PART 6: THE matriarch’S CRY
Alejandro handed me the phone, his hand lingering on mine to steady my grip.
"Victoria," I said, keeping my voice flat, devoid of any warmth.
"Meline," the older woman sobbed on the other end, her high-society elegance completely shattered.
"You have to stop this," Victoria begged, her breath rattling. "Paola won't survive a state facility. She needs medical care. She needs her family."
"She should have thought about family before she locked a pregnant woman outside in a freezing storm," I replied coldly.
"It was a mistake!" Victoria shrieked. "She was jealous! She wasn't in her right mind!"
I looked down at Mateo, who was shifting slightly under his fleece blanket.
"A mistake is a dropped glass, Victoria. Leaving me to freeze until my son's heart almost stopped is a crime."
The line went quiet except for her ragged breathing.
"The board of directors is meeting tomorrow morning," Victoria whispered, her tone suddenly changing, becoming desperate, almost threatening. "If you don't sign a statement of leniency for the appellate judge, the Valenzuela corporation will file for total bankruptcy. Alejandro’s remaining trust fund will dissolve to pay the creditors."
I stood tall, looking out at the sunny garden.
"Let it dissolve," I said softly.
"You'll be penniless!" she gasped.
May you like
"No, Victoria," I whispered, my voice turning into ice. "We will be clean. And you will be alone."
I hung up the phone.
