Chapter 16 - The Room Esther Built
The photographs covered an entire wall.
Valeria leaving the gallery.
Valeria entering restaurants.
Valeria meeting friends.
Valeria at prenatal appointments.
Valeria speaking to Samuel.
Some had been taken months before she became pregnant.
Alejandro stared at them in disbelief.
Esther had not begun watching Valeria because of the baby.
She had been watching her almost from the beginning of the marriage.
Investigators also found financial reports on Valeria's family.
Her mother.
Her brother.
Former boyfriends.
College records.
Medical history.
It was surveillance disguised as concern.
At the center of the room sat a desk.
Inside one drawer was a file marked ACCEPTABLE SUCCESSORS.
Alejandro opened it.
Several women's names appeared.
Daughters of wealthy families.
Women Esther had once encouraged Alejandro to date.
Each file contained education.
Family wealth.
Social connections.
Fertility information.
He felt physically ill.
Valeria had never failed Esther's standards.
She had simply never been part of Esther's plan.
Then investigators played the recovered cassette.
Eduardo's voice came first.
"What did you do to Lucia?"
Esther answered.
Her younger voice was calm.
"You have spent thirty years asking the wrong questions, Eduardo."
"Did you go to her apartment?"
"Yes."
"What did you give her?"
"I gave her a warning."
"She became ill after you visited."
"People become ill."
Eduardo's voice rose.
"She said you put something in her drink."
A long silence.
Then Esther laughed softly.
"Lucia wanted to take my husband."
"She wanted to give you a son and turn me into a public humiliation."
"She should have understood consequences."
Alejandro closed his eyes.
Eduardo shouted.
"Did you kill her?"
Esther answered.
"No."
"You did."
The recording crackled.
"You promised a poor girl a life you were too cowardly to give her."
"You married me and kept running back to her."
"Whatever happened to Lucia began with you."
Eduardo's voice broke.
"And what about Alejandro?"
"What about him?"
"He is her child."
"He is my son too."
"No."
"He is your punishment."
The recording ended.
Nobody in the room spoke.
Alejandro understood something then.
Esther had raised him.
Fed him.
Sent him to school.
Sat beside him when he had fevers.
Clapped at his graduation.
Helped him build his first company.
And somewhere underneath all of that, she had seen him as evidence of her husband's betrayal.
Her love had never been simple.
Maybe it had never been love at all.
His phone rang.
Valeria.
He answered.
"Alejandro."
Something in her voice made him stand straight.
"What happened?"
"Your mother is here."
His blood froze.
"Where?"
"At the clinic."
"Are you alone?"
"No."
"Security is outside."
"Lock the door."
"Alejandro."
"Lock it now."
He heard movement.
Then Valeria whispered.
"She isn't outside my room."
Alejandro stopped breathing.
"Where is she?"
"She's inside."
In the background, another woman's voice spoke.
Calm.
Controlled.
May you like
Familiar.
"Give me the phone, Valeria."
