And Renata had a scalpel next to her skin.
A sound escaped his throat. It wasn't a full scream. It was barely a broken, harsh, almost animalistic moan.
But everyone heard it.
Mateo turned his head.
-Mother!
Renata froze.
For 1 second, the woman who had planned her death ceased to be the elegant sister, the weeping victim, the worried aunt.
She became what she had always been inside: someone consumed by envy.
"No," he whispered. "You can't wake up."
The police officer seized the opportunity and lunged at her. Another officer pulled Mateo away from the scalpel. Attorney Gálvez shielded him with her body while Sergio tried to run for the door.
He didn't arrive.
An officer slammed him against the wall and twisted his arm.
—You are under arrest.
"This is a mistake!" Sergio shouted. "She forced me!"
Renata, on the floor, handcuffed, let out a broken laugh.
—How brave you are now. In the kitchen you weren't trembling when you said that if Valeria died, you would finally stop living in her shadow.
Sergio glared at her with hatred.
—You wanted his money even before I showed up.
"Because she always had everything!" Renata shrieked. "The house, the company, the clean name, the proud mother, the perfect son. Everything!"
Valeria tried to speak.
His throat hurt. His tongue felt dry and heavy, as if it didn't belong to him.
The doctor rushed in with nurses.
—Mrs. Valeria, don't strain yourself. Blink if you can understand me.
Valeria blinked.
Mateo burst into tears and wanted to approach, but Gálvez gently stopped him.
—Give him space, my love. He's back.
He's back.
Those two words made Valeria cry for the first time.
Tears trickled down to her temples, silent, hot, unstoppable.
For 12 days everyone had talked about her as if she were already an object. A formality. A bank account on life support.
But Matthew never buried her.
Her son waited for her.
