Chapter 1
There were exactly fifteen minutes left before the wedding march was set to begin.
The hacienda, located just outside Cuernavaca, looked absolutely breathtaking.
It was one of those magnificent colonial estates surrounded by blooming bougainvillea, ancient stone fountains, and elegant gardens that made fairy tales seem real.
Hundreds of warm string lights hung from the trees.
A gentle breeze drifted through the courtyard.
Everything looked perfect.
Perhaps...
Too perfect.
Inside the bridal suite...
Carmen stood alone for a brief moment.
Long enough to feel the overwhelming weight of what was about to change her life forever.
She gently ran her hands over the fabric of her wedding gown.
It was a simple design—
without the extravagant details her fiancé's family had insisted on.
It was exactly the dress she wanted.
Exactly the kind her late grandmother would have loved.
The earrings she wore had belonged to her grandmother.
She always used to say,
"A marriage isn't built on wealth or family names... it's built on respect."
At that moment...
Carmen still believed those words with all her heart.
Her hands were ice cold.
It wasn't ordinary bridal nervousness.
It was something darker.
A strange feeling deep inside her stomach...
A warning she couldn't explain.
Suddenly...
The heavy wooden door burst open.
Valeria, her best friend and maid of honor, rushed inside without knocking.
The instant Carmen saw her face...
She knew.
Something was terribly wrong.
Valeria's face had turned ghostly pale.
Her eyes darted nervously around the room.
"Carmen..."
"You need to come with me."
"Right now."
Her voice trembled.
She offered no explanation.
Carmen didn't ask for one.
She lifted the skirt of her gown...
Took a slow breath...
And followed her.
The walk from the bridal suite to the main garden felt endless.
Every step across the old stone pathway seemed unusually heavy...
As though part of her soul already knew what she was about to discover.
When they reached the reception area...
The guests were still enjoying cocktails.
Waiters hurried between the tables, making final adjustments.
At first glance...
Everything appeared perfectly normal.
Then...
Valeria silently pointed toward the head table.
Carmen slowly walked closer.
She began reading the elegant handwritten name cards.
To the right of Alejandro's seat...
Were the names of his parents—
Don Arturo and Doña Elena.
Next came his sister...
His brother-in-law...
Two uncles...
And several cousins.
Nine reserved seats.
Nine places of honor.
Each one decorated with lavish floral arrangements...
Crystal glassware...
And embroidered linens.
Carmen's heart stopped.
She searched again.
More slowly this time.
Surely...
There had to be a mistake.
Perhaps the wedding planners had mixed up the seating chart.
But they hadn't.
Her parents' names...
Were nowhere to be found.
The warm Cuernavaca air suddenly became impossibly heavy.
She struggled to breathe.
Frantically scanning the garden...
She finally found them.
Two lonely chairs.
Simple folding chairs.
Placed near the very back of the venue...
Right beside the service entrance where waiters carried trays in and out of the kitchen.
There were no flowers.
No elegant tablecloth.
No decorations.
Just an isolated corner...
Hidden away from the celebration.
Someone hadn't forgotten her parents.
Someone had deliberately decided...
May you like
To hide them.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
