3. Fairy Tale

~Esperanza's POV~

I spent six days in a hotel...

Six days and yet here I was in a neighbourhood, looking for ways to pass the days and for employment.

I'd already spent six days looking for a decent apartment in my budget, but still couldn't find one.

And now, all my savings felt like flowing like water already.

As I walked down an unfamiliar street, the sun settled above my head. Exhausted and discouraged the same way I was.

My feet hurt from walking all day, and desperation has begun to set in.

If I didn't find a job soon, I would not be able to fix the scars that had been imprinted on my heart.

And there was no way I could let that happen.

Seeking a job at some company wasn't an option, everyone knew who I was.

And by now, Juliana and Evangelina must have spread words about me that were never true.

My eyes searched through the crowd of restaurants and cafes, hoping I would find at least one decent place to start with.

And that's when my eyes landed on a "Help wanted" sign glowing on the window under the sun's rays.

I approached it with a hope lingering in the back of my heart.

I just need to start from somewhere and then, I'll make my way back into the game that everyone thinks I lost.

As soon as I reached the door, a tall, well-dressed man with an expensive watch and confident demeanour exited the establishment.

Something about him seemed familiar, though I couldn't place where I might have seen him.

The man's eyes widened, while I tried to shrink back.

He recognised me before I could think where I saw him.

"Well, well... Isn't it the famous Carlos Mendoza's wife. What brings the senora to this part of town?"

I felt heat rising to my cheeks, both from embarrassment and anger.

"Ex-wife," I corrected sharply. "I'm his ex-wife."

The man raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by this information, "Ex-wife? How interesting. The business circles were all talking about the Mendoza heir's marriage to the wealthy heiress. What happened to the fairytale?"

Fairytale?

Yeah, the one where I couldn't be a princess even after doing everything that he asked for.

His mocking yet curious tone broke my control.

I was already worn out and humiliated from the whole day of job-hunting and his description of her fairytale brought a need upon me where I found myself spilling the beans before realising it.

​"A fairy tale? There was no fairy tale. I wasn't loved, I was played for a fool," I bitterly laughed. "Carlos only married me to get his hands on my mother's inheritance."

My breath grew heavier, "And his precious girlfriend, Juliana? She was the one pulling all the strings."

My voice grew emotionally heavier as words poured out of my mouth and the man found himself more invested in the story.

Tears streamed down my face, but I couldn't bring myself to stop, "I signed divorce papers just to see my son's face on a video call for thirty seconds. That's all I got! Thirty seconds with my own child before they threw me out with nothing!" My voice trembled, "Juliana didn't want to ruin her figure by getting pregnant, so they used me like a... like a breeding animal. They took my baby from me the moment he was born!"

The man studied me with a mixture of sympathy and calculation as if he were trying to understand the strong build of the Mendoza empire.

"So the great Carlos Mendoza's empire was built on lies and stolen inheritance. And you're here now, looking for a job and a place to live."

Uh… Oh my god...

What the heck did I do?

I didn't realise I was talking about things that people didn't know.

And things like these always come in handy in the world where we live.

I quickly wiped my face and turned my head away, "I shouldn't have said all that. I don't even know who you are."

The man brought his hand forward with a slight smile on his face, "My name is Rafael Montenegro. And I think, senora, that we might be able to help each other."

His eyes shone with excitement, "I have some business dealings with the Mendoza family that haven't gone as planned. Your story gives me a very different perspective on Carlos's recent... acquisitions."

I eyed him with deep suspicion, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that a woman who's been wronged the way you have might be interested in ensuring that justice is served. And I might be able to help you rebuild your life in the process."

Does he mean... A... Revenge...?

I do want to get back at him, bring my son back to me, and live with dignity again but wasn't trusting a stranger risky?

If my own father could betray me then how could I trust a man that I met just a few seconds ago?

But...

This was the first stroke of luck I had since my world fell apart.

I had learned to be cautious about trusting anyone, especially men who seemed too good to be true.

Still...

"I need to think about it," I carefully answered.

He nodded and pulled out a business card from his pocket, "Of course. When you're ready to reclaim what was stolen from you, your dignity, your child, your inheritance... Call me."

As he walked to his lavish car and vanished in the busyness of the city, I clutched the business card.

Who was he?

Was this stranger the key to rebuilding my life, or just one more person planning to use me?

I couldn't understand this…

**************************

Three days passed.

And I was still hanging without a job but this time in deeper thoughts than earlier.

Rafael Montenegro has offered me a deal that I could neither deny nor accept.

I was reminiscing about my encounter with Rafael when I suddenly remembered the person I should have called immediately after my life fell apart.

How could I forget her?

My best friend...

Valentina.

"Long time no see, princess."

Valentina didn't enter the room. Yet her chirpy voice instantly brought tears to my eyes.

The mask that I'd been wearing for days finally wore off, and I hugged her tightly, sobbing loudly in the hotel room.

"You should've called me the moment that sick man left you!" Valentina hissed.

"Hey, I brought you these... Eat it and then we are going to my place.”

My eyes once again became glassy.

Valentina brought my favourite tea and pasta from the restaurant that I almost forgot existed.

Someone still cares about me...

"Thank you," I whispered.

She wrapped me in a warm blanket and handed me the warm tea.

Her hands caressed my shivering shoulders and the little care allowed me to finally break down completely.

"They took my baby, Valentina," I sobbed. "My son... I carried him for nine months, I gave birth to him, and they just... took him away like I was nothing..."

Valentina hugged me tightly, "Those monsters... How could they do this to you? And above this, how could your own family be part of this?"

"Because money was more important than me," I answered with bitter clarity. "It was always about money. I was just a tool to make it all happen."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't there with you. I know it's too much to handle, I can't imagine being in your shoes, but Esperanza, we need to change this," She placed her hand on mine and gazed in my eyes.

"This is not the Esperanza I knew. You are smarter than this. It will take time, but we'll make it work."

She turned my face towards her and held my hand tightly, "You aren't naive. You are just not cunning like others around you. If you didn't understand business, you would never have excelled in your MBA and never made your mom’s dream project come true. You simply trusted the wrong people who were living right there with you."

"Yeah, that's why they called me naive," I chuckled.

Valentina shook her head, "No, they misunderstood you."

Valentina stood from the couch and picked up the piles of newspapers from the drawer.

Pointing to the page filled with jobs, Valentina huffed, "And you... Also misunderstood yourself. Your mother didn't leave her hard work to you for no reason. She knew you were worth it. And deep down, you know this too. It's time to reclaim the snatched."

"Company jobs? But-"

Valentina cut me off, "No buts and ifs. You need to start from somewhere. You can't let that bastard get away with his sins and your child."

She pointed at the biggest job ad and sighed, "But first, you need to sort your life. Get up, we are applying for the jobs that you actually need."