Chapter 5

It was eight in the morning and I still couldn’t sleep. I’d spent the entire night thinking about everything going on in my life. And while I was still lost in those thoughts, Cristian came home. I pretended to be asleep. I didn’t feel like arguing with him anymore—and I didn’t want to see him either. He softly called my name, but I didn’t open my eyes. Then he showered, had breakfast, and left for his medical practice.

I got up at nine in the morning—much earlier than I usually leave the bed. I went to the kitchen for a strong coffee. Ana, when she saw me, said she would bring it to the dining room for me. With an enthusiastic tone, she told me there was a surprise waiting there. I found a huge bouquet of red roses with a small card that read, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Along with the flowers, there was a paper bag from an upscale perfumery. Inside was a bottle of an extremely expensive perfume.

The housekeeper brought the coffee and offered me breakfast. I told her I’d have it at my usual time. I asked her to put the roses in a vase and store the perfume with the others I already had. She said she’d love to receive gestures like that from her husband—she was more excited about the gifts than I was. I saw it all as a fake attempt at an apology from my husband. I didn’t believe Cristian was truly sorry. To me, it was just an act to avoid trouble.

I went back to bed and tried to read, but my mind was flooded with thoughts that kept going back and forth. Not long after, Cristian called to say he wanted to have lunch with me. I said no and told him I was still very upset. He asked what it would take to calm me down. I answered that I wanted a divorce. He told me I already knew the answer, then quickly ended the call. Later, he sent me a text saying he wasn’t going to close our joint bank accounts and that I would continue receiving my monthly allowance. I think he believes I’m superficial—and that irritates me even more.

At eleven in the morning, I went into the bathroom to take a shower. When I came out and checked my phone, I found a message from Marión, in which she threatened to tell my husband everything. She also said I could buy her silence. Before replying, I messaged Eduardo and told him about what my coworker and classmate had said. He suggested I not respond just yet so we could find a solution. We agreed to talk over lunch.

After that, a terrible headache began tormenting me. Even after taking two Paracetamol, the pain wouldn’t go away. Too many things were happening, and I didn’t know how to deal with it all. I left the apartment early. I was anxious to see what solution Eduardo had come up with. When he saw me arrive, he hugged me and gave me a passionate kiss. He offered me champagne. I declined, saying I had a bad headache. I asked for water, which I drank quickly.

He told me he had spoken with his lawyer. Of course, he didn’t reveal who his lover was. The attorney said the best course of action for me would be to quit working at the cabaret and change my class schedule to avoid running into Marión. Eduardo was worried I might need the money I earned from dancing. I told him not to worry—my husband is a doctor. I added that I thought the lawyer’s advice was very reasonable and that I would follow it. Eduardo and I agreed to keep seeing each other at his apartment during lunchtime.

I didn’t reply to Marión’s message. I went to speak with her directly at the cabaret. I warned her that if she kept threatening me, I would take legal action against her. I also told her that I wouldn’t be working there anymore. She asked me not to take any action and promised she would stop bothering me. Then I said goodbye to the staff and my coworkers. I got into my car, blocked Marión’s number, and drove to the academy. I had no trouble changing my schedule, and it was agreed that I would join the study group that had classes from three to six in the afternoon, Monday through Friday.

Because of my headache, I didn’t take part in class that day. When I got home, I took a tranquilizer to try to sleep. I hoped that resting would ease the migraine. I slept for three hours. The pain had lessened, but it hadn’t gone away completely. I took another Paracetamol and stayed in bed, trying not to think about anything.

At seven in the evening, my husband came home. The housekeeper told him I had a migraine. He came to check on me in the bedroom. Before he could say anything, I told him I didn’t want to argue. Cristian replied that he didn’t intend to fight. He said he wanted to reach an agreement. After talking for a while, we agreed that I would continue studying at the modern dance academy, but I would dedicate fewer hours to it. I told him I had already changed my schedule and that I’d be home before tea time. That seemed to satisfy him.

Between the medication and having reached an agreement with my husband, my headache finally went away. So I had dinner with him and took the opportunity to thank him for the roses and the perfume. He was polite when apologizing, but I knew it was all just a façade. Like Marión, he was afraid of the legal action I could take. And for a well-known doctor like him, getting into trouble with the law—especially over abuse toward his wife—would be a serious problem.

When we went to bed, he tried to have sex with me. I told him I still had a headache. He didn’t insist. As I drifted off to sleep, I kept thinking about Marión. I was afraid her words had just been a strategy to avoid legal trouble. The thought of her going to my husband and asking for money in exchange for information about me filled me with anxiety. Cristian has always lived for appearances, and he’d lose his mind if he found out I’d been dancing in a dive bar. So I made up my mind not to do anything reckless and to be very cautious with the relationship I have with my brother-in-law.

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