CHAPTER 2 — The Secret Behind Rodrigo’s Success
Rodrigo Rivas stood frozen in the hospital room.
For the first time in years, he had no answer.
No arrogant smile.
No cruel comment.
No excuse.
Because the woman lying in front of him—the woman he had spent three years humiliating—had just revealed something impossible.
The company that made him powerful…
The company that gave him his luxury car, his expensive suits, his reputation…
Belonged to her.
“No,” Rodrigo whispered.
Then he laughed.
A nervous laugh.
A desperate attempt to convince himself that Lucía was bluffing.
“This is ridiculous.”
He looked at his mother.
“Mom, she’s trying to scare us.”
Doña Graciela immediately nodded.
“Of course she is. She’s always been jealous of your success.”
Lucía looked at them both.
Jealous?
That word almost made her laugh.
For years, Rodrigo had come home celebrating his achievements.
“I closed another million-dollar deal.”
“I saved the company from disaster.”
“The executives respect me.”
And every time, Lucía smiled.
She prepared his favorite dinner.
She listened.
She supported him.
She never once said:
“That company exists because I built it.”
Because she wanted to believe love was stronger than money.
She wanted to believe Rodrigo loved the woman, not the status.
But now she understood.
He never saw a wife.
He saw an employee.
Someone who cooked.
Someone who cleaned.
Someone who stayed silent.
Until she stopped.
The next morning, something strange happened inside Grupo Altavista.
At exactly 8:00 a.m., every department director received the same message.
URGENT BOARD ORDER: INTERNAL AUDIT INITIATED.
Nobody knew why.
But everyone knew who requested it.
Lucía Mendoza.
The name alone made several executives nervous.
Because there was a legend inside the company.
A story about a young entrepreneur who built an empire from nothing.
A woman who invested her entire inheritance into a small appliance distribution company.
A woman who worked eighteen-hour days.
A woman who disappeared from public life after getting married.
Her identity had always been protected.
Only a few people knew the truth.
And one of them was Ernesto Duarte.
The CEO.
When Rodrigo arrived at his office that morning, he expected everyone to greet him normally.
But something was different.
The assistants avoided eye contact.
The managers whispered.
The atmosphere felt heavy.
He walked into his office and found Ernesto waiting.
“Good morning, Rodrigo.”
Rodrigo smiled confidently.
“Ernesto. I heard about the audit.”
“Yes.”
“Some misunderstanding caused by my wife.”
Ernesto didn’t react.
“Your wife?”
Rodrigo frowned.
“Yes. Lucía Mendoza.”
Ernesto slowly placed a folder on the desk.
“Mr. Rivas…”
His voice became colder.
“Do you know who Lucía Mendoza is?”
Rodrigo laughed.
“Of course. She’s my wife.”
“No.”
Ernesto opened the folder.
“She is the founder of Grupo Altavista.”
Silence.
Rodrigo looked down.
Inside were documents.
Contracts.
Shareholder agreements.
Trust papers.
And one name repeated everywhere.
Lucía Mendoza.
His hands started shaking.
“No…”
Ernesto continued.
“She created this company eight years ago.”
“She built the first warehouses.”
“She personally negotiated the first international contracts.”
“She appointed me CEO when she decided to step away.”
Rodrigo’s face turned pale.
“But she owns a bakery.”
Ernesto looked at him.
“The bakery is her hobby.”
A pause.
“Grupo Altavista is her legacy.”
Rodrigo sat down.
His entire reality collapsed.
Suddenly, every memory looked different.
The expensive apartment.
The vacations.
The opportunities.
The promotions.
He had always believed he was talented.
That he was special.
That he was the reason the company grew.
But now he understood.
He wasn’t the creator.
He was just the person standing in front of the building.
Taking credit for the person who built it.
“How much do I own?” Rodrigo asked quietly.
Ernesto stared at him.
“Nothing.”
Rodrigo looked up.
“What?”
“Your shares were performance-based.”
Ernesto opened another document.
“And according to your contract, if you commit fraud, abuse your executive position, or damage the company’s reputation…”
He paused.
“Your position can be terminated immediately.”
Rodrigo’s heart sank.
“What fraud?”
Ernesto didn’t answer.
He simply pushed another file across the table.
Rodrigo opened it.
His expression changed.
Inside were records of suspicious payments.
Unknown suppliers.
Fake consulting companies.
Money transfers.
Millions of pesos.
His name appeared repeatedly.
“No…”
Ernesto watched him carefully.
“You thought the audit was about your marriage.”
He leaned forward.
“It’s about what you did when you believed nobody was watching.”
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Lucía looked through the window.
She wasn’t celebrating.
She wasn’t happy.
Because revenge was not what she wanted.
She wanted respect.
She wanted the man she loved to choose her even when she had nothing to offer.
But Rodrigo had failed the simplest test.
Kindness.
The nurse entered with a cup of coffee.
“You seem very calm.”
Lucía smiled slightly.
“I spent three years proving my love.”
She looked at her cast.
“Now I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving my value to myself.”
The nurse smiled.
“You know… many people would destroy him after what he did.”
Lucía looked away.
“I don’t need to destroy him.”
A pause.
“I just need to stop protecting him.”
That afternoon, Rodrigo arrived at the hospital again.
But this time…
He was different.
No arrogance.
No confidence.
No expensive smile.
He looked scared.
“Lucía.”
She didn’t answer.
“I need to talk.”
“No.”
His eyes filled with anger.
Then desperation.
“Please.”
She finally looked at him.
“What happened?”
Rodrigo swallowed.
“The board suspended me.”
Lucía remained silent.
“They’re investigating everything.”
Still silent.
“I lost my position.”
Lucía looked at him calmly.
“And now you understand how it feels to lose everything?”
Rodrigo stepped closer.
“You knew this would happen.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Lucía looked at him.
“Because I wanted to know if you loved me when you thought I had nothing.”
Those words destroyed him.
For the first time…
Rodrigo had no defense.
But before he could apologize, Lucía’s phone rang.
It was her lawyer.
She answered.
Her face changed.
“What?”
A long silence.
“Are you sure?”
Rodrigo watched her.
“What happened?”
Lucía slowly lowered the phone.
Her eyes were no longer angry.
They were shocked.
“My lawyer found something.”
“What?”
She looked at Rodrigo.
“Someone has been secretly transferring money from Aurora Capital.”
Rodrigo froze.
Aurora Capital.
The trust that protected her shares.
The one thing nobody should have been able to touch.
Lucía whispered:
“Someone inside my company has been stealing from me.”
Then she looked directly at Rodrigo.
“And the first transfer happened three months after our wedding.”
Rodrigo’s face went pale.
Because suddenly…
This was no longer just a story about a cruel husband.
It was a story about betrayal.
A betrayal that started long before the hospital.
And the person behind it…
May you like
Was someone Lucía trusted with her entire life.
TO BE CONTINUED… ❤️📖
