The Unexpected

Santoro's POV

“Drive safe, okay?” I said as I leaned down and planted a kiss on Lucia’s lips.

She giggled, full of herself like always. 

“Of course. And tell your mom goodnight for me.”

She climbed into her car, waved like she was Miss Spain and then drove off while I turned back toward the front door.

The moment I stepped into the living room, my mother clapped her hands together like she just won bingo.

“Well done, Santoro!” she said proudly. “You finally got rid of that Sofia girl today and I’m so proud of you, my son.”

I dropped onto the couch, feeling like someone had knocked the air out of me. 

“Yeah… great.”

She frowned. 

“Oh, not this long face again.”

“Mom,” I sighed, rubbing my forehead, “Sofia… she really did a lot for us.. for me, personally and you can’t deny that.”

My mother rolled her eyes so hard I thought they’d fall out. 

“There you go again! Always soft! Always emotional! I don’t know why you act like this. You’re a man, Santoro. A strong one. Stop thinking with your heart.”

“I’m not thinking with my heart,” I muttered. “I’m just stating facts.”

“She helped you, yes,” she snapped. “But help doesn’t mean she belongs here forever. Now look at your future! Lucia is the Mayor’s daughter. The Mayor’s daughter!” She pointed a finger in the air as if she was giving a speech. “Do you know what that means?”

“Apparently a lot,” I said under my breath.

“It means,” she went on dramatically, “that you are going to rise higher and higher. Imagine it. My son, son-in-law of Mayor Eduardo. You will have influence, respect and power. Not like before when people looked down on us because of that Sofia girl and her drama.”

I sighed. 

“Mom, her ‘drama’ was usually you yelling at her.”

She ignored that completely. 

“Now we can finally breathe.”

I wanted to breathe too… but instead I felt this strange guilt twisting inside me and Sofia’s face when she signed the papers… I couldn’t get it out of my head.

We were still talking... or arguing really... when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was an unknown number.

“I’ll get it,” I said, standing up.

I answered. 

“Hello?”

A firm voice came through. 

“Good evening. Is this Mr. Santoro Escobar?”

“That’s me.”

“This is San Rafael General Hospital.”

My heart skipped. 

“Hospital? Why...?”

“We’re calling about your wife, Mrs. Sofia Esteban.”

My chest tightened. 

“Ex-wife,” I muttered automatically and then quickly added, “What happened?”

“She was involved in a serious car accident. We need you to come as fast as possible.”

I froze. 

“Is she...? I mean… is she alive?”

“She is alive,” the voice said. “But in critical condition. Please come immediately.”

The call ended before I could say anything else and I lowered the phone slowly as my mother looked at me. 

“What now?”

“It’s… Sofia,” I said. “She had an accident.”

“So?” my mother replied instantly, blinking like she didn’t see the problem.

“Mom, they said she’s badly injured. I have to go.”

“No, you do not!” she snapped. “Let her family handle it. You’re done with her, Santoro! You divorced her today!”

“She signed but the hospital doesn’t know,” I said. “As far as they’re concerned, I’m still her husband.”

“Let them call the Estebans,” she said firmly. “You owe that girl nothing. Nothing!”

“She helped me,” I said again, louder than before. “And she’s hurt! What am I supposed to do? Sit here and eat dessert?!”

“Yes,” she said simply.

“Mom!” I grabbed my keys. “I’m going.”

“Don’t be stupid, Santoro!”

But I was already at the door and this time, I didn’t look back.

***

When I reached the hospital, I went straight to the reception desk.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I’m looking for my...” I stopped, corrected myself again, “...for Sofia Esteban. She was brought here a short while ago.”

The receptionist typed fast and nodded. 

“Yes, sir. She’s in Ward 3B. Down the hall, left side.”

I hurried there and when I reached the hallway, a doctor was already waiting outside the room like he expected me.

“You must be Mr. Escobar,” he said.

“Yes… yes, I’m here. How is she?”

He sighed. 

“She was brought in with severe internal injuries, heavy bleeding, broken ribs and a head injury. She lost consciousness before arriving. Right now she’s in a coma.”

I felt like I’d been punched. 

“A coma?”

“We are monitoring her closely,” he said. “We’ll do everything we can.”

Before I could ask more, a familiar voice snapped from behind me.

“So you came.”

I turned and it was Sofia’s mother. Mrs. Esteban and her eyes burned with anger the moment they met mine.

Great. Just what I needed.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded. “Haven’t you done enough? Haven’t you hurt my daughter enough?”

“I... I just...” I stammered. “I came because they called me. I didn’t know what happened.”

“How did you even get here so fast?” I asked. “The hospital said they only called me.”

“They didn’t have to call me,” she shot back. “My husband is already admitted here too. I was here when they wheeled my daughter in, covered in blood. My daughter, Santoro!”

I swallowed hard.

“Mrs. Esteban, I...”

“No!” she snapped. “Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid. You destroyed her life. You dragged her away from her family and you made her father and brother turn their backs on her. And for what? So you could use her as a means to get rich overnight?!”

I winced. 

“It’s not like that.”

“Oh? Then how is it?” she pressed.

I rubbed my face. 

“We… We divorced today. She signed the papers. It’s done.”

The explosion was immediate.

“You worthless man!” she almost shouted. “We all knew you were up to no good! Every single one of us!”

The hallway went silent and even the doctor looked uncomfortable but said nothing. Everyone feared and respected the Esteban family name.

Just then, another doctor approached and cleared his throat.

“Mr. Escobar? Can I speak with you privately, please?”

Mrs. Esteban scoffed. 

“Yes, go. Go hear what you’ve done!”

I followed the doctor down the hall until we were alone near a corner.

He looked around, lowered his voice and said, “There’s something else we found.”

“What?” I asked, suddenly nervous.

He hesitated. 

“While examining Mrs. Escobar, we discovered she was about a week pregnant.”

My heart stopped. Pregnant. Sofia… pregnant?

“She might not have known,” the doctor said gently. “It was extremely early.”

I stared at him with my mouth dry. 

“She… she was really pregnant?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “But… the trauma from the accident caused a miscarriage.”

Everything inside me twisted painfully. A baby? We… could have had a baby?!

The doctor spoke quietly, “We thought you should know… since you’re her husband on record.”

I nodded slowly, unable to speak.

My head felt blurry, my chest hurt and the world felt too quiet as the doctor stepped back, giving me space.

Somewhere down the hall, I could still hear Sofia’s mother pacing… crying… muttering but all I could hear clearly were the doctor’s words..

She was pregnant and she miscarried during the accident…!