CHAPTER 3: THE WOMAN THEY TRIED TO DESTROY CAME BACK WITH A PLAN
For three days, Renata disappeared from the Sandoval family’s world.
And that terrified them more than anger ever could.
Because they were used to seeing her react.
They were used to seeing her apologize.
They were used to seeing her try to fix problems she didn’t create.
But this time…
Nothing.
No calls.
No messages.
No tears.
No begging Andrés to come home.
Silence.
And silence was something the Sandovals did not know how to control.
Inside the Sandoval mansion, the atmosphere was completely different from the elegant dinner three nights earlier.
The same dining room.
The same expensive furniture.
The same crystal glasses.
But now everyone looked nervous.
“She’s bluffing,” Doña Amparo said confidently.
She sat on the sofa, drinking coffee.
“She won’t do anything.”
Andrés looked at her.
“You don’t know that.”
His mother immediately noticed his tone.
“You’re worried?”
Andrés looked away.
“No.”
But everyone could see the truth.
He was worried.
Because he had never seen Renata like this before.
For eight years, she had been predictable.
Kind.
Patient.
Forgiving.
They thought those qualities made her weak.
They were wrong.
They had confused kindness with surrender.
The first shock arrived Monday morning.
At 9:15 AM.
A letter was delivered to the Sandoval family’s lawyer.
Inside was a legal notification.
Renata had officially filed a complaint.
Not only for assault.
But also for attempted fraud.
The lawyer’s face changed as he read the documents.
“There’s a problem.”
Don Leobardo looked up.
“What problem?”
“The woman has evidence.”
The room became silent.
“What kind of evidence?” Andrés asked.
The lawyer placed several pages on the table.
“Messages. Audio recordings. Documents.”
Doña Amparo’s face turned pale.
“Impossible.”
The lawyer looked directly at her.
“It appears she has been documenting conversations for months.”
Andrés clenched his fists.
“She planned this.”
“No,” the lawyer replied.
“She protected herself.”
That sentence hurt because everyone knew it was true.
Meanwhile, Renata sat across from a legal team in a small office downtown.
She looked different.
Not because of her clothes.
Not because of her makeup.
Because something inside her had changed.
The old Renata would have been worried about what people thought.
The new Renata was focused on what was right.
Her lawyer, Sofía, placed a folder on the table.
“We need to decide our strategy.”
Renata opened it.
“What are my options?”
Sofía looked serious.
“Option one: divorce and financial protection.”
Renata nodded.
“And option two?”
Sofía paused.
“Expose everything.”
Renata looked up.
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
Sofía pushed another document toward her.
“Your husband’s family has been hiding financial problems for years.”
Renata frowned.
“What else?”
“They have used other people’s names to cover debts.”
The room became quiet.
“Other people?”
Sofía nodded.
“Employees. Business partners. Even relatives.”
Renata leaned back.
Suddenly, the apartment wasn’t just about money.
It was about a pattern.
The Sandoval family didn’t ask.
They took.
They didn’t solve problems.
They transferred them to someone else.
And for the first time, Renata understood something:
She wasn’t their victim.
She was their biggest mistake.
That afternoon, Andrés showed up at her apartment.
Renata opened the door but did not invite him in.
He looked tired.
Not guilty.
Tired.
There was a difference.
“Renata, we need to talk.”
“No.”
He stared at her.
“What?”
“You had three days to talk.”
She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
“You chose silence.”
Andrés lowered his voice.
“Do you really want to destroy our marriage?”
Renata almost smiled.
“Our marriage?”
“Yes.”
“The marriage where your family planned to steal my apartment?”
His expression changed.
“You’re exaggerating.”
“No, Andrés.”
She looked directly at him.
“You’re minimizing.”
For the first time, he had no answer.
Then he tried another approach.
“I made a mistake.”
Renata studied his face.
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Breaking a plate was a mistake.”
She stepped closer.
“But planning to take my home for months was a decision.”
Andrés became quiet.
Then he whispered:
“My family needed help.”
Renata nodded slowly.
“And I was the easiest person to sacrifice.”
His silence answered everything.
That evening, something unexpected happened.
A woman arrived at Renata’s apartment.
Someone she never expected to see.
Doña Amparo.
Her mother-in-law.
But this time…
she wasn’t arrogant.
She wasn’t smiling.
She looked frightened.
“Renata, please.”
Renata didn’t move.
“What do you want?”
Amparo looked around nervously.
“I need you to withdraw the complaint.”
Renata laughed softly.
Of all the things she expected…
an apology was not one of them.
“You came here to apologize?”
Amparo avoided her eyes.
“No.”
There it was.
The truth.
“I came because you don’t understand what will happen if you continue.”
Renata’s expression hardened.
“Is that a threat?”
“No.”
Amparo lowered her voice.
“It’s a warning.”
“From who?”
Amparo hesitated.
Then said something that shocked her.
“From Andrés.”
Renata froze.
“What?”
Her mother-in-law looked terrified.
“My son is not the person you think he is.”
The words were strange coming from her.
“You protected him.”
“I protected my family.”
“And now?”
Amparo looked down.
“Now I’m afraid of what he might do.”
Before Renata could ask more…
Amparo took out an old envelope.
“I found this in his office.”
Renata opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
A photograph of Andrés with another woman.
But that wasn’t the shocking part.
Behind the photo was a handwritten note:
“When Renata signs over the apartment, everything will finally belong to us.”
Renata stared at the words.
“Who is she?”
Amparo looked at her.
And whispered:
“Your husband’s first wife.”
Renata felt the world stop.
“First wife?”
Amparo nodded.
“Andrés never told you because their divorce was never completed.”
The silence that followed was terrifying.
Eight years of marriage.
Eight years of believing she was his wife.
Eight years…
and maybe she wasn’t.
That night, Renata discovered the truth.
And it was worse than she imagined.
Andrés had not only tried to steal her apartment.
He had built their entire marriage on a lie.
But the biggest secret was still hidden.
Because the woman in the photograph…
was not just Andrés’ past.
She was the person who had been helping him plan everything from the beginning.
And when Renata finally discovered who she was…
May you like
she realized the Sandoval family’s betrayal was much bigger than she ever imagined.
TO BE CONTINUED…
