CHAPTER 5

HACIENDA VALLADOLID

Dropping her bag on one of the luxury couches, Valeria was pissed off. She couldn’t believe that the imbecile of her daughter-in-law was in the same condition: she hadn’t woken up after what happened and above all, many things seemed to go against her. Erika couldn’t be pregnant, not at this moment. Of course it was missing!

“Calm down, madam.” Tomas said when he saw the way his boss was acting. 

“It’s just I can’t believe this is happening to me! I don’t know how long until that imbecile of my dear daughter-in-law wakes up! And if she really wants to die, okay, why don’t you just do that now! I can’t believe that she’s pregnant now! I don’t know how long I can still pay the damn doctor to not say anything to anyone. My Zein cannot know that Erika is pregnant with his baby.”

“Madam, excuse me, I know I don’t have any right to give my opinion on your business-

“Yes, I’m glad you know it! Anyways, what do you want to say?” 

“I’m sorry, but you don’t think that the baby that is coming can bring you more good than bad?”

“My God, what are you talking about, Tomas?”

Tomas, with a smile on his face, walked around his madam, proud of what he was going to say to her because it could mean the salvation of his madam. 

“If you just can take the baby from your daughter-in-law, you raise him as your grandson of course, you would be able to manage the money of that woman, which is 10 times more than yours, until the boy or girl, whatever it is, is 18 years old.”

“You don’t need to remind me of that!”

“If I were you, I would let the baby be born, your daughter-in-law won’t make us any good if she goes to jail, it’d be good if she can be in the mental hospital of the town, in that way we can say that the woman is crazy and the baby would be all yours in the same way as the fortune of the mother.”

Those words made Valeria think twice about her next step, luck seemed to be by her side and not only that, a new life was waiting for her around the corner. No one, no one would have more power in that town than her. If she got away with that, the fortune of her daughter-in-law was going to be hers.

At that moment where the fine line on her lips curved, Tomas’ cell phone rang. Immediately, he picked up. The call didn’t last more than 20 seconds when the man hung up again.

“Who was it, Tomas?”

“The hospital, ma’am. Your daughter-in-law just woke up.”

And there was when Valeria’s smile couldn’t be any bigger. Erika had just woken up and that could only mean one thing: the trial of that woman was coming and with that, the new life of Valeria. 

“We still have one problem.” 

“Which one, ma’am?”

“The father of that stupid.”

“That won’t be a problem either, ma’am. All we have to do is to inform him about the crime his lovely daughter committed, force him to sign the will where he gives everything to his grandson or granddaughter, just God knows it, and then you can leave everything in my hands, I’ll take care of everything, madam.”

With dignity, Valeria got up from her place, smiling at Tomas. 

“Take me to the hospital. I have to make sure that my daughter-in-law is okay before the trial.”

“Of course, madam.”

And laughing, both of them continued their way to one of the vans that were at the service of Valeria.

******

The treatment had finished for that day, the electric shocks had left him with no strength in the body once again. Between two nurses, they almost dragged the body of Marcos to his room. The director of that hospital, with his hands behind, followed the two men who were going to throw Marco into his room again.

When the men arrived at his room, they just simply threw Marcos into the space like he was some kind of trash. Marcos was no longer aware of his surroundings, he didn’t even feel alive anymore.  

 The laugh of the director echoed in Marcos’ head in the same way as the electric shocks had done some minutes ago.

“I don’t get why Mrs. Valladolid has you here, alive. Wouldn’t it be easier to kill you? She knows I can’t do it without leaving a single trace of the crime.” 

No matter how bad Marcos felt, there was something in his inner self that made him want to get up and fight.

“S-she… s-she… she ha-hasn’t… she has… not fini… finished me… be…because I’m… going… to be the… one who… finishes h-her.” Marcos said unable to talk clearly.

The director of that mental hospital just laughed it off to end up kicking him in the stomach before leaving Marcos fighting against the pain. Marcos knew he had to resist, no matter how long until he could get the hell out of there, he had to bear it because he was sure he was going to be the one to put Valeria on her knees while asking for forgiveness. None of the people who hurt him was going to get away with that. They hurt him worse than an animal and they were going to pay for it. 

*****

Sunglasses, a black blouse that accentuated her feminine figure together with that long skirt and black heels, and behind her the same man walked, always behind, ready to receive her orders anytime while he protected her back.

In the waiting room of the hospital, Valeria saw her son. He had his head between his legs, he seemed to be suffering.   

“My son?” Valeria asked, being the sweet mother that she really wasn’t.

“Mom!” Zein raised his head.

“My son, is it true that Erika just woke up? As soon as I knew I headed here, I even left the company all alone.”

“You should’ve stayed there. Erika seemed to be losing her mind.” And without wanting to talk more to his mother, he left.

At that moment the doctor approached, the same one who was learning about the real face of Mrs. Valladolid. A smile was drawn on his face when he saw her as his little gold mine.

“Doctor.” Valeria greeted him. 

“Madam, it’s a pleasure to have you here. Let me tell you that everything is ready, as you asked me to do it.”

“Good! I’m glad you have obeyed my orders, but if you really want to receive two times more of what I promised you, you will have to do something else for me.”

“I’m listening.”

“I need you to inject her something even more addictive, something that makes her go wild and crazy for the day of the trial.”

“Crazy? I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t understand very well.”

“How complicated can it be for you to understand that I need her crazy, a damn crazy person who has lost her senses since the accident until the day of her trial?! Can’t you understand that I need her in the mental hospital of the town before any damn jail!”

The doctor couldn’t believe how evil that woman could be and the softness that she used to say things like that. That woman was pure evil, even though he was willing to do whatever she asked. Everything just for money.

FIFTEEN DAYS LATER 

“Defendant Erika Beltrán del Valle, please stand up!” Called the judge. 

And behind that woman, the families of the people she had damaged in that accident, everyone was there to make sure she paid for the things she did. Many families had believed her and all they got was their husbands, fathers, brothers… be killed. Erika wasn’t completely aware of what was happening. 

By that time, as Valeria had asked the doctor to do, they had kept Erika’s body drugged, so many hallucinogens for the day of the trial she wouldn’t be able to act normal, just a crazy person who was there to receive her punishment. No matter how many tests they did, they wouldn’t find anything because it had been the same doctor who  manipulated everything in favor of Valeria Valladolid. Erika was going to end up in the mental hospital of the town. 

Carefully, Erika’s lawyer helped her to stand up since she didn’t seem to act on her way, she wasn’t even capable of looking at the judge. She was completely drugged.

“After having received the proof and the testimonies, Erika Beltran, being accused of the explosion that took place in the sale D, one kilometer away from the Valladolid company, that also took the life of 15 people and with 8 people damaged permanently, I found Erika Beltran guilty of the aforementioned acts, but due to her mental state, I sentence Erika Beltran to fulfill hersentence in the mental hospital Valladolid for life with no possibility to get released, even if she presents some kind of improvement. That’s all!” The judge hit his desk twice. 

Finally, Valeria was able to smile while her son Zein was falling apart in her insides when he heard the sentence of his wife.

And Erika without being able to see the injustice they had committed against her.

The tears ran down from her cheeks despite her state. Something in her mind was still aware of what the judge had said. But she wasn’t responsible for anything that happened, she hadn’t made any mistake, she just wanted to help her people because she knew they needed her, how come she could be sentenced in such a way? Everything had fallen apart all of a sudden. In front of her the people who were suffering for their losses were there to see how she was suffering now. Erika just wanted to help them, why was it so hard to understand? A good woman had become nothing. She just wanted the best for her people.

In that way, Valeria smiled when she knew she had done it. Unfairly, they were going to lock her daughter-in-law up in the mental hospital like she was indeed crazy when the truth was the only crazies there were her mother-in-law and her husband.