His face broke.
“I know.”
He left the toy truck by the door and did not ask for a hug.
That was why, weeks later, you allowed him to see Mateo.
Not alone.
Not fully forgiven.
Carefully. Slowly. Supervised.
Your mother did not apologize.
Her first message said:
I am sorry if Mateo felt hurt.
You deleted it.
Her second said:
I didn’t mean for everyone to turn against Isabella.
You deleted that too.
The third came after Isabella moved out of the luxury apartment she and Julian were supposed to share.
You got what you wanted. Are you happy now?
You blocked her.
Isabella tried harder, but not better. She sent voice notes about Daniel abandoning her, about being humiliated, about how you had always been jealous.
Finally, you replied once.
You turned your wedding into my public punishment. Julian simply refused to marry the person holding the whip. Do not contact me again.
