2.

A NEW HOPE

Arabella  didn't stop crying the entire way home. Her heart ached as if it were shattered. Fernando, her husband, the man she loved, was betraying her... and she knew she couldn't forgive him.

Upon arriving, consumed by fury and despair, she began to pack her bags. But in the midst of the chaos, she fell to her knees. Her soul broke as she remembered everything they had lived through.

When she met him, Fernando had nothing. He was an entrepreneur full of dreams, with just enough to get started. And she, who came from an influential family, with a powerful father and an arranged marriage with Eduard Hostings, decided to risk everything for love. She even decided to run away with Fernando. Since then, she had lost all contact with her family.

With a broken heart, she continued to pack what little dignity she had left. She went downstairs in a rage, determined to leave. She was about to open the door when it opened from the outside.

Fernando had arrived... and he wasn't alone. His parents were with him.

"My love! Arabella , what do these suitcases mean?" he asked, seemingly distressed.

"You're shameless! I'm leaving this house. I never want to hear from you again. I'll talk to my lawyers to handle the divorce," Arabella  spat, her voice broken but firm. She tried to open the door, but Fernando stopped her again.

"Please, my love, I told you everything has an explanation. Calm down... it's not what you think."

"I don't think it, Fernando, I saw it with my own eyes!"

Marlene, her mother-in-law, approached with that false sweetness that had always made her uncomfortable. She gently took Arabella 's arms and tried to restrain her.

"I know how you feel, dear... but listen to my son. Fernando has an explanation that can give you peace of mind. Sometimes, as women, we tend to think the worst... but please, just listen to him."

Arabella  angrily dropped the suitcase and collapsed onto the living room sofa. She buried her face in her hands, trying to understand how she had gotten to this point.

Fernando cautiously approached, sat down next to her, and spoke in a low voice, trying not to hurt her anymore.

"Arabella , Mariana has always been in love with me... ever since we hired her as a secretary."

Arabella  remained silent, barely looking him in the eyes.

"It's true. I rejected her many times. But... do you remember the party we had for the employees? That night, Mariana put something in my drink. I don't remember anything after that. I was completely unconscious."

"What are you talking about, Fernando?"

Fernando lowered his gaze, filled with guilt and remorse.

"That night... I slept with her. She got pregnant. But I swear, my love, I didn't know what I was doing, I was unconscious! It was all a mistake!"

Marlene nodded in silence, her gesture supporting every word her son said.

"And you really expect me to believe you?" Arabella  looked at him with disgust.

"Yes, my love... because I feel nothing for her. Nothing. The only thing that matters to me is you."

"Then why were you going to her checkups? Why did you leave with her and leave me alone?"

"Because... it's my child who's on the way. And even though we didn't plan it this way, I reached an agreement with Mariana. I told her I wouldn't press charges if she would let me have the baby."

"What did you say?"

"Yes, my love... we've been trying for years. Not even in vitro fertilization worked. Maybe... this is the opportunity we've been waiting for. As soon as the baby is born, he'll be ours. Mariana will leave the country and won't work for us again."

Fernando's words sounded cold, almost mechanical, as if he had rehearsed it all. Arabella  found it hard to believe that this man was the same one she had loved so much.

"No! This is insane! You can't be serious. That woman... she can't have a child with you. That baby shouldn't be born!"

Marlene approached with a conciliatory gesture, trying to calm her.

"Arabella , please... we're talking about an innocent life," Marlene pleaded. "A child who's coming into this world to bring us joy. Do you want to force Mariana to have an abortion? My goodness, I didn't know we had a killer in the family. You're going to drive me crazy...!" Marlene brought a hand to her forehead, pretending she was about to faint.

Arabella  couldn't comprehend what she was hearing. She was still in shock, looking at everyone with disbelief. Then, George, Fernando's father, approached in a solemn tone.

"That baby is a Hostings. He carries our blood. We can't turn our backs on him now. You can be his mother, Arabella . You'll be able to fulfill your dream. Can you imagine the joy of holding him in your arms?"

Arabella  bit her lower lip, holding back her tears, and shook her head, trembling.

"I don't know... I don't know if this is the right thing to do," she murmured before breaking into sobs.

Fernando gently approached her, took her hand, and with his other hand, lifted her face.

"Listen to me, my love," he said, convinced that she loved him. "Please... accept this opportunity. We can be a family, a complete one, just as we've always dreamed."

His eyes were full of supplication as he watched her. And suddenly, something inside her broke... or perhaps she held on tightly to the little that remained of the love she felt for him. She smiled weakly, filled with nostalgia.

"Okay... I agree to be the mother of that child," she whispered, even as a deep unease twisted in her heart.

Fernando smiled with relief, hugged her tightly, and showered her with kisses, asking for her forgiveness over and over again.

"I swear everything will go back to how it was. We'll be the same married couple as always, I promise."

Arabella  nodded, moved, clinging to an illusion.

"We're going to be happy, my love. With our son. You are and always will be the love of my life," Fernando whispered in her ear.