Chapter 9: The Person Behind the Lies
The next morning, Mateo drove us to my sister’s house.
I had not been there in two years.
Not since the funeral anniversary of my husband.
The house looked exactly the same.
The same white curtains.
The same flowers near the door.
The same place where my sister Rosa hugged me and told me:
“We’ll get through this together.””
Now I wondered if those words had ever been real.
Mateo knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
Finally, the door opened.
Rosa smiled.
Then she saw our faces.
The smile disappeared.
“What happened?””
Mateo walked inside.
“Where is your computer?””
Her expression changed.
“What?””
“Your computer.””
“Why?””
“Because we need answers.””
Rosa looked at me.
“Elena?””
I couldn’t speak.
She knew.
I saw it immediately.
She knew why we were there.
Mateo noticed too.
“Mom.””
I nodded.
“She knows.””
Rosa stepped back.
“That’s ridiculous.””
“Is it?”” Mateo asked.
She looked nervous.
“I don’t know what you think you found.””
Clara had sent us everything.
Bank transfers.
Emails.
Documents.
Proof.
Enough to destroy the person who did it.
Mateo placed the folder on the table.
“These transfers.””
Rosa looked down.
Her face changed.
Only for a second.
But it was enough.
“You recognize them.””
“No.””
“You do.””
She looked at me.
“Elena, you believe this?””
I stared at my sister.
The woman who knew every scar in my life.
The woman who held my hand when Daniel died.
“Did you take his money?””
Her face hardened.
“How can you ask me that?””
“Because I need the truth.””
She laughed.
“The truth?””
“Yes.””
“The truth is you always thought you were better than me.””
My heart sank.
“What?””
“You had the perfect husband. The perfect son. The perfect life.””
“That isn’t true.””
“Isn’t it?””
She stepped closer.
“You always had something I didn’t.””
I stared.
“You were jealous?””
Her silence answered.
Mateo looked disgusted.
“So you ruined my mother?””
Rosa shook her head.
“I didn’t ruin anyone.””
“Then why?””
“Because your father promised me help.””
I froze.
“What?””
“He said he would fix things.””
“Fix what?””
“My debts.””
The room became cold.
“When he refused, I took what I needed.””
“You stole from him.””
“I borrowed.””
“You used my name.””
Rosa looked away.
“I had no choice.””
“No choice?””
I laughed sadly.
“You always had choices.””
Then Mateo’s phone rang.
He answered.
“Hello?””
His face changed.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“It’s the resort.””
Everyone went silent.
“What happened?””
Mateo listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
“The person who created the second reservation has been identified.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who?””
He looked at Rosa.
And I knew.
Before he even spoke.
“Rosa Morales.””
My sister closed her eyes.
The truth had finally arrived.
But there was still one question.
Why had she helped Vanessa humiliate me?
Then Rosa whispered:
“Because Vanessa promised me something.””
Mateo stepped forward.
“What?””
Rosa looked at him.
“She promised she would help me get control of your father’s remaining assets.””
I felt the room spin.
Vanessa.
My son’s wife.
The woman who pretended to hate my involvement.
The woman who pretended she wanted independence.
She had been working with my sister.
Mateo looked broken.
“Why?””
Nobody answered.
Then Rosa said:
“Because Vanessa was never trying to protect your marriage.””
May you like
She looked at me.
“She was trying to replace you.””
