Chapter 9 - THE WOMAN WHO PRETENDED TO BE ME
Valeria’s full name was Valeria Santos.
Thirty-two.
Freelance event coordinator.
No known connection to my business.
No connection to Daniel.
And according to Eduardo, no connection to him.
That denial lasted seven minutes.
Then Elena produced restaurant photographs.
Hotel records.
And bank transfers.
Valeria had received twenty thousand dollars from a consulting account controlled by Silvana.
Eduardo’s attorney requested a recess.
The judge refused.
“What exactly did you believe you were doing?”
The judge asked Valeria.
She looked terrified.
“I was told it was a role-play evaluation.”
Elena stared at her.
“A what?”
“For a custody mediation simulation.”
“Did you know you were using Laura Bennett’s identity?”
“No.”
The lie was obvious.
The judge thought so too.
“Then why did you sign her name?”
Valeria started crying.
“I was told the signature was already authorized.”
“By whom?”
She looked at Eduardo.
Silence.
“Ms. Santos.”
“Eduardo.”
The courtroom changed.
Eduardo whispered something to his attorney.
His attorney stopped him.
Valeria continued.
“He told me Laura was going to deny everything afterward.”
My skin went cold.
“What did he tell you about me?”
I asked before Elena could stop me.
The judge looked at me.
Then surprisingly allowed it.
Valeria stared.
“He said you had episodes.”
“What episodes?”
“He said you forget things.”
I laughed once.
“He said you sign documents and then accuse people of forging them.”
Exactly.
The story had been built before the fraud.
Not after.
“What did you tell Dr. Villareal?”
Valeria wiped her face.
“Whatever Eduardo gave me.”
Elena stood.
“What did he give you?”
“A list.”
“Where is it?”
“I threw it away.”
“Of course you did.”
The judge looked at Elena.
“Counsel.”
Elena nodded.
“Sorry.”
Then the judge turned toward Villareal.
“You conducted a forensic psychiatric assessment on a woman whose identity you did not personally verify?”
Villareal shifted.
“I relied on representations made by the spouse.”
“That is not an answer that improves your situation.”
He went pale.
The custody petition collapsed before lunch.
The judge denied Eduardo’s request.
Then went further.
Neither parent could remove Daniel from the jurisdiction.
Eduardo could not take him for medical or psychological evaluation without notice and agreement.
All passports connected to Daniel had to be surrendered.
And temporary communication arrangements would be supervised until a full hearing.
I should have felt victorious.
Instead, I watched Eduardo.
He was not defeated.
He was calculating.
When we left the courtroom, he caught up to me in the corridor.
“Elena.”
He nodded toward her.
“One minute.”
“No.”
I kept walking.
“Laura.”
I stopped.
Not because he deserved it.
Because I wanted to hear what he would say when lying no longer worked.
He stepped closer.
“This got out of control.”
I stared at him.
“Out of control?”
“Yes.”
“You stole Daniel’s money.”
“I moved it.”
“To your girlfriend.”
“It was temporary.”
“You hired a woman to impersonate me.”
“I didn’t hire her.”
“Your own doctor just said you identified her.”
“He misunderstood.”
I laughed.
“Of course.”
“Laura, I made mistakes.”
“Mistakes?”
My voice rose.
“You planned a psychiatric lie.”
“Keep your voice down.”
That sentence nearly sent me over the edge.
“No.”
People turned.
I didn’t care.
“You do not get to tell me how loudly I react to discovering you planned to take my son to another country.”
His face hardened.
“I was trying to protect Daniel.”
“From me?”
“From the way you work.”
I stared.
“You’re never home.”
“That’s your defense?”
“You travel constantly.”
“For the company that pays for the house you moved your mistress into?”
His jaw tightened.
“You always make everything about money.”
I almost couldn’t believe it.
“You stole eight hundred thousand dollars from our child.”
“It was our money.”
“It was his.”
“I’m his father.”
“And somehow that makes theft parenting?”
He looked away.
Then lowered his voice.
“Silvana manipulated parts of this.”
There it was.
The first crack.
“You expect me to believe she planned everything?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“But she pushed it farther.”
“How far did you intend to go?”
He didn’t answer.
“Did you intend to move Daniel to Spain?”
“Temporarily.”
My breath stopped.
He had finally admitted it.
“Without telling me?”
“You would never have agreed.”
“Correct.”
“You see?”
His eyes flashed.
“That is exactly why I had no choice.”
For a second, I could not process the logic.
Then I realized he believed it.
My refusal would have been proof that deception was necessary.
My resistance would have justified removing me.
My anger would have proven instability.
He had created a world where every possible reaction made him right.
“You had a choice every day for six months.”
I stepped closer.
“You chose this.”
His face changed.
Maybe the words landed.
Maybe not.
Then I said something quieter.
“You told Silvana she would become Daniel’s mother.”
“I never said that.”
“Daniel heard you.”
His eyes moved.
Just once.
That was enough.
He knew.
“Do not drag him into this.”
I almost slapped him.
Instead, I smiled.
“You dragged him into this when you made him listen to you plan my disappearance.”
“I never planned your disappearance.”
“No?”
I looked at him.
“What happens after Spain?”
Silence.
“What happens to me after you take my son, my company, and my money?”
He stared at me.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
I believed he was lying.
But before I could press him, Silvana entered the corridor.
She looked furious.
Not at me.
At Eduardo.
“You.”
Eduardo went still.
Silvana approached.
“You told me Valeria was finished months ago.”
Eduardo glanced toward the courthouse security officers.
“Not here.”
“Here is perfect.”
People were watching.
Silvana laughed bitterly.
“You used her to impersonate Laura?”
“Lower your voice.”
“You’re sleeping with her too?”
His face tightened.
Laura.
Silvana.
Valeria.
Apparently my husband had managed to betray every woman in the building.
Silvana turned toward me.
“You want the truth?”
Eduardo grabbed her arm.
“Silvana.”
She pulled away.
“Don’t touch me.”
Then she looked directly at me.
“He didn’t plan to stay with me in Spain.”
I said nothing.
She continued.
“The apartment isn’t for us.”
Eduardo’s face went white.
“Shut up.”
Silvana smiled.
That smile scared me.
She reached into her bag.
Then pulled out a phone.
“He was going to take Daniel.”
She held my gaze.
“And leave both of us behind.”
My chest tightened.
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Eduardo lunged for the phone.
Security stepped between them.
Silvana backed away.
Then looked at me again.
“But I know what he planned to do before he left.”
“What?”
Her expression changed.
For the first time, she almost looked ashamed.
“He was going to make you responsible for everything.”
I already knew that.
Or thought I did.
“For the stolen money?”
She shook her head.
“For the money.”
“What money?”
Silvana stared at Eduardo.
Then whispered:
“Not eight hundred thousand.”
The corridor became quiet.
I felt cold.
“How much?”
May you like
She looked back at me.
“Eleven million.”
