Chaos In The Rodriguez Family.

CATALINA

I stared at the glass window, admiring the night city lights, which shimmered like little fireflies. With a glass of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other, I leaned against the armchair, basking in the silence that engulfed the room.

The air was filled with the musky scent of sex and sweat, something that I hated, so I turned on the AC, ignoring the fact that my partner was lying on the bed butt-naked.

I tried not to cringe when my eyes landed on his genitalia. “What a fucking night,” I muttered under my breath.

As much as I hated what I was doing, I was glad that he was my last assignment. It took me less than a month to get his attention and less than a day to fuck him.

The most interesting part? He was my stepsister’s fiancé.

“Babe,” he drawled, his voice filled with lazy satisfaction. “Why the hell are you sitting over there? Come, I want to cuddle.”

I rolled my eyes and rose from the chair. His eyes darkened with lust as he looked at my naked body. He straightened his body and rested against the headboard, silently inviting me into his open arms.

There was no way in hell I was going to fuck him again. The man could barely last more than two minutes, much less please a woman. This time, I was thoroughly convinced I was doing my stepsister, Rosalia, a favor by getting rid of this man.

The moment I returned to his arms, the door swung open with a soft bang. My heart began racing as I rested my head against his chest, relieved that my stepsister had chosen to date a partially deaf guy this time.

Yet, my heart continued to race, and I couldn't quite put my finger on why. A soft gasp from the living room snapped me from my thoughts. Anticipation gripped my heart as I imagined her reaction to each scene I had meticulously planned.

She must have spotted my signature Louboutin heels left in the living room. The next sound she made was likely in response to the clothes scattered throughout the hallway. Her scream was the confirmation I anticipated; my pink bra and panties were hanging on the doorknob of the bedroom.

But in my defense, I loved being dramatic.

When Rosalia finally saw me lying in bed with her fiancé, a single tear slid down her cheeks before she collapsed on the floor. That sight wasn't a surprise, but unease in my heart tripled when I remembered her holding her stomach before she lost consciousness.

I thought everything was finally over, and now I would be able to get what I finally wanted: to move on.

But I was wrong.

As soon as I got home, the first thing I heard was the crisp sound of glass plates shattering on the floor. I turned to the side to see my seething father leaving his seat and approaching me.

“Catalina, stop right there!” He barked.

My feet came to a screeching halt before I could even stop myself. Before I could even say anything, my father's left hand descended on me, slapping me hard on the cheek.

“Tu puta descarada!” He roared, waving a shaky finger at me. “¿Cómo te atreves a acostarte otra vez con el marido de tu hermana?”

Tears burned in my eyes as I tried to absorb the pain in my cheeks. I should have known this was coming, but I guess a part of me was hoping that my stepmother would be able to rein in my father's temper.

One would think that I was the stepdaughter in this family, but everyone knew that wasn't the case. I lost my mother to breast cancer at the fragile age of four, but my father barely waited for a month before he brought another woman into our family.

Her daughter, Rosalia, was only two years old back then.

My father must have thought he would get away with it since he was one of the richest men in Florida. But no amount of money could fix his reputation, so he began to resent me for the decline in his business.

I cradled my cheeks with one hand and turned to him. Except for the same honey blonde hair we shared, my father and I had nothing in common. My pale skin and green eyes came from my mother, and I knew she would be rolling in her grave if she saw him mess up my beauty this way.

“You know, you could have asked what happened,” I replied with a shaky smile. “He was the one who seduced me first.”

“That's what you always say!” My father snapped. “Do you even know what you have done? You have ruined your sister's future!”

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Although I couldn't justify my horrible actions towards my sister, I was pretty sure I was doing her a great favour by getting rid of those scumbags from her life.

But Rosalia probably didn't see it that way. She must have thought I was tormenting her for intruding in my family, but the truth was I wasn't her enemy here.

“I know I was wrong, but I hardly think her future is going to be destroyed because of her fiancé, Ricardo,” I said.

When my father took another step forward, I instinctively retreated from him. He pointed at Rosalia and said. “Your sister is pregnant! How do you want her to have a good future when you have taken away her husband?!”

Shock resonated through my heart when I heard his words. My gaze instantly landed on my stepmother, who was struggling to conceal her smile.

I shook my head. “Listen, I didn't know—”

“I don't want to hear another word from you,” he exploded. “Go upstairs and pack your things. I want you to leave my house!”

Fear, confusion, and sadness warred in my heart as I stared at my father. I had never seen him this angry since the day I was born and it didn't make me sense.

But I was determined to get my answers.