Chapter 2 - FIVE YEARS OF LIES
The silence inside the mansion felt unnatural.
One second, fifty people were laughing.
The next, nothing.
Julian heard chairs scraping.
Doors opening.
Someone whispered his name.
Then a man in a dark suit stepped onto the patio.
Julian didn’t know him.
The man did not look surprised to see Julian.
That was the first warning.
“Mr. Mendoza,” he said.
Julian narrowed his eyes.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled.
“Arturo Vélez.”
Patricia stepped beside him.
“My fiancé.”
Julian stared at her.
“You’re engaged?”
Patricia shrugged.
“You weren’t exactly around.”
Arturo extended his hand.
Julian ignored it.
Arturo lowered his hand without losing the smile.
“I handle some financial matters for the family.”
“What financial matters?”
Eulalia interrupted.
“This is not the time.”
Julian turned toward her.
“No. This is exactly the time.”
Guests began gathering near the kitchen.
Julian recognized cousins.
Neighbors.
Old family friends.
Several avoided his eyes.
That bothered him.
Mariana stood behind Julian with Dieguito pressed against her leg.
Julian looked around.
“How many of you knew they were living back here?”
No one answered.
“Come on.”
His voice rose.
“You’re eating my food.”
“Drinking in my house.”
“Parking your cars outside the place I paid for.”
“Which one of you knew my wife and son were sleeping beside the trash cans?”
An older uncle lowered his head.
A woman Julian remembered from childhood whispered, “We were told Mariana chose to live separately.”
Julian laughed once.
A hard sound.
“Chose?”
Patricia stepped forward.
“She did.”
Mariana shook her head.
“No.”
Patricia glared at her.
“You signed papers.”
“What papers?” Julian asked.
Mariana looked down.
Eulalia answered.
“Your wife had problems after you left.”
Julian turned slowly.
“What kind of problems?”
“Emotional problems.”
Mariana stared at Eulalia.
“You told everybody I was crazy?”
“I told people you were unstable.”
“You locked me out of the house!”
“You attacked Patricia.”
“That’s not what happened!”
Julian stepped between them.
“Stop.”
He looked at Mariana.
“Tell me everything.”
Eulalia snapped, “Do not believe every word she says.”
Julian faced his mother.
“For five years, I believed every word you said.”
That shut her up.
He pulled his phone from his pocket.
“I sent you money every month.”
Eulalia crossed her arms.
“And it was used for the family.”
“My family is standing behind me starving.”
Arturo spoke calmly.
“Julian, finances can be complicated.”
Julian looked at him.
“Not this complicated.”
He opened his banking app.
“Twenty-one thousand six hundred dollars a year.”
No one spoke.
“For five years.”
He stared at his mother.
“That’s over a hundred thousand dollars.”
Eulalia said, “There were expenses.”
“What expenses?”
“House payments.”
Julian laughed.
“The company deducted the mortgage separately from my salary.”
Eulalia froze.
Tiny mistake.
Big consequence.
Julian stepped closer.
“So try again.”
Arturo intervened.
“You’re tired.”
Julian looked at him.
“Say that one more time.”
Arturo held up both hands.
“No disrespect.”
“Then stop talking like I’m stupid.”
Mariana touched Julian’s arm.
“Julian.”
He turned.
She looked at the guests.
“We should leave.”
“This is my house.”
“I know.”
“Then why should we leave?”
Her eyes filled.
“Because it isn’t your house anymore.”
Julian stared at her.
“What?”
Patricia smiled.
It was small.
Cruel.
Arturo reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded document.
“Technically,” he said, “your mother owns the property.”
Julian grabbed the paper.
He scanned the first page.
TRANSFER OF TITLE.
His name appeared.
His signature appeared.
But Julian had never signed it.
He looked up.
“This is fake.”
Arturo’s smile disappeared.
“It was notarized.”
“I was in Saudi Arabia on this date.”
Eulalia said quickly, “You authorized me.”
“No.”
“You did.”
“No.”
“You called.”
“I never called.”
Patricia shrugged.
“Maybe you forgot.”
Julian looked at her.
“I spent five years around men who worked sixteen-hour shifts with half the food you ate tonight.”
“I remember every dollar I sent home.”
Then Dieguito tugged his shirt.
“Daddy?”
Julian looked down.
“Yes?”
The boy pointed at Arturo.
“That man comes at night.”
Arturo’s eyes changed.
Mariana grabbed Dieguito.
“Don’t.”
Julian’s stomach tightened.
“What does he mean?”
“Nonsense,” Patricia said.
Dieguito looked scared.
“He takes papers out of Mommy’s room.”
Arturo said, “The kid is confused.”
“No,” Dieguito whispered.
“He told Grandma Mommy had to disappear before Daddy came home.”
Mariana covered his mouth too late.
Julian looked at Arturo.
Then at Eulalia.
Then Patricia.
Nobody breathed.
Arturo moved first.
He reached for his pocket.
Julian caught his wrist.
“What are you reaching for?”
Arturo smiled again.
May you like
But this time, there was no warmth.
“Something that proves you should’ve stayed in Saudi Arabia.”
