Episode 1

...Chapter 1...

On a night that should have been special, Valentina Mendez discovered the painful truth about her marriage: her husband, Mateo Figueroa, was cheating on her with a university student.

It was Mateo's birthday. Valentina had spent hours preparing an elaborate dinner when the phone her husband had left at home buzzed with a notification. Upon checking the message, her world crumbled:

[Oh, I hurt myself while carrying your cake… It hurts so much!]

The message was accompanied by a suggestive photograph. Although it didn't show a face, it captured legs exuding youth: knee-high white socks, black patent leather shoes, and a blue and white university uniform slightly hiked up, revealing slender and perfect legs.

A reddish mark on her pale knee was visible, and there was something disturbingly seductive in the combination of that young body and the childish tone of the message.

It was no secret that successful businessmen often had a weakness for that kind of mistress.

Valentina's knuckles turned white from clutching the phone tightly as another message arrived:

[Mr. Figueroa, I’ll be waiting for you at La Corona Real to celebrate your birthday tonight…]

His mistress planned a celebration while she had prepared a dinner that was cooling down at home.

Without a moment's hesitation, Valentina grabbed her purse and headed to the restaurant. She needed to see for herself who the woman was that was destroying her marriage.

The shock awaiting her at La Corona Real was even more devastating than the infidelity itself. Before she could enter, she encountered her parents, Angel Mendez and Catalina Montoya.

"Dad? Mom? What are you doing here?" "she asked, bewildered."

The look exchanged between her parents was laden with guilt before her father replied:

"Your sister has returned to the country. We brought her here."

Luciana?

Through the spotless windows of the restaurant, Valentina stood frozen upon seeing her sister wearing exactly the same university uniform from the photograph.

The revelation struck her like a slap: her husband’s lover was her own sister.

Luciana had always been the beauty of the family, revered as the goddess of New Celestia, especially famous for having the most beautiful legs in the city. Those same legs that had captivated so many men were now being used to seduce her own brother-in-law.

"I see I’m the last to find out"Valentina said with a bitter laugh.

"Valentina, let’s be honest, Mr. Figueroa never loved you"her father replied, avoiding her gaze.

Her mother was more cruel:

"Do you know how many women in New Celestia desire Mr. Figueroa? It's better for him to be with your sister than with anyone else."

"I’m his daughter too!"Valentina exclaimed, holding back tears.

As she attempted to leave, her mother's voice stopped her:

"Valentina, tell me the truth, has he ever slept with you?"

Valentina's silence was answer enough.

"Don’t blame us"her father attacked". Mateo and Luciana were the perfect society couple until the accident left him in a vegetative state. Only then did we arrange your marriage to him."

Her mother looked her up and down with disdain:

"Look at you. Three years of marriage and you’re nothing more than a simple housewife revolving around your husband. Meanwhile, Luciana is a prima ballerina. She is the white swan and you… you are the ugly duckling. How could you even compare? Do everyone a favor and give Mateo back to your sister."

With a shattered heart, Valentina returned to the mansion, enveloped in the darkness of the night. She had given Regina, the maid, the day off, leaving the house steeped in a grave silence, without a single light lit.

She sat alone at the dining room table, contemplating the elaborate dinner that had already grown cold. The cake she had lovingly baked now looked like a cruel mockery with its message: “Happy birthday, my love.”

Everything felt like a cruel joke, including her own existence in that house.

The truth was painful: Mateo and Luciana had been the golden couple of high society. Everyone knew that the beautiful Luciana was Mateo's true love, until that fateful accident left him in a vegetative state and Luciana disappeared without a trace.

It was then that the Mendez family brought her from the countryside and forced her into a marriage of convenience. But for Valentina, it wasn’t an obligation: she had always secretly loved Mateo, so she accepted without hesitation.

For three years, she dedicated herself exclusively to caring for him. She abandoned her social life and personal development, becoming a selfless nurse and housewife focused solely on his recovery. And when he finally woke up…

Valentina lit a candle, and her reflection in the mirror showed her an image she despised: a woman without grace in a sober black and white dress, the very image of monotony.

The contrast with Luciana could not have been crueler: during those same three years, her sister had become a prima ballerina, brimming with youth and vitality.

A bitter truth settled in her chest: she was the ugly duckling, Luciana the white swan. And now that Mateo had awakened, he would naturally return to the swan, abandoning the duckling who had cared for him.

Her eyes moistened as she blew out the candle. Everything had been an illusion.

Suddenly, the headlights of a Rolls-Royce illuminated the garden. Valentina startled: she hadn't expected Mateo to return that night.

The imposing figure of her husband appeared in the doorway. As the heir of the Figueroa family, Mateo had always been exceptional: two master's degrees from Harvard at 16, success on Wall Street, and now the richest businessman in New Celestia.

“Why is everything dark?” his deep voice resonated in the gloom.

As the lights came on, Valentina could once again admire his perfect form in that tailored black suit. She understood why so many women dreamed of him.

“It’s your birthday,” she murmured.

“Don’t waste time on these things. I’m not interested,” he replied disdainfully.

“Not interested in your birthday or not interested in celebrating it with me?” she countered.

“Think what you want,” he responded, heading toward the stairs.

He had always been like this: cold, distant, unattainable.

“Wait,” she called out. “I want to give you a birthday gift.”

“I don’t need anything.”

Valentina curved her lips into a bitter smile:

“Mateo, I want a divorce.”

He, who already had one foot on the stairs, stopped dead in his tracks and turned, locking his deep black eyes on her for the first time that night.

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