Chapter 17 - Esther at the Bedside
Alejandro ran from the investigation room while Rafael called clinic security.
"Valeria."
"I'm here."
"Do not give her the phone."
Esther's voice came closer.
"You always were dramatic, Alejandro."
His hands shook.
"Mother."
"How nice to finally hear you call me that again."
"Step away from Valeria."
Esther laughed.
"I have not touched her."
Valeria's breathing was audible.
Alejandro reached the car.
Rafael drove.
Security teams were already moving inside the clinic.
"Why are you there?"
Alejandro demanded.
"To speak to my daughter-in-law."
"You lost that privilege."
"According to whom?"
"According to the law."
Esther became quiet.
Then she said.
"So you found Javier."
"Yes."
"And the cassette?"
"Yes."
A long silence.
"I suppose your father finally won."
"No."
"Nobody won."
"You destroyed every person who trusted you."
Esther's tone hardened.
"Your father destroyed this family."
"He humiliated me before you were even born."
"Lucia was pregnant."
"Everyone knew."
"My parents knew."
"His parents knew."
"I was expected to smile while another woman carried the son he wanted."
Alejandro closed his eyes.
"That doesn't excuse murder."
"I never murdered Lucia."
"You put something in her drink."
"I gave her enough to frighten her."
Alejandro felt sick.
Esther continued.
"I wanted her to leave."
"She was more fragile than I expected."
The casual cruelty was worse than denial.
"And Father?"
Esther said nothing.
"Did you poison him too?"
"He was going to dismantle everything."
"That isn't an answer."
"He had become weak."
"He wanted to hand control to lawyers and trusts."
"He wanted to leave me dependent on you."
Alejandro whispered.
"So you did."
Esther's silence confirmed it.
Valeria spoke.
"And me?"
The line went quiet.
Then Esther answered her.
"You were supposed to disappear quietly."
Alejandro's vision blurred red.
"Do not speak to her."
Esther ignored him.
"You came into this family with nothing."
"You smiled at Alejandro like love made you equal."
"You gave him something I could never control."
Valeria's voice remained surprisingly calm.
"A family?"
"No."
"A reason to stop needing me."
Alejandro looked at Rafael.
They were three minutes away.
Valeria said.
"So this was never about the inheritance."
"Not only."
Esther's breathing changed.
"I spent my life holding this family together."
"Men like Eduardo create chaos."
"Women like me clean it up."
"And when Alejandro started building a life around you, history repeated itself."
Valeria whispered.
"I'm not Lucia."
"No."
"You're worse."
"Lucia knew when she had lost."
Suddenly there was shouting in the background.
Security officers.
Esther shouted something.
The phone fell.
Alejandro heard Valeria cry out.
Then the line went dead.
"No."
Alejandro called again.
No answer.
The car stopped at the clinic entrance.
He ran inside.
Doctors and security staff filled the hallway.
One guard held Esther against the wall.
Her elegant gray coat had fallen open.
A syringe lay on the floor several feet away.
Alejandro stopped.
"What is that?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Samuel pushed past him into Valeria's room.
Alejandro followed.
Valeria was sitting upright on the bed.
Her face was pale.
But she was conscious.
"Did she inject you?"
Samuel asked.
"No."
"She tried."
"The guard came in."
Samuel checked Valeria's arm anyway.
Alejandro turned toward the doorway.
Esther stood between two officers.
She looked at her son.
There was no fear in her face.
Only disappointment.
"You chose her."
Alejandro walked toward his mother.
"No."
"I chose the truth."
For the first time, Esther smiled.
"You still don't know all of it."
Alejandro stopped.
"What are you talking about?"
May you like
Esther leaned closer as officers pulled her away.
"Ask Valeria who helped her find Samuel."
