The double doors of the courthouse burst open with a bang that echoed throughout the room. A girl from

 

Years old, wearing a pink dress stained with mud and her shoes lost somewhere along the way, she ran in through the

central aisle. Carmen did nothing. Carmen did nothing, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

with as much force as his small lungs allowed. The judge raised the gavel,

But he froze. The murmurs stopped immediately. All eyes turned

They turned towards the small, trembling figure in the center of the room, its hair disheveled and its cheeks red.

So much running. Carmen, sitting in the dock, felt that the

Her heart stopped. The tears she had been holding back for weeks finally came.

They began to sprout. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Sofia whispered. The girl turned towards

She, and for a moment their eyes met. Then, with a determination that shouldn’t exist in

Someone so small, Sofia raised her trembling finger and pointed toward the first row. It was her, she said in a soft voice

Broken but clear. She was my stepmother. Valeria Morales remained motionless in her

She sat, dressed in black, with her hands perfectly placed on her lap.

Her face retained the expression of contained pain that she had shown throughout the entire process, but something had

A change in their eyes. Panic seeped in like water through a crack. The judge struck the gavel three times.

times. Order. Order in the room. Her voice echoed above the chaos that had

It exploded. He declared a 30-minute recess. But before anyone could react, Sofia ran towards

Carmen. The security guards moved to stop her, but the lawyer

The defense attorney raised his hand. “She’s the victim’s daughter,” he murmured to the judge. Carmen…

She bent down as far as the handcuffs would allow. Sofia clung to her chained hands and whispered something only she could understand.

She could hear. I saw everything, Carmen. I saw what she did. Six months earlier, the house of

The Mendoza family had been very different. The afternoon sun filtered through the

windows of the main living room, illuminating the mahogany furniture and the Persian rugs that Roberto had bought in one

from her business trips. Sofia was sitting on the floor surrounded by her dolls, but she wasn’t playing.

She watched the adults conversing on the sofa as if they were actors in a play she didn’t understand. Sofia,

“My love, come here,” Roberto said in that special voice he used when he wanted you to

She’ll pay attention. I want you to meet someone very special. The woman who was sitting next to her dad

She was beautiful. She had shiny brown hair like the princesses in fairy tales, and she wore a blue dress that

It looked expensive. When she smiled, her teeth were very white. “Hello,

“Little one,” the woman said, leaning towards her. “I’m Valeria. Your dad and

“We’re going to get married very soon.” Sofia looked at her father, confused. “That’s it?”

“Does that mean you’re not going to travel as much anymore?” she asked. Roberto laughed and picked her up. “It means Valeria is going to…”

to be your new mom. Isn’t that wonderful? Sofia wasn’t sure what she should do

She felt. She vaguely remembered her real mother, who had died when she was

She was two years old. But Carmen had always been there, taking care of her, reading to her.

She told her bedtime stories, comforting her when she had nightmares. Valeria reached out to her. Come.

Come with me, my little girl. We’re going to be very happy together. When Sofia approached, Valeria

He hugged her, but something about that hug felt strange. It was like hugging a very large, cold doll. Valeria smelled of

It was an expensive perfume, but beneath that scent there was something more, something Sofia couldn’t…

She could identify it, but it made her want to get away. From the kitchen doorway, Carmen watched the scene. She had been there for 3

I had worked in that house for years, ever since Mrs. Elena had died. I had seen

Sofia took her first steps. She had been there for her first words after the accident. That little girl was more

that her job. She was like the daughter she’d never had. Something in the way Valeria looked at Sofía…

It was unsettling. When Roberto turned around to look for his documents or answer a call, Valeria’s smile faded.

She vanished completely. Her eyes studied the girl as if she were a problem she needed to solve.

“Carmen,” Roberto called. “Could you bring us some coffee? Valeria and I have…”

Many things to plan. Of course, Mr. Roberto. While Carmen was preparing

Over coffee, she listened to the voices from the living room. Roberto was talking about the wedding, about

Valeria responded with the changes that were coming, and how happy she was to have a complete family again.

Perfect words, but her voice sounded rehearsed. Oh, how sweet, my little girl.

She heard Valeria say it when Roberto mentioned something about her. We’re going to be best friends. But when Carmen

She returned with the tray and saw that Valeria had her hand on Sofia’s shoulder too tightly. The girl had

She stood rigid and stared out the window as if she wanted to escape. “Coffee,” Carmen announced, placing the tray in

“The table. Thank you, Carmen,” Roberto said without looking up from his papers.

By the way, I have to travel to Monterrey next week. I’ll be away for 10 days.

Carmen saw Valeria’s eyes gleam with something that didn’t seem like sadness. “So soon,” Valeria said.

Sofia and I are just getting to know each other. It’s inevitable, my love, but that’s how it is.

They’ll have time to adjust. Carmen will help them with everything. Of course, she murmured.

Valeria, but her gaze toward Carmen was not friendly. That night, after Valeria

Carmen had gone and Roberto was in his study reviewing contracts, helping Sofia to bathe and put on her pajamas.

It was her favorite part of the day. “Do you like it, Valeria?” Carmen asked as she brushed her hair. Sofia

He shrugged. I don’t know. It smells weird. Weird. How so? Like when Dad

She forgets the flowers in the vase for a long time. Carmen frowned. It was a

A strange description, but children sometimes perceived things that adults didn’t notice. “And how do you feel about that?”

“Are you going to live here? Are you going to leave?” Sofia asked, turning around quickly, her eyes wide. “No, my child, I’m…”

I’m not going anywhere. Sofia hugged her tightly. Promise me. I promise.

But as she tucked Sofia in that night, Carmen couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.