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The Substitute's Silence

Episode 1

Hello, my name is Safira Martinez, I am 20 years old and I live with my mother Luciene and my twin sister Samira. I don't live, I simply exist, because everything in my life is a true martyrdom. My mother doesn't love me and doesn't like me at all; her love and dedication are all directed towards Samira. I have a small speech problem, I can't speak. I'm not mute, if that's what you're thinking.

When I was a child, at 6 years old, I suffered a great trauma and since then I haven't spoken. I saw something very horrible and it destabilized me in such a way that after that day when my father passed away, I couldn't speak.

My mother is a very difficult person, and she got worse after Dad was gone. She went crazy, at least with me. When I was a child, she would burn me with the tip of the cigarette she smoked. That hurt my heart so much, and she did even worse things to me. Once, she put me in the same room as her and a man. That was too much for me, a child seeing everything they were doing, and on top of that, that disgusting man touched me and made me do things I don't even like to remember.

From that day on, I've been afraid of men. I can't be touched by the male sex, not even a handshake. My clothes are as covered as possible, showing no part of my body, always with loose blouses and baggy pants. I like to cover my arms to hide the marks from the razor blade my sister made on me.

They are so cruel that one day, fed up with it all, I tried to commit suicide. I cut my wrist and only didn't die because a neighbor came to our house and ended up seeing me lying on the floor and called an ambulance. My life is worthless. At least I finished my studies with great difficulty.

For 6 months I've been working in the kitchen of a diner that, thank God, only has women. The only man is the owner, Mr. Augusto, and he only comes to the diner twice a week. I only stay in the kitchen, and my mother and sister take all my salary, leaving me with nothing. My mother says it's to cover the household expenses.

Katia: What's wrong with you today, Safi? You're so distracted.

I shake my head that it's nothing.

Katia: You can tell me, I'm your friend.

I take the notepad I always carry in my pocket and write for her to read.

Safira: It's nothing, just thinking about my life.

Katia: I understand. I've already told you, if you want to leave your house and come live with me, the doors are open for you.

I take the notepad.

Safira: Thank you, there's no need. I can take it a little longer.

Katia: Don't do anything foolish again.

She runs her hand over the scar on my wrist.

I shake my head no, because next time I'll throw myself off a bridge so no one will stop me, and here in Madrid, there are several.

On the other side of Madrid.

My name is Alejandro Torreto, I am the CEO of Torreto factories in Spain. I currently live with my father in our house here in Madrid. Our largest factory is here. I am 32 years old, and the Torreto family's reputation is not good. We are businessmen, and as long as I can remember, my father has run the Torreto factories with an iron fist. We are highly respected here, and because we are difficult people to deal with, some rumors have arisen about our family being ruthless and cold, sometimes even cruel, but that's our job.

Pablo: Son, we need to talk!

Alejandro: Sit down, Dad. What happened?

Pablo: You need to get married.

Alejandro: Dad, we've already talked about this. I don't want to get married.

Pablo: You have no choice, and the deadline is up. The contract is ending, and I won't lose this chance to get revenge on her.

Alejandro: You're throwing me into a revenge that is yours, marrying me off to some random woman.

Pablo: I'm going to take a daughter from her, and she will regret what she did to me. The contract was signed by the girl's father because they were drowning in debt. I bought their daughter's life, and I'm going to take it.

Alejandro: You want me to get married, okay, I'll get married. Only on paper. I don't want to know about this girl. I don't know what you'll do with her, I don't care. Just leave her there. I don't want to see her face, spare me, please.

Pablo: Okay, I'll arrange it.

He gets up and leaves.

This revenge is still going to cost me dearly. I don't want to get married. I don't want a wife. I live very well with my flings; I don't need a woman nagging me.

I don't know what my father has in his head. He can't forget that damned woman and wants to torture the girl. I'm honestly out of this.

I know that to inherit the entire Torreto fortune, I have to get married. This passes from father to son. It was like that with my grandfather, with my father, and now with me.

I just won't tolerate this for long. I want this woman out of my life as soon as possible. It will only be for 1 year, and then goodbye.

Episode 2

Safira.

I leave work and get on the bus. At first, the bus is empty, but as it makes more stops, more people get on, and a man stops next to me. I know it's my paranoia, but I can't stay there any longer, so I get off at the next stop. I know I'm still far from home, but that was suffocating me. I can't explain what I feel, an endless phobia. I start to tremble and break out in a cold sweat, then it feels like the air is getting scarcer and scarcer, and I have to run.

It's late afternoon, and as I walk, I breathe a sigh of relief. It took a while, and I arrived home. I hear my mother talking to Samira.

Luciene: And now Samira, what are we going to do?

Samira: Calm down, Mom, we'll sort this out.

Luciene: You don't understand, he wants revenge.

I reach the door, and she stops talking. She looks at me and says.

Luciene: It's going to be you.

I say in sign language.

Safira: Me.

Luciene: You, you're going to take your sister's place.

I make signs.

Safira: My sister's place for what?

Luciene: You're going to get married, get married to him.

I make signs.

Safira: Marry? I'm not marrying anyone.

She comes close to me and slaps my face.

Luciene: Yes, you will.

I shake my head no. I'm not marrying anyone; she really wants to see me die. Before that, I'd throw myself from anywhere, but marry, no. She pushes me, and I fall sitting on the sofa. There's a pair of scissors on the lamp table, so she grabs the scissors and uses the tip to cut me.

Luciene: Yes, you will marry. You'll take your sister's place. You'll be Samira, and you won't say a word, or I'll cut your tongue out myself since it's good for nothing. Did you hear? You'll be the substitute bride. You're twins; he won't even remember. And woe to you if you write anything, I'll kill you myself, and you won't have to do it yourself.

At that moment, tears roll down my eyes. Besides the pain I'm feeling in the palm of my hand from her cutting it, my heart is shattered.

The doorbell rings.

Luciene: We've talked. Not a word... oh, I forgot, you don't speak.

I hide my hand, pressing it against my sweater to stop the blood, and she goes to open the door.

Pablo: Good evening.

Luciene: Good evening, Mr. Torreto.

Pablo: No formalities, Luciene.

Luciene: Come in.

The man enters with two more large, strong men behind him, and I shiver all over.

Pablo: It's been a while.

Luciene: These are my daughters.

She points to me.

Luciene: Samira and Safira.

Pablo: I see Samira has grown.

He looks at me.

Luciene: Please leave my daughter in peace.

I look at her, astonished.

Pablo: We have an agreement. Your husband gave her life to me.

Luciene: My daughters are everything to me. You can't take her.

He takes a step forward, and I immediately move from where I was, standing behind the sofa.

Pablo: You think I'm a man who doesn't keep his word? I'm taking her whether you like it or not.

I shake my head, tears in my eyes. This is all an act. She doesn't like me. She's passed me off as Samira, and what does she want with this?

Luciene: Please don't hurt her, I beg you.

Meanwhile, Samira watches everything without saying a word.

Pablo: What I do with her from now on is my business. Get her.

They come to get me, and I try to run, which is futile. I try to break free and bite one of the men.

Pablo: Don't do that, girl.

My mother comes and steps in front of the man.

Luciene: Don't do anything to her.

Pablo: Get your filthy hands off me.

I see my mother with tears in her eyes. What does she intend with all this? My panic starts to set in. I'm sweating cold, my heart is racing, two men holding me, one on each side. I struggle, trying to make them let me go.

Pablo: Knock her out.

Luciene: No.

My breath is already trapped in my chest, my hand is bleeding, my eyes are welled up with tears. How could she do this to me, handing me over to this man as Samira? Why? I feel them place a cloth over my mouth with a strong smell. I no longer have the strength to fight. The urge to scream is so strong, but no sound comes from my mouth. I go limp, and the last thing I see, thrown over this man's shoulder, is my mother's happy smile.

Pablo.

That woman still tried to stop me from taking her precious daughter. I had to knock the girl out. I confess, she's quite brave and fought fiercely, but she's no match for me. They grab a suitcase, which probably contains her clothes. My lawyer called and informed them we were coming to get her.

We get into the car, and they lay her down on the seat. I notice her hand is bleeding from a cut. Did she hurt herself when she was trying to escape?

I see her sleeping and move a strand of hair that was covering her face. The little devil is as beautiful as her mother. And what are these clothes?

We leave there and go straight home. My security guards carry her to the guest room, and I ask a maid to take care of her hand. I don't want it to get infected, and so the maid does, she takes care of her hand.

I ask for the room to be locked and go to have a drink.

Alejandro: Father.

Pablo: Hi son, have a drink with your old father.

I offer him a drink.

Pablo: She's already here.

Alejandro: Who?

Pablo: Your wife. She's in the guest room.

Alejandro: I don't want to see her. Give her the contract and ask her to sign it. I don't want to see that woman's face.

Pablo: Are you sure, son? She's a beautiful woman.

Alejandro: She's probably worthless like her mother, so spare me, Father.

Pablo: It's up to you.

And we stayed there, father and son, drinking that drink in silence.

Episode 3

Safira.

I wake up and feel I'm in a soft bed. I sit up and bring my hand to my head; it's exploding. I realize my hand has a bandage on it. I look at it, and when I look ahead, there's a gentleman sitting in the chair in the corner. I cover myself and lean against the corner of the bed, scared, looking around me for the door.

Pablo: Finally, you're awake, Samira.

He calls me by my sister's name, and I look at him.

Pablo: Do you know why you're here?

He asks me a question, and I shake my head no.

Pablo: Well, a long time ago, your father was drowning in debt, and since I was an acquaintance of his, he asked me for a loan. As he had no collateral to give me, he gave me your life in exchange for the sum. We made a contract: he would pay me back the money, and I would tear up the contract.

My father wouldn't have had the courage. How could he do such a thing?

Pablo: But it didn't happen as he wanted. He couldn't pay me and, unfortunately, passed away. So you must be wondering why you're in this bed? Don't worry, I'll tell you.

My hands are already sweaty, my heart is racing, and I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just from being locked in this room with this man. Those images from when I was a child start to come like flashes in my head.

Pablo: You belong to me. Your life is mine. I can do whatever I want with you.

He pushes back from the chair, and I go into total panic. He's going to do that to me, like that man forced me to do when I was a child.

Pablo.

When he starts to, I don't know, try to take off his tie, I get desperate. I jump over the bed and open the door, bumping into a man in the hallway and falling on my butt on the floor.

James: Miss, are you alright?

He extends his hand to me. Another man. There are two of them, and at the end of the hallway, I see another one coming towards me.

Alejandro: Hey, girl.

I have no doubt. I get up, stumbling a few times, and start running. The man who shouted at me speaks.

Alejandro: Stop.

I look at him, and when I turn to see where I'm going, it's a staircase. I just feel the impact of the steps on my body as I tumble down the stairs.

When I stop rolling, I feel like someone has hammered my entire body. The same man who told me to stop kneels beside me. My breathing starts to fail.

Alejandro: Hey, are you okay?

I can't breathe. I want to get out of here, I want to scream, I don't want them to touch me. A tear rolls from my eyes. God, why do I have to suffer so much? End this once and for all. I just can't take it anymore.

My vision is getting dark, my head hurts, everything hurts. Then I end up losing consciousness, and a black hole consumes me.

Alejandro.

It's already early morning. I get up and go to my bathroom to take a shower. I get ready and go out into the bedroom hallway. The bedroom hallway here at home is large because there are 5 rooms in total: mine, my father's, my younger brother Bernardo's, who is studying at a boarding school and only comes home on Fridays, and the others are for guests.

As I go out into the hallway, I see James and the girl fallen on the floor, so I speak.

Alejandro: Hey, girl.

She gets scared and tries to get up and run simultaneously. With difficulty, she manages and bolts off. When I realize she's heading for the stairs, I shout.

Alejandro: Stop.

But it's too late. She looks at me, and when she turns forward, I only hear the sound of her body hitting the ground. My father is already out of his room with James.

Alejandro: She fell down the stairs.

I run out and go down the stairs and see her lying on the floor, her eyebrow bleeding.

Alejandro: Hey, are you okay?

I look at her face and see a tear roll from her eyes. That squeezes my chest, and she faints.

My father comes down the stairs with James, who is already on the phone asking for help.

Alejandro: Dad, what did you do?

Pablo: Nothing. I said a few words, I just wanted to scare her.

Alejandro: Look what happened, Dad. Regardless of everything, she's a human being. And if she dies, where does that leave us?

James: Sir, I've already called Dr. Leonardo; he's on his way. What should we do? Move her from here?

Alejandro: Don't touch her. Who knows if she broke something; that could make it worse. Let Leonardo arrive.

James: Yes, sir.

Leonardo enters through the living room door and spots her on the floor.

Leonardo: What happened?

Alejandro: She fell down the stairs.

He kneels beside her and checks if she has any broken bones.

Leonardo: I'm going to call an ambulance. We'll have to take her to the hospital. If she hit her head, we have to check. Apparently, she hasn't broken anything. We'll take her to the hospital for tests.

Leonardo lifts her sleeve to check her pulse, and I see a mark on her wrist. He looks at us, not understanding.

Leonardo: Who is she?

Pablo: Alejandro's wife.

I look at my father.

Leonardo: Did she fall down the stairs accidentally or intentionally?

Alejandro: What kind of question is that, Leo?

Leonardo: It seems you don't know your wife very well. I hope to God I'm wrong, but this mark is from someone who has attempted suicide.

Alejandro: What?

Pablo: It can't be!

Leonardo: I hope not.

The ambulance arrives, and she is taken to the hospital, and we go by car.

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