CHAPTER 8 The Trial Begins

"**MY MOTHER HURLED A HEAVY SUITCASE INTO MY PREGNANT WIFE'S STOMACH INSIDE THE HOSPITAL... WHAT THE NURSE DID AFTER SEEING IT LEFT ME COMPLETELY SHATTERED—AND DESTROYED MY FAMILY FOREVER.** It was early Tuesday morning, and the air over Mexico City felt unusually heavy and cold. At exactly 3:15 a.m., Elena, my wife, woke me with a grip so tight that her nails dug into my forearm. She didn't have to say a word. In the darkness of our bedroom, I heard only her uneven breathing... and the unmistakable sound of water soaking through the sheets. The moment had finally arrived. Our first child, Mateo, was about to be born. We had spent months preparing for this day. Ever since week thirty-five, I had kept our hospital bag packed and waiting by the front door. It was heavy—filled with blankets, baby clothes, diapers, toiletries, bottles, and everything Elena would need during her recovery. I jumped out of bed, overwhelmed by the strange mix of panic and excitement that only a man about to become a father for the first time can truly understand. ""Easy, sweetheart... breathe. We're leaving right now,"" I whispered, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I helped her to her feet. She was in agony. Every step toward the SUV seemed unbearable. The contractions were already coming every five minutes, each one stronger than the last. The Periférico was almost empty at that hour, but every red light felt like an eternity. As I drove, my thoughts raced. I imagined my son's tiny face... Our future together... The family we were finally about to become. But one dark shadow kept invading every hopeful thought. My mother. Doña Carmen. Three weeks earlier, Elena and my mother had had the worst argument of their lives. After months of passive-aggressive comments, endless criticism about how we planned to raise our child, and constant interference in our marriage, Elena finally reached her breaking point. She looked my mother straight in the eyes and calmly told her she was **not** welcome in the delivery room. She needed peace. She needed privacy. She wanted only me by her side. For a woman like my mother—a matriarch raised to believe that she always had the final word—that wasn't simply setting a boundary. It was a declaration of war. I still remember the expression on her face. Her cheeks flushed bright red. Her lips tightened. Then, in a voice so cold it still sends chills down my spine, she said, *""You'll beg me to be there... and by the time that baby is born, you'll both be on your knees asking for my forgiveness.""* I convinced myself it was nothing more than anger. I believed that once her grandson arrived, love would overcome pride. I was an idiot. A complete idiot. We finally pulled into the hospital emergency entrance. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting a cold blue-gray glow across everything. The sharp smell of disinfectant, bleach, and medicine filled the hallways. I helped Elena out of the SUV. A nurse hurried over with a wheelchair. ""Her contractions are very strong,"" I explained. ""Her water broke about thirty minutes ago."" As I spoke to the orderly, I placed our heavy hospital bag at the foot of the wheelchair. We were taken upstairs to the maternity floor. It was controlled chaos. Pregnant women paced the hallways. Fetal monitors echoed through the corridors. Doctors hurried from room to room carrying medical charts. They wheeled Elena into a pre-labor room for examination. I stayed outside in the waiting area, buried in the endless admission paperwork. My hands were soaked with sweat. I tried reading the tiny print on the insurance forms, but my mind was entirely with my wife. Then I heard it. The sharp click... Click... Click... Of high heels striking the linoleum floor. The sound was firm. Fast. Aggressive. I looked up. The blood drained from my face. It was my mother. She wore her black coat, her arms folded tightly across her chest. There wasn't a trace of concern on her face. Only barely contained rage. ""What are you doing here, Mom?"" I asked, standing so quickly my chair nearly tipped over. ""Who told you?"" ""I'm your mother,"" she answered coldly, without even looking at me as her eyes scanned the hallway. ""I have my ways. Where is she?"" ""She's being examined. Mom... please. This isn't the time. Remember what we talked about. Elena is in terrible pain. She doesn't need any more stress right now."" I stepped in front of her, trying to block her path. She let out a bitter laugh. ""Stress? **Stress** is what that woman put me through when she humiliated me and pushed me out of my own family. I'm not leaving. That baby is my blood too."" I tried reasoning with her. For ten endless minutes. I begged. I pleaded. I asked her to wait in the main lobby. I promised I'd come get her as soon as Mateo was born. But my mother was like solid concrete. Once she made up her mind, nothing—and no one—could change it. Just then, Elena's doctor stepped out of her room. ""Sir,"" he said, ""your wife is already seven centimeters dilated. The pain is very intense, but everything is progressing quickly. You can come in now. We're getting her ready to move into the delivery room."" I didn't wait to see whether my mother followed me. I rushed inside. Elena lay on the hospital bed, drenched in cold sweat. Her dark hair clung to her forehead. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. She groaned in pain, gripping the bed rails until her knuckles turned white. I walked to her side, took her hand, and whispered, ""I'm here, sweetheart. You're doing amazing. In just a little while, we'll finally meet Mateo."" She opened her eyes. She looked at me. She gave the faintest nod, trying to smile... But another contraction stole it away before it could fully appear. That's when the door behind me burst open. **You won't believe what happens next... Comment ""YES"" if you've read this far.** 👇

8 chapters