LENA’S POV
Immediately I woke up, I remembered exactly how I landed in that hospital bed. But I had to keep Marcelo and Francine on their toes. I wanted to be two steps ahead of them so I feigned the temporary memory loss. And they believed me.
“Tell me dear, what actually happened?” Mom probed.
I went on to give her all the details of everything I heard and how I was being pushed down the stairs.
When my father's mistress, Celia and her daughter, Francine, suddenly burst into our lives five years ago, everything changed.
My dad, in an attempt to make amends for his past mistake, had invited them to live with us after discovering Francine was his biological daughter. She was conceived during an infidelity that had been kept hidden from my mother.
At first, my dad tried to make it work, insisting that we welcome them into our home. Francine was his first daughter after all, a year older than me. He cheated when Mom couldn’t give birth few years after their marriage.
But it was clear from the start that Francine had no interest in being a part of our family. She was cold and constantly tried to one-up me.
I remembered the day they moved in so vividly. Francine sauntered through the door, eyeing our house with greed. She was definitely not used to that luxury. Her mother, Celia, simpered at my father, batting her eyelashes. "Thank you so much for having us, darling. We're just thrilled to be here."
I could see the way they had my dad wrapped around their little fingers, and it made me sick to my stomach. From that moment on, it was like my mother and I ceased to exist in our own home.
Francine would constantly belittle me, mocking my interests and insecurities. She knew exactly how to get under my skin, knowing that I had always been the shy and quiet one.
And my father, was so blinded by his affection for Francine and her mother that he never saw the way they were tormenting me.
The worst part was, no matter how much evidence I tried to present, he never believed me. Francine and her mother were masters of deception, putting on a show of sweetness and light whenever my dad was around. They told him lies and he ate it up like a lovesick fool.
I remembered pleading with him to see the truth. "Daddy, please, you have to believe me! Francine is not the angel she pretends to be!"
But he just shook his head, chuckling and patting my hand. "Oh, Lena, you worry too much. Francine is family now, and we have to support her."
It was infuriating, watching him choose them over me and my mother time and time again. I felt so powerless, so invisible in my own home. And the worst part was, now I knew Francine and Celia were just waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
If anything happened to Dad, I was supposed to get most of his wealth as his biological daughter. My uncle was going to run the mafia empire if I didn’t want to get my hands dirty. But then despite Francine being an illegitimate daughter, she was still going to get a percentage. But that wasn’t enough for her.
The thought of them wanting to take away everything made my blood boil.
I had been hesitant to have Francine attend my engagement party, fearing she would ruin the celebration. But I never knew she was sleeping with my own fiancé and was a mistress just like her mother.
Now I knew why Marcelo had extended her an invite. He loved her, not me. I gave him everything for the last ten years. All for what?
I sat up, a firm expression on my face. "Mama, I want to take over the family business."
Her ears perked up at the sound of that.
"Mija, do you understand what you're getting into? This life is about bloodshed, betrayal, and constant fear. Is that really what you want?"
I nodded, my jaw set. "Yes, it's exactly what I want. I want to take control and make sure we're never weak again."
Mom's eyes narrowed. "You're angry and hurting, but getting involved in the mafia won't solve anything. It won't bring back your baby or heal your heart."
I shook my head. "You're right. But it will give me the satisfaction of watching Francine and Marcelo pay for what they've done."
Mom's grip on my hand tightened. "If I had known Marcelo was involved in this, I never would have encouraged your relationship with him."
"It's not your fault, Mama. Francine and Marcelo are experts at deception. But that ends now."
