Chapter 1: The Truth Revealed

Amelia was in the study of the mansion, a place she had always considered her refuge. The soft glow of sunset filtered through the large windows, bathing the space in a golden hue that contrasted with the coldness beginning to take hold of her heart. That afternoon, everything had changed. Everything she thought she knew about her husband, Diego, had begun to crumble.

From the beginning, their marriage had been a tacit agreement, full of silences and unfulfilled promises. Diego was a successful businessman, always busy, always distant. Yet Amelia had learned to live with his coldness, thinking it was just the price to pay for the stability he provided.

What she didn’t know—or rather, had refused to see—was that her husband had been cheating on her for years. The sound of the phone broke the afternoon’s silence. Amelia looked up, but this wasn’t just any call. The voice of her friend Sofía on the other end carried an urgency that made a knot form in her stomach.

—Amelia —Sofía said, her tone grave—, I have to tell you something. It’s not easy, but… you need to know.

—What’s wrong, Sofía? —Amelia replied, her voice faltering, still unaware of the magnitude of what she was about to hear.

—I saw Diego… —she paused, as if unsure how to continue—. I saw him with another woman. They were at a restaurant, acting like a couple. I’m not sure about everything I saw, but… the way they looked at each other… It can’t be casual, Amelia. I’m so sorry, but I had to tell you.

Amelia’s world stopped for a moment. The air grew thick, and for a second, she thought her friend was mistaken. But something inside her told her otherwise. There was something in Sofía’s voice that left no room for doubt. Pain began to settle in her chest, heavy and suffocating.

—It can’t be… —Amelia murmured, staring at her reflection in the windowpane. Sofía’s words echoed in her head, reverberating in her mind.

The conversation ended quickly. Amelia sat in a chair, her body stiff and cold. She knew she had to confront Diego, but she wasn’t ready for what awaited her. The hours stretched on, and anguish consumed her. Finally, when Diego returned home, Amelia was waiting for him in the living room.

—Diego, we need to talk —Amelia said, her voice firm but tinged with uncertainty.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, surprised by his wife’s tone. Diego had always been distant, but his face reflected a calm that only heightened the tension in the air.

—What’s this about, Amelia? —he asked, closing the door behind him.

—It’s about Sofía —she replied, locking eyes with her husband, searching for an answer she already knew she wouldn’t find. —She saw you with another woman. At a restaurant. You were together, Diego.

A long silence followed. Diego didn’t show a hint of surprise, as if he had anticipated this conversation. Instead of guilt or remorse, his expression hardened.

—That’s none of your business —Diego said with a coldness that made Amelia’s heart sink even further—. You don’t need to know who I spend my time with, Amelia. You have no right to ask me about my personal life.

—It’s my life too! —Amelia exclaimed, rising from her seat. Her voice trembled, but not from fear—from contained rage. —How long have you been cheating on me? How many times have you been with her or someone else? Tell me the truth!

Diego stared at her, his face unreadable. Finally, he took a deep breath and sighed.

—It’s true —he admitted, without a trace of remorse—. I’ve been with her. And with others, too. But what did you expect, Amelia? That I’d stay faithful to someone who never understood me?

His words hit like a punch to the gut. Amelia staggered, and her mind flooded with memories—all the times she had tried to save a marriage she now knew had never had a solid foundation.

—You never loved me?! —she asked, her voice breaking—. I gave you everything, Diego! I supported you in everything, and this is how you repay me?!

Diego looked at her indifferently, as if her words meant nothing.

—No, I never loved you. And that’s what you never understood —he replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. —You married me because you thought I gave you stability. But that’s not enough, Amelia. I was never happy with you.

Amelia stepped back, her eyes brimming with tears she refused to shed. She no longer felt rage—just an overwhelming emptiness. The puzzle pieces were falling into place now, but the truth left her breathless. The man she had shared her life with, the father of her child, had never truly been her partner. He had only been a façade, a mirage of what she had wanted him to be.

—Then… what do you want? —she asked, her voice weak but laced with newfound determination.

—I want you to leave —Diego replied without hesitation, his tone cutting—. This is over, Amelia. I don’t want to keep up this farce.

The words felt like a sentence. Amelia stood there, staring at her husband as tears finally fell. She hadn’t just lost the love of her life—she had lost her dignity, her home, everything.

—Fine —she said, with a calm only she could muster in that moment—. I’ll leave. But I promise you one thing, Diego. I won’t walk out of this house without making you pay for what you’ve done to me.

Diego looked at her, confused, not yet grasping the weight of her words. And so, Amelia took the first step down a path of revenge that would change their lives forever.

As she left the living room, Amelia felt as if a heavy burden had settled on her shoulders. Rage burned inside her, but so did a cold determination she had never felt before. She knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but she no longer cared. Diego’s betrayal had ignited something in her—something that drove her to fight for what he had stolen. Amelia was ready for war, and Diego had no idea what was coming.