As Lucia arrived back at her hotel that same night, she rushed into the shower, hoping the hot water could wash away the storm brewing in her mind. Every moment from earlier kept replaying, cutting deeper with each memory. The image of Diego kissing that woman, hearing their intimate conversation—it echoed in her thoughts like a cruel taunt. Each fragment shattered her resolve further, the pain and betrayal suffocating her.
She pressed her hands against the cold tiles of the shower, steadying her breathing. What had she expected? That Diego, the man she hadn't seen in years, would remain loyal? It seemed foolish now, almost naïve, but the hurt was no less real.
After the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her face pale. She barely recognized herself. Lucia had always been strong, resilient—but this? This was breaking her in ways she hadn't prepared for.
Her phone buzzed on the counter, snapping her out of her daze. She grabbed it quickly, her heart sinking when Diego's name flashed on the screen. For a moment, she hesitated. Could she handle hearing his voice after everything she'd witnessed? But she steeled herself and answered.
"Hey, babe. Wassup? I haven't heard from you in a while," Diego's familiar, carefree tone greeted her.
Lucia forced a smile, though he couldn't see it. "I'm great," she lied, trying to keep her voice steady. "How about you?"
"Fine," he replied, though concern laced his words. "You sound... weird. Everything okay?"
"I'm fine," she repeated, brushing off his worry. "Just tired. I have an exam tomorrow, so I've been preparing."
"Oh, okay," Diego said, though he still sounded unsure. "I just wanted to check up on you. Miss my love, you know?"
Lucia swallowed hard. How could he say that so easily? After what she'd seen, after the truth she'd discovered? The man she thought she knew, the man she was supposed to marry, was carrying other women to his bed, yet he had the audacity to say he missed her. "Thanks for checking in," she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Of course," Diego replied, his tone softening. "I care about you, you know that."
Lucia closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She couldn't hold it in anymore. "Diego, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, babe. What's on your mind?" His tone shifted, growing more serious.
"Am I the only woman in your life?" The question hung in the air, weighted by her suspicions.
Diego was silent for a beat, clearly taken aback. "Why would you ask that?" he said slowly, his voice tight. "You're the only one I want to be with, Lucia."
"But it's been years since we've seen each other," she pressed, her heart pounding. "You're a successful man. I know there are women who must be interested in you."
"Honey," Diego cut her off, his voice dripping with reassurance, "You don't have to worry about that. I wouldn't do that to you. You're the only one I want to spend my life with. I barely have time for anyone else. It's just work, work, work."
Lucia's stomach twisted at his words. How could he lie so easily? She took a breath. "What about your new driver? You think I'm worried because she's a woman?"
Diego chuckled softly. "You're not jealous of a driver, are you? Emily's just an employee. I don't even talk to her much. It's all business. You know me, Lucia."
Her heart ached at how convincing he sounded, despite the truth she knew. She wanted to scream, to confront him right then, but she held back. Not yet. "Okay," she whispered. "I just don't want to be heartbroken, Diego."
"You won't be," he promised. "I love you, Lucia. Only you."
Her chest tightened at his words. The guilt of her own deception mixed with the sting of his betrayal. "I need to go study for my exam," she said abruptly, eager to end the call before her emotions overwhelmed her. "We'll talk later, okay?"
"Alright," Diego replied, though concern lingered in his tone. "But keep me posted, alright? I miss you."
"I will," she whispered, before hanging up.
As soon as the call ended, she dropped her phone onto the bed, her hands trembling. Tears welled up once again—this time, not only of sadness, but anger. How could he lie so effortlessly, pretending everything was fine while he had another woman in his bed at that very moment?
Her phone buzzed again, startling her. Diego had switched to a video call, but she quickly rejected it. She couldn't face him. Not now.
"Why does she always avoid video calls?" Diego muttered, unaware of the storm he had left behind. He sighed and went back to the bedroom, content with his rationalizations, completely blind to the damage he had caused. Back to the woman he brought waiting for him.
As soon as Ivy's name flashed across the screen, Lucia wiped her face and took a deep breath before answering.
"Hey, babes," Ivy's familiar, cheerful voice greeted her on the other end. It was a tone that usually brought comfort, but tonight it felt like a distant warmth she could barely grasp.
"Hey, Ivy," Lucia replied, her voice still shaky from the emotional storm she had barely contained. "I was just about to call you."
Ivy, quick to pick up on the tension in her friend's voice, didn't miss a beat. "What's going on? You sound off. Is it Diego again?"
Lucia sighed, running her fingers through her wet hair as she collapsed onto the bed, still shaken by the evening's events. "Yeah, it's him… Ivy, remember when I told you he brought a woman from the club tonight?"
Ivy's voice came through the line, light but concerned. "Yeah, I remember. What's going on? You okay?"
Lucia closed her eyes, the images still flashing behind her eyelids. "They're together right now, Ivy," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "I dropped them off at his apartment. After that, he called me—telling me he misses me, as if nothing happened."
There was a long pause. When Ivy spoke again, her tone had shifted, the playful edge replaced by seriousness. "Wait, what? Lucia, what do you mean? He brought another woman from the club?"
Lucia nodded to herself, the betrayal settling in her bones like a cold weight. "I was right there, Ivy. In disguise, watching him kiss her, listening to them talk like it was nothing. He has no idea it was me driving him around. He's been lying to my face this whole time. And then—" she swallowed hard, her voice thick with disbelief— "he had the nerve to tell me he loves me, only me, while he's… doing all of that."
Ivy was silent for a moment, as if processing the full weight of Lucia's words. "Lucia… I can't believe this. What are you going to do?"
Lucia stared at the ceiling, feeling torn between fury and heartbreak. "I don't know," she whispered. "But I can't pretend like everything's okay anymore."
Ivy let out a low whistle. "Damn, girl. That's… low. Even for him."
Lucia's voice cracked as she continued. "I don't know what to do. I wanted to confront him so badly, but I couldn't. I just— I just froze."
"I get it," Ivy said gently. "It's not easy to confront someone you love, especially when you're already in so deep."
Lucia's breath hitched. "I feel like such a fool. All this time, I thought he was the one. I really believed in him. And now… everything's crashing down."
"Shit," Lucia muttered, her voice laced with bitterness. "He probably made the call somewhere in the house, so the other lady wouldn't know." Ivy's words only deepened the ache in her chest.
The thought of Diego sneaking off to call her, whispering sweet lies while the other woman was still in the room, twisted the knife even further. He was playing both sides, and it made Lucia feel like a fool. She had given him everything—her trust, her love—and he had betrayed it all without a second thought.
"I just don't understand how someone can be so two-faced," Lucia said, her fingers tightening around the phone. "How can he lie to me so easily, tell me he misses me, and then go right back to her like it's nothing?"
Ivy sighed softly on the other end. "Some people are just... like that, Lucia. They think they can have everything without consequence. But what are you going to do now? You can't keep pretending you don't know."
Lucia's jaw clenched. "I won't. He's going to find out soon enough that I'm not the kind of woman who can be played like this."
The anger inside her was rising, slowly replacing the devastation. She didn't know exactly what her next move would be, but one thing was clear: Diego's lies were about to catch up to him.
"What will you do now, Lucia?" Ivy asked, her tone careful but pressing. "You've always wanted to know his dark secrets, and now you have them. So what's the next step?"
Lucia stared at the ceiling, her thoughts swirling. Ivy was right—she had uncovered the truth, but the pain of it was still raw. Her chest tightened as she thought about what this meant for her, for them. But one thing was clear: she couldn't just sit with this knowledge anymore.
"I'll start taking action," Lucia responded, her voice steadier than she felt inside. "No more sitting around, wondering what he's hiding or if he'll ever be honest with me. Now I know exactly who he is, and it's time he sees who I really am, too."
Ivy was silent for a moment, then she spoke, her voice strong with support. "Good. You deserve better than his lies. What's your first move?"
Lucia's mind was already racing with possibilities. "I need to confront him… but on my terms. He's so comfortable with his double life, he has no idea I've been watching. I want to see him squirm. I want him to realize how much he underestimated me."
She sat up, her resolve hardening. "This game he's playing? It's about to end."
There was a pause on Ivy's end, and then her voice came back, light and mischievous, trying to lift Lucia out of her dark thoughts. "Well, you know what they say… men are like parking spaces. All the good ones are taken, and the rest are either too small or a nightmare to park in."
Lucia snorted, despite the tears threatening to spill again. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculously wise, you mean," Ivy shot back with a grin in her voice. "And let's be real, Diego's not worth that pretty face of yours anyway. I mean, you in disguise, playing detective? Please, he doesn't even know what's coming."
Lucia laughed, her chest loosening just a little. "Yeah, well, it still hurts like hell."
"Of course it does," Ivy said, her voice warm and understanding. "But don't let it break you. You're stronger than this. And hey, you're playing him at his own game. That's gotta count for something."
Lucia smiled faintly, wiping the last of her tears. "Thanks, Ivy. You always know how to make me feel better."
"Girl, it's what I do," Ivy replied with mock arrogance. "Now, listen, if Diego tries anything else, you call me. I'll fly down there and we'll slash his tires. Or… no, wait, maybe just key his car? Less jail time."
Lucia burst out laughing, the image of her best friend going on a tire-slashing rampage too ridiculous to handle. "You're insane."
"Insanely loyal, babes. I've got your back, always. Remember that."
"I know," Lucia said, feeling the warmth of Ivy's support seep into her. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Well, lucky for you, you don't have to find out." Ivy's tone was lighter now, filled with her usual energy. "Now go get some rest, okay? You've got an exam, and Diego's not worth losing sleep over."
Lucia sighed but nodded. "Alright. I'll try."
"You better," Ivy said with a teasing lilt. "And hey, if you need me, I'm just a call away. I'll even bring snacks if necessary. Chocolate heals all wounds."
"Chocolate and Ivy," Lucia agreed with a small smile. "Thanks, Ivy. I'll call you tomorrow."
"You better," Ivy said, her voice full of affection. "Love you, babes."
"Love you too," Lucia whispered before ending the call.
As she set her phone down and lay back on the bed, the weight on her chest eased just a little. Ivy always had a way of reminding her that she wasn't alone. Even in her darkest moments, she had someone in her corner, ready to fight for her—even if that fight involved questionable plans like slashing Diego's tires.