Capítulo 2 – Toque Impuro

Although she had always known that her husband did not love her and that he had married her out of obligation, she never imagined that he could betray her in that way.

A sharp pain shot through his right arm as memories of that day, five years ago, flooded back into his mind.

She was a poor girl who had grown up with her grandfather.

The day she met Lucas, she had gone to Casa Delgado's open audition for the position of fashion designer, a skill she had dedicated her whole life to perfecting since finishing high school, as her grandfather could not afford to send her to college.

He was lucky enough to be among the five finalists selected for the final round of the audition.

That day I was looking for the bathroom when I saw someone taking pictures of a couple lost in a passionate kiss.

They hadn't even realized they had left the blinds open.

When she discovered that the man was the young heir to Casa Delgado, she confronted the woman, who turned out to be a paparazzi photographer disguised as one of the audition hopefuls.

For Natalia, a paparazzi scandal couldn't be allowed to ruin Casa Delgado's reputation and hurt her profits. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and she was convinced she would be the one.

The struggle eventually drew Lucas to the scene. But by the time he arrived, the paparazzi had already stabbed Natalia's right wrist with the sharp edge of a broken bottle.

After the surgery, the doctor informed him that he had suffered severe nerve damage in his hand.

He had lost the ability to grasp or hold anything, even a pencil for drawing.

For her, that meant the end of her career and the life she had always dreamed of. It meant that she had no other option left.

Lucas was there the whole time. He knew it was all his fault and felt deeply guilty. He kept berating himself for being so careless.

She expected some kind of compensation, but two days later, he made her an even more tempting offer: he proposed marriage.

Later he discovered that his grandfather, Mr. Álvaro Delgado, had promised to give him Casa Delgado if he got married, and that's why he chose her.

Although she had only wanted to get a good job and become the best fashion designer in Madrid, she saw an even better opportunity and didn't hesitate to take advantage of it.

After all, he thought that dream was no longer possible since he had lost the ability to draw.

Since they married, he had given her a monthly allowance, taken care of all her needs, and provided her with everything she had ever wanted. She never lacked anything.

All he asked of her was to make everyone believe they had a happy marriage, and she had played that role perfectly.

She thought it would be an easy role to play, but Lucas's kindness gradually won her heart, and she began to long for his affection, the one thing he could never give her.

He didn't even touch her... until that night when he made love to her and whispered Elena's name.

He had always satisfied his desires with one of his secret lovers, but Natalia pretended not to know that he had been unfaithful to her throughout their marriage.

As long as he always came back to her, she believed she would be able to endure it.

She had planned to give him a big gift for their fifth wedding anniversary. Perhaps it would soften his heart and make him see her differently. But after what she had just heard, she realized it was useless.

She dried her tears, touched up her makeup in her son's dressing room, and returned to the grand ballroom, where she resumed playing the role of the happy wife, though she did her best to hold back her tears.

About five minutes later, Lucas returned through the side door accompanied by Elena.

—Hello, Natalia—he called sweetly, turning his attention away from the two women he was talking to.

He wore a wide smile on his face as he put his arm around her waist again.

His touch provoked a deep revulsion in her, but she knew she had to control her anger. She couldn't afford to make a scene and ruin Lucas's reputation.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you," Natalia asked, forcing a smile.

"Oh, we've been in the garden," Lucas replied calmly. "We were just talking about the upcoming fashion show."

—Elena is our company's fashion designer. We were just sharing some ideas.

His words pierced her like knives, sinking deeper and deeper into her heart, until the smile on her face was nothing more than an empty mask.

I couldn't believe she was capable of lying to him so easily, without even blinking.

It was then that she realized she had been clinging to an empty dream. She didn't even know when her skin tingled at Lucas's touch.

Lucas leaned slightly towards her, studying her face.

"Are you okay, Natalia?" he asked, feigning concern in his voice.

"They make a lovely couple," one of the women commented with a broad smile.

"You're very lucky to have a husband who cares so much about you," the other woman added.

But only Natalia knew the truth.

I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to leave.

"I suddenly don't feel very well," she lied, pulling away completely from his dirty touch. "I think I need to rest a little."

She didn't even wait for their reply before walking away. As she walked, she overheard the two women commenting that she stayed home every day enjoying her husband's fortune.

Those words only rubbed salt in the wound. Neither of them truly understood everything she had sacrificed to stay home and become his wife.

She was heading towards the room she shared with Lucas when she saw Elena on the balcony, talking on the phone. Her back was to her, and she was looking out into the garden.

Just seeing her made her blood boil. She walked purposefully toward her. She was going to confront her.

But, when she got close enough, the words she managed to hear made her stop dead in her tracks.

"He bought me the same watch as a welcome gift," Elena exclaimed enthusiastically.

Natalia could hear the emotion in his voice.

—I love it. It's exactly the same watch I posted on my wall a few days ago, saying how much I wanted it.

Natalia's fists clenched tightly at her sides, while her chest rose and fell with the rage she could barely contain.

Just when she thought she had heard enough, Elena continued:

—Of the five they sent to Madrid, he got the last one for me.

Natalia frowned.

—He told me his wife wanted the same watch as an anniversary gift, but he gave it to me and bought her the cheaper version.

—She also told me that she would never find out, because she is illiterate.

The words struck Natalia like a hammer, and her eyes widened. In an instant, all the determination she had mustered vanished.

Elena's words were accompanied by a mocking laugh, which only fueled the fury that burned in Natalia's chest.

She couldn't believe her husband could disrespect her like that.

She turned around and hurried out. Elena glanced at her and a satisfied smile spread across her lips.

Natalia hurried back to her son's room, where she had left the package, and emptied its contents onto the bed.

When he opened it, the sound of his heartbeat resonated in his ears as soon as his gaze fell upon the gleaming gold watch.

He picked it up with trembling fingers and, when he held it in his left hand, it had hardly any weight.

He brought it close to his face, searching for the engraving on one side that differentiated the original from the imitation, and his heart stopped.

Elena was right.

Lucas had bought the imitation for her... for his own wife.