Chapter 4 - THE CALL FROM THE WOMAN WHO STOLE MY LIFE
I stared at Camila’s name flashing on my phone.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Not my father.
Not Alejandro.
Not even me.
Because there was something strange about betrayal.
You always imagine the moment you catch someone.
You imagine screaming.
You imagine throwing things.
You imagine revenge.
But nobody tells you about the silence.
The quiet moment when you realize the person who hurt you is standing closer than you ever thought.
My father watched me carefully.
“Don’t answer.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because people call when they want control.”
I almost smiled.
“That sounds like something you learned in business.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“It’s something I learned from people.”
The phone kept ringing.
Finally, I answered.
“Hello?”
For three seconds, there was nothing.
Then Camila spoke.
“Valeria.”
Her voice sounded different.
Not confident.
Not arrogant.
Scared.
“What do you want?”
A shaky breath.
“I need to explain.”
I looked at Alejandro.
His face was tense.
Interesting.
Even now, he still cared what she said.
“You accessed a confidential file.”
Silence.
Then:
“I didn’t steal anything.”
I laughed.
“You called me to deny the exact thing you did?”
“Valeria, listen to me.”
“No.”
My voice became colder.
“You listen.”
I stood up.
“You walked into my marriage. You lied to my face. You wore a bracelet you knew belonged to my husband’s wife. And now you break into my company’s private information.”
“I didn’t know what it was.”
That stopped me.
“What?”
“I thought it was just paperwork.”
My father’s eyes narrowed.
Alejandro stepped closer.
“Camila, what did you do?”
She heard him.
And her voice changed.
“Alejandro?”
I looked at him.
He froze.
She didn’t know he was there.
That told me something.
They weren’t together.
At least not right now.
“I need to talk to Valeria alone.”
I smiled.
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you everything, you’ll understand.”
I looked at my father.
Then back at the phone.
“Fine.”
Everyone stared at me.
“Tomorrow. Nine a.m.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere public.”
Camila hesitated.
“Okay.”
I ended the call.
Alejandro immediately spoke.
“You’re meeting her?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I looked at him.
“Because unlike you, I want the truth before I judge someone.”
His expression changed.
That sentence hurt.
Good.
It was supposed to.
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
Not because of Camila.
Not because of Alejandro.
Because of the question nobody wanted to ask.
Who inside Grupo Vanguardia helped her?
My father sat across from me in his home office.
Old photos covered one wall.
My childhood.
My mother.
Me.
Before money.
Before companies.
Before people cared about my last name.
“You’re thinking too much.”
I looked up.
“You always know.”
“I’m your father.”
I smiled faintly.
“That’s not an explanation.”
“It is.”
He poured two glasses of water.
“You forget. I knew you before you learned how to hide.”
I looked down.
“I hate this.”
“What?”
“That I was right about everyone.”
My father was quiet.
Then he said:
“Being right about someone who hurts you does not make it easier.”
I swallowed.
“I thought when Alejandro found out who I was, I would feel powerful.”
“And?”
“I feel tired.”
My father nodded.
“Because revenge is heavy.”
I looked at him.
“Are you saying I shouldn’t fight?”
“No.”
His voice became firm.
“I’m saying don’t fight because you’re hurt.”
A pause.
“Fight because you’re protecting what’s yours.”
The next morning, I arrived at the café five minutes early.
Camila was already there.
That surprised me.
She looked nothing like the woman from the restaurant.
No perfect smile.
No expensive attitude.
Just a woman who looked terrified.
She stood when she saw me.
“Valeria.”
I sat down.
“You have five minutes.”
She swallowed.
“Your father’s company is investigating me.”
“Yes.”
“I deserve that.”
I didn’t expect that answer.
She continued.
“But I need you to know something.”
“What?”
“I never wanted Alejandro’s company files.”
I stared at her.
“Then why did you take them?”
Her hands tightened around her coffee cup.
“Because someone told me to.”
The air changed.
“Who?”
She looked at me.
May you like
And whispered:
“Your husband.”
