Chapter 3: Endless Anguish

Amelia nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and fear. She knew that confronting her mother-in-law could lead to an explosive confrontation, but at least it was a step towards the truth. As Lorenzo walked towards his mother's room, Amelia felt that a new chapter was beginning. The weight of the truth had been revealed, and although she couldn’t predict what would happen next, she had at least taken the first step towards freeing herself from the oppression of lies. With her heart pounding, Amelia prepared herself to face the consequences of her revelation, knowing that the struggle for her identity and her place in that family was just beginning.

Amelia felt the tension building in the house as Lorenzo headed towards his mother's room. The air was heavy with uncertainty, and her heart pounded with fear of what might happen. She sat on the couch in the foyer, unable to stay still, waiting for Lorenzo to return with some kind of response. Minutes passed, and the silence became overwhelming. Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the calm.

—Lorenzo! Help me! —Lorenzo's mother screamed, her voice echoing through the hallways. Amelia jumped to her feet, fear surging in her chest. She ran to her mother-in-law’s room and found Lorenzo kneeling beside his mother, who lay on the floor, her eyes closed, with a look of pain on her face.

—Mom! —Lorenzo shouted, panic in his voice as he shook her—. What’s wrong with you?

Amelia watched the scene, feeling her stomach churn. Her mother-in-law, despite her state, couldn’t hide the look of triumph on her face as Lorenzo held her in his arms.

—Oh, Lorenzo! I think I’m fainting! —his mother sobbed, placing a hand on her forehead like an actress in a tragedy.

Lorenzo, clearly distressed, lifted his mother from the floor and carried her to the bed, where he began to examine her with concern.

—What happened? Why didn’t you tell me you felt this way? —he asked, unable to hide the frustration and desperation in his voice.

Amelia felt a lump in her throat as she watched Lorenzo so distraught. Determined to intervene, she stepped forward.

—Lorenzo, I think we should call a doctor —she suggested, but her voice sounded distant, as if she were speaking from another world.

Lorenzo’s mother slowly opened her eyes and, with a weak voice, said:

—No, darling, it’s not necessary. I just... I just feel a little dizzy. I’m sure it was just a bad moment. It’s nothing serious.

Lorenzo looked at her with concern, but the expression on his face began to change.

—Are you sure? —he asked, still with worry etched on his face.

—Of course, darling —his mother replied, her eyes shining with tears—. I just need a little rest. But I think that woman there —she pointed to Amelia— has made me so nervous that it caused my fainting spell.

Amelia felt the betrayal of those words hit her like a bolt of lightning. Lorenzo’s mother was manipulating the situation once again.

—What? —Amelia exclaimed, unable to contain herself—. That’s not true! I’ve been trying to take care of you while Lorenzo was away. It’s the opposite!

Lorenzo turned to her, and his gaze was filled with confusion and pain.

—How can you say that, Amelia? My mother needs support! You can’t talk about her like this right now —he responded, his voice raised, clearly affected.

—Lorenzo, I’m not trying to hurt her. I’m telling the truth —Amelia insisted, her voice trembling—. She’s faking it! This is all a game to her!

Lorenzo’s mother placed her hand on her chest, pretending to feel even weaker.

—No, darling, don’t listen to her. She just wants to drive us apart —she said, tears flowing down her face—. It’s always been like this. I can’t believe you’re doing this to me in my condition.

Lorenzo looked at his mother, then at Amelia, and the conflict in his expression became more evident.

—Amelia, please, this isn’t the time for fights. I need to take care of my mother —he said, his voice heavy with frustration—. I don’t know what to believe.

Amelia felt rage and sadness intertwine in her chest. The helplessness of not being heard was overwhelming.

—Lorenzo, I don’t understand why you can’t see what’s happening. Your mother is manipulating this situation and poisoning our relationship. I can’t take it anymore! —she shouted, feeling the tears begin to escape her eyes.

Lorenzo’s mother, seeing the argument unfold, smiled with satisfaction, enjoying the chaos she had caused. It was a game to her, and Amelia was losing.

—Amelia, you need to calm down. This isn’t good for either of us —Lorenzo said, approaching his mother and holding her tenderly—. I can’t bear to see you like this.

Lorenzo’s statement was a direct blow to Amelia. She felt betrayed, as if her own voice had become a whisper amidst a loud argument.

—So you’re choosing to stand by your mother instead of believing me? —she asked, feeling her heart break.

Lorenzo frowned, but his mother interrupted.

—Dear, don’t listen to her. She just wants to tear us apart. I feel so bad... I can’t bear it —she said, placing her hand on her forehead again, as if her life depended on it.

Amelia felt a wave of frustration and pain. The tears began to fall freely as she turned away, feeling the world collapse around her.

—Maybe we should separate for a while —she said, feeling the words escape her like a whisper—. I need time to think.

Lorenzo looked at her in horror, unable to grasp the gravity of her words. His mother, seeing the situation, smiled triumphantly.

—See? That’s what she wants. She’s trying to drive us apart —she said, seeking to align Lorenzo with her view.

Amelia felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces as she walked towards the door. Lorenzo’s betrayal and his mother’s manipulation had left her breathless.

—I can’t stay here, Lorenzo. If you don’t trust me, then I don’t know what we’re doing together —her voice broke as she said those words, and before Lorenzo could respond, she walked out of the room, her steps quick, as if running away from him was the only option left to her.

The sound of the door closing echoed through the mansion, a dull thud that seemed to cut through the air. Lorenzo stood still, his eyes fixed on the void that Amelia had left behind. Every corner of the house, which had once been his refuge, now felt heavy, suffocating, as if the building itself were reflecting the fracture between them.

The weight of her words crushed him, and in the silence that followed, Lorenzo's mind filled with unanswered questions. How had they come to this point? He knew that the relationship with his mother was an obstacle, but he had never imagined it would drag them into such a deep abyss. Despite everything, something inside him refused to give in; a confusing mix of love and guilt kept him tied down.

In his chest, the loyalty to his mother, that woman who had cared for him since he was a child and had become his unconditional support, gripped him tightly, like an invisible chain that kept him in place. But the memory of the pain in Amelia's eyes, the desperation in her voice when she tried to explain what she was going through, disarmed him over and over again in a way he never thought possible. His heart was divided, trapped between devotion to his mother and love for his wife. As the storm of emotions battered him every night, a terrifying truth struck him with sharp clarity: if he didn’t act soon, he would lose Amelia forever.