BORN OF REVENGE

With a glass of wine in her hand, her hair perfectly combed with decorations that looked like pearls that had fallen on her while a dress fitted to her small body filled the moment. 

There was no smile on her face when she felt like all eyes were on her. Around her there were only people who talked and gave their opinions about the party, her dress, her attitude, everything. 

Paula couldn't be more nervous that night, seeing so many people in front of her. Of course she was happy but that didn't mean she let go of her insecurities. 

At her side, Alexander smiled like he rarely did. Unlike Paula, he seemed more confident with the moment. 

"Are you okay, fairy?" Her now husband asked when he saw how nervous she was.

Paula smiled without really meaning to. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped the wine glass nervously. 

"Yes, I couldn't be happier.”

He smiled back. "Please, I ask for your attention!" Alexander raised his voice. "A minute of your attention, please! Now the bride and groom's toast because it is in front of you where I declared myself the happiest man in the world, in my life I could not have married a woman as good, as sweet and as beautiful as the woman in front of me,” he said looking into his wife's eyes. 

Paula seemed to get uncomfortable. It wasn't that she didn't love him, it was that she wasn't used to getting attention like that. In the company and in the family she had always been an ugly duckling. 

"Cheers for that!” Alexander said, placing his glass against his wife's.

Paula smiled and then drank while everyone around her applauded and toasted the newlyweds. 

But as it was always said, life was not perfect nor could all people be happy. Just like wolves, mother and daughter talked about what their eyes saw. 

"I can't believe he married her. She's such a small thing, I thought Alexander was smarter," the reddish-haired young woman said angrily. 

"Please, Emma, ​​I don't want a scandal now." Gertrudis expressed the moment she saw how her daughter closed her hands into fists, as if she were ready for the attack.

"I just can't believe he chose her over so many others. She's so vapid, so dumb, so... I don't know.”

"Remember that if he married her it was only to appear to be a better person, nothing more.”

"Why did my dad adopt her? Why?”

"Because your father is a poor idiot who always does charity work, that's all.”

Emma just drank from her glass, caring little that the others were still listening to the newlyweds' stupid words.

Paula Garza and Alexander Vital were married.

As Gertrudis and Emma would have said, the ugly duckling of the family had managed to marry the successor of the Vital company. Without a doubt, the ugly ducklings were the ones who had the most luck in love.

Smiling evilly, Emma looked at her stepsister opposite. The stupid little thing looked nervous, she looked insecure, and that could be an easy opening for Emma.

"We'll see how long you call yourself Vital's wife. You never know who your dear husband might come across,” Emma said quietly.  

And in front of an insecure woman. A woman who did not know the world she saw but who of course felt so happy to have married the most beautiful man in her heart. It was a shame he was just another liar.

******* 

Was it possible to find love and affection when all he had seen and lived with in all that time was pain and death, death that was getting closer and closer?

Dressed completely in black, with a cap that covered his fierce gaze, from that wall, no more than ten meters away from where the toast was taking place. It was true that he had an immense desire to appear before that damned bastard who was getting married and who did nothing but smile. Maximilian just wanted to go up to him and wipe that stupid smile off his face.

And just at the moment when he felt the courage to do so, he tried to walk there but was instantly grabbed by the arm.

"Don't do it, Maximilian," said a man behind him. An elderly man.

With tears of fury in his eyes, Maximilian turned to see the man who was taking him by the arm. "If I don't do something right now, I know I won't have this opportunity again in my life.”

"You shouldn't act like that, Maximilian.”

"It's my mother," he said, struggling.

"It is precisely because of her that I came after you. Your mother is dying.”

Those words made Maximilian stop. Had he heard correctly? Was his mother dying?

"Don't do it, Maximilian, it's not worth doing it. Your mother needs you. Your mother... soon will no longer be there for you.”

Maximilian let a couple of tears fall. If his mother died, if his mother couldn't bring Maximilian together with Alexander, surely he would never be able to forgive him.”

And from that wall, the last thing he saw was Alexander smiling before the world, smiling at his wife because finally, in the eyes of all of them, he was a fulfilled man. A man to whom the power of the companies that he had taken from Maximilian had fallen in.

On the finger of the woman his stepbrother was marrying, he could see the ostentatious ring that had been taken from him and which was the same one that the heir to the Vital companies must have been wearing.

Alexander was such an idiot to have given that ring to that woman. He didn't know how but he was going to get back what was his.