Episode 8

While Nina was heading out of town with Alonzo to go to the beach, she received a call from her mother indicating that she was arriving in town and wanted to talk to her. Nina assumed it was about her sister's wedding, but nothing would make her go to that place and witness the union of those two. She had no reason to subject herself to that humiliation.

Brenda entered her apartment and saw the handsome Alonzo with a towel around his waist, recently bathed, glaring at Nina.

"Daughter, I want to talk to you alone," Brenda said, giving a cold smile to the young man.

Nina asked him to wait for her in the bedroom, and Alonzo simply left, leaving mother and daughter alone.

"Nina, I want you to go to your sister's wedding. She's your only sister, and it's not fair that you're estranged because of a man. It's absurd," Brenda said despondently, unable to understand how her daughters ended up in this situation.

"Mother, it's not about a man, it's about loyalty. Celia was not loyal to me. I'm her sister, Max is just a stranger, a nobody compared to what Celia and I had. She had no problem sleeping with Max, knowing how important he was to me. Even if it was a silly thing, it was her little sister who was in the middle. If it were for love, or if they were truly in love and I was just a foolish girl in love with my sister's great love, I would understand and distance myself. But it was just a fling, she didn't even betray me for love, she betrayed me out of lust. It's not about a man, it's about her lack of love for me. Celia doesn't love me when she didn't hesitate to get involved with Max. Who would it be tomorrow? My fiancé? My husband? Who wouldn't she have problems sleeping with? And then telling me it was just sex and she was drunk."

"Mummy, I don't want you to think this is about Max. It's about the lack of filial love. That's why I don't want to have any contact with her or Max. Why should I put up with a bastard like him?" Nina said as Brenda cried, realizing her daughter didn't want to forgive, and she wouldn't do it for anything in the world.

"Nina, darling, I know this is something you don't want to do, but it's my daughter who is getting married, and I want you to be with me. I'm being selfish, but after this, I won't ask you for anything else. It's my only wish. When you get married, I know you won't invite her, and I'll be there for you on that day, without my other daughter, with my heart broken in two. I love both of you, and I can't take sides."

"Nina, do it for me, please?" Brenda pleaded in the most humble way, leaving the girl defenseless. Her mother was her adoration, and she couldn't be cruel to her.

Nina sighed and nodded. She would do it for her mother; she had no choice but to attend her sister and Max's wedding. Even though she didn't care if they got married, she didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her there.

Three months later, the wedding had arrived. At the international airport, Nina arrived accompanied by Alonzo. The handsome blonde carried her suitcase while they conversed, on their way to the exit, when a familiar voice caught Nina's attention.

"Nina, I came to take you home," Maximiliano stood near his car, looking Alonzo up and down.

Nina looked at him and smiled gracefully, leaving Max bewildered.

"Brother-in-law, thanks for coming in person. You shouldn't have bothered," Nina said as she approached the car, holding hands with the handsome blonde who was with her.

Max felt like he wanted to spit blood when she called him that. That word had never sounded so unpleasant to him.

Max quietly got into the car while Nina and Alonzo got into the back seat, treating him like a chauffeur. Max was indignant. He could see through the rearview mirror how the young man embraced and caressed Nina while they spoke and laughed about things they didn't share with him, speaking almost in whispers like a couple of lovers.

When they arrived at the Ugarte mansion, Nina got out of the car with Alonzo, hand in hand, without giving Max a second glance. He watched indignantly as their relationship hadn't changed at all during that year.

When the girl entered, her mother greeted her affectionately and Alonzo in a slightly colder manner, she doesn't like that relationship, that young man is too laid-back about what happens around him.

As she was about to go up to Nina's bedroom, her sister Celia came out to greet her.

"Nina, how nice to see you! I'm glad you're attending my wedding. This must be your boyfriend that you were talking about, he's very handsome," Celia said with a smile.