“Alexander’s debts?”
“Exactly. You said you would pay when you had proof against him.”
“That’s true. But now he’s under arrest. His debts are no longer my responsibility.”
Ramirez smiled.
“Girl, you’re smarter than I thought.”
“How so?”
“You used us to pressure him. You got the proof you wanted, and now you don’t have to pay a thing.”
“Exactly.”
He gave a low laugh.
“Very intelligent. And us? We won’t do anything. Alexander is in jail. There’s no way he’ll pay now. Consider the debt settled.”
“Settled?”
“The spectacle you staged was worth more than any payment. The man got married thinking he would become rich and ended up in jail. That’s a lesson he won’t forget.”
Ramirez stood to leave, then glanced back.
“And girl?”
“Yes?”
“If you ever want to work with us someday, come find me. You have talent for this.”
“Thanks,” Valentina said, “but I’ll pass.”
Two weeks later, Valentina went to see Alexander in jail. He looked thinner, defeated, very different from the confident man who had stood at the altar beside her.
“Why did you come?” he asked.
“To talk.”
“You already got what you wanted. You ruined me completely.”
“Alexander, you ruined yourself. I only gave you the chance to show who you really were.”
“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you?”
“Since the wedding day.”
“How?”
“I heard you in the sacristy.”
Alexander shook his head slowly.
“And why didn’t you confront me right there?”
“Because I wanted to make sure you never hurt anyone again.”
“And you succeeded. Congratulations.”
“Alexander, you had already tried to scam other families. You would have kept going if I hadn’t done something.”
“Everyone defends themselves however they can.”
“That doesn’t justify ruining innocent lives.”
Alexander was quiet for a moment.
“Valentina… did you ever love me?”
“I loved the person you pretended to be. But that person never existed.”
“And if I changed? If I tried to be better?”
“Alexander, you had many chances to be honest. You chose to lie every single time.”
He lowered his eyes.
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
When Valentina left the jail, she felt the chapter close inside her once and for all.
Six months later, Alexander was sentenced to four years in prison. Julian and Dylan testified against him, along with victims from his earlier scams. Valentina filed for divorce and went back to using her maiden name. She kept living in the apartment, but redecorated every corner of it, erasing all traces of that period of her life.
Sophia graduated from law school and went to work at the same office that had helped investigate Alexander. Richard expanded his businesses, now more cautious, but also more secure after surviving the attempted fraud.
One year after that disastrous marriage, Valentina was finally at peace. She had learned to trust her instincts, and she would never again let herself be carried away by feelings alone. She was having coffee at the same mall food court where she had first met Alexander when a well-dressed young man tripped near her and spilled coffee.
“Sorry, what a disaster,” he said with a charming smile. “Let me buy you another coffee.”
Valentina looked at him carefully, at the polished smile, at the expensive clothes that somehow still looked worn, at the quick glance he cast around the room like he was measuring it.
“It’s not necessary,” she said simply.
“I insist. It’s the least I can do.”
“No, thank you.”
And Valentina walked away, leaving the man standing alone in the food court, probably wondering why his tactic had failed. She had learned to recognize the signs.
Three years later, Valentina met Martin, a veterinarian who cared for the pets of her father’s employees. Martin was simple, honest, hardworking. He didn’t have much money, but he had something Alexander never had, character. They married in a small ceremony with only close family present. Valentina wore a simple dress. They bought the rings with money Martin had saved by working weekends. It was not the dream wedding she had once planned with Alexander.
It was better.
It was real.
Alexander was released after serving two and a half years. He tried to find Valentina, but she had changed her number. She had moved. She didn’t want to see him. Through other people, she heard that he had left the city and tried to start over somewhere else. She sincerely hoped he had learned to live honestly, but she knew that Alexander would probably remain Alexander, and that was all right. He was no longer her problem.
On the night of her second marriage, Martin took her hands and said:
“Valentina, I promise to always be honest with you, even when it’s difficult, even when the truth hurts.”
And she answered him just as seriously:
“And I promise to trust you. But I also promise never again to close my eyes to the signs when something is wrong. Deal?”
This time, she believed him.
Because this time, it was real.
