CHAPTER 5: “I DIDN'T KILL JUST ONE PERSON…”
The gun was pointed directly at Esteban's chest.
Valeria smiled.
Not the sweet smile he had fallen in love with.
Not the gentle smile she showed to guests.
This smile was cold.
Empty.
Terrifying.
“You found the safe,” she said softly.
Esteban's hands tightened around the photograph.
“You killed Elena.”
Valeria laughed.
A low, chilling laugh.
“After all these years… you finally figured it out.”
Downstairs, thunder rumbled again.
The lights flickered.
“You're insane,” Esteban whispered.
“No,” she replied calmly. “I'm patient.”
She stepped closer.
“You know what my problem was, Esteban?”
He didn't answer.
“I loved you long before you even knew my name.”
Silence.
“I saw you at a business conference seven years ago.”
She smiled sadly.
“You were giving a speech. Everyone admired you.”
Her eyes darkened.
“And then I saw her.”
“Elena.”
“She had everything.”
A husband.
A child.
A perfect family.
Everything Valeria wanted.
“So I decided to take it.”
The words froze his blood.
“You followed us?”
“For years.”
“You murdered my wife?”
Valeria sighed.
“You still don't understand.”
She looked almost disappointed.
“Elena was never supposed to die.”
The room fell silent.
“What?”
“I only wanted her to leave you.”
“You're lying.”
“No.”
She lowered the gun slightly.
“That night, I came to the house.”
THREE YEARS EARLIER…
Elena stood in the living room.
Rain poured outside.
Valeria stood in front of her.
The smell of jasmine filled the house.
“You need help,” Elena said.
Valeria smiled.
“I need your husband.”
“He doesn't even know you.”
“He will.”
“You're sick.”
The words changed everything.
Valeria's face became cold.
“You have no idea how much I've sacrificed for him.”
“You're obsessed.”
“No,” Valeria whispered. “I'm in love.”
Elena grabbed her phone.
“I'm calling the police.”
Valeria stepped forward.
“You won't.”
“I will.”
“You'll destroy everything.”
“There is nothing to destroy!”
The two women argued for nearly an hour.
Finally, Elena had enough.
She picked up her keys.
“You need to leave.”
But Valeria grabbed her arm.
“Elena, wait.”
“Don't touch me!”
She pulled away.
Lost her balance.
And hit her head against the corner of a table.
Silence.
A horrible silence.
Blood.
So much blood.
Valeria stared in horror.
“Elena?”
No answer.
“Elena?”
Still nothing.
Panic consumed her.
“She wasn't breathing…”
PRESENT TIME
Tears suddenly appeared in Valeria's eyes.
“I didn't mean to kill her.”
Esteban couldn't believe what he was hearing.
“You expect me to feel sorry for you?”
“No.”
She smiled again.
“I expect you to understand.”
“Understand WHAT?!”
“That I did everything for love.”
“You destroyed my family!”
Her voice suddenly became sharp.
“And then I built you a new one!”
“You poisoned my son!”
“I only wanted him gone.”
The words echoed like an explosion.
Downstairs, Mateo and Mariana heard everything.
Mateo covered his mouth.
Valeria continued:
“He looked at me exactly like his mother did.”
“With fear.”
“With disgust.”
“He never accepted me.”
“He knew there was something wrong with me.”
She laughed softly.
“Children always know.”
Esteban's entire body shook with rage.
“You're a monster.”
For the first time, Valeria looked hurt.
“Monster?”
She raised the gun again.
“I gave up everything for you.”
“You murdered my wife!”
“She was an accident!”
“You poisoned my son!”
“He was ruining everything!”
Silence.
Then she whispered:
“You were finally mine.”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“And then the boy started remembering.”
She looked toward the hallway.
“He saw me that night.”
“No…”
“Yes.”
“He came downstairs while Elena and I were arguing.”
“He saw me.”
“He smelled my perfume.”
“But he was only a child.”
“So I made him doubt himself.”
The room became ice cold.
“I put medicine in his food.”
“Little by little.”
“I wanted everyone to believe he was crazy.”
“And once he was sent away…”
She smiled.
“We could finally be a family.”
A terrible silence followed.
Then—
Click.
A sound behind her.
Valeria slowly turned.
Mariana stood in the doorway.
Holding her phone.
Recording everything.
“It's over,” the nanny said.
Valeria's face turned white.
“You confessed.”
Mariana raised the screen.
“I sent everything to the police.”
Silence.
Then Valeria laughed.
A strange, broken laugh.
“You think this is over?”
Sirens suddenly echoed outside.
Police cars.
Many of them.
Red and blue lights flashed through the windows.
Valeria looked out.
Then back at Esteban.
And smiled.
“There's one thing you still don't know.”
“What?”
She lowered the gun.
“I didn't kill just one person.”
The room froze.
“What did you say?”
She laughed again.
“My first husband…”
She tilted her head.
“He also got in the way.”
Mariana's blood turned cold.
“No…”
“Oh yes.”
She looked at Esteban.
“You were never my first choice.”
Silence.
“You were my obsession.”
“But he…”
She smiled.
“He was my first victim.”
A loud bang came from downstairs.
The police had entered the house.
“Drop the weapon!” an officer shouted.
Valeria looked toward the door.
Then toward Esteban.
Then she said something no one expected.
“Do you want to know the funniest part?”
Nobody moved.
“My first husband isn't dead.”
Silence.
“He's alive.”
The entire room froze.
“He's been looking for me for three years.”
Another bang.
Police footsteps raced upstairs.
Valeria smiled one last time.
“And I think…”
She looked toward the dark hallway.
“He's finally here.”
At that exact moment—
A man's voice echoed from downstairs.
“VALERIA!”
The woman suddenly lost all color.
Her hands began to shake.
“No…”
Footsteps climbed the stairs.
Slow.
Heavy.
Then a man appeared in the doorway.
Tall.
Scar across his face.
Eyes full of hatred.
He looked directly at Valeria.
“You thought you killed me.”
Valeria stumbled backward.
“Impossible…”
The man smiled.
“No, Valeria.”
He took another step.
“This time…”
May you like
His eyes filled with tears.
“I'm the one who survived.”
FINAL CHAPTER COMING… THE TRUTH ABOUT VALERIA'S PAST WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING.
