Chapter 9: Under Pressure

Dawn brought a fresh breeze, but Valeria felt trapped in a cloud of thoughts. After the previous night's party and the unexpected encounter with Roberto and Carolina, those memories lingered, refusing to let her focus.

She sat in her office, behind her minimalist yet elegant desk, with a cup of coffee she had barely touched. The sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the room, but it did little to ease the weight pressing on her chest.

“Are you alright, Miss Valeria?” Laura, her assistant, asked timidly from the doorway.

Valeria looked up as if breaking free from a trance.

“Laura, please gather all the information you can find on the tech startup that introduced themselves at last night's event. I want everything: projects, finances, partners, everything.”

Laura nodded quickly and left the office, leaving Valeria alone with her thoughts.

The silence didn’t last long. Valeria's phone vibrated on the desk, displaying her mother’s name on the screen. She hesitated for a moment before answering, knowing the conversation would likely be far from pleasant.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks. And you?”

“Good, good... though we miss seeing you around here. Your sister misses you a lot, you know? You should be with her right now.”

Valeria sighed, already guessing where the conversation was heading.

“Mom, we’ve talked about this. You know I won’t apologize to anyone for something that wasn’t my fault.”

“It’s not about fault, Valeria. It’s about family. Your sister is about to get married, and you’re choosing to miss her wedding because of some petty whim.”

Valeria gritted her teeth, feeling anger rising within her.

“A whim? No, Mom. It’s not a petty whim. It’s my dignity.”

Her mother continued, ignoring her comment.

“Sweetheart, you should think about settling down yourself. Look at your sister, she’s so happy. Look at your cousins, your aunts. They all have families, children, complete lives. Why can’t you be more like them?”

Valeria felt her hands trembling, gripping the phone tightly.

“Why? Because I don’t want to live a mediocre life like my aunts, my cousins, and probably the one my sister will have. Because I don’t want to be trapped in a marriage, miserable, just to meet other people’s expectations.”

“Valeria! Don’t talk about your family like that.”

“Mom, I was the one left at the altar, remember? I was the one who faced everyone’s pity. I was the one betrayed by the two people who mattered most to me.”

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening, but Valeria wasn’t finished.

“And you know what, Mom? Roberto and Carolina did me a huge favor by running off together. They freed me from a life that wasn’t meant for me. I’m happy the way I am, and I won’t change my life for the family, for you, or for anyone else.”

“Sweetheart, I just—”

“I don’t want you to call me anymore, especially not to criticize how I live my life.”

Without giving her mother a chance to respond, Valeria hung up. She stared at the phone for a few seconds, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. Her chest hurt, as if a heavy weight was crushing it.

Valeria needed to talk to someone. She quickly dialed the number of Mónica, one of her closest friends.

“Mónica? Do you have time for coffee?”

“Of course, V. Where should we meet?”

They agreed on a quiet café, away from prying eyes. Valeria arrived first, ordering a cappuccino and taking a seat by the window. Minutes later, Mónica appeared, always elegant and with a warm smile.

“Hey, friend. Are you okay?” she asked as she sat down.

Valeria shook her head.

“No, and I needed to talk to someone.”

Between sips of coffee, Valeria recounted everything: the awkward encounter with Roberto and Carolina at the event, the regretful look on her ex’s face, and her mother’s relentless pressure for her to change her lifestyle.

Mónica listened attentively, not interrupting until Valeria had finished.

“Friend, I understand why you feel this way. Your mom has always been traditional, but that doesn’t mean she’s right. You have the right to live your life as you choose.”

“I know, but… sometimes she makes me doubt myself. She makes me think that maybe I should try to have a relationship, start a family.”

Mónica took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Don’t let anyone make you feel incomplete because you’re single. You’re a strong, independent woman who’s achieved incredible things. If you ever decide to be with someone, it’ll be because you want to, not because someone else expects it of you.”

Valeria nodded, feeling that Mónica’s words eased some of the pressure weighing on her.

That night, Valeria returned to her apartment feeling somewhat calmer, though a part of her couldn’t ignore her mother’s words. She looked around her spacious home, decorated in a modern and sophisticated style. Every corner reflected her success, but the silence was overwhelming.

She poured herself a glass of wine and sat on the couch, gazing at the city lights through the windows.

“Am I truly happy like this?” she asked herself softly.

She thought about Roberto, about how he had looked at her the night before, and how she had confronted him with such confidence. But she also thought about the lonely nights, the family gatherings where she was always the only one without a partner, and the faint feeling of emptiness that occasionally crept in.

She allowed herself to cry a little, letting the tears ease the accumulated pressure. But when she was done, she wiped her face and promised herself she wouldn’t let other people’s expectations define her happiness.

Valeria knew her life wasn’t perfect, but it was hers. And that was enough.

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