16 years dedicated to being a single mother, struggling to give my daughter Julia the best. And it was her wedding day that I heard her future husband say to her friends, “Marrying that unclean sow from your daughter is the price to get your hands on that fortune.”
At that moment, something broke inside me. I decided that he would never see a penny of what I built, even if it destroyed my only daughter’s perfect wedding dream.
But before you continue, make sure you are already subscribed to the channel and write in the comments from where you are watching this video. We love to know how far our stories are going.
The watch was 10:13 in the morning when I finished fixing my godmother’s dress. My daughter Julia would get married in less than 5 hours and everything had to be spotless.
16 years as a single mother I was taught to pay attention to details, and this would be no different. I had saved every penny to give my only daughter the wedding of her dreams.
The hotel where the ceremony would take place was luxurious, but modest by the standards of Leonardo, the groom. He came from a wealthy family, though he had recently faced financial problems. I never commented on Julia, but I noticed how her interest in her increased after our small bakery company started taking off.
In the last three years we went from a makeshift kitchen to being one of the largest distributors of fine desserts in the region of Guadalajara.
“Mom, can you look for my bouquet in the preparation room of the bride and groom? I forgot it there when I went to leave her gift,” Julia asked me while the makeup artist finished her job.
I nodded a smile. My daughter was radiant, her eyes shone with expectation. She always dreamed of a fairy tale and I wanted to believe that she had found her prince.
I walked down the hallway of the hotel trying not to wrinkle my dress. The living room was already decorated with arrangements of white and golden flowers that I had chosen myself. I went to the room where Leonardo and his godparents were getting ready. The door was open and I heard male laughter.
I was about to play when I heard Leonardo’s voice, clear and mocking.
“It’s only a few more hours, compadres. Then I sign those society papers, put my hands on it to his pastry and ready. Marrying that unclean sow from your daughter is a small price to get back what my father lost in business.”
I froze, my legs faltered and my heart seemed to stop. I instinctively walked away from the door, recharging myself on the wall so I wouldn’t fall.
“But you’re going to have to sleep with her, hand,” said a voice I recognized as Bruno, his best friend.
“Nada que una botella de tequila no resuelva”, respondió Leonardo entre risas. “Es tan patética que cree cuando le digo que la amo. Y su mamá, esa vieja idiota, trabajando día y noche en esa repostería. Ni se imagina que en seis meses vendemos todo y ella regresa al barrio del que nunca debió haber salido.”
Las risas aumentaron.
Sentí la sangre hervir en mis venas. La respiración se me dificultó. Mi visión se oscureció por un instante y tuve que controlarme para no invadir ese cuarto y acabar con la carrera odontológica de ese cretino, arrancándole sus dientes uno por uno.
“Y cuando se pone a llorar por cualquier cosa, parece una ballena varada”, continuó Leonardo sin piedad.
No aguanté más. Con las manos temblorosas y el corazón destrozado, me alejé en silencio. Julia, mi niña, mi orgullo, estaba a punto de casarse con un monstruo que la veía como un medio para un fin.
Volví al cuarto donde ella se estaba arreglando sin el ramo. Mi mente corría tratando de procesar lo que acababa de oír. ¿Cómo se lo diría a Julia? ¿Me creería o pensaría que estaba tratando de sabotear su boda?
“Mamá, ¿estás bien? ¿Y el ramo?”, preguntó Julia notando mi expresión.
“Estaba cerrado. Voy a pedir la llave”, mentí, tratando de ganar tiempo.
Salí de nuevo, cerré la puerta y recargué mi frente en la madera fría. Lágrimas silenciosas corrían por mi rostro. Tenía que tomar una decisión, y rápido.
Tomé mi celular y llamé a Antonio, mi contador y amigo de años. Era la única persona en la que confiaba completamente para asuntos financieros.
“Antonio, necesito que vengas de inmediato al hotel Las Palmas y trae esos documentos de contingencia que preparamos el año pasado. Sí, los de emergencia. No, no puedo explicarte ahora. Es urgente.”
Él accedió sin hacer preguntas. Así era nuestra amistad.
Después llamé a mi abogado. Si Leonardo pensaba que pondría las manos en lo que construí con sudor y lágrimas, estaba muy equivocado. Tenía poco tiempo, pero estaba determinada.
Respiré hondo, limpié las lágrimas y volví al cuarto de Julia, esta vez con una firme resolución en el corazón. Como madre tenía dos opciones igualmente dolorosas: destruir el sueño de boda de mi hija revelando la verdad o dejarla caer en la trampa de un hombre que solo quería usarla.
La observé por el espejo mientras la estilista terminaba su peinado. Julia sonreía ajena a la tormenta que se estaba formando. Su vestido de encaje era sencillo y elegante, exactamente como siempre quiso. Había ahorrado por años para este día, trabajando noche sin fin en la repostería.
“Estás hermosa”, le dije con la voz ahogada.
“Mamá, no llores todavía. Vas a arruinar tu maquillaje”, bromeó ella sin saber el verdadero motivo de mis lágrimas.
Lo que no sabía es que en las próximas horas tomaría medidas drásticas que cambiarían nuestras vidas para siempre. La mujer determinada que había construido un negocio desde cero estaba a punto de mostrar sus garras.
Antonio arrived in record time bringing a black briefcase under his arm. We are in the hotel lobby, in a discreet corner near the emergency stairs.
“Regina, what happened?” he asked worriedly.
I told him everything I had heard, every dirty word that came out of Leonardo’s mouth.
Antonio paled. Then I saw the rage grow in his eyes.
“That miserable one,” he murmured. “What are we going to do?”
“Implement the contingency plan now. Not after, not tomorrow. Now.”
The contingency plan was something we had prepared when we started expanding the business, a way to protect the company in case something happened to me. I never imagined that we would use it to stop a scammer son-in-law from taking control of everything.
“Regina, are you sure? This will completely prevent Leonardo from having any access to the company’s assets, but it also means that Julia will not be able to touch the money until the terms we set.”
“Yes, I’m sure. It’s the only way to protect it.”
Antonio opened the briefcase and we began to review the documents. We called the notary and the bank using our connections to speed up procedures that would normally take weeks.
In two hours, the sabtores de Julia pastries no longer belonged to me, but to a holding company, holding company that I controlled. Any significant financial decision would need my signature and that of at least two of the administrators I appointed, Antonio and my sister Marisa.
Julia would still be a beneficiary, receive her allowance, but she could not sell, transfer or use the company as collateral for loans. Most importantly, your future husband would have no right to business, regardless of the regime of assets they chose.
As Antonio finished the online proceedings, I saw Julia again. I was having lunch with the bridesmaids, laughing and sharing childhood stories. My heart shrank. Would this be your last moment of genuine happiness?
I hesitated at the door, watching her. It was my duty to protect her, even if it meant to hurt her. But how to tell you the truth without destroying your special day? How to prove what I had heard?
“Mrs. Regina,” the voice of Carla, the wedding organizer, brought me back to reality. “All good. Musicians need guidance on the time to start.”
“Yes, I’m coming,” I replied automatically.
For more information, please continue on the next page
