“Isa. Open up.”
I rush to the door to find Sofia standing there, her makeup ruined again.
“Sofia.”
“You ruined everything!”
She barges inside and starts pacing around as if she’s looking for something but is not sure what it is.
Mari perks up and watches as if she just started her favorite telenovela.
“Sof, please. I didn’t—”
“Save it. I don’t want to hear it. I just want to know one thing.”
She grabs a note from her pocket, unfolds it, and holds it to my face. I take a few steps back to read it and bump into the bedpost.
Isabella will have the answer. You just need to trust her.
“So what is it then, Isa?”
I grab the note from her, inspecting it closer. It’s my father’s handwriting.
“Where did you get this?”
“Doesn’t matter. Tell me the answer.”
“Sofia, please. Where did you get this?”
“Gabriel gave it to me. He said it was a letter from Roberto to me. I didn’t believe him initially, but I have felt a lingering emptiness since our quince. Since that fight. So I thought maybe he was talking about what happened that night and why we stopped talking. So I invited you to the wedding, hoping to connect and finally get some answers.”
“So you only invited me to find out the truth?”
“At first, yes. I just needed to know. But then I realized how much I missed you and wanted you in my life. You seemed so happy and excited to be back with the family. Now I realize it was all a lie.”
“It wasn’t a lie, Sof,” I cry.
I step toward her, but she moves backward, closer to the door.
“You single-handedly managed to ruin my wedding, Isa. And you embarrassed me. Don’t even worry about giving me the rings back that you stole. You can keep them. Use them for the inv—”
“Sofia,” I chime in quickly. “I didn’t take the rings.”
“Isa, stop lying to me. And to yourself. Aren’t you tired of it at this point? Just be real for once. All I wanted was closure, but I guess I’ll never get it. Neither of us will since it seems you don’t have the answer like he said you would.”
“I’m so sorry for everything. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Rosita, or anyone.”
“Well, you did,” Sofia cries.
“I know. I fucked everything up. I’m so sorry.”
Sofia’s face crumples, and for a moment, I think she’s going to say something else, but instead, she spins on her heel, her dress swishing around her ankles. She storms out of the room, leaving a trail of silence in her wake. The door slams behind her, echoing loudly in the empty space. I stand frozen, staring at the spot where she was just moments ago.
The weight of everything presses down on me—the lies, the secrets, the guilt. I’ve destroyed her trust, shattered the fragile bond we had. My stomach churns as I replay her words in my head. She wanted closure, answers, and all I gave her was more pain.
I stand there, frozen, my breath catching in my throat. The tension in the room hasn’t lifted. It’s heavier now, because even though Sofia’s gone, my mother is still here—watching everything. She’s been standing in the corner this entire time, silent, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes piercing into me, just waiting to remind me why I should listen to her.
I don’t dare look at her, but I can feel the weight of her judgment bearing down on me. The knot in my stomach tightens, twisting into something unbearable. I want to leave. I want to run out of this room, out of this mess I’ve created, and never look back.
