PART 2
Valeria placed the last box by the door and slowly breathed.
His face was still burning under the gauze. The nurse had warned her that the burn could leave a permanent mark if she did not follow the treatment carefully, but at that time the physical scar was what least worried her.
On the dining room table he left three things.
Her wedding ring.
A copy of the medical report.
And a black folder that Alejandro had never seen.
Then he handed the keys to the apartment to one of the policemen.
“The property is mine,” he explained. I bought it before marriage. My lawyer is already preparing the application so that he cannot return.
The officer looked at the documents and nodded.
“Mrs. Morales, for now don’t be alone. Your husband still doesn’t know you reported it.
Valeria looked down at the ring.
“You’ll know very soon.
He left a few minutes before Alexander returned to Rebecca.
From the back seat of the car, Alejandro’s sister spoke excitedly as she checked on her phone photographs of bags, shoes and jewelry.
“I saw a beautiful bag in Antara,” he said. It costs almost eighty thousand pesos, but with the Valeria card we can take it out months.
Alexander smiled arrogantly.
After this morning, he already understood who commands.
Did you really throw him the coffee?
I just needed a lesson.
Rebekah let out a short laugh.
I always told you I was too proud.
Alejandro parked in front of the building and went up to the apartment convinced that he would find Valeria crying, perhaps preparing the card and the bags to deliver them.
But when he opened the door he found a strange silence.
The room was almost empty.
The paintings were missing.
The plants were missing.
Valeria’s computer was missing.
The coffee maker was even gone.
“What did that crazy guy do?” Rebeca muttered.
Alejandro walked to the table.
Then he saw the ring.
His smile disappeared.
Next to the ring was the medical report with photographs of the burn and a complaint number.
But it was the black folder that made him stand still.
On the cover was a white label.
“For Alejandro Salazar.”
Rebekah approached from behind.
“Open it.
Alejandro removed the league that kept the folder closed.
Inside he found copies of banking movements, contracts, screenshots and photographs.
The first sheet showed transfers made from a business account belonging to Valeria.
Two hundred thousand pesos sent to an account in the name of Rebeca Salazar.
Then, one hundred and twenty thousand.
Then eighty-five thousand.
Alejandro swallowed saliva.
What is this?
Rebeca paled.
I don’t know.
Alejandro moved on to the next page.
There were printed messages.
They were not conversations between Rebecca and Valeria.
They were messages between Rebecca and Alejandro.
“I have already entered his computer.”
“The password remains his grandmother’s date of birth.”
“Pass the money before you review the statement.”
“Tell him the bank made a mistake.”
Rebekah snatched the leaves.
You said you deleted those messages!
Alexander turned to her with his eyes exorbitant.
“Shut up!
He continued to check the folder with trembling hands.
There was something worse.
Much worse.
A counterfeit loan contract.
Valeria’s signature appeared at the end of the document, but Alejandro knew perfectly well that she had never signed it.
He had traced his rubric six months earlier to get a million eight hundred thousand pesos loan.
The money had been used to pay off Rebeca’s debts and to invest in an alleged real estate business that had failed.
The last page contained a single handwritten sentence by Valeria.
“You thought I didn’t see anything. I saw everything.”
Alejandro dropped the folder.
“He’s going to put us in jail.
Rebecca backed down.
Don’t talk nonsense. You’re her husband. You’ll fix it.
He denounced me for aggression! You have evidence of fraud!
“Then go get her and have him drop the complaint.
Alexander looked at his sister’s face.
For years he had solved all his problems.
I’d lied for her.
She had used Valeria money to save her.
He had forged documents.
And that morning he had attacked his wife because Rebecca wanted to make a purchase.
But for the first time, he understood that perhaps his sister was not worried about him.
I was just worried about losing access to money.
“You told me you needed that loan because you were going to get seized,” he whispered.
And I needed it.
“You said you were going to return it.
Rebekah lifted her shoulders.
It was not possible.
“You sold the apartment you bought with that money.
“It was mine.
Alejandro clenched his fists.
Where is the sale money?
Rebecca did not answer.
His silence was enough.
Alejandro took his phone and called Valeria.
The call went straight to the mailbox.
He scored again.
Locked.
He tried from Rebecca’s phone.
This time Valeria answered.
“Well?
Alexander breathed hard.
“Where are you?”
“That’s not your business anymore.
“We have to talk.
“No.
“Valeria, this morning was a mistake.
She kept quiet for a few seconds.
“One mistake is to spill the coffee by moving your hand. You picked up the cup, looked at me and threw it.
“I was angry.
“That doesn’t change anything.
“We can fix it.
“I’m already fixing it.
Alejandro looked at the open folder on the table.
Where did you get those documents?
Of my own computer. From my accounts. From the department chambers. From the automatic backups you forgot to delete.
The blood left Alexander’s face.
“Camaras?”
The kitchen camera recorded everything.
Rebecca took a hand to her mouth.
Alejandro lowered his voice.
You can’t turn that over to the police.
I already delivered it.
The phone nearly slipped from his hand.
“Valeria, I’m your husband.
You were my husband when you stole from me. You were my husband when you forged my signature. You were my husband when you threw boiling coffee at my face.
Think carefully what you do.
I thought about it for years. I finally acted today.
If you destroy me, you will destroy yourself.
Valeria let out a laugh without joy.
The department is mine. The company is mine. The blocked beads are mine. You have nothing in your name because you always lived on me.
Alexander looked around the empty room.
There was only the sofa he had chosen and the television that Rebeca wanted to take.
You can’t kick me out of my house.
That was never your home.
The call’s over.
Alejandro threw the phone against the wall.
The screen was broken.
“This is all your fault!” he shouted, looking at Rebekah.
She frowned.
“Because of me?” You’re the one who couldn’t control his wife.
You made me take money out of their accounts!
I didn’t force you.
You told me you were desperate!
And you wanted to feel important. You loved coming with money and acting like the savior of the family.
Alejandro took a step towards her.
“Get out.
—¿Qué?
—¡Lárgate de aquí!
Rebekah took her bag.
“When Valeria leaves you without a weight, don’t come and ask me for help.
“Help?” You’re the reason I’m ruined!
No, Alejandro. You’re ruined because you’re stupid.
Rebekah left the apartment and closed the door.
Alejandro was left alone.
Over the next hour, he called his mother, two friends and a lawyer he knew from college.
No one gave him the answer he expected.
The lawyer was direct.
“If there is a recording of the attack, a medical report, messages about unauthorized transfers and a document with a forged signature, you are in serious trouble.
She is my wife.
That doesn’t protect you.
The money stayed inside the family.
“That doesn’t protect you either.
I can say that she authorized me verbally.
—Printed messages indicate otherwise.
Alejandro closed his eyes.
How many years could he face?
It depends on the charges. Fraud, forgery, family violence, injuries… I can’t give you a figure without seeing the file.
I need you to represent me.
There was a pause.
