Chapter 3

• How could I be sure it would be two years? How could I be sure he wouldn't back out? Why wait so long? My head filled with so many unanswered questions that it began to hurt.
• "Do you swear to give me a divorce in two years?"
• "I promise, Ana, for now go and end whoever you are in a relationship with and I have things to do, because I understand you, it's not just you who is crippling your life with this." His hand gave my shoulder a light squeeze, and then he got up and walked away from the park as if counting steps.
• I began to think he was as lost as I was, but maybe that's just my imagination.
• Walking around the city didn't help me to distract myself, even less after the afternoon I spent hiding from Lían without answering his calls and messages, because there was no point in avoiding the tragedy, it didn't matter if I left him today or tomorrow, my mind kept reminding me of what my parents had done to me, I just couldn't understand how two people who claimed to love their children could leave them in the hands of anyone and everyone for money.
• I wanted to believe that Mom didn't agree, that maybe the fear of standing up to Dad had made her submissive, and that at any moment Mom would react and beg Dad not to do this monstrosity to me.
• I decided to go home on my own, without the driver, so I took a cab home. When my mother, who was sitting on the couch, saw me at the front door, she got up quickly and approached me with a light smile that hid hours of worry, because I know that she loves us in spite of everything, I am sure she does, our eyes locked for a few seconds as she reached out and put her arm around me, stroking my hair.
• I didn't want to hate her, because I wasn't to blame for anything, I just wanted to go far, far away into the arms of just one person.
• Lían.
• He will hate me for the rest of his life.
• My beautiful love
• The only refuge where I, like my brother, found the love and affection that we lacked.
• "Ana," my father's voice came from the living room, I broke away from my mother and wiped away the tears I was shedding at the thought of all this stress, but to my surprise, Gabriel was standing next to my father.
• What the hell is he doing in my house?
• "Mmm." I lifted my eyes to both men.
• "Good that you're here daughter, Gabriel, he came with us, his parents were worried about their future daughter-in-law and asked him to come home with us." I sighed heavily, this man would be my shadow and I know it's not his fault or mine, just our parents. "Where have you been?"
• "I went for a walk and got distracted," with a forced smile I rested my eyes on my future husband.
• Dad was watching me with his piercing eyes and I knew he didn't believe me at all.
• "I went to Natalia's house, I wanted to go over some things with her and tell her the news about the wedding." I pretended to smile.
• I know he doesn't believe me, Dad is very good at pretending when it suits him and he won't make a scandal in front of Gabriel because it doesn't suit him to look bad in front of his new partner.
• "You should call her to help us with the wedding, I'm sure she'd be thrilled," Mom said excitedly, as if we'd been planning this blessed wedding for years.
• "No," I quickly denied, yes, I had told her I was getting married, but not when, let alone the reasons.
• "Why not Ana?" said Dad. "I don't think it would be bad that Natalia would help your mother and you, that girl loves parties big or small, besides your mother will only invite your friend and some acquaintances, the other guests are from Gabriel's side, there is no time to do many things in 2 weeks and it would be helpful for your mother."
• "You're right father, but Natalia will ask questions about this surprise wedding and I won't know what to tell her, I told her that I'm getting married, but I didn't tell her when," I said because I was hoping to come home today and all this was not true.
• "It's okay, I'll tell him about the wedding myself, but... you can tell him the truth, she's your friend Ana, we like that girl," Mom said, "she's a good girl and she won't say anything bad, nor will she create rumors that will hurt Gabriel.
• It's just that this guy and I are the only ones that matter, what mom doesn't care if people talk bad about me or this rushed marriage, they might even think I'm pregnant, God why does all this have to happen like this.
• "Your mother will take care of it," Dad finally said. "Besides, the wedding planner is coming tomorrow for the wedding dress fittings."
• They were making the decisions in my life, they were making my opinions shitty, and it was just the way he wanted it.
• Dad.
• I started to hate you.
• For about half an hour I listened to Dad and Gabriel talk about business and finances, boring stuff that I didn't understand at all, many times I pretended to be interested in the subject and another mother would change the subject.
• Nana came into the dining room with a worried look that set off my alarm, what else could happen tonight?
• "I'm sorry... But there is a young man outside looking for Miss Ana," the look she gave me said it all.
• Because if anyone knew a lot about me and Andres, it was this woman.
• "Who is this young man, Ana?" my mother said.
• "Send Rafa to tell him to come another time," my father said.
• "No," I stood up and spoke quickly. "I... I just want to talk for a moment."
• "Then let's see who the man is who is looking for you," Dad got up and left the room so fast that I couldn't follow him in time.
• The four of us went to the door, and when we left the house, Lían was there.
• And to add to my misery and hateful fate, he was being grabbed and screaming my name along with other things I couldn't make out.
• Dad was angry and Mom was nervous.
• "Ana... love, let's talk," Lían said.
• He slurred his words and staggered.
• "Who is this man, why does he call you 'love', Ana?" dad shouted, looking for an answer in my eyes.
• I stepped away from the door and approached Lían, taking the empty bottle he held in his hands.
• "Father, come in the house," I begged Dad. "It's one of Natalia's exes, for sure he got confused."
• "Since he's coming to my house, let him go to her, Ana, get him out."
• And I know he doesn't believe me, but he pretended to.
• "Yes," I pushed Lían's chest and slowly walked him to my car door, opened it, sat him down in the passenger seat and listened to his stupid pleas.
• As I was about to close the door, Gabriel grabbed my arm.
• "I told you to leave him alone, he was getting us into trouble," he said in a cold tone full of anger.
• I'm sorry, I tried, but Gabriel, it's not easy.
• "Get in the car, I'll drive," Gabriel said before he climbed into the driver's seat.
• After a moment's thought, I took Lían and put him in the back seat of the car and got in with him.
• Ready to talk to him.
• "What the fuck do you think you're doing going home, you want daddy to kill me?" I shouted angrily as I grabbed his face so he could see my eyes.
• "You can't leave me, Ana. I love you," Lían's voice cracked.
• "How did you find out?" I said, holding back a sob.
• I was going to hell for hurting her.
• "Ana, I work at your parents company, the rumor was all over the halls, a lot of people were invited to the wedding, do you think I wouldn't find out, for God's sake Ana, I don't believe that story about the perfect wedding and the bride and groom who love each other, I made love to you 3 nights ago, fuck, I let you scream my fucking name and how much you love me and I find out you cheated on me, what the fuck is this?" I kept quiet because I remembered those nights very well, "Come with me to Brazil, I will give you everything you ask for, you know they pay me well, Ana, I told you that the new job offer will help me a lot if it is about money".
• God, how did he stop this madness?
• And for a second I thought about telling her the truth.
• But I couldn't.
• She watched Gabriel, but he wouldn't take his eyes off the road.
• "Do you love him, Ana?" Lían's question surprised me. "Do you love him more than me?
• "He's my life and I want to marry him, if I didn't tell you it's because I didn't know how to tell you that I didn't love you anymore."
• Each of these lies hurts.
• "What about him, does he love you as much as I do?"
• "Yes, he loves me madly, so much that we're going to get married and be happy, I'm sorry, but no more talking about it," I said with a lump in my throat, trying not to look ahead and let my shame tell Gabriel what a great liar I am.
• "You're killing me Ana, it's not 3 days of boyfriend, love, we've been together for more than 2 years, why didn't I know there was another man?" by his tone of voice it was very clear to me his feelings towards me at this moment, Lían could be filled with hate. We couldn't continue this pointless discussion, especially when he was drunk.
• So I decided to ignore his words completely and made the decision not to drive him home and put him in a cab instead, I knew he would find out one way or another and I also knew that Dad would make sure the news was all over the office.
• Dad played dumb, pretending he didn't know about my relationship with Lían, but he was always on top of everything, he hated that I was dating a simple employee with no future to become rich in the next few months, for Mom and Dad the perfect boyfriend must have been born in a cradle of gold.
• "Can you stop here?"
• He nodded.