Chapter 11: The Escape
Lía stood in the center of the spacious bedroom, staring at the suitcase open on the bed. She could hear the faint sound of traffic in the distance, the hum of the city that had always felt so far away when she was at home. But now, it felt different. The city, for the first time in years, felt like a place of possibility rather than a cage.
She glanced around the room—at the expensive furniture, the high ceilings, the once-familiar sense of security. But everything was different now. It wasn't home. It never had been.
With a deep breath, she turned away from the bed and walked to the desk where a small, plain piece of paper and a pen lay. She hesitated for a moment before writing, the words flowing out in a way that surprised her.
_"Alejandro,
I need space. I need to think. Don't try to find me."_
She folded the note carefully and placed it on the kitchen counter. It felt almost surreal, like she was walking away from something that had never really been hers to begin with. But the truth had settled deep in her heart, and there was no turning back now.
Lía closed the door behind her, leaving behind the life she had built—a life that had never felt real, not in the way she had always hoped it would.
Alejandro had been away on business all morning, and when he returned in the late afternoon, he didn't expect to find the house empty. He tossed his briefcase onto the couch, his mind already elsewhere—on meetings, deadlines, and the endless tasks waiting for him.
But something felt off. The house, usually so full of its own energy, was silent. Too silent.
He called out her name, half-expecting her to appear from the kitchen or the hallway. But no answer.
Confused, he checked the living room, then the study, and finally the bedroom. But Lía was nowhere to be found.
His eyes fell on the note. A chill ran down his spine as he read the words she had left for him.
_"I need space. I need to think. Don't try to find me."_
Alejandro crumpled the note in his fist. It was just like her, always overreacting, always needing time to herself. She had done this before—gone silent, distant, demanding space for reasons that always seemed to slip away into the air. This time would be no different, he thought. She just needed time to cool off.
But even as he reassured himself, a gnawing discomfort spread through him. He went to the kitchen and stood there for a few moments, trying to steady his breathing. But the house felt wrong. The silence was suffocating, like an absence he couldn't ignore.
He grabbed his phone, intending to call her, but before he could unlock it, his gaze lingered on the empty space where her things used to be. The thought of her being gone—really gone—struck him in a way he hadn't anticipated.
Alejandro cursed under his breath and threw his phone down onto the couch. He sat there, feeling like the walls were closing in on him, and for the first time in a long time, the weight of his life, of the choices he had made, pressed down on him.
Lía hadn't known what to expect when she rented the small apartment. She had left everything behind—her husband, her father's expectations, the life she had been suffocating in for far too long.
It was a tiny one-bedroom unit on the fourth floor of an old building, with cracked windows and peeling paint. But for the first time in ages, it felt like hers. The world outside was bustling with noise and chaos, but inside, there was nothing but quiet, space, and freedom.
She spent the next few days organizing, trying to create something familiar in the midst of the newness. She unpacked only the essentials—clothes, a few books, her favorite mug. The rest could wait.
Lía wasn't sure what the future held, but for the first time in years, she felt something like hope stir inside her.
The evening air was cool as Lía made her way to a charity event, her first time out since she'd moved into the apartment. The thought of being seen in public—out of place, out of her element—still made her uneasy. But this was something she had to do.
The event was a gala for a local business initiative, and she had been invited by Camila. Lía had almost backed out, but the idea of staying in her apartment, alone and isolated, felt worse than facing the world outside.
As soon as she entered the venue, she was swept into the usual whirlwind of faces, names, and business talk. But then, she saw him.
Diego.
A rival of Alejandro's in the business world, but more importantly, a man who had always carried himself with a certain level of respect and confidence that Lía couldn't help but admire. He was standing near the bar, chatting casually with a few guests. When he noticed her, his face lit up in recognition.
"Lía," he said warmly, walking toward her. "I didn't expect to see you here. You look… well, I've always thought you had more potential than anyone realized."
Lía smiled, a little surprised by his directness, but it felt oddly refreshing. "Thank you, Diego. I'm just here for the evening, really."
"Well, it's good to see you. If you're not too busy, we should catch up," he suggested, gesturing toward a quieter corner of the room.
She agreed, and as they made their way through the crowd, Diego seemed genuinely interested in talking to her—not as a business associate, but as a person. He listened to her, and his presence made her feel heard in a way Alejandro never had.
The conversation shifted from small talk to something more substantive. Diego spoke about his latest business ventures, and Lía found herself impressed by his vision and drive. There was something magnetic about him, a sharpness that she hadn't encountered in anyone else.
"You know, Lía," Diego said, leaning slightly closer, "you're wasted in the circles you run in. You're more than capable of so much more. I'd love to have you on my team, if you're interested."
Lía blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it," he continued, his tone steady. "You've got more than just beauty. You've got brains, intuition, and a drive that could rival anyone in this city. I think we could do something incredible together."
Her heart skipped a beat at the idea. For the first time in ages, Lía felt truly seen.
Days passed since Lía's departure, and Alejandro's life slowly returned to its usual routine, though something gnawed at him beneath the surface. The house felt empty without her—quieter, lonelier. The silence was oppressive, and he found himself distracted at work, his mind wandering back to her.
Then, one evening, as he scrolled through his social media feed, he froze.
A picture of Lía appeared on his screen, her smile wide and carefree. She was standing next to Diego, her hand resting lightly on his arm.
The caption read: "Exciting things ahead. Thanks to Diego for the warm welcome."
Alejandro's stomach tightened. He stared at the photo for a long moment, his thoughts racing. He didn't want to admit it, but something inside him stirred—something he hadn't felt before.
Jealousy.
He quickly closed the app, tossing his phone onto the desk. But the image lingered in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had lost something he never fully appreciated until now.