Sofia looked out at the rain.
Then she stood.
“I’ll go.”
Relief flooded Javier’s face.
“Thank God.”
Sofia picked up her handbag.
“Don’t thank God yet.”
When they arrived at The Pines Manor, more than twenty relatives were waiting inside the grand living room.
People who had laughed in the family chat now avoided Sofia’s eyes.
The room was beautiful.
Tall windows.
Dark wood.
Antique rugs.
A huge stone fireplace.
Fresh flowers arranged in expensive crystal vases.
Everything Sofia had been told represented the dignity of the Alcantara family.
Yet all she could think about was how quickly dignity vanished when money entered the room.
Teresa approached first.
Her personality had transformed completely.
“Oh, my sweet girl!”
She opened her arms.
Sofia stepped backward.
“Don’t touch me.”
Teresa froze.
The relatives stared.
Sofia’s voice was quiet.
“You didn’t want me inside your car an hour ago.”
“It was a joke!”
“A joke?”
“Of course. A family tradition. We tease new people.”
Mariana jumped in.
“Yes. Exactly. You took it too seriously.”
Sofia slowly turned toward her.
“You recorded it.”
Mariana swallowed.
“I record everything.”
“You posted it to the family chat.”
“I was being stupid.”
“You captioned it ‘First lesson for the new girl.’”
Mariana’s face reddened.
Sofia continued.
“People told you to leave me outside when I arrived.”
Nobody spoke.
“They called me a city girl who needed to learn my place.”
Still silence.
“And my husband read those messages without defending me.”
Javier stiffened.
Teresa forced a smile.
“We can discuss all of this privately.”
“No.”
Sofia looked around the room.
“You made my humiliation public. We can discuss the truth in front of the same people who enjoyed it.”
A few relatives shifted uncomfortably.
One older uncle muttered, “We didn’t know who you were.”
Sofia turned.
“That is exactly the problem.”
