At Javier\u2019s funeral, the silence was broken only by the sobs of strangers and the rustle of black coats. I pressed my hand against my eight-week belly, almost instinctively\u2014no one knew I was pregnant, not even Javier had found out in time. Surrounded by wreaths and curious glances, I tried to stand tall, because once the ceremony ended, I would have to face his family.Pilar, my mother-in-law, approached with Luc\u00eda at her side and Ram\u00f3n behind her. Her eyes were dry. Not a tear, not an \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d Pilar didn\u2019t hug me; she assessed me the way one inspects an object.The house and the car go to Luc\u00eda. Sign \u2014she hissed, extending a brown folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I blinked, still with the image of Javier in the coffin burned into my mind. I had bought the house before we married; I paid for the car with my own card when my consulting firm started bringing in steady income. Javier had signed a separation-of-assets agreement on his own notary\u2019s advice. They knew that.
They\u2019re mine \u2014I said, surprised at my own calmness.Luc\u00eda twisted her mouth.Don\u2019t be ridiculous. Javier\u2019s gone. That passes to the family.I am his family \u2014I replied.Ram\u00f3n grabbed my arm and dragged me a step toward a side wall, away from direct stares\u2014but not far enough that no one could hear.You\u2019re going to sign. End of story \u2014he growled.Let go of me \u2014I whispered, feeling panic rise in my chest, not for myself, but for what I was carrying.Ram\u00f3n slammed me against the wall. The impact knocked the air out of me. Before I could react, a slap turned my face, and I felt Pilar\u2019s nails digging into my wrist.Now you really are alone \u2014she spat. \u2014Without him, you\u2019re nobody.Around us, someone cleared their throat. No one moved. I tasted blood in my mouth and, with my free hand, pulled out my phone. It wasn\u2019t a bluff: I had seen their accounts, their contracts, their schemes.I looked at Luc\u00eda, who was smiling as if she had already won, and I dialed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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