THE TWO FACES OF THE COIN. A SECOND CHANCE TO AVENGE MYSELF.

PROTAGONIST: ANTONELLA BERNAL

PROTAGONIST: CAMILO CIENFUEGOS

VILLAIN: PALOMA VALENCIA

VILLAIN: DREINER BALLESTEROS.

PROLOGUE. NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE CALLED LOVE.

Antonella Bernal believed in romantic fables when she married Dreiner Ballesteros, her college sweetheart. She came from a humble middle-class family, while he, although from similar backgrounds, had an excessive desire for success. This desire drove him to work tirelessly, which allowed his small business to flourish into a renowned company. Antonella, for her part, was his loyal support, working closely to build that shared dream.

The first five years of their marriage were like a dream. Dreiner loved her and always put her at the center of his world. However, a thorn lodged in Antonella's heart: the inability to be a mother. After years of unsuccessful attempts, a medical diagnosis confirmed that she faced fertility problems. Desolation enveloped her like a shadow, and although Dreiner initially supported her, sadness became a burden that oppressed her chest. The nights were filled with silent tears and stifled sighs, as her heart broke at the idea of ​​a future without children.

The business prospered, and on their fifteenth anniversary, the real estate company generated millions annually. They went from living in a modest apartment to a magnificent mansion. However, that economic success cooled their relationship. Dreiner no longer had time for her, and Antonella took refuge in her work, ignoring the transformations in her husband. She felt invisible, like a forgotten memory in the life of a man who had once revered her. Loneliness became her constant companion, and each day she found it harder to get out of bed, caught between the hope that things would improve and the despair of her reality.

Dreiner, charismatic and attractive, became the public face of the company, while Antonella took care of design and sales. They were a perfect duo in the business world, but their personal life was falling apart. Dinners as a couple were limited to social events, and Antonella did not remember the last time he looked at her with desire. She kept telling herself that everything would get better once he achieved his goals, but that statement became increasingly empty, like an echo in a deserted room.

Everything got worse the day Paloma Valencia came into their lives. Heir to a hotel consortium, Paloma was young, beautiful, and full of confidence. During a meeting to sign a million-dollar contract, Dreiner dedicated the evening to praising her, leaving Antonella in the background. Humiliation pierced her like a knife. She justified his behavior thinking that he was only trying to secure the deal, but her heart twisted at the possibility of losing him. Soon, work meetings between Dreiner and Paloma became common, and rumors of an affair began to circulate, like a poison in her mind.

When Antonella confronted Dreiner, he admitted that he had fallen in love with Paloma, but that he would not get a divorce because he did not want to divide the company. The betrayal hit her with a devastating force. Torn, Antonella tried to save her marriage by suggesting couples therapy, but he refused, stating that it was already too late. They decided to understand each other as strangers under the same roof, each in a different room, and the feeling of heartbreak became a constant echo in her life.

Dreiner's behavior changed drastically. He stopped spending nights at home, changed the way he dressed, and his usual fragrance changed to a more youthful one. In the office, he treated her like just another employee, and rumors about his relationship with Paloma intensified when employees saw them in compromising situations. Antonella silently endured the contempt and humiliation, hoping that her husband's affair would be temporary. But two years later, the situation reached a point of no return.

Dreiner brought Paloma to the mansion and announced that she would live with them because she was pregnant. The news shattered Antonella, unleashing a torrent of emotions: rage, sadness, and a deep feeling of betrayal. He tried to manipulate her, saying that when the baby was born, she could be his mother. Desperate to recover something of what they had been, Antonella believed his words, without imagining that Dreiner and Paloma were plotting something much darker behind her back.

That night, something died inside Antonella. Anguish enveloped her, but in the days that followed, a new force also arose within her: the determination to reclaim her life and, perhaps, take revenge on those who had destroyed her.

CHAPTER 1

When I thought my life would be ideal, I discovered that my husband was betraying me. At first, I felt like the world was crashing down on me. . . but that was just the first blow of a series of humiliations that would mark my destiny. One morning, Dreiner showed up with Paloma Valencia, who carried within her the child I could never give him. Disregarding my suffering, he sent me to a guest room, far away from them. I loved him so much that I set aside my pride and accepted what he wanted, becoming the unwanted wife.

My sacrifice seemed insignificant compared to the love I felt for him. I told myself that, in time, everything would go back to how it was before. I decided to wait, clinging to that hope as if it were my only salvation in the midst of a whirlwind.

Living with Paloma became intolerable. Little by little, she began to make decisions in my own house, even changing the decor without consulting me. Every time I tried to stop her, Dreiner intervened, and I always lost. With a simple cry from her, he would take her side. . . then he would come to my room to ask me to understand her mood swings due to the pregnancy. My tears had no effect on him. To him, I was no longer important.

Those were the longest months of my existence. I watched them from a distance, organizing everything for the arrival of the baby, while I sought refuge at work to avoid falling apart. But every night, when I came home, reality hit me hard. Seeing them together, affectionate and completely oblivious to my presence, became my daily routine.

I don't know how I managed to endure for so long. The only hope that kept me going was the idea of being the mother of that child. . . and of getting my husband back.

Few people knew what was happening. I hid the truth from my parents and forbade the mansion's employees from talking about it. But one afternoon I arrived earlier than usual and found Paloma's parents in the living room. They were arguing heatedly.

"You're coming back with us right now!" her mother shouted, with tears in her eyes. "I didn't raise you to be anyone's mistress!"

"I'm not a mistress," Paloma replied arrogantly. "After the baby is born, Dreiner and I will get married. He promised me a big wedding, he's just waiting for Antonella not to get half of his belongings."

She showed an engagement ring as proof. Her mother, enraged, slapped her and left with her husband, disappointed.

I was listening to everything hidden behind the hallway. I couldn't believe it. I had to confront her.

I waited for her to be alone and approached, not hiding my fury.

"When did he promise to marry you? Since when?" I inquired, holding her arm firmly.

"Let me go, you're hurting me!" she complained, but I wasn't fooled by her tears.

"Don't give me that farce! Tell me at once!"

She suddenly freed herself from me and gave me a victorious smile.

"Ask your husband… He shouldn't be long."

That statement was the last straw. I slapped her with all my strength, tired of her hypocrisy.

"Now you're going to talk! Or do you prefer another one?"

Paloma, clearly scared, ran to the second floor. I couldn't let her leave without telling the truth. I reached her and grabbed her again in the hallway of the second level.

"Don't run away! Why did you tell your parents that you're getting married if we're not even divorced? What are you planning?"

"I told you I'm not going to say anything," she replied defiantly, although her gaze showed fear.

We were pushing each other. In a bad move, we fell down the stairs together. The last thing I heard was her screams. . . then, everything went dark.

I woke up in the hospital. I felt a sharp pain in my head and didn't quite understand what had happened, but something wasn't right. I tried to get up, but then I realized: I was handcuffed to the bed.

A nurse entered when she heard my screams, but she didn't come alone. A police officer accompanied her.

"Mrs. Bernal, you are under arrest for attempted murder. When you are discharged, you will be taken to court. You have the right to remain silent and to have a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, the State will provide one."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

As he said, they took me to a police station, where I was processed. I tried to contact Dreiner, but he didn't answer me. I called my parents, and they arrived with a lawyer. At that moment I knew: I was being accused of wanting to kill Paloma and her baby. The child had survived, but she was still in the hospital.

I assured my mother that I was innocent, that everything had been an accident, but the disappointment in her eyes broke my heart. Not only because of what had happened… but because I had hidden the truth from them for months.

That same day, I was released on bail. My parents took me back to the mansion to pick up my things. I understood that I couldn't keep living there. My marriage had come to an end. But with a broken heart and suitcase in hand, I didn't know that the worst was yet to come.

CHAPTER 2.

I left the police station with shame covering me like a cursed coat. The scandal had grown rapidly like wildfire: the yellow newspapers filled their covers with phrases like "The jealous wife who tried to get rid of her pregnant rival" or "Lamentable outcome of jealousy: businesswoman arrested." My name, which previously evoked admiration in social and business groups, was now a cause for mockery and disdain.

The journey to the mansion felt endless. My parents, next to me, maintained a heavy, almost unbearable silence. I could feel their disappointment piercing my chest as if they were invisible knives. I wanted to shout that I was innocent, that everything had been a misunderstanding… but I couldn't. The words were stuck in my throat, choked by shame and suffering.

Upon arriving, a sense of unease ran through me like a chill. Something in the mansion had changed. It felt... strange. The garden, which used to be my refuge, seemed to be in decline. The door was wide open, the lights on, and the staff avoided making eye contact with me. Everything indicated that I no longer had a place there.

I entered with my head held high, striving not to crumble. I only longed to collect my things and leave before losing the little pride I had left, but Dreiner would not allow it.

He was waiting for me in the main room, sitting in his favorite armchair like a cruel king on his throne. Next to him, Paloma, pale and fragile, wrapped in bandages and with an arm in a cast, occupied a wheelchair. A private doctor and two lawyers accompanied them, like vultures ready to devour what was left of me.

"You're late," said Dreiner, with that cold voice he used to close shady deals. "Your things are already packed. I don't want scandals or unnecessary problems."

My parents tensed, but I advanced, not letting them break me.

"Is this how you will end our marriage? With deceit and betrayal?" My voice resonated louder than they expected.

Dreiner stood up and approached. In his eyes there was no longer love... only contempt.

"That was your choice, Antonella. When you pushed Paloma, you sealed your fate."

"It was an accident and you know it!" I shouted, feeling the tears trying to come out.

Paloma moaned exaggeratedly from her chair, bringing her hands to her abdomen as if remembering the impact. But her eyes… shone with mockery.

"Antonella…" she whispered in a barely audible voice, as if she were the ideal victim. "I never wanted to take anything from you. I only longed for love…"

"Liar!" I shouted, and rage emerged from me like lava.

Dreiner's lawyer coughed with false courtesy.

"Mrs. Bernal, we advise you to accept the agreement we are proposing. If you don't, you could face a civil lawsuit for damages, in addition to the criminal charges."

He gave me a thick envelope.

With trembling hands, I took it. Upon opening it, I felt the contents like a bucket of cold water:

I completely renounce my participation in the construction company, my rights to the mansion, and I accept a quick divorce without economic benefits. In exchange, the charges for attempted murder will be dropped.

A humiliating deal: my dignity in exchange for my freedom.

My parents watched me in silence, awaiting my response. Everything I had built, everything I had once longed for... reduced to a damn paper.

"Take your time," said Dreiner, with that arrogant smile that already seemed unbearable. "But don't delay. Tomorrow I won't be so understanding."

It was at that moment that something broke inside me forever.

I was no longer the woman who asked for love. I was not the submissive wife who waited in silence. I was Antonella Bernal. And no one, absolutely no one, would take everything from me without facing the consequences.

I tore the document into a thousand pieces and threw them on the floor.

"I'm not going to sign anything. Prepare yourself, Dreiner. If you're looking for war... you'll have it."

I turned around, ignoring the shouts of anger, the pleas from my parents to calm down. That place was no longer my home... now it was the battlefield where I was going to be reborn.

As I walked away, with my makeup smeared by tears and my heart broken, I felt for the first time in a long time a spark ignite inside me:

The revenge had only just begun.