Episode 20

"Who were you talking to, Harry?"

"No one, love, just an old friend..."

"I see. How about coming over to my place for dinner tonight? Are you available?"

"Well, I think..."

"Don't tell me no, Harry. We're already dating, and you should spoil me."

"Fine, I'll go, don't throw a tantrum."

"By the way, how's the project your father assigned to you?"

"Well, about that... I'm doing well, I'm putting in effort."

"I know you'll do great, you're the best."

"Thank you for encouraging me."

"It's nothing. Now get ready to go home together."

"Okay, okay, but how about doing something before that?"

"What's on your mind?"

"You know what it is..."

"Well, if that's what you want, gladly."

Harry's only reason for seeking Antonella is to get her help with some important projects for his father's company. He won't rest until he convinces her to come back to him, but he won't leave Zoraya; he just wants to keep using her.

Meanwhile, Antonella paces back and forth in her room, thinking about tomorrow's marriage ceremony. She has no way out, all the doors are closed.

She stays in her room, alone with her solitude. Her friend has a strict work schedule and can't visit her, but Teresa keeps checking on her, calling to see how she's doing.

She doesn't even want to go to work and face Zoraya and her mother's hypocritical faces. It's enough to live under the same roof; whether someone is present or absent, she doesn't notice, as she means nothing to the members of that family.

***********

Night falls, and they prepare a dinner for the new couple of lovers. Federico, knowing that Harry is the man Antonella loves with all her soul, allows him into his house, holding Zoraya's hand. It can be seen how much he loves his daughter by putting Rosario and Zoraya's happiness above his own. He has never shown Antonella any affection as a father. She only relied on her mother's love, but now she has to learn to live without it and become stronger.

Everyone is at the table except Antonella, but as always, Rosario wants to cause trouble.

"Federico... You should tell your daughter to join us for dinner. It's very impolite for her not to show up when the family is gathered."

"You're right, honey. I'll send for her."

Federico gives the order to call Antonella. Everyone wants to see her reaction when she sees Harry at the table with Zoraya.

"Knock, knock."

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Miss Antonella. Your father sent for you to join them at the table."

"Okay, I'm coming down."

They thought Antonella didn't know that Harry was there. She saw him getting out of the car with Zoraya... Just as she imagined, they called her to see her ex with her stepsister.

Antonella didn't dress up or anything, she came down in her pajamas, but of course, she wasn't going to sit at the table. She was only going to infuriate a few characters.

Antonella calmly descended the stairs, her face devoid of any expression. She only looked at her phone and nothing else, not even glancing at the hypocritical Harry.

She passed by the dining table where everyone was seated, completely ignoring them and immersed in her phone, with headphones on.

She only went to the fridge for a glass of milk to help her sleep, and that was it.

Everyone observed her and noticed how she ignored them. They thought she would be affected by Harry's presence, but she acted normal.

Harry could see that Antonella didn't care about his presence. He could also notice the bruises on her face.

Antonella was humming a song and was about to go back up the stairs when her father stopped her with a shout.

"Stop right there!"

Antonella ignored him and continued climbing the stairs, but her father stopped her again.

"Antonella, I'm talking to you!"

Federico gets up from the table and goes straight to where she was and grabs her by the arm to bring her down...

"You don't hear me talking to you?"

"Don't you see that I have headphones on?"

"Well, put them aside. It's very rude to talk to someone while wearing headphones."

"Isn't it the other way around? If you know I have them on, why do you talk to me? It's quite tasteless to interrupt me while I'm listening to music."

"You insolent girl! How dare you speak to your father like that!"

Rosario gets up from her chair, seemingly frustrated that dinner was ruined.

"The insolent one here is you. I am not talking to you, so there's no need for you to butt in."

"How dare you speak to Rosario like that!"

"Are you going to hit me?"

"You asked for it."

Federico was about to raise his hand again towards Antonella, but her words made him step back.

"Do it if you want to die! Or have you forgotten today's warning? If you dare to hit me again, you'll die just like that."

"How dare you threaten your father with Róger!"

"Well, he's my future husband, right? I have to use my resources."

"Don't think you'll be happy with him, Antonella! He will discard you once he gets tired of you and find someone else."

Zoraya stands up and also intervenes, as if Harry can't see how foolish she looks.

"Well, my dear Zoraya, all I can say is that the only one who will be discarded at some point is you. Isn't that right, my dear ex-boyfriend? Ask him, he was begging me today to take him back... You're pathetic, Zoraya. Do you think you are his entire world? If he did it to me, he'll do it to you too. The only one looking foolish here is you."

"Stop it, that's not true!"

"Of course, it's not true! Stop lying, Antonella. I never called you."

"You're such a coward, Harry. But well, what can one expect from a trash like you? I think I was blind for a while, but now I've opened my eyes regarding you. And it seems another blind person came to pick up my crumbs."

Zoraya slaps Antonella because she felt offended by what she said, but Antonella retaliates with an even stronger slap...

"How dare you hit my daughter!"

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