Episode 3

...Chapter 3...

Mateo pressed his lips into a grim line:

"Valentina, come back here immediately!"

She let out a laugh.

"Do you think I'm going to come back just because you order it? We're already getting divorced, your authority over me is over!"

"I'll give you a chance to change the reason for the divorce,"he muttered through his teeth.

Valentina's laughter became more pronounced.

"Did I write something wrong? Mateo, you've been awake for half a year and you haven't even held my hand. You were in a vegetative state for three years, and even though you're healthy now, I have reason to suspect you have… functional problems. You're useless now! Better look for a specialist. My best divorce wish for you is that you regain your manhood soon."

A vein throbbed on Mateo's forehead.

This woman had become completely insolent!

"Valentina, sooner or later I'll make you see what I'm capable of!"

"Sorry, but you won't have that chance anymore!"

"Valentina!"

The phone cut off with a double beep before he could finish erupting in anger.

"VALENTINA!!!"he roared furiously.

…

Valentina was already at her best friend Camila Jimenez's apartment, who burst out laughing when she hung up the phone.

"Well said, Valentina!"Camila exclaimed, raising her thumb. "Mr. Figueroa must be spitting blood with rage."

Valentina reflected that her love had been too humble, that's why he had treated her with such haughtiness.

To love others, you must first love yourself.

Especially women must love themselves first.

"Three years ago, when Luciana found out about the accident that left Mr. Figueroa in a vegetative state, she fled immediately"Camila commented". And now that he woke up, he's looking for her again? You did well to leave him!"

Valentina unwrapped a chocolate and put it in her mouth. The sweet taste seemed to mask the bitterness in her heart.

"Camila, this is the difference between being loved and not being loved,"Valentina sighed as she unwrapped another chocolate". Whoever is loved can afford to be indifferent, while whoever loves without being reciprocated lives fearing losing what little they have."

Camila noticed the pile of chocolates that Valentina had already consumed. She took her by the arm and made her stand up.

"Cheer up, Valentina! When you abandon a tree, you discover you have a whole forest. Tonight we'll hire eight male gigolos for your bachelorette party!"

Valentina smiled, covering her face.

Camila took off her black glasses and threw them directly into the trash.

"My glasses!"Valentina tried to recover them.

"Valentina, you've been in so much study for so long that it's stuck to these glasses. You should learn from Luciana and fix yourself up more."

Valentina remembered how her parents said that she was the ugly duckling and Luciana the white swan.

Probably not only her parents thought so; for Mateo she must also be an ugly duckling.

Camila dragged her towards the door.

"Let's go shopping! Hairdresser, manicure, clothes, the whole package! I want Mateo and everyone to open their eyes wide and see how beautiful you are!"

Suddenly, Camila remembered something.

"By the way, Valentina, are you really not going to ask for any of Mr. Figueroa's money?"

"I have enough money to support myself."

"So you'll let Luciana enjoy his money? She must be very grateful to you."

"And the card that Mr. Figueroa gave you?"

Mateo had always been generous, he had given Valentina a golden black card, although she had never used it.

Valentina took the golden card out of her bag and winked mischievously.

"Well, today I shop and Mr. Figueroa pays."

…

That night, at the 1996 bar.

The 1996 bar had always been the place where the elite of New Celestia squandered money. The sons of the rich and powerful spent fortunes there. That night, the DJ didn't stop and people danced frantically.

In a luxurious reserved area with dim light, Mateo occupied the main seat on the sofa. He wore a black shirt and black pants, with the sleeves rolled up showing his muscular forearms and a million-dollar watch. His elegant and attractive presence was like a magnet that attracted the gazes of all the women in the bar.

Next to him was his good friend Joaquin Medina, the heir of the Medina, along with other sons of rich families.

Joaquin laughed heartily.

"What do you say, Mateo? Valentina wants to divorce you?"

The others also laughed.

"Who doesn't know that Valentina loves Mr. Figueroa to the bone? Even when he was in a vegetative state, she insisted on marrying him. How is she going to want to divorce now?"

"Let's make a bet, how long will Valentina last without looking for Mr. Figueroa?"

"I bet Valentina won't last even today,"said Joaquin". At any moment she'll send a message to my Mateo, ha, ha!"

Mateo's attractive face remained somber and severe, evidently in a bad mood.

He took out his phone and opened the WhatsApp chat with Valentina.

The last conversation was from the night before: Valentina had sent a photo of a bone broth with the message “Honey, even though your bone density is already normal, you should continue taking bone broth. Come home soon!”

Checking backwards, all the messages were from Valentina. She wrote every day.

He had never responded.

Not even once.

Today everything was silent. She hadn't sent any WhatsApp.

Mateo felt a tightness in his chest.

Ding!

A message arrived.

"What I said!"Joaquin exclaimed". Valentina has sent a message to Mateo!"

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Several messages arrived in a row.

The others burst out laughing.

"We knew Valentina wouldn't last, but we didn't think so little!"

"Quick, Mateo!"Joaquin urged". Look at what Valentina has sent you! She's sure to be crying, begging for you to come back."

Mateo's eyebrows moved slightly. She had sent him a message?

If he had known this would happen!

Wasn't she very proud this morning?

Mateo opened the messages and was stunned.

Joaquin read aloud:

"Dear VVIP user, your card ending in 0975 has made a charge of $800 at Glamour Spa."

Everyone was perplexed.

Mateo continued reading: $2,000 at Royal Salon.

$8,600 at Chanel.

$24,000 at Louis Vuitton.

…

There was no plea for reconciliation, only shopping notifications.

Everyone looked at each other.

It was as if Valentina had slapped them from a distance. Very uncomfortable.

Mateo, with his face livid, slammed the phone against the table. He didn't care how much money Valentina spent, but that barely divorced she went shopping. This woman was incredible, really incredible!

The woman who for three years had been so submissive and dependent on him, had suddenly grown fangs.

"Mateo,"said Joaquin", what is Valentina plotting? She went to get her nails done, her hair done and buy clothes… Isn't she trying to imitate Luciana?"

"Luciana is the goddess of New Celestia, Valentina is a country girl. No matter how hard she tries, it will be like a bad copy."

"A white swan will always be a white swan, and an ugly duckling will always be an ugly duckling. An ugly duckling will never become a swan."

Everyone was mocking Valentina.

Suddenly, there was a stir in the bar. All eyes turned to one point, and someone exclaimed:

"Look! She looks like a goddess!"

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