Throughout the entire drive to Gina's house, I never took my eyes off Shanti. My father, noticing my worried demeanor, tried to talk to me several times, but we never found the right moment.
When we arrived, Gina and Dan welcomed us at the door.
"Hi!" Gina greeted us with a smile, welcoming us inside.
We hugged everyone, exchanging warm greetings. Gina, without letting go of my arm, made sure everyone else went in first, leaving us alone at the entrance.
"My sister can be an idiot, distracted, and even slow at times, but always remember this, Pau: she is not unfaithful, and on top of that, she loves you like crazy," she told me with a knowing smile.
I was taken aback by her words, but I didn't get a chance to respond because we walked into the house.
Inside, my gaze landed on a woman who was taller than Shanti. She was slender, dark-skinned, and had a face that looked familiar to me. Beside her stood a little girl with similar features, watching curiously. But what truly surprised me was recognizing one of the men present: an employee from the hospital where we worked.
"This is our sister, Johanna," Gina announced.
"It's a pleasure, I'm Paulina," I said, extending my hand.
"And she's my fiancée," Shanti added firmly.
"Nice to meet you," Johanna replied, shaking my hand.
"And this is my husband, Ryan," she continued, pointing to the man beside her.
I studied him carefully, and my mind placed him immediately.
"Of course—Ryan helps us with the administration of the southern hospital," I said, still surprised.
"Young man! Why didn't you say you were married?" my mother scolded him reproachfully.
Ryan lowered his gaze, clearly embarrassed.
"I'm sorry… I didn't think my wife was Shanti's sister," he replied nervously.
"Well, I am," my fiancée intervened, shooting him a deadly look. "But tell me, Ryan, why didn't you invite me to your wedding?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
I didn't understand why Shanti was so furious about her sister's relationship with Ryan. He was a good man.
"It all happened very quickly and unexpectedly," Johanna excused herself.
Despite the initial surprise, the conversation flowed, and soon we began to feel at ease. It was time to change for the ceremony, but there was a problem: the house didn't have enough rooms for everyone. As a solution, Shanti had to change in the kitchen, while the rest of us spread out among the available bedrooms.
When I finished getting dressed, I went to look for my fiancée, but when I heard her voice talking with Johanna, I decided not to interrupt.
"I'm glad she makes you happy," Johanna commented sincerely.
"She does," Shanti replied with conviction.
"I'm sorry…"
"Let's leave that in the past," she interrupted calmly. "I just want to focus on the present—with you all, and of course, with Paulina."
I quietly walked away and went to sit in the living room.
Traffic on the way to the ceremony was chaos, but we were grateful we had left early. When we arrived, we quickly took our seats, as the graduation was about to begin. Several minutes passed, and to my surprise, Johanna sat down next to me.
"Thank you for being with my sister," she murmured softly, barely audible to me.
I looked at her, intrigued.
"But I don't want you to hurt her. She's the youngest, and believe me, I wouldn't hesitate to make you pay if you made her suffer," she added, her words carrying a veiled warning.
I smiled slightly, understanding her concern.
"I would never do that," I replied firmly. "I love her, and my only intention is to build a family and be happy by her side."
Johanna studied me silently for a moment before smiling.
"I'm glad to hear that."
Then we both turned our attention to Shanti, who was staring intently at the stage, anxiously waiting for the moment her niece would receive her diploma.
"There she comes!" Gina exclaimed excitedly.
The announcer called Alejandra's name, and we all stood up, applauding enthusiastically. However, I couldn't help but notice a man about 5'6", with a heavy build and dark hair, who was also applauding from the side.
Instinctively, I looked at Shanti and motioned for her to see him. Her smile faded immediately. Without saying a word, she approached Gina and whispered something in her ear. Like Shanti, Gina lost her cheerful expression for a moment, but as soon as she looked back at Alejandra—who was already returning to her seat—her smile came back.
"He's Alejandra's father," Shanti murmured.
"The bastard?" I said without thinking.
I remembered the story Alejandra had told me some time ago. Her father had abandoned them for another woman, choosing to support his lover's brother instead of his own children. To avoid paying child support, he even denied that they were his, and after everything, he had the nerve to try to come back, demanding to be treated with respect—as if nothing had happened—just because he was "their father."
Father… what a bad joke. That man was nothing more than a shameless disgrace. How could he even dare to expect to be welcomed with open arms after causing so much damage? Just thinking about it made my blood boil.
"Yes, he is," Shanti confirmed, noticing my indignation.
When the ceremony ended, we waited for Alejandra to finish taking photos with her friends. Her father was still there, standing next to a woman slightly shorter than him, with a fuller build.
"I hope my niece takes this well," Johanna murmured, and we all nodded silently.
A short while later, Alejandra hurried over to where Gina and Dan were, hugging them tightly.
"Mom, Dad!"
"Sweetheart, congratulations. We're so proud of you," Gina said, stroking her hair and tucking it behind her ear.
"Congratulations, my love," Dan added, tears in his eyes.
Alejandra looked at him, surprised.
"Dad, are you crying?"
Dan tried to hold it in.
"It's the wind… and the fact that you've grown up already," he murmured with a shaky smile.
We all felt the emotion of the moment as Alejandra hugged Dan even tighter. But then, a harsh voice shattered the harmony.
"Alejandra!" it called out angrily.
The atmosphere tensed instantly. Several people nearby turned their heads to see who had spoken. Alejandra slowly turned around, frowning as she saw her father approaching.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
"Congratulations, daughter," he said reluctantly.
"What are you doing here?" she repeated, this time more harshly.
"Why are you talking to me like that? I'm your father!" His tone grew aggressive.
"You're not. He is my father," Alejandra replied firmly, pointing at Dan.
The man clenched his teeth.
"That man is not your father, Alejandra. I am!"
Gina, sensing the tension, stepped in between them.
"John, this is not the time. Leave."
We all went on alert, ready to intervene if necessary. But Alejandra didn't stay silent.
"You? My father? Don't make me laugh," she let out a bitter laugh, then raised her voice so everyone could hear. "Tell me—does this man really deserve to be called a father?"
Murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.
"Does he deserve to be called a father when he abandoned my brother and me to run off with some woman?" she continued, her voice heavy with rage. "Does he deserve to be called a father when he stood us up, when we had to beg for his attention and love? When he preferred to pay for his lover's brother's college instead of giving us child support so we could study—or even eat?"
The murmuring grew louder.
"Does he deserve to be called a father when he denied that I was his daughter just to save money? When he turned off his phone so he wouldn't have to look for us, and instead went off to enjoy life with others?"
John's face turned red with shame and anger. Alejandra, her heart pounding, held his gaze without flinching.
"Thanks to this man, I learned what hatred is—and how shameless a person can truly be," she shouted.
The crowd around us whispered, some showing disapproval toward the man, others openly indignant.
Danny stepped forward, standing beside his sister.
"Leave us alone, John. You should already know we don't want you in our lives," he snapped, making sure his words sank in.
John opened his mouth to speak, but Gina reacted first.
"Sweetheart," she whispered, hugging Alejandra and pulling her away from there.
Before leaving, Alejandra looked at John one last time, filled with contempt.
"If I could, I'd drain every drop of blood that ties me to you and replace it with Dan's. Because he is the one who has truly been a father to me."
With those words, she turned and walked away with Gina.
We all moved away, leaving the scandal behind. Dan, without saying a word, lagged a little behind. As we walked away, the murmurs of the crowd continued, and John's defeated figure disappeared into the mass of people.
.................
The party was at its liveliest point, full of laughter, music, and joy. Still, my concern remained focused on Alejandra. Despite the celebration, I couldn't ignore what had happened just hours earlier.
Pau, noticing my unease, stepped away to talk to her and make sure she was all right. From a distance, I watched as Alejandra broke down in tears while Paulina held her, whispering words of comfort. And it was no surprise. That idiot always found a way to ruin the most important moments in my nieces' lives.
"I want to kill him," Dan muttered behind me, his jaw clenched tight.
"You're not the only one," I replied seriously.
"Make that three," my father-in-law chimed in, taking a sip of his whiskey. "Being a shitty father has no justification," he said, gripping his glass tightly. "I'll take care of it."
"No one is taking care of anything," Gina cut in firmly. "My daughter isn't crying out of resentment. She's crying out of helplessness."
We watched in silence as Alejandra, her eyes still red, clung to Pau and Danny, who had also joined the embrace.
"You're right. They shouldn't hold on to hatred or resentment. That would only destroy them," I said, agreeing with her. "John is reaping what he sowed. Right now, the best thing he can do is stay away… if he doesn't want to be hated even more."
After that episode, the party slowly regained its energy, and the atmosphere grew lighter. We all made an effort to enjoy the night, leaving behind any shadow from the past.
When it was time for the speeches, my plan to stay in the background was completely ruined. My sister still hadn't shown up with Dan, and Pau, wearing her best smile, encouraged me to say a few words in their place. According to her, it would be good practice for our wedding day.
I cleared my throat, took the microphone, and smiled.
"First of all, thank you all for coming. And since the graduate's parents still haven't shown up, I'll take the opportunity to talk about my niece," I said with an amused laugh.
"Oh my God!" Alejandra exclaimed, covering her face with her hands.
"I remember when she was born… She was a wrinkly little thing—tiny, delicate, and constantly crying. I always wondered how my sister decided to pick her up from the trash," I joked, triggering laughter from the crowd.
"That's horrible!" Alejandra muttered between laughs.
"So… how long has it been? What—sixteen years?" I tried to recall.
"Eighteen," Johanna coughed, correcting me.
I opened my eyes, pretending to be shocked.
"Oh my God!" I exclaimed. "I mean… exactly eighteen years of watching her grow. We saw her start kindergarten, then school, then high school… and today she closes this chapter to face the terrifying, exhausting, and brutal life of college."
I exaggerated my dramatic tone with an over-the-top gesture, making everyone nod along while laughing.
"That's enough!" Gina appeared out of nowhere and snatched the microphone from my hands as the guests kept laughing and applauding.
Unable to continue my speech, I returned to my seat beside Pau, who raised an eyebrow at me.
"I hope you don't say anything like that at our wedding," she warned.
I smiled mischievously, without promising anything.
When Gina finished her emotional speech, we all applauded enthusiastically. Then it was the graduate's turn. Alejandra stood up, took the microphone, and looked at us with a nervous smile.
"Thank you all… This is the third time tonight I've thanked you," she joked, sparking another wave of laughter. "I want to thank my mom, especially. She always fought for us and never left us. All my degrees will be for her… and for Dan, because both of them have been our parents."
Dan smiled at her, deeply moved, his eyes filled with tears.
"I also want to thank my Aunt Johanna, who has always been there for us, and my baby-faced aunt…" she added, causing laughter among the guests. "She's always taken care of us just the same. I hope you enjoy tonight and have an amazing time. Thank you!"
The applause was immediate, and as soon as the DJ announced the start of the dancing, everyone rushed to the dance floor.
Amid the music and excitement, we approached Alejandra to give her our gift.
"Congratulations, sweetheart," Pau said, handing her a key.
Alejandra looked at it, thrilled.
"Did you get me a car?" she asked, her eyes shining.
I shook my head and smiled.
"It's your own apartment."
Alejandra's eyes widened even more, unable to believe it.
"You can do whatever you want with it," Pau clarified. "Sell it, rent it… or live in it after college, obviously."
Alejandra hugged us tightly.
"I can't believe it! Thank you, aunts!"
"Just don't forget—after you graduate," I reminded her with a smile.
"Of course. Besides, Mom wouldn't let me live alone yet… and honestly, I want to keep eating like a normal person," she joked.
We all laughed.
"It's good that you're clear about that," I said. "Because once you live on your own, you'll have to cook your own meals… and it's awful."
"I'll never live alone," she assured us with a nervous expression. "At least not unless I have someone who cooks for me."
We laughed even harder, letting the music and the happiness of the night wrap around us.
We headed to the dance floor, enjoying the music and each other's company. The party went on until the early hours, and we all had the time of our lives. In the end, we spent Sunday recovering from the hangover, sharing stories about everything that had happened the night before.
....................
Paulina
I've lived through many interesting, crazy, and fun things in my life, but nothing compares to the madness Shanti has put me through. And now, with a Latin party, I found myself wondering: What is this? First, they fed us—and now I understood why. Every few minutes, they handed you alcohol, and without food in your stomach, we'd probably all be passed out in some corner of the hall. But the strangest part was that you couldn't say no, because they had a way with words that made you feel guilty for not drinking. How was that even possible?
That's when I truly witnessed Shanti's endurance—and wow, she could handle it. I only remember my eleventh drink, while she was still going strong. According to the graduation videos, she was the one holding me up and taking me to bed. However, the real professional drinker turned out to be my sister-in-law Gina. She acted as if she hadn't had a single drink. It was insane. She was one of the people who drank the most and still looked perfectly fine—she even made us soup for the hangover the next day.
If I had to give out awards for endurance, first place would go to Gina, without a doubt. Second, Dan. Third, Shanti. Fourth, Ryan. Fifth place was mine. My parents shared sixth place, and last place went to Johanna, who got drunk very quickly and had the worst hangover of all.
"I feel like I got run over by a car," my mother said, still recovering.
"How can you be so normal, Gina?" Johanna asked, astonished.
"I have a high tolerance," Gina replied with impressive calm.
At that moment, Johanna and I couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
We spent Sunday recovering from the hangover, thinking about everything that party had been.
On Monday afternoon, we returned home, since both my parents and I had decided to work at the hospitals that day, as we all had the day off.
"Sweetheart," I called from the doorway, completely naked. I saw Shanti practically start drooling.
"Love," she replied in a hoarse voice as she moved toward me.
She kissed my lips and lifted me up, making my legs wrap around her waist. I felt her twist us toward the bed as she sat down, still kissing me. Her hands caressed my backside, then she left my lips to take one of my breasts into her mouth, sucking so hard I felt electricity shoot down my spine.
"Be gentler," I whispered between a moan.
But she seemed to ignore my request and continued, now with the other breast, her eyes filled with lust. I was surprised by how much desire they reflected.
She turned me over and positioned herself on top of me, placing her leg between mine and pressing down firmly. I was very sensitive and wanted her to pay more attention to that area.
"Love, lower," I asked, grabbing her hair to guide her.
She began kissing my stomach while her hands played with my clitoris, biting my lips to muffle my moans.
Suddenly, we heard a knock at the door. Like a startled cat, Shanti jumped off me and tried to regain her composure as quickly as possible.
"Who is it?" she asked, covering me with the sheets.
"Auntie, it's Sofi," a small voice said from behind the door. "Can I sleep with you?"
We both looked at each other in absolute terror.
"Yes, of course, Sofi, you can," I replied nervously, scrambling to find some clothes.
"The door is closed," she warned us.
"Yes, I'm opening it now, I'm changing my clothes," she lied, tossing me my pajamas.
In record time, I got dressed while Shanti opened the windows and sprayed my perfume all over the room to mask the atmosphere.
"Are you dressed already?" she whispered.
"Yes, you can open the door now," I confirmed, also whispering.
Shanti opened the door, and there was Sofi, clutching her stuffed animal. I still wasn't sure whether it was a dog, a cat, or some strange mix of both.
"You took a long time to change, Auntie," she scolded me, looking at me with her innocent little face.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Shanti apologized to her as she invited her inside.
"Come on, honey, lie down in the middle," I said, holding out my hand and pulling back the sheets so she could climb in.
"Yes!" Sofi cheered excitedly. "Can we watch a movie?"
Shanti went to the bathroom first, and I settled into bed, making sure Sofi stayed between the two of us. After about fifteen minutes of the movie, Sofi was already fast asleep.
"It's going to be hard for me to get used to our kids interrupting us," Shanti said, looking at me sadly, "not to mention my blood pressure dropped."
I couldn't help laughing at her dramatics.
"We'll get used to it, love," I said, taking her hand and intertwining my fingers with hers.
We stayed quiet, enjoying the moment, even though we knew it wouldn't be easy to find time just for ourselves. But at least we would try.
.............
"Where did this woman even come from?" I asked myself as I watched the woman yelling at me in my office.
"Excuse me, I don't know who you are or why you're in my office," I interrupted her, slightly bewildered.
"You don't know who I am?" she asked incredulously, as if it were obvious.
"No," I replied, confused, unable to hide the surprise on my face.
"Hasn't Paulina talked to you about me?" she insisted, her tone filled with disbelief.
"Maybe she has, but I don't know your name," I replied uncomfortably as I moved closer to my desk.
"I'm Katy, Paulina's older sister," she introduced herself, rather arrogantly.
"Paulina doesn't have any older sisters," I said, raising an eyebrow, surprised by her claim.
"I'm her friend," she replied, rolling her eyes in frustration, "but I'm like a sister to her."
"Oh! And do you want me to go get her?" I asked, still confused.
"Because…" she fell silent for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh.
"And why are you here?" I asked, still not fully understanding the situation.
"I'm here to talk to you," she said bluntly.
"To me?" I repeated, still confused.
Katy spun on her heels, pacing back and forth across my office, visibly irritated.
"Wow, you really are clumsy and slow," she complained, clearly frustrated. "I don't know what Paulina ever saw in you."
"Excuse me?" I snapped, starting to lose my patience.
"You're the idiot who's been making Paulina suffer," she said, backing me against the edge of my desk, her tone aggressive and her gaze icy.
"I would never hurt her," I defended myself, trying to stay calm.
Katy didn't seem interested in listening. Her finger pointed at me like a sharp weapon.
"Do you have amnesia? Do you want me to refresh your memory?" She pointed at me, never taking her eyes off my face. "You go and almost die, you sleep with her cousin, and you don't even have the decency to tell her you're dying," she accused angrily.
"How was I supposed to tell her I was dying? Just so she'd feel guilty for the rest of her life? I wasn't going to make her suffer," I shot back, annoyed by her accusation.
"Do you know what that feels like?" she asked, her voice full of anguish. She was furious, but something in her tone cracked for just a second.
"Of course I do," I replied firmly, my anger flaring even more.
Katy's eyes widened as she took a small step back, clearly shocked by my answer.
"If you know, then why did you let her see you?" she demanded, glaring at me, furious, as if my guilt were undeniable.
"I had no idea I would end up in those circumstances, but if Paulina hadn't been there that day, I wouldn't be here," I said, trying to justify what had happened.
A heavy silence filled the room. I could see the inner conflict on Katy's face. Anger mixed with concern, and even though she didn't say it out loud, I could feel the storm of emotions she was going through.
"I love Paulina," I began, softening my voice as I looked Katy in the eyes. "I know you worry about her—I can see it on your face. You're afraid I'll hurt her, and I don't blame you for thinking that. My past with Valentina is over, in the past. Paulina is my present and my future. I don't want anything else. I'm not interested in anything but her."
Katy said nothing, but her gaze stayed fixed on me, scrutinizing every word.
"I'm not with her for her money, her status, or anything else you might be thinking…" I added, hoping she would understand my sincerity.
Katy interrupted me, raising a hand.
"Swear it," she said, with an intensity that surprised me. "I just want you to swear, on the most sacred thing you have, that you're with Paulina because you love her—not for her money or out of gratitude because she didn't let you die."
My eyes widened at her request. I had never considered that someone might think I was with Paulina out of gratitude, but I could understand Katy's concern. She wasn't wrong to fear for her.
"I swear that I love her," I replied with absolute certainty, my voice firm and full of conviction. "From the moment I wake up and even in my dreams, I think about her. I'm going to build a family with her. That's what I want most right now. I want—no, I need—to see little copies of her calling her Mom," I said, with a mix of hope and love, a light in my eyes I couldn't hide.
Katy frowned, clearly still unconvinced.
"I can't believe you," she said darkly. "Don't you want anything else from Paulina besides starting a family? Everyone always wants something. Or are you going to tell me you have no ambition?"
"I did," I answered honestly, letting my voice calm a little.
"Of course you did, because it already came true thanks to Paulina," she snapped, glaring at me as if my words hadn't convinced her.
"You could say that," I continued calmly. "My ambition was to find someone who would love me the way Paulina does—and whom I could love the same way. I can't put into words how much I love her, but I can show it through my actions. And I'll prove it to you as time goes by."
Katy said nothing else. The look in her eyes shifted—less fierce now, though still wary. She studied me for a few seconds, as if searching for a lie in my words. But all she found was sincerity in my face.
.................
"I asked you to call me Mary," I said quickly as soon as Katy set foot in the hospital, speaking while we walked down the hallways.
"I know, Doctor, but I was in the operating room—I couldn't interrupt you," she apologized as she followed me, trying to keep up with my pace.
I burst into Shanti's office without even knocking. My anxiety and fear over Katy's presence in the hospital kept me from thinking clearly. Even though I had asked her not to interfere, she had, as always, ignored my plea.
"Love, are you okay?" Shanti asked, stepping closer, worried, to make sure I was all right.
"I'm fine," I replied, trying to reassure her.
"I haven't done anything to her," Katy said, also trying to calm me.
"You promised you wouldn't do anything," I reminded her firmly.
"I never promised anything. Besides, how could you think I'd just sit back and do nothing?" Katy replied with a defiant smile.
"Katy!" I scolded her, annoyed.
"I have to go," she announced, starting to walk past me toward the door. Then she stopped, turned around, and placed a hand on Shanti's shoulder. "Don't forget that I can destroy you in a second if you even think about hurting Paulina," she threatened.
"Katy, that's enough," I said angrily, trying to calm the situation.
But Katy, as always, ignored my request. Without warning, she lifted her knee and struck Shanti between the legs, making her drop to her knees on the floor.
"Aaaaaaa!" Shanti cried out, doubling over as she struggled to catch her breath.
"What the hell, Katy?" I demanded, kneeling beside Shanti to help her.
"So you don't forget me," Katy said, playing innocent, as if what she had done were something trivial. "I have to go, Pau. See you tomorrow for lunch," she said goodbye and walked out without another word.
I turned back to Shanti, who was clearly in pain.
"Love, are you okay? Take your pants down, I need to check you," I said worriedly, standing up to help her to her feet.
I went straight for the button of her pants, but her hands immediately stopped me.
"Sweetheart, I'm fine. I just need some ice or something for the pain," she said, her voice strained.
"Love, I need to examine you," I insisted.
"Pau, it's not necessary," she refused again, just as calmly as before.
"You need to let me see," I said firmly, trying to pull her pants down.
"Sweetheart, stop. I don't want to," she replied, pushing my hands away.
"Why won't you let me take your pants down?" I asked, irritated.
At that exact moment, my mother burst into the room.
"Paulina!" my mother shouted from the doorway, in a tone that made me want to crawl underground. Not only had she caught me trying to pull down my fiancée's pants, but my sister-in-law, Gina, was also there, wearing an expression of sheer horror.
"Mom, sister-in-law, it's not what it looks like," I said fearfully, quickly raising my hands to show nothing was happening.
"Paulina, again…"
"Again?" Gina asked in disbelief. "Shanti Vega, what are you doing?"
"I'm not doing anything," Shanti said, terrified, trying to explain what had happened.
"There's a misunderstanding—" I tried to explain everything, but my mother was already quite upset.
"I already spoke to both of you about these scenes, and you promised you wouldn't repeat them," she scolded us, crossing her arms with a stern look.
"That's not what happened. Katy hit me between the legs, and Paulina just wanted to check the injury," Shanti defended herself, looking at my mother and Gina.
"I would never do that!" Katy exclaimed from the doorway. "In fact, I had to leave the moment I opened the door because of the indecent scene I witnessed. You can't even put a lock on the door," she said, playing offended.
We all stared at Katy. My mother and Gina were red with anger, while Katy continued playing the victim.
"I'm so sorry you had to witness that, dear," my mother said, looking at Gina. Then she turned to both of them. "Katy, this is Gina, Shanti's sister. And Gina, this is Katy—she's like a sister to Paulina."
"Nice to meet you," they both said in unison, though neither sounded very convinced.
"I'm very sorry you had to see all this. I apologize on behalf of my sister," Gina said apologetically, looking at Katy.
"I don't want to interfere, but you should be stricter with your sister. These kinds of behaviors…" Katy commented, putting on a concerned look.
"I'll have to talk to her," Gina said, embarrassed. Then she pointed at Shanti threateningly. "You and I are going to have a long conversation."
"What?" Shanti stammered, confused.
I no longer knew whether my mother was scolding me or giving me a lesson on sexuality, because we had been sitting in her office for three hours. Instead of calming down, she seemed to grow angrier with every word. I had no idea how things were going between Shanti and Gina back at our apartment.
"Paulina, are you at least listening to me?" my mother scolded, clearly exhausted.
"Mom, I am. I've been listening to you for three hours," I replied, exasperated.
"It doesn't seem like it," she sighed, her face worn out. "Paulina, my daughter, you can't keep behaving like this."
"Mom, I explained it to you—Katy is the one at fault," I reminded her, my voice tired.
"It's fine, if that were the case, why didn't you take her to be checked by another doctor?" she asked in a serious tone.
"I'm a doctor," I defended myself.
"You know what I mean… you're still dealing with…"
"No, Mom, I'm not dealing with those jealousies anymore. I was just worried and wanted to make sure she was okay," I said, exhausted, trying to calm the situation.
My mother sighed again, resigned.
"Sweetheart, right now the one getting the worst scolding of her life is Shanti. From what I saw, Gina was not happy at all," she said, visibly distressed.
"That was Katy's goal," I commented, frustrated.
"By the way, before I forget, Friday is the anniversary of the southern hospital. We need to leave early to get there," my mother informed me, trying to change the subject.
"Yes, I remember, Mom. Will 4 p.m. be okay?" I asked.
"Better make it 2, just in case anything comes up," Mom suggested, sounding calmer now.
"Yes, of course, no problem," I agreed.
"Ryan and his team are tripling their efforts to get everything done on time," Mom laughed.
"If he used to do his job well, now he has to do it perfectly," I laughed as well.
"With the pressure of having a Scott as a sister-in-law, imagine how he's feeling," Mom commented proudly.
"He's been warned. Imagine what will happen if he does anything reckless with Johanna," I told her.
"Did Shanti talk to him?" Mom asked, curious.
"Yes, actually, we both spoke with him at the party. We talked for a while," I replied.
"Then it wasn't Alejandra's night, it was Ryan's, because your father and I also had a little talk with him," my mother told me, looking at me with an ironic smile.
Flashback
"Ryan, my friend…" we said as we reached his side, making him flinch. Shanti spoke almost normally, though her face reflected such intense fury that it looked like she could kill Ryan at that very moment.
Ryan swallowed hard, fear taking over him, and without being able to object, he began walking toward the corner with us. Now that he knew we were his sisters-in-law, the terror was evident on his face.
"First of all, my dear friend, why didn't you tell me you were married? And to my sister," her voice came out with such rage that Ryan tried to steady his heartbeat, trembling with fear.
"Shanti, I had no idea she was your sister," he defended himself, trying to stay calm.
"Seriously, Ryan? You didn't notice? Not even when they both carry the same damn last names—my fiancée and my sister-in-law," I said, just as angry as Shanti, fury burning in my chest.
"I swear I didn't know. It did seem strange to me that they had the same last name, but I thought it was something common, because she's also from Latin America," he continued, not sounding very convincing.
"That's so…" I fell silent to keep myself from blurting out a curse.
"I swear, I met her at a supermarket. She helped me buy a cream for my sister, because she was buying the same one," Ryan began to explain, recalling the moment.
"My sister was your love at first sight?" Shanti asked incredulously, clearly shocked by the revelation.
"Yes, she was," Ryan replied nervously.
"So she was the one you tried to get pregnant to keep her," Shanti grabbed him by the jacket, holding him tightly.
"I can explain it, Shanti… I was desperate and didn't know what else to do," he defended himself, visibly worried.
"Sweetheart, calm down," I said, pulling Shanti away from Ryan, trying to ease the situation.
"Listen to me, Ryan. This time I defended you only because we're at my niece's party," I made it clear, so he wouldn't think I was taking his side for any other reason.
Shanti, her face tense, continued.
"If I see you trying to get smart with my sister, or if you even think about hurting her or causing her any sadness… you'll be a dead man, Ryan," the threat echoed through the room, cold and sharp.
At that moment, Johanna appeared, saving Ryan from the situation.
"Ryan, sweetheart, where are you?" she said as she hurried over. "Here you are. Is something wrong?" she asked, confused.
"Nothing's wrong, sister," Shanti replied instantly, softening her tone. "I was just asking Ryan about a few minor issues at the southern hospital," she smiled, trying to reassure her.
"I understand, but it's the girl's party. Can you leave your business for later?" Johanna asked, clearly tired.
"Yes, we're sorry, sis-in-law," Shanti and I apologized.
"Let's get back to the party, then," Johanna said before being called over by Gina.
"Yes, of course," Shanti and I replied in unison.
Although Ryan stayed there a little longer, trying to regain his composure, he knew he wasn't done receiving threats.
Ryan thought his torment was over, but he still had to face the Scotts, who approached him without him noticing.
"Son, how is it that you didn't tell us you were married?" Mr. Scott asked, firmly patting his shoulder.
"It's very bad manners not to announce such an important event," Mrs. Scott added, giving him an angry look.
Ryan wished Johanna would return to save him, but not a single word came out of his mouth.
"We're just warning you… if you try to do something stupid, you won't have enough life left to ask for forgiveness," Mr. Scott said threateningly, his gaze piercing.
"All you have to do is make Johanna happy, and everything will be fine," Mrs. Scott said with a slightly twisted smile that only increased the fear on Ryan's face.
Without saying anything else, they walked away, leaving him trembling. His face was so pale that anyone who saw him would think he had just seen the devil himself.
End of the flashback