CHAPTER 2 The Baby Was Never Supposed to Be Yours
"The baby… was never supposed to be yours."
The words echoed through the hallway like a gunshot.
Valeria stared at her mother-in-law in disbelief.
Her lips trembled.
"What… did you just say?"
Another painful contraction tore through her body.
She cried out, clutching her stomach.
But the pain in her heart was even worse.
Alejandro ran toward her.
"She needs a hospital right now."
"Not yet," Graciela snapped.
"Mother, she's bleeding!"
"I said not yet!"
For the first time in years, Alejandro looked afraid of his own mother.
Valeria's eyes darted between them.
"What are you talking about?" she whispered. "What do you mean the baby isn't mine?"
Graciela crossed her arms.
"You were never supposed to become pregnant."
"What?"
"You couldn't have children."
Valeria's face turned white.
"No… that's impossible."
"Is it?" Graciela said coldly. "Remember two years ago? The doctor who told you that conceiving naturally would be almost impossible?"
A memory suddenly returned.
The doctor's office.
The tests.
The devastating diagnosis.
A hormonal disorder.
A very small chance of becoming pregnant.
Valeria had cried for weeks.
But then, six months later, a miracle happened.
She conceived naturally.
Or at least…
That was what she believed.
"You…" Valeria's voice shook. "You know about my medical records?"
Graciela remained silent.
And that silence was enough.
A terrible realization crept into Valeria's mind.
"You were spying on me."
Alejandro closed his eyes.
As if he could no longer bear listening.
Suddenly, another contraction hit.
Valeria screamed.
The baby kicked violently.
Alejandro immediately knelt beside her.
"We're leaving. Right now."
But Graciela blocked his way.
"No."
He stared at her.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"You don't understand."
"No, Mother. I understand perfectly."
His voice was trembling.
"You've gone too far."
For the first time, Graciela looked uncertain.
Then she glanced at Valeria.
And whispered:
"If she gives birth… everything changes."
"What changes?" Valeria cried.
Neither of them answered.
"What are you hiding from me?"
Alejandro stood up.
He looked at his mother with anger and disappointment.
"Tell her."
"No."
"Tell her!"
"No!"
The scream echoed through the mansion.
Then—
The front door suddenly opened.
"Santiago!"
Valeria's eyes filled with tears.
Her husband rushed inside carrying several folders.
He froze the moment he saw the blood.
The world seemed to stop.
"VALERIA!"
He dropped everything and ran toward her.
"Oh my God… what happened?"
She grabbed his hand.
Her fingers were icy.
"Santi… our baby…"
His face turned pale.
"Call an ambulance!" he shouted.
"No!" Graciela yelled.
He looked at his mother in shock.
"No?"
"You need to calm down."
"Calm down? She's dying!"
"Think about the family."
For several seconds, Santiago simply stared at her.
Then something inside him broke.
"You care more about the family name than my wife?"
Graciela's expression hardened.
"That child changes everything."
"What are you talking about?"
Silence.
Then Alejandro spoke.
"The documents."
Santiago froze.
A strange look crossed his face.
"What documents?" Valeria asked.
Nobody answered.
Her breathing became rapid.
She suddenly realized something terrifying.
Everyone in this room knew something.
Everyone except her.
"Santiago…"
He couldn't look at her.
"Look at me."
He didn't.
"LOOK AT ME!"
Finally, he did.
And for the first time since they met…
She saw guilt in his eyes.
A deep, unbearable guilt.
Her heart stopped.
"No…"
Tears filled her eyes.
"No, no, no…"
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
The words shattered her.
"What did you do?"
Santiago swallowed hard.
"The day we got married… my grandfather changed his will."
The room became silent.
"He left half of the family company… to my first child."
Valeria blinked.
She didn't understand.
"So?"
Alejandro looked away.
"So if your daughter is born…" he said softly, "she becomes one of the main heirs to the Montes fortune."
Everything suddenly clicked.
The strange comments.
The obsession with the baby.
The hatred.
The fear.
This wasn't about love.
This wasn't about family.
It was about money.
Millions of dollars.
Perhaps hundreds of millions.
Graciela took a step forward.
"You don't understand what that inheritance means."
"I don't care about your inheritance!" Valeria cried.
"But other people do."
She looked at her mother-in-law.
And then…
She understood.
"You wanted my baby."
Graciela said nothing.
"You wanted me out of the picture."
Still silence.
Tears rolled down Valeria's face.
"Oh my God…"
Santiago looked horrified.
"Mother… tell me she's wrong."
Graciela's eyes slowly filled with tears.
But they weren't tears of regret.
They were tears of defeat.
"I only wanted to protect this family."
"By letting my wife die?" Santiago shouted.
"I was trying to save everything your grandfather built!"
At that moment, another voice suddenly came from the entrance.
"And by killing an innocent woman?"
Everyone turned.
A woman stood in the doorway.
Elegant.
Around sixty years old.
Holding a folder in her hand.
The color drained from Graciela's face.
"No…" she whispered.
Valeria frowned.
She had never seen this woman before.
But Santiago had.
And he looked as though he had seen a ghost.
"Aunt Isabel?"
The woman slowly stepped forward.
"Hello, Santiago."
She looked directly at Graciela.
"It seems your secrets are finally catching up with you."
Graciela began trembling.
"You… you're supposed to be in Spain."
"I came back because I learned what you were planning."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then Isabel looked at Valeria.
And said the words that changed everything:
"You deserve to know the truth."
"What truth?" Valeria whispered.
The older woman opened the folder.
Inside were several documents.
Medical records.
Birth certificates.
DNA reports.
Then she looked at Graciela.
And said:
"Tell them the truth… or I will."
A tear rolled down Graciela's cheek.
Finally…
She whispered:
"If that child is born… everyone will discover that Santiago is not the real heir to the Montes family."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Valeria's eyes widened.
Santiago's face turned white.
Alejandro took a step backward.
And Aunt Isabel slowly closed her eyes.
Because the biggest secret of the Montes family…
May you like
Had finally been exposed.
To Be Continued…
