Chapter 51

Chapter 51Three weeks of absolute silence from Johan.Twenty-one days without a message, without a call, without any sign of life beyond a short "I'm fine" sent to Theresa on the fourth day. Three weeks in which the Michaels' house seemed to have been swallowed by a cold, heavy emptiness. Three weeks in which Theresa lost almost four kilos, her clothes beginning to feel loose on her body, her eyes permanently swollen and with deep dark circles. She could barely eat. She slept little. She spent the nights curled up in Hector's arms, crying until she had no more tears.Hector, in turn, barely slept. He spent the early hours staring at the ceiling, one hand always on Theresa's body as if he feared she might disappear. He had also lost weight. The lines of tension around his eyes were deeper. The man who had always been synonymous with control now carried a guilt that consumed him from within like acid.Albia appeared every day.Sometimes in the morning, with coffee and croissants. Somet

Chapter 52

Chapter 52Six months later.The sea was calm that spring afternoon, as if the ocean itself had decided to respect the moment. The waves broke gently against the rocks of the small, private cove, producing a constant and soothing sound that seemed to cradle the entire world. The sky displayed a deep, almost unreal blue, sprinkled with white clouds that glided lazily.Hector Silva was kneeling on the same balcony of the beach house where it had all truly begun.Six months had passed since the night Johan confronted them. Six months of difficult conversations, heavy silences, tense dinners where no one knew exactly what to say. Six months in which Johan had learned, little by little and with pain, to look at his daughter and the man who had been his best friend without feeling the stab of betrayal in his chest. Everything wasn't alright. Not yet. But it was better. It was healing.And now, there they were.Theresa Michaels stood before him, wearing a simple white linen dress that draped

Chapter 53

Chapter 53Beginning of the Second CoupleThree months after the wedding.Life finally seemed to have found a calmer rhythm for Theresa and Hector. The new apartment they had bought together — a spacious loft with a view of the river — was gradually turning into a real home. Boxes still cluttered the corners, pictures waited to be hung, but the smell of fresh paint and new happiness filled every room.That Sunday morning, Theresa woke up with a strong, familiar nausea. She ran to the bathroom, knelt in front of the toilet, and vomited what little she had eaten the night before. When she finished, she sat on the cold floor, leaning against the wall, her heart racing.Hector appeared at the bathroom door within seconds, wearing only sweatpants, his hair messy from sleep. His dark eyes filled with concern when he saw her pale face.“Angel… again?” he asked, kneeling beside her and carefully holding her hair. “This is the third day in a row. You need to see a doctor.”Theresa wiped her mo

Chapter 54

Chapter 54Albia, who was present at dinner, cried as much as Theresa. She hugged her friend tightly, then hugged Johan, who returned the gesture with a naturalness that surprised everyone.“I’m going to be an aunt!” Albia exclaimed, laughing through her tears. “Aunt Albia. That sounds good, doesn’t it?”That night marked a real turning point for the family. For the first time in almost a year, the dinner didn’t end in tension or uncomfortable silences. It ended with laughter, plans for the baby’s room, discussions about names, and Johan promising to teach his grandchild to play chess as soon as he was old enough.Albia, who had become almost like a daughter to Johan throughout the reconciliation process, began visiting his house more frequently.At first, it was just to help. She brought homemade meals because she knew Johan had been living on takeout since Theresa got married. Then she started helping with the company paperwork — Johan had a small construction company that had been

Chapter 55

Chapter 55It was during a simple dinner at Johan’s house on a Tuesday night, three weeks after Theresa’s pregnancy revelation. Autumn was already settling over the city, bringing a cool breeze that entered through the open veranda windows. Johan had prepared a roast beef with vegetables — one of his few culinary specialties — and Albia had brought a bottle of red wine and a fancy arugula, pear, and walnut salad.They were dining alone. It wasn’t unusual now. Ever since Theresa got pregnant, Albia had become an almost constant presence in Johan’s life. She brought company documents, organized his schedule, prepared meals, and, above all, talked. They talked about everything: about the college she had finished, about Theresa’s fears regarding motherhood, about the silence Johan still carried regarding his daughter’s marriage.That night, however, something was different.Albia was telling a funny story about a college professor who insisted on calling her “Miss Michaels” even though he

Chapter 56

Chapter 56Albia fled that night.She drove to her apartment with trembling hands on the wheel. When she arrived, she locked the door, leaned against it, and slid to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.“No…” she whispered into the emptiness of the apartment. “This can’t be happening. He’s Theresa’s father. He’s… Johan.”But Johan’s words echoed in her mind like a bell: I’m not your uncle. And you know very well that I no longer see you as a girl.She felt a treacherous heat settle between her legs. She squeezed her thighs together tightly, trying to ignore the wetness beginning to form. She stood up with difficulty, went to the bathroom, and turned on the cold shower. She stood under the icy water for nearly twenty minutes, but the heat inside her didn’t fade.When she finally lay down in bed, wrapped in a towel, the desire had already been planted.And it was growing.In the following days, Albia tried to avoid Johan.She canceled two dinners with flimsy excuses. She said she