A truth revealed

After giving in to the desire and attraction we both shared, our bodies melted into an intense union. Exhausted from letting ourselves be carried away by our instincts, we fell asleep until the next day. The intimate words we shared revealed a deep connection. But before I could answer the question he had asked me about whether I had anyone else in my life, my cell phone rang, interrupting the moment.

“Hello!” I answered.

“Ana Paula, where are you? Your mother has called a bunch of times and says she can't reach you. Also, remember that we must leave in a couple of hours for Mexico City.”

“Oh yeah? Don't worry, everything is wonderful. I'll contact her, and I'm on my way to the room.”

I hung up the call and turned to Luis. “I'm sorry, but I have to go. My friends are waiting for me to return to Mexico City, and my mother is worried because she hasn't been able to talk to me.”

“But are you going to leave like this, without giving me even your cell phone number?”

“Yes, you're right. Here, this is a personal card. You have my contact numbers and that of the law firm, so you can call me whenever you want.”

I got up quickly, trying not to hurt my injured foot. I dressed as quickly as I could while Luis José did the same. He also had to meet with his colleagues. He didn’t look closely at the card I had given him; he simply put it inside his jacket. When we were about to leave the room, we both looked at each other and held hands.

“I want you to know that, no matter what happens, what I experienced with you this weekend is the most wonderful thing that life has given me. You have made me realize many things that I didn't see before, and I promise I will call you so we can meet again.”

I answered him sincerely, “This was also very important for me. It's the first time I've made love with a stranger, but seeing you felt like love at first sight. Although it has been crazy, I have no regrets.”

He looked at me with those intense eyes that made me tremble. “And you didn't answer me if there is anyone else in your life.”

I just smiled, a mix of excitement and apprehension. “We'll talk about that another time. Now I must go; if I don't report to my mother, she might send the FBI to look for me.”

“Okay, that's fine. Go calmly. I too must return to Mexico. As soon as I arrive, I'll call you.”

It was inevitable not to kiss again, sharing a deep and long goodbye kiss. I limped out of the room; the sole of my foot still hurt. I left with a bittersweet feeling, unsure if I would see him again. Besides, my fiancé was waiting for me; he had called too, but I hadn't wanted to answer any of his calls. The journey home felt eternal. My mind was completely occupied by Luis José; I couldn't believe I had shared such an experience with him. Anxiety washed over me as I wondered how I would face Nelson, my fiancé, after everything that had happened. The truth was that I no longer knew how I felt about him.

When I arrived home, the driver opened the vehicle door for me, and the first thing I saw was my sister. When she saw me, she approached excitedly with her arms outstretched.

“Surprise!”

“Abril, sister, what a joy to see you after so long!”

“Happy birthday, Ana Paula! I'm excited to see you too.”

“But what are you doing here? And your husband? Don't tell me you abandoned him and returned home.”

“Hahaha, no, nothing like that. I am more in love than ever with my husband. You are going to meet him; he’s coming straight from the airport.”

The anticipation grew among those present. My mother, however, could not contain herself: “Ana Paula, my love, where were you? I called you many times to find out what time you would arrive. Also, what happened to your foot? Why is it bandaged?”

My mind raced to find an excuse. The accident on the beach was the perfect response to justify my lack of communication. My mother felt sorry for me and didn’t insist any further. Of course, I didn’t tell her everything else I had experienced with my unknown savior.

Two hours later, my sister's mysterious husband arrived at my parents' house, and we were finally going to meet him. But when our eyes met, reality unfolded before me: it was the same man with whom I had shared a night of passion in Cancún, my unknown savior. I couldn't believe I had been intimate with my sister's husband. My heart was racing, and questions rushed through my mind.

“Family, meet my husband, Dr. Luis José Simanca.”

In that moment, I felt something inside me fade. Everyone's attention was focused on me, but especially on Luis José, whose expression paled when he saw me. My sister, oblivious to my embarrassment, first introduced Luis José to our parents and those close to him. I tried to escape the situation, but the pain in my foot and my nervous state kept me there, motionless. In my mind, I could only think, “How is this possible? Abril's husband is the same man I just spent the night with in Cancún? I can't believe I had such an intimate encounter with my sister's husband.”

My heart pounded as I faced the situation I had dreaded. My sister approached, and the moment arrived.

“Ana Paula, meet my husband,” said Abril, holding Luis José's hand. “Honey, this is my sister Ana Paula.”

Luis José looked at me intently, trying to understand what was happening. I, filled with anger and fear, didn’t know what to do. If I revealed that he was my unknown savior, with whom I had shared a night of passion without even knowing who he really was, it would trigger a tragedy in the family. My father was capable of anything. In my mind, I pleaded, “My God, what should I do?”

But to my surprise, Luis José extended his hand toward me. “It's a pleasure to meet you,” he said calmly. I extended my hand toward him after a few seconds that felt eternal. However, I didn’t utter a single word. Abril looked at me strangely.

“But what's wrong with you, sister? Aren't you going to say anything?”

“I... I... excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom,” I murmured, feeling as if the world was shaking around me. The situation was unbearable. I couldn't say anything to Abril, much less to her traitor of a husband. I left, terrified; my excuse of needing to go to the bathroom felt more real than I imagined. As soon as I entered, I vomited everything I had eaten, including the delicious glass of champagne with which my mother had greeted me. Something inside me rebelled, rejecting everything that was happening. My subconscious seemed to have taken control, and the disgust I felt manifested itself physically.

I rinsed my face with cold water, looking in the mirror. “Ana Paula,” I said to myself, “you've really messed up. Now what are you going to do? How can you look at your sister after sleeping with her husband? My God! It was too good to be true.” My mind was a whirlwind of emotions. How had I arrived at this crossroads?

Meanwhile, Abril continued with Luis José, visibly disconcerted by my reaction. “I don't understand what happened to Ana Paula,” she told him. “I swear she's not like that. I don't want you to think badly of my family. I was very excited to meet you. I better go look for her and see if she's okay.”

The tension in the room was palpable. Luis José suggested going to a hotel, but my father, always direct, was quick to intervene. “What did I just hear? How are they going to sleep in a hotel? Of course not! It was enough to have a year without seeing my daughter for her to stay in a hotel. You stay here. I've already prepared the guest room, so enjoy the party. And by the way, where is Ana Paula?”

“I don't know, Dad,” Abril answered. “I think she feels bad because she ran to the bathroom.”

My father let out an ironic laugh. “Ha, that will pass when she sees the surprise her fiancé has for her. Well, I'll leave you. I'm going to greet the other guests.”

Luis José, visibly uncomfortable, took the opportunity to ask Abril, “Is your sister engaged?”

“Yes, darling,” she replied. “He's one of Dad's partners. He has a lot of money, but he's unbearable. You're going to meet him.”

While Luis José took a sip of champagne, his mind worked at full speed. “So Ana Paula is engaged. No wonder she avoided the conversation when I asked her.”

Abril, oblivious to her husband's thoughts, approached him. “What's wrong, sweetheart? You seem thoughtful. Oh, I know! It's because you don't want us to stay here, right?”

“No… well, yes. I mean, the thing is, I don't want to bother your family.”

“It's no bother. Plus, this way they get to know you much better, and they'll realize that I fell in love with you because you are the best man in the world.”

Abril kissed him on the lips, which made him even more nervous. “Love, please don't kiss me like that in front of your family.”

“But what's wrong? You're my husband, so there's nothing wrong.”

“By the way, I also need to go to the bathroom. Where is it?”

“Let me take you.”

“No, it’s not necessary. Just tell me where it is, and in the meantime, you go find some drinks.”

Luis José just wanted to find me. He was afraid I would make a fuss and reveal everything to everyone. But in reality, deep down, I was more terrified than he was. The last thing he wanted at that moment was for the truth to come to light.

The hallway stretched before him, unknown and silent. Luis José took advantage of the brief moment when Abril went to get the champagne glasses to slip out of the room. Urgency drove him; he needed to find me and clarify what had happened. We were two pieces in a game that fate had concocted, innocent in the plot that surrounded us. The house, oblivious to his presence, seemed to retain its secrets.

Luis José advanced, not knowing which doors to open to find me. But what tormented him most was the fact that he, a married man, had not had the courage to confess to me. His heart hammered in his chest as he walked down the hallway, guided by the direction Abril had pointed out to him. Finally, he ran into the bathroom door. What would he find on the other side? How would I react when I saw him? Suspense took hold of him, and uncertainty pushed him to continue forward. His heart raced with a mixture of anxiety and fear that made him softly pronounce my name.

“Who is it?” I called from the other side.

“Ana Paula, it's me, Luis José. We need to talk.”

The silence lingered, and then, after thinking it over very carefully, I dared to open the door. I was pale, my eyes reflecting a storm of indescribable emotions. Luis José didn’t know what to say, how to explain the inexplicable. But before he could utter a word, I looked into those blue eyes that had captivated me and said, filled with anger and helplessness, “Why didn't you tell me you were married?”

The air became thick, and Luis José felt like the world was falling apart around him. How could he explain the inexplicable? How to face the betrayal that destiny had woven? And the worst of all was not that he...