Chapter 1: The Day They Chose to Corner Me
On my wedding day, my fiancé stepped into the venue with his brother's pregnant widow in his arms and, in front of nearly 200 guests, told me:
"I'll marry you only if you agree to let her and her child live with us."
For a few seconds, I thought I had heard him wrong.
I was standing in front of the makeshift altar at a hotel in Polanco, wearing the dress my grandfather had commissioned before he died, while the entire Alcázar family occupied the front rows.
Behind Santiago stood Renata, his sister-in-law, nearly eight months pregnant, with one hand resting on her belly.
Santiago's mother lowered her eyes.
His father, Ernesto, sat rigidly in his chair.
No one seemed genuinely surprised.
That hurt the most.
This wasn't a last-minute idea.
They had discussed it.
They had decided it.
And they had waited until my wedding day to corner me.
Santiago moved closer.
"Renata was left alone when Rodrigo died.
She's family.
I'm going to take responsibility for her and the baby.
If you're going to be my wife, you have to accept it."
"And if I don't?"
He frowned as if my question were ridiculous.
"Then there's no wedding."
Murmurs spread throughout the room.
I didn't cry.
I didn't beg him.
I carefully removed my veil and handed it to my assistant, Mariana.
"Then there's no wedding."
Santiago's expression changed.
"Valeria, don't make a scene."
"You're the one who walked in here with a pregnant woman and gave me an ultimatum in front of everyone."
I turned to Mariana.
"Cancel the agreements between Montemayor Group and Alcázar Corporation.
Also stop the credit guarantees and recover any assets that were transferred as part of the marriage alliance."
Renata stopped smiling.
Teresa, Santiago's mother, rose to her feet furiously.
"You're destroying our family over a tantrum!"
I looked at her calmly.
"Your company was already on the verge of bankruptcy before I ever came into the picture.
Don't blame me because your son decided to kick away the only thing keeping you afloat."
Santiago clenched his fists.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No.
A threat only exists when there's still something left to negotiate."
Then I looked at Renata's stomach.
"Although there is something I'd like to understand."
She tensed.
"Rodrigo died exactly one year ago, right?"
Nobody answered.
"Then how is his widow nearly eight months pregnant?"
The entire room went silent.
Santiago rushed to speak.
"Don't you dare drag our relationship into this!
I'm only protecting my brother's wife."
"Our relationship?"
He repeated the words far too late.
Several guests raised their phones.
Renata grabbed his arm.
"Do something!
You promised that once you married her, everything would belong to us!"
Santiago turned toward her, his face going pale.
"Shut up."
But it was already too late.
He couldn't take those words back.
Mariana approached me with her phone in her hand.
"Valeria, the bank has responded.
Without Montemayor Group's guarantee, the Alcázars will default on their payments by Monday."
Ernesto nearly collapsed.
Then Mariana added something even worse.
"We also found transfers from our investment into a private company.
Fifteen million dollars."
"Under whose name?"
Mariana looked directly at Renata.
"Hers."
At that moment, I understood that this wasn't just about humiliating me.
They wanted me to marry Santiago, use my money, and bring his pregnant mistress into my own home.
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But before I could say another word, Mariana showed me another document.
And what I saw made me realize that the scandal at my wedding was only the beginning.
