it. Right now, of course. Let’s go. We got out of the car and walked at a brisk pace towards the house. On the way we came across several agents who were escorting a handcuffed man, one of the kidnappers, who had survived the assault. I gave him a hateful look and moved on.

The house was small, on one floor, with a terrace overlooking the mountains. I remembered the times we came here with Miguel on weekends. Carmen, still small, ran around the garden picking flowers. So, that place was full of happy memories. Now it was the scene of a nightmare.

Inside chaos reigned, overturned furniture, broken glass, bullet marks on the walls. In the living room, Carmen lay on a sofa. A medic from the tactical team was leaning over her, checking her vital signs. “Carmmen!” I shouted, kneeling by the sofa. She was pale, but breathing normally. The doctor stepped aside to let me be by his side.

“Okay,” he said. “It has only been a sedative. He will soon wake up.” He stroked her hair, her cheeks, whispering her name. Tears were streaming down my face, but this time they were of relief. My daughter was alive. He was safe. Garcia watched the scene in silence with an expression of sincere satisfaction.

The ambulance arrives in 10 minutes. We’ll take them both to the hospital. Thank you, I said without taking my eyes off my daughter’s face. Thanks for everything. I am only doing my duty. Answered. In addition, the operation is not yet over. We have to interrogate the kidnapper who survived, find out all the details, find out who was behind all this.

I know who my husband was, the man I trusted for 20 years. Garcia said nothing. He knew that there were no words to console such pain. The betrayal of the person closest to you is a wound that does not heal easily, if ever. Shortly after the ambulance arrived. Doctors carefully placed Carmen on a stretcher and lifted her into the vehicle.

I sat down next to him holding his hand. During the journey to the hospital he began to regain consciousness. His eyelids trembled, and then slowly opened. Mum. His voice was weak, but for me it was the most beautiful sound in the world. I’m here, my love. It’s all right. You’re safe.

What happened? Where’s Dad? I was silent, not knowing what to say to him. How to tell him that his father was dead? that he had used it as another piece in his game. Then I whispered, “We’ll talk about everything later. Now you need to rest.” She nodded slightly and closed her eyes again.

The effect of the sedative had not yet completely worn off and he fell back into a deep sleep. At the hospital they examined Carmen in detail, blood tests, medical tests, control of vital signs. The doctors assured me that I was fine, that the sedative had been strong, but not dangerous, and that in a few hours I would fully regain consciousness. I sat next to him, holding his hand, watching him sleep.

The thoughts did not leave me alone. What would you say to him when he woke up? How to explain to him that his father had died? What had tried to kill me? What had he used in his own plans? Garcia appeared in the room around midnight. He looked tired, but with the countenance of someone who has done his duty.

How is he? he asked in a low voice, pointing to Carmen asleep with a slight nod. The doctors say he is fine. Tomorrow he will be discharged. Good news. I also have news. We interrogate the kidnapper. He has spoken. What did he say? Her husband really had a significant debt with a criminal organization.

They threatened him, demanded immediate payment. At first, he planned to pay off the debt with his life insurance money. When that failed, you moved on to plan B, using Carmen as a reen to force you to sign the session of your assets. But the creditors were impatient, they wanted the money now and decided to act on their own. What do you mean? I looked at him trying to understand.

The men who had Carmen did not act on her husband’s orders. They worked for creditors. They kidnapped Carmen not on Miguel’s instructions, but to pressure him. They were going to demand that he pay the debt immediately under threat of harming her. I stayed in Soc. So, Miguel did not order Carmen to be taken away. No.

Apparently he was betrayed by his own partners. Raúl, whom he trusted to protect Carmen, actually worked for the creditors. Her task was to keep an eye on Miguel, to report on his movements and when she saw the opportunity, she took Carmen not to follow her husband’s plan, but to blackmail him. Then, Miguel didn’t know where Carmen was.

She thought she was still on the yacht when in fact they brought her directly to that house. The yacht was just a distraction. I tried to take it all in. In the end, Miguel had been the victim of his own entanglements. The people he had gotten involved with deceived him. They turned her daughter against her. What a cruel irony.

And what will happen to the kidnappers? With that criminal organization. We are working on it. We have testimonies. We have proof, we will reach them. It’s only a matter of time. In the meantime, you and Carmen will have protection. As a precaution. I nodded grateful for his concern. Thanks for everything.

Garcia smiled slightly. I am only doing my duty. Rest. Both need it after what they have experienced. He left, leaving me alone with my daughter. I watched his calm face as he slept and thought of all that still awaited us. The death of her father, the betrayal, the collapse of everything she believed in.

It would not be easy for either of them. In the morning, Carmen woke up. I was confused. He looked around without understanding. Mom, what’s wrong? Why am I in a hospital? I held his hand tightly, preparing myself for what was coming. Honey, it’s been a long time. They kidnapped you, but you’re fine now. You’re safe. Kidnapped.

By whom? Why? Where’s Dad? Do you know what happened to me? I took a deep breath. The moment he feared most had arrived. Carmen, love, your father is no longer here. He has died. She looked at me with her eyes wide open, not understanding. What? No, it can’t be true. I saw it yesterday. He told me that we were coming home. He gave me a headache pill and I fell asleep. And when I woke up, I was in Cuenca’s house.

I know, honey. Your father was in a very complicated situation. He owed a huge debt to dangerous people and did a lot of bad things. What things? What are you talking about? I didn’t know how much to tell him at the time. I was ready to hear the whole truth, that her father tried to kill me, that he used her by tricking her into signing a power of attorney. That he was desperate.

Carmen saw no way out and when the police came to arrest him, he took his own life. Carmen shook her head as tears began to run down her cheeks. No, I don’t think so. Dad wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t let me. He wouldn’t let us. I hugged her tightly, feeling her body tremble with each other. I’m so sorry, my love.

I’m so sorry. She cried for a long time, unable to accept what had happened. I held her in my arms as when I was little, stroking her hair, whispering words of comfort that felt empty, useless in the face of such deep pain. Finally, he parted a little, wiping away tears.

Now what? What are we going to do? We’re going to live, I said quietly. Day by day. Together we will move forward, Carmen. I promise. She nodded without being able to answer. In his eyes I saw a thousand questions, a thousand unspoken words. But that was not the time for explanations. It was the moment of silence, of acceptance, of beginning to accept the loss.

Carmen was discharged in the afternoon. We couldn’t go back to our house. The police were still investigating there and the memories were too heavy. Pilar offered us to stay with her and we accepted. The first days were the hardest. Carmen went from tears to absolute silence looking into space. He hardly ate, he slept little.

I kept by her side giving her all my support, but I knew that there were things that she had to process on her own. On the third day he began to ask questions. Why did Dad owe money? Who? Why didn’t he ask for help? What really happened that night at the restaurant? Why did they poison Aunt Lucia? I answered him sincerely, but without going into unnecessary details.

I told him that his father’s business was in crisis, that he got into debt, that he got involved with dangerous people. I told him that Lucía mistakenly drank something that was not for her, but I did not tell her that something was for me, that her father had planned to kill me. She wasn’t ready to know. Maybe I never would be. On the fifth day Garcia called.

he informed me that Miguel’s funeral would be the next day. The relatives, including Antonio, were in charge of the organization. Lucía was still in the hospital, but she was recovering. He had testified against his brother, confirming that he knew of his plans for me. Will he come to the funeral? asked García. I don’t know, I answered sincerely. I’m not sure I can do it or that it’s the right thing to do after everything that happened. I get it. And Carmen wants to go.

He needs to say goodbye to his father, whoever he was. We’ll take care of the security just in case. Thank you. The next morning, Carmen and I were standing in front of the mirror in the hallway of Pilar’s house. Both dressed in black with pale faces and eyes swollen from crying. When I looked at it I saw how it had changed in just a few days.

The carefree young woman that she was, she had transformed into a woman who already knew betrayal and loss. Are you sure you want to go? I asked him. She nodded. Yes, I have to. In spite of everything, he was my father. And I wanted it. I know, honey. I wanted it once too.

We went to the cemetery where the ceremony was to be held. García’s car waited for us at the entrance and a plainclothes agent accompanied us to the burial site. There were few people, a few of Miguel’s colleagues, a couple of distant relatives and Antonio, standing alone next to the tomb. As we approached, he looked up. His face was haggard, his eyes dull.

He nodded, but said nothing. What could be said in such a situation? The ceremony was brief and sober, with no long speeches or emotional memories, just a farewell to someone who left too soon, too tragically, leaving too many questions unanswered and too much pain. After the burial, Antonio approached me.

“Can I talk to you alone, Elena?” he asked quietly. I motioned for Carmen to wait for me in the car and turned to him. I’m listening. I wanted to ask you for forgiveness,” he said looking me in the eye. “For everything my son did, for everything you have had to go through. I didn’t know I would get this far.

” By the time I realized, it was too late. ” It wasn’t your fault,” I replied. You tried to warn me. You helped me too late, too little. I should have stopped it sooner. I should have seen what was going on with him. He was always ambitious, he always wanted more, but I never imagined that he would be capable of something like that.

No one imagined it, not even me, after 20 years by his side. He was silent looking at the newly covered grave. What will you do now? I don’t know. Rebuild my life, help Carmen get through this one day at a time. If you need anything, whatever. I am here. Thank you. I value it. Carmen too. We said goodbye and I returned to the car where my daughter was waiting for me.

He looked at me with a questioning expression, but I shook my head. Later. No, not here between graves and mourning. On the way back, Carmen broke the silence. Mom, what happened to Aunt Lucia was Dad, right? He tried to poison her. I was paralyzed. How did he know? What else did he know? Why do you ask? I’m not blind, mom, or stupid.

I saw how he poured something into a glass. I thought it was a joke or something unimportant, but then Aunt Lucia got sick and I became suspicious. And when in the hospital she said that Dad wanted to kill someone and that you had changed the glasses, everything fell into place. I didn’t know what to answer. How can I explain to him that his father tried to kill me? It’s true, isn’t it?, Carmen insisted.

I wanted to kill you. And you exchanged glasses with Lucía without knowing what was inside. You were just trying to protect yourself. I was silent. Tears clouded my vision. It was the moment I dreaded most, the moment when my daughter would face the full truth about her father. Yes, I said at last. It’s true.

I saw him pouring something into my glass when I thought I wasn’t looking. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. I changed the glasses without knowing what they contained. It was an instinctive act, not the most correct one, but at that moment I just wanted to survive. Carmen was looking silently out of the window. His face was motionless, but I saw a tear roll down his cheek. Why did he want to kill you? he asked quietly.

I sighed for money. His business was plummeting. He was heavily in debt. My insurance, my part of the house, everything was going to happen to you. And he had a power of attorney from you. Do you remember? The one you signed when he told you it was to protect you from taxes. With that power he could dispose of everything you inherited from me and he used me to keep your money.

Yes, honey, I’m so sorry. She covered her face with her hands, and her shoulders began to tremble with tears. I hugged her, trying to comfort her, although I knew that there were no words that could heal such a wound. The betrayal of a father, of someone he had idolized all his life, was too hard a blow.

I’m so sorry, Carmen. It hurts me that you have to go through this. Don’t apologize, he said as he wiped away tears. It’s not your fault. It was him. He ruined everything, destroyed everything. We returned to Pilar’s house, exhausted, empty inside. Pilar greeted us with hot tea and her compassionate calmness, no questions asked. Carmen went straight to her room. She said she wanted to be alone.

I didn’t insist. I knew I needed time to process it all. How are you?, Pilar asked when we were alone. Shattered, she discovered the truth about her father, who wanted to kill me, who used her in his plans. It’s too much for her, she’s strong and she has you. They will get through it together. I hope so.

But how do you live with such a truth? How can I help her on a day-to-day basis? Pilar said. That’s how we all survive tragedies. One day at a time. The next morning, Carmen went out for breakfast. His eyes were swollen, but his face was determined. “I want to revoke the power of attorney,” he said. The one I signed for dad.

I don’t want anyone to have control over my money or my assets more than I do. Of course, I nodded. We can do it today if you want. And another thing, I want to know everything, the whole truth, without you hiding anything from me. I have a right to know. I looked at her so young and so firm. I was right. He had a right to know. I agree. But it will not be easy.

I know, but I need to understand what happened. I need to know as a father how he could have come to that. That same day we went to the lawyer that García recommended to us. The power of attorney was quickly annulled. Then the lawyer explained to us what would happen to Miguel’s assets after his death. By law, your assets are divided between you, he said, looking at both of us.

As wife and daughter they are his legal heirs. But there is a detail. Her husband’s business is in a critical situation. Debts far exceed assets. If they accept the inheritance, they will also inherit the debts. What do you recommend? Asked. To renounce the inheritance. Both will thus be protected from creditors. You already have assets of your own that are not linked to your husband’s business.

The house where they lived is in the name of both of them, but their part is protected. Bank accounts in your name are also secure. They won’t lose that. Carmen and I exchanged a glance and nodded. None of them wanted to have anything to do with what was left of Miguel’s life. Too much pain, too many lies. We resigned, I said. Priper the documents.

On the way home, Carmen asked, “And what will happen to Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Lucia?” “I don’t know,” I replied sincerely. “Your grandmother will probably stay with Lucía. They were always very close.” Antonio, he offered to help, but I’m not sure we’re still in close contact. Too many memories, too much pain. But Grandpa helped you, warned you of the danger. Yes, that’s true.

And I am grateful to him. Maybe in time, when the wounds begin to heal, we will be able to see each other from time to time. If you want. I don’t know what I want, Carmen admitted. Everything is so confusing. I loved Dad, I loved our family and now everything is destroyed and I don’t know what to feel, who to trust. Trust yourself, I said, squeezing her hand.

In your heart, in your intuition, they will not fail you. That night, when Carmen fell asleep, exhausted by the emotions of the day, I sat in the kitchen with Pilar talking quietly. What are you going to do now?, he asked me. I don’t know. Maybe he will sell our part of the house. There are too many memories, too much pain.

I will look for something new, something only ours for Carmen and me. And work? Will you go back to college? Yes, right. I need to work and I like to teach. It will give me some stability, some normalcy in our life. You’re strong, Elena. It always has been. You’re going to get ahead. I must do it for Carmen.

The following weeks were full of paperwork. We renounce the inheritance, we manage the household papers, we organize our finances. I went back to work at the university and Carmen decided to take a sabbatical semester to sort out her thoughts and emotions. Lucía left the hospital and went abroad without saying goodbye. I didn’t blame her.

He was also a victim. Victim of his blind love for his brother, of his unconditional loyalty, even in his darkest plans. And when he understood how far it had gone, when he almost became just another victim, it must have been devastating. Isabel, when she learned the whole truth from the police, suffered a heart attack. She survived, but she was turned into the shadow of her former self.

Antonio took care of her day and night. Sometimes I called him to ask how they were doing. It was the least I could do for the man who saved my life. Three months later, Carmen and I moved into a new apartment, small, but bright and cozy. We sold our part of the house and the money was put in Carmen’s name for her studies and her future.

I resumed my full day at university, I even accepted overtime. Work helped me not to think, not to remember. Carmen also changed. She became more serious, more mature. I read a lot about psychology, about trauma, about how people deal with loss and betrayal.

I was looking for answers, I was looking for a path to healing and little by little I was finding it. I’m thinking about going back to college next semester, he told me one night over dinner. But I want to change my career from economics to psychology. I want to help people who have gone through traumas like us.

I smiled feeling how pride filled me inside. It’s a wonderful idea. You will be a great psychologist. I think it will also help me understand what happened to Dad. Why did it change? because he became what he was. There are questions that will never be answered, affection and wounds that never fully heal, but we learn to live with them.

We learn to move forward. 6 months later, Garcia called with news. The investigation against Miguel’s creditors had concluded. All members of the criminal organization were arrested. The case was closed. It was the last chapter of a story that changed our lives. Thank you for everything, I told him, for your help, for your commitment.

I was just doing my job. How are they now? You and Carmen get by day by day. I’m glad to hear it. Take care, Elena. That night I sat for a long time on the balcony of our new apartment, looking at the lights of the city. I thought about my life, about the past, about the future, about the 20 years I lived with a man who in the end betrayed everything I believed in.

In my daughter, who despite all the pain, found within herself the strength to move forward in myself, in a strength that I didn’t even know I had. Another 6 months passed. Life was gradually returning to normal. Carmen returned to the university, this time to the faculty of psychology. I continued to teach, they even promoted me.

We spoke little about the past, preferring to look forward, but sometimes on especially quiet nights the memories caught up with us and we sat together, holding hands, finding comfort in each other’s company. On the day of the anniversary of Michael’s death we went to visit his grave. We bring flowers, we remain silent, we do not cry.

The tears had long since run out. All that remained was a quiet sadness and acceptance of what had happened. Do you think he loved us?, Carmen asked suddenly. Really, I was once thoughtful. It was a question I had asked myself many times as well. I think so, in his own way. At first, no doubt. Then something changed.

Maybe money, power. Maybe he just lost himself chasing success. I don’t know, but I want to believe that there was a part of the one who loved us to the end. Carmen nodded as if that was the answer she needed. I want to believe it too. We left the cemetery in silence. The past was left behind and in front of us was the uncertain future, yes, but ours, full of possibilities and hope.

Months later I met Antonio by chance in the supermarket. He looked older, hunched over, but his eyes still retained the same wisdom as always. Elena smiled when she saw me. How are you? And Carmen, we’re fine, I replied. And you, and Doña Isabel. She passed away three months ago. The heart never fully recovered from what happened. I’m so sorry, I said sincerely. You don’t have to.

He lived his life as he thought he should. Just like my son, just like all of us. He was silent for a few seconds and then added, Lucia married a foreigner. He now lives in Italy. Sometimes he calls, he says he is happy. I’m happy for her. Really. And are you happy, Elena? I thought about it. I was happy.

After everything we have experienced, was it possible to feel happiness again? I’m on my way, I answered honestly, day by day, step by step. I’m learning to be happy again. He nodded understandingly. That’s all we can do, learn to live again after losses, after betrayals. Learn to trust, to love, to start again.

We said goodbye and I returned home thinking about his words. Start over. Maybe that was the essence of life. Knowing how to fall and get up, knowing how to lose and find again, knowing how to forgive. Not necessarily to others, but at least to oneself. Carmen came home late from college, but with a bright smile.

Mom, do you remember Diego, my classmate? He invited me out on a real date with a restaurant and all. He smiled when he saw the sparkle in his eyes. How good, darling. When? On Saturday. Will you help me choose what to wear? Of course. We spent the night rummaging through her closet, laughing and chatting like any other mother and daughter, as if our lives had never been broken by betrayal and tragedy.

And at that moment I understood that we had achieved it. We had survived the worst life could throw at us and we came out ahead, not without scars, not without pain, but stronger. One Saturday afternoon, while Carmen was on her date, I stayed at home going through old photographs. He did not do it out of nostalgia, but out of necessity.

He wanted to put the past in order, separate the happy memories from the painful ones, preserve what was valuable and let go of what hurt. Among the photos I found one taken 20 years ago, on the day of our wedding with Miguel. We were so young, so in love, so full of hope for the future. I stood looking at her for a long time, trying to see in the eyes of that young Miguel some sign of the man he would become 20 years later.

But I saw nothing but love and happiness. Perhaps that was enough. Maybe I shouldn’t look for answers where I didn’t know them. Maybe I just had to accept that people change, that love sometimes dies, that even those closest to me can become strangers. I put the photograph back in the album, closed it, and put it on the highest shelf.

The past was left behind. The future was ahead, uncertain, yes, but full of possibilities. Carmen returned late from her appointment with a slight blush on her cheeks and a smile that she hadn’t seen in a long time. How did it go?, I asked him as I poured him a cup of tea. Okay, very good. He, he understands, Mom, about Dad, about everything that happened.

He doesn’t judge, he doesn’t ask uncomfortable questions, he just understands. I’m glad, darling. You deserve someone who understands you. We sat in the kitchen drinking and chatting quietly about his studies, my job, plans for the weekend. A common talk between ordinary people living a common life.

And that was just what we had both wanted for so long. A year after the events that changed our lives, I received a letter without a return address with an unknown letter on the envelope. Inside was a folded sheet and a small, old, somewhat rusty key. I unfolded the letter and began to read.

Dear Elena, if you are reading this letter it is because I found the courage to send it. I have thought for a long time if I should do it, if it made sense to remove the past, to cause you even more pain. But in the end I decided that you have a right to know. You may be surprised to receive a letter from me from a woman who was never kind to you, who always thought you weren’t good enough for her brother. I’m not going to apologize to you.

What I did is unforgivable, but I want you to know the truth. Miguel didn’t plan to kill you, at least not at first. The idea was mine. When I learned of his problems, of his debts, that his business was on the verge of collapse, I proposed a simple, cruel, effective solution.

I told her that without you her life would be easier, that your insurance would be used to pay her debts, that the authorization Carmen had signed for you would allow her to control all the assets. At first he refused. I was horrified by my proposal, but I insisted. Day after day, week after week, I weakened its resistance. I kept repeating that it was the only way out, that if he didn’t he would lose everything, that you had never really loved him, that you were only with him for his money and his status.

I lied, I manipulated, I pressured until it finally happened, until he accepted my plan. I organized everything. I found a substance that leaves no traces. I calculated the dose. Choose the perfect day, your wedding anniversary. A family dinner. All together toasting with wine. No one would suspect intentional poisoning. But something went wrong.

You saw how he poured the liquid into your glass. You changed our glasses and I was the one who drank what was meant for you. A cruel irony, don’t you think? When I woke up in the hospital and found out what had happened, that Miguel was dead, that you and Carmen had lived through hell because of me, I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t look anyone in the eye. That’s why I left.

I started a new life. I try to redeem myself, even though I know it’s impossible. The key that I enclose to this letter opens a safe in the bank. Dad knows which one. Inside are documents, proof of my guilt, a confession signed before a notary and something else. Miguel’s medical results from an examination that was done shortly before all that. He had an inoperable brain tumor.

Doctors gave him less than a year to live. He didn’t tell anyone, not you, not Carmen, not even me. I discovered it by chance when reviewing his papers. I don’t know if that changes anything, if it justifies what he did, if it attenuates my guilt. Probably not, but you deserve to know. You have the right to know the truth, however painful it may be.

I am not asking you to seek me out or to respond to this letter. I just want you to know what really happened and that I deeply regret the role I played in all of this. With respect, Lucia. I reread the letter several times without being able to believe it. A brain tumor. Miguel was dying and he didn’t tell anyone. He preferred to become a poisoned liar and conspirator rather than show his weakness. That explained everything.

Their sudden estrangement, their irritability, their desperation to get money. He knew he was going to die and he wanted to ensure his daughter’s future, to leave her an inheritance. But when his business began to sink and debts grew, he saw only one way out. The one offered to him by Lucía. I didn’t know if I should cry or laugh.

This new information did not justify Miguel. It didn’t make his acts any less horrible, but it gave context, understanding, maybe even a hint of forgiveness. I took the key, turned it between my fingers thinking if I should go to the bank. It was worth opening that box, seeing the evidence, reading Lucía’s confession. I needed it. I needed it, Carmen. At that moment I heard the front door.

Mom, are you home? Carmen entered the kitchen smiling, happy. It had changed during that year. It became stronger, more confident. He had found his way, his vocation. She started a new relationship with someone who valued her, respected her, understood her. “What is that?” he asked when he saw the letter in my hands.

I hesitated for a second, then folded the letter and put it in my pocket. Nothing important, old bills. He nodded without further question, trusting me. And then I knew that I didn’t want to break this new life that we worked so hard to build. I didn’t want to bring back the pain we had fought so hard to leave behind.

Perhaps someday, when the wounds have fully healed, when the past no longer hurts so much, I will show him the letter, tell him about the contents of the box, the man he called father and his deepest last secret. But not now. Now was the time to live in the present, to look to the future, to finally begin to heal.

“How was your day?” I asked, putting the key next to the letter. Carmen smiled and began to tell me about her classes, her new project, her plans for the weekend with Diego and when I listened to her I knew that we had made it, that we had survived, that the worst was behind us. I kept the key in a jewelry box. He did not forget, but he did save. a reminder that truth does not always liberate, that sometimes it is more compassionate to remain silent than to reveal everything, that forgiveness begins with acceptance.

Meanwhile, we lived day by day, step by step, learning to be happy again, learning to trust, to love, to believe, learning to start over. And perhaps that was the real lesson of this whole story, that even after the worst betrayal, after the most painful loss, life goes on and it is in our hands to turn it into whatever we want.

Filled not with the weight of the past, but with the hope of the future. Not from the fear of new wounds, but from the courage to open up again to love. Because in the end love, true, pure, sincere love, is always stronger than betrayal, always stronger than pain, always stronger than death. And with that thought, I finally let go of the past, I let go of the grudge, I let go of the pain.

I let go of the man I once loved more than my life and who betrayed everything I believed in. I let him go and forgave him. Not for him, for me, for my daughter, for our future. And for the first time in a long, long time, I felt truly free.