Chapter 7 - FOUR AND A HALF MILLION

Daniel had built an entire life out of signatures that weren’t his.

Mine.

Carmen’s.

Even Valeria’s.

He had borrowed from private lenders to keep DVA alive.

Then he borrowed again to repay the first loans.

Then again.

The 4.5 million peso agreement was secured with assets he didn’t own.

My apartment.

My company shares.

Carmen’s house.

When Laura saw the document, she said one sentence.

“He’s desperate.”

That frightened me more than if she had said dangerous.

Desperate people make decisions no rational person would make.

The next morning, Daniel requested to see Camila.

His attorney sent a formal letter accusing me of parental alienation.

Laura read it twice.

“They’re moving fast.”

“Can he get visitation?”

“Probably supervised.”

“I don’t want him near her.”

“I know. But judges prefer evidence over emotion.”

“We have video.”

“And that will matter.”

She leaned forward.

“But Daniel is going to attack your work schedule.”

“He knew my schedule.”

“He’ll argue Camila spent more time with Carmen than with you.”

“Because I was supporting all of them.”

“I know.”

“He was unemployed for eleven months.”

“I know.”

“He lived off me.”

“I know.”

I hated that she stayed calm.

Then I realized that was exactly why I had hired her.

At the hearing, Daniel wore a charcoal suit and a wounded expression.

His lawyer described him as an “involved father experiencing marital retaliation.”

I almost admired the performance.

Then they attacked me.

Long hours.

Business travel.

Nannies.

Campaign launches.

Late-night meetings.

Daniel sat there looking like a man abandoned by a career-obsessed wife.

Then Laura played the balcony video.

The courtroom went silent.

Daniel stopped looking noble.

His attorney whispered furiously to him.

The judge watched until Camila knocked on the glass for the fifth time.

Then she stopped the video.

“How old was the child here?”

“Three,” Laura said.

The judge looked at Daniel.

“You were present?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“And you did not open the door?”

“I believed she needed time to calm down.”

“For forty-three minutes?”

He swallowed.

“It was a parenting decision.”

I nearly stood up.

Laura touched my arm.

The judge’s expression became colder.

“No, Mr. Álvarez. It was a serious lapse in judgment.”

Daniel was granted two hours of supervised visitation each week.

Carmen received none.

Outside court, she screamed at me.

“You turned my granddaughter against me!”

Camila wasn’t even there.

I kept walking.

Carmen followed.

“You think you’re perfect?”

“No.”

“You were never home!”

I stopped.

She almost collided with me.

“You’re right.”

She looked surprised.

“I wasn’t.”

I stepped closer.

“And I will regret trusting you for the rest of my life.”

Her mouth closed.

“But you knew I trusted you.”

Her eyes moved away.

“And you used that trust to punish a child.”

“I was teaching her.”

“You were hurting her because you resented me.”

Carmen’s face tightened.

Then she said,

“You don’t know what resentment is.”

I turned away.

She grabbed my sleeve.

“Ask Daniel why he married you.”

I froze.

Carmen’s eyes filled with something ugly and satisfied.

“Go ahead.”

She whispered,

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