Rafael ran. His confident strides crossed the corridor in seconds, unconsciously kicking rose petals and shards of glass. He knelt beside his mother, his trembling hands gently stroking his injured face.
“Mom, my God, what has he done to you? How did we get here?” Rafael asked, his heart broken. “How could a friend who seemed so perfect hide such cruelty?”
To understand this months-long farce, we must return to the beginning, when Bárbara seemed, at least in Rafael’s eyes, to be the ideal daughter-in-law. Rafael Álvarez’s life was always characterized by two absolute certainties: an unconditional love for his mother, Doña Marta, and a deep gratitude for the sacrifice she made in raising him alone.
After her father’s death, when Rafael was only twelve years old, Doña Marta worked tirelessly as a seamstress, ironer, and even as a domestic servant for private families. All this to ensure her son received an education and future prospects. “My son will succeed,” she said with the unwavering faith typical of a mother. And Rafael did not disappoint her.
With a degree in business administration, he built his own business empire and, by the age of 35, owned one of the city’s largest technology companies. But success never went to his head. He brought Doña Marta to the estate he had bought, gave her all the comforts she had never known, and never forgot the nights when her mother wept silently, worrying about how she would pay the bills.
Even on her estate, Doña Marta remained the same humble woman as before. She rose early to pray, volunteered at the local church, and treated everyone with the same kindness and respect, from the driver to the businessmen who visited Rafael. She wore simple clothes, cared little for expensive jewelry, and her greatest joy was seeing her son happy.
Marina was practically part of the family. The daughter of Doña Célia, the housekeeper who had worked at the mansion since Rafael bought it, Marina had played with him since childhood. Now, at 28, she was a nurse in a public hospital, caring for the poorest patients with a compassion reminiscent of Doña Marta.
Marina had soft brown eyes, brown hair tied back in a practical ponytail, and a smile that lit up any room. She and Rafael shared a deep friendship built on years of mutual trust and affection.
Rafael met Bárbara Mendoza at a charity gala. The 32-year-old ran a luxury boutique in the city’s most exclusive district and immediately caught his attention. Bárbara was stunning: blonde, tall, always impeccably dressed, with perfect nails and flawless makeup. She spoke three languages, knew all the great vintages, and frequented the most fashionable restaurants. For Rafael, who had always been discreet and absorbed in his business, Bárbara seemed to bring the glamour that was missing from his life.
When they first met, Barbara whispered in Rafael’s ear, her blue eyes sparkling with a gleam he interpreted as admiration, but which was actually pure ambition. Their idyllic romance was swift and intense. Barbara was caring, loving, and above all, seemed to idolize Doña Marta from the very beginning.
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