Chapter 4 — A New Beginning
Chapter 4 — A New Beginning
Twenty-one hours.
That was how long I fought to bring my son into the world.
When I finally heard his first cry...
Every scar inside me seemed to loosen.
The nurse placed him in my arms.
Tiny fingers.
Dark hair.
Strong lungs.
Perfect.
"Hello, Mateo," I whispered.
"I've been waiting for you."
My father stood near the window.
The powerful businessman the world feared quietly wiped tears from his face.
"I missed so much of your life," he said.
"I won't miss another day."
Two months later, the criminal trial began.
The prosecution presented hundreds of hours of recordings.
Medical reports.
Financial documents.
Witness testimony from former employees.
Even Santiago's personal accountant testified against him.
Beatriz attempted to blame everything on her son.
Santiago blamed alcohol.
Then stress.
Then me.
No one believed either of them.
After six weeks of testimony...
The verdict arrived.
Guilty.
On every major charge.
As deputies led Santiago away in handcuffs, he looked back at me one final time.
"I loved you."
I looked at the man I once believed would spend forever beside me.
"No."
"You loved control."
"And the moment you lost it..."
"You mistook that feeling for love."
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The courtroom doors closed behind him.
I never saw him again.
