Chapter 6: The Discovery
The soft hum of the clinic filled the quiet room as Lía sat on the edge of the examination table, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. She had dismissed the dizziness and exhaustion as stress from work and her fractured marriage, but Camila had insisted she see a doctor. Now, as she waited for the results of her tests, her heart thudded loudly in her chest.
Dr. Herrera entered the room with a warm smile, holding a folder in her hands. "Lía, I have the results," she began, her tone professional yet kind. "You're perfectly healthy, but there is a reason for your symptoms."
Lía leaned forward, her brows furrowed in concern. "What is it?"
Dr. Herrera's smile softened. "You're pregnant, about six weeks along."
The words hung in the air, each one landing like a stone in Lía's chest. She blinked, her mind struggling to process the revelation. Pregnant? How? Her marriage with Alejandro was anything but intimate, their rare moments of closeness fleeting and devoid of real affection.
"Are you okay?" Dr. Herrera asked gently.
"I... I don't know," Lía admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lía left the clinic in a daze, clutching the folder of prenatal care instructions Dr. Herrera had handed her. She wandered the streets for hours, unsure of where to go or what to do. The revelation of her pregnancy was both a spark of hope and a source of dread.
She returned to the penthouse that evening, her stomach twisting with nerves. Alejandro had sent her a brief text earlier, letting her know he was returning from his business trip with Sofía. She hadn't seen him in days, and now she carried a secret that could change everything.
When Alejandro arrived, the atmosphere in the penthouse shifted immediately. His presence was commanding as always, but there was a tension in his shoulders, a sharpness in his gaze that made Lía hesitant to approach him.
"How was the trip?" she asked tentatively as he set his suitcase down.
"Fine," he said curtly, not meeting her eyes.
"I need to talk to you about something," Lía began, her voice trembling slightly.
"Not now, Lía," Alejandro interrupted, brushing past her. "I have a lot of work to catch up on."
She watched him retreat into his office, the door clicking shut behind him. The words she had practiced in her mind dissolved, leaving her standing alone in the empty living room.
The next day, Lía sat across from her father in his lavish office. Julio's sharp eyes studied her as she recounted her visit to the doctor, her voice hesitant and unsure.
"You're pregnant?" Julio repeated, leaning back in his chair. For a moment, a glimmer of satisfaction crossed his face, quickly replaced by a calculating expression. "This could be useful."
"Useful?" Lía echoed, her stomach sinking.
Julio leaned forward, his hands clasped on the desk. "You don't tell Alejandro yet. We need to time this announcement strategically, perhaps at a public event or during a critical business negotiation. It will solidify his ties to us."
"This is my child, not a bargaining chip," Lía protested, her voice shaking with anger.
"Don't be naïve, Lía," Julio snapped. "You married Alejandro to secure this family's future. This pregnancy is just another part of that equation. Do not ruin this opportunity with your emotions."
Lía left the office feeling sick. The weight of her father's manipulation bore down on her, but she couldn't let him control her life any longer—not when it came to her child.
That evening, Alejandro and Lía attended a dinner party hosted by one of his business partners. Sofía was there, as radiant and charming as ever, moving effortlessly through the crowd. Alejandro's eyes followed her more than once, and Lía felt her insecurities tighten like a vice around her heart.
As the night wore on, Sofía approached Lía with a practiced smile. "You've been so quiet tonight, Lía. Everything okay?"
Lía forced a polite smile. "I'm fine, just tired."
Sofía tilted her head, her tone dripping with false concern. "I hope Alejandro isn't overworking you. He can be quite demanding, can't he? He was always like that... even back then."
"Back then?" Lía asked, her voice sharper than she intended.
Sofía's smile widened, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. "Oh, I assumed Alejandro told you. We were very close a few years ago. Let's just say, we shared more than a few late nights together."
Lía's stomach churned. She wanted to confront Sofía, to wipe the smug expression off her face, but the lump in her throat made it impossible to speak. Instead, she excused herself and fled to the restroom, her hands trembling as she splashed cold water on her face.
When they returned home, Lía decided she couldn't wait any longer. Alejandro was in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of whiskey, when she approached him.
"We need to talk," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside her.
He glanced at her briefly. "What is it?"
"I went to the doctor," she began, her heart pounding.
Alejandro raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue, but the sound of his phone buzzing on the counter interrupted them. He picked it up, his attention shifting completely away from her.
"It's work," he said, already heading toward his office. "We'll talk later."
Lía stood frozen in place, her fists clenched at her sides. She watched him disappear down the hallway, the words she had been holding onto slipping away once again.
The days passed, and Alejandro grew more distant. He spent long hours at the office and returned home late, often distracted by his phone or his laptop. Lía's attempts to talk to him about the pregnancy were repeatedly brushed aside, her courage eroding with each dismissal.
One evening, as Lía sat alone in the living room, Sofía's name lit up Alejandro's phone on the coffee table. The screen displayed a message: "Looking forward to our next trip. Let me know if we can meet tomorrow to go over the details."
Lía's breath caught in her throat. Another trip? Another opportunity for Sofía to insert herself into their lives, to widen the gap between Lía and Alejandro?
For the first time, anger replaced her sadness. She clutched her stomach protectively, vowing that no matter what happened, she would put her child's well-being above everything else.
But as Sofía's presence loomed larger and Alejandro remained oblivious to the life growing inside Lía, she couldn't help but wonder: Was there any hope left for her marriage?