It is clear that I owe an explanation and not only to Darío but also to my brother-in-law, who has burst the bubble of happiness without realizing it. Darío places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes me gently. He is confused, and I understand. Couples have the time to share the names of their exes, as well as the events that set a precedent and the reason they broke up. In this case, the reason I was going to break up with Lucian was that I was being forced to marry Darío, although I later realized that he was nothing more than a fucking bastard who didn’t even deserve a greeting. However, I didn’t bother to tell Darío about him. Maybe I wanted to forget all about my time with that man, knowing I had been cheated on and understanding that Lucian didn’t deserve to belong in my past, not after he had ruined my life and Teresa’s life. By hurting her, he hurt me in the same way.
“Are you sure?” asks my husband.Sure about what?I blink several times. Am I asleep?Slowly I regain my memory. Memories come flooding back and fill my head. I fainted! I’ve never had anything like that happen to me before. I’m pretty strong. I usually am.I remember Dawson’s arms carrying me as if I weighed less than a feather, Darío’s concern...Teresa. My sister suddenly comes to my mind.Lucian!Oh, no!I try to open my eyes, but the damn things won’t cooperate.
“He’s a bastard!” Dawson is beside himself. He screams as if a dagger has been plunged into his chest. “I’m going to kill him!”“Dawson, that’s an extreme sentence. Calm down,” I try to calm him down, but I know it’s impossible. It’s like having a Lion in a cage. Seeing the key to the lock on the door, he will do whatever it takes to escape and break free from his prison.“Strong?!” he exclaims, raging. He spits out the words as if they weigh heavily in his mouth. “Strong? Strong is that that bastard is not in jail. Strong is that you...” he steps closer and points his index finger at me. Automatically, I recoil. His eyes, like light blue as Darío’s, shine so bright they scare me, “Knowing what he did to Teresa, you did nothing
One month later...I smile as I see my reflection again in front of the full-length mirror. The dress Darío asked Donatella for is beautiful. He’s like a madman. Crazy in love. It fascinates me and lets me know that everything will be fine. We will be fine, more than fine. In him, I have found a partner, a friend, and a true husband.“Wow...” Dawson stands in the doorway and watches me with sad eyes. “You are without a doubt the most beautiful bride I have ever seen.”I don’t know what to say to him. I can almost feel his pain. He fell in love with my sister. And she... she’s not ready to be with him.“Come in a
Tatiana Mattew is offered as payment to a widowed man to be his wife so her father can pay off the colossal debt they owe to corrupt bankers.She has no desire to marry, much less to this man whose nickname is the Shady One. However, Tatiana is in love with her longtime boyfriend, Lucian. Now she will be forced to tell him about her impending marriage with that stranger.Dario Magghio, since his wife died giving birth to their only child, has lost his joy and faith in humanity. Since then, he has dedicated himself to taking care of his son Dante and his business has been failing. For this reason, he decides to get married so that his son will have the care and love he needs, which he feels he is unable to provide. Only then can he focus on his business and forget the pain of
Tatiana MattewPart OneI look at myself in front of the mirror. Even though I feel beautiful with my wedding dress on, I can’t help feeling sad about the decision someone else made for me, the one my father has made to wed me to a man I’ve only met once. I will become the mother of a little boy who lost his birth mother at birth. I am not ready for that kind of thing. Although I grieve for a poor widower situation, I can’t help but feel distressed and melancholy about my position.“Get that look off your face, Tati. You’ll see that everything will be all right,” I hear my mother say to me as she tries to adjust my veil.She decided to dress me in everything to see how I’ll look tomorrow.“I just don’t understand why this is the only solution,” I grumble, even though I know it’s no use anymore.In less than twenty-four hours, I’m g
“You can’t possibly be considering leaving,” Teresa snaps as she sees me with a suitcase on the bed and clothes strewn all over the room.“I can’t stay, Tere. I can’t be here, and I can’t marry a man I don’t love, one I don’t even know. This is just stupid!”I’ve spent the whole day in a fury. My wedding planning was long before I found out. Not days, weeks ago. That man had already come to negotiate with my father and tried to have me as if I were a stove you could buy or a refrigerator you see in an appliance store. When he made his choice, he made up his mind and said, “This is the one I want to take.”He treated me like an object from the
Tonight, I put on my perfume and a pale green strapless dress, which, according to Teresa, highlights my eyes. My hair is light brown, almost blonde, and gives the impression of having golden highlights, but I have never colored it.It scares me a little to talk to Lucian and find out what the hell my sister meant when she said I couldn’t trust him. She didn’t exactly mean it in those words. However, doubt implanted itself in my brain. Now I can only think that he is hiding something from me and that he acted in a way that may affect me or affect our relationship. I am afraid to know that what I thought I had with him was not true.I never wanted to be stuck in this town. Because it is so removed from civilization, characterized by being accustomed to stability, both emotionally and economically, no one loses their homes and suffers from a lack of food since everyone knows each other. If someone is in trouble, he will always have the helping hand of a neigh
I leave the room after listening to her and giving her the attention I should give her a month ago. I put Teresa to bed. I will never stop blaming myself for not noticing the small details, those crossed glances, those involuntary movements, the suspicion and hatred my sister had for my ex-boyfriend. Now I know.I want hell itself to swallow me up and take me for a sinner since I can’t imagine what that man could have done if I hadn’t arrived at the lake that day if I hadn’t arrived on time.Teresa told me that that evening, after six o’clock, she threw stones in the lake while she was thinking about getting out of town. She felt that this place was not for her. She told me how Lucian tried to kiss her several times. Then, she calmly asked him to stop, as he was with me and, more than anything else, she would ne