Chapter 1 - The Long Walk
The heavy wooden doors of the Parish of San Miguel creaked open like the mouth of a massive beast.
Golden sunlight poured into the dark vestibule, illuminating the dust dancing in the air.
Two hundred guests turned in perfect synchronization, their faces arranged in polite, expectant smiles.
Those smiles vanished the second they saw the bride.
Valeria stood at the threshold, her head held high, the torn lace of her 93,000-peso dress hanging off her shoulder.
The jagged tear exposed the bare skin of her back, a raw and undeniable testament to violence.
A collective gasp echoed through the vaulted ceilings of the historic church.
Whispers erupted instantly, spreading through the pews like a wildfire in a dry forest.
Mauricio stood at the altar, his perfect posture crumbling as the color drained completely from his face.
He had expected her to cower, to change into a plain dress, to apologize for provoking him.
Instead, she was marching down the aisle exactly as he had broken her, wearing his cruelty for the entire world to witness.
Elena walked firmly beside her daughter, her arm locked with Valeria’s, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
The string quartet stopped playing halfway through the wedding march, leaving only the sound of Valeria’s heels clicking against the stone floor.
Mauricio’s grandmother, the matriarch of the family, clutched her pearl necklace and nearly fainted in the first row.
As Valeria reached the center of the aisle, Mauricio realized he had to act before his reputation was entirely destroyed.
He rushed down the steps of the altar, plastering a look of fake, agonizing concern across his handsome face.
He reached out to grab her shoulders, pretending to be a protective and deeply worried groom.
"My god, darling, what happened to you in the dressing room?" he asked loudly, ensuring the front rows could hear his performance.
He pulled her close, crushing her torn dress against his expensive suit.
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"You are making a massive mistake," he hissed violently into her ear, his voice completely hidden from the guests.
"If you do not turn around and play along right now, I will bankrupt your father's company before midnight."
