"Diana, Marcelo. Come have dinner."

The two children came running out of their rooms after hearing their mother call.

Sarah carefully set the plates around the table. She poured some warm milk and helped her children sit down.

"Good evening, Sarah."

"Good evening, Emilia." Sarah returned her best friend's greeting.

Sarah had met Emilia when she first arrived in the city. Emilia was the one who had hired her as a secretary and helped her take care of her two children.

"You're home early from the office," Emilia remarked as she took a seat at the table.

"Yes, Auntie Emilia! Mommy made potatoes with fried chicken!" Diana exclaimed excitedly.

Sarah stroked her daughter's cheek and said with a smile on her lips:

"How could I not make potatoes with fried chicken when it's my two little loves' favorite meal?"

"We love you, Mommy," Marcelo said, taking a big bite of chicken.

"All right, let's eat in peace. No leaving your plates half full," Sarah said.

During dinner, Sarah and the children ate in complete silence. When they finished, she let them watch television for a while as she and Emilia cleaned up the kitchen.

"You seem a little off. Is something going on at the company?"

"The company is doing well. Much better than I ever imagined."

"Who would have thought? From secretary to business owner," Sarah whispered.

"You've worked so hard to get ahead for your children. I've watched you push yourself to be better every single day."

"I've witnessed your sleepless nights and your incredible dedication to giving Diana and Marcelo a good life," Emilia said.

"I've been thinking about it, and I believe it's time to find Miguel and tell him he's the father of my children," Sarah said unexpectedly.

Emilia furrowed her brows and stayed quiet, waiting for Sarah to finish speaking.

"My children are growing up, and they keep asking about their father more and more. Every day, Diana asks me why she and her brother don't have a father like all the other kids."

"I try to fool them, but it gets harder every day. Diana and Marcelo are very smart children. They don't buy the same story I've been telling them for years anymore."

"Sarah, why don't you just tell them their father went to heaven and is never coming back?" Emilia suggested.

"For God's sake, what are you saying? Lies have a way of catching up with you. What if one day Miguel reappears in my life and demands to know his children?"

"That would only cause more problems. The ones who'd suffer the most would be my kids. And I think they've already been through enough."

"All right, don't get upset. It was just a suggestion. Besides, Manuel is after you. Why don't you give him a chance? He loves the kids," Emilia said.

Sarah frowned. She was well aware of the attraction she stirred in Manuel, but she didn't want a relationship with any man until she was sure Miguel would never come back into her life.

Manuel was a very attractive man -- her friend and business partner for the past two years -- but Sarah had always kept an invisible wall between them. So she answered:

"Manuel is just a friend and a business partner."

Emilia glanced briefly at Diana and Marcelo and said nothing more. She helped Sarah finish cleaning up and bathing the children before putting them to bed.

"...Meanwhile, in New York..."

Miguel opened the door to his luxurious apartment and set his luggage aside without making a sound.

The silence inside made him suspicious. He took off his shoes and walked barefoot up the stairs.

Halfway up, strange noises began to reach him. A woman's moans grew clearer as he climbed.

When he reached the hallway, Miguel walked to the master bedroom he shared with his current wife, Alondra del Monte.

He moved closer to the door, listening to what was happening inside.

A faint smile appeared on his lips. Alondra had fallen right into the trap.

Gently, he pushed the door open and took out his phone, recording the erotic scene before him.

When Alondra noticed her husband standing there, she pulled away from her lover -- a man much younger than Miguel.

"Mig... Migu... Miguel... What are you doing here?" The woman's lips trembled.

She had never imagined her husband would catch her in bed with another man. Now how was she going to explain this?

"I always knew you were worthless as a woman," Miguel whispered.

"Let me explain -- it's not what it looks like. He put something in my drink and--"

"And nothing. Don't take me for an idiot." Miguel cut her off.

"Weren't you supposed to be on a trip? It was a trap, wasn't it?"

Alondra got out of bed, wrapping her body in a sheet. She was visibly nervous -- she didn't want to lose the man she had shared her life with for four years.

"No, darling. I simply said I was going on a trip, and you immediately called your lover to celebrate."

"I'm not going to ask how long this has been going on, because frankly, I don't care."

"How can you say that, Miguel? We've been married for four years, and you act like you don't even care that I slept with another man," Alondra said.

Miguel turned to look at the man who was trying to get dressed as quickly as possible. The man then bolted out of there.

"You should have found yourself a man with more guts than that one," Miguel mocked.

"I only did it to get back at you. You get to sleep with all kinds of women, but I can't?"

"You treat me like a decorative object in this house. The few times we've been together, you've left me alone in bed."

"The truth is, I don't care how many men you've slept with over these four years."

"I've asked you for a divorce a thousand times and your answer is always the same, and honestly, I don't understand why," Miguel said.

Alondra refused to accept losing Miguel over a mere whim.

She didn't want to throw away four years of her life just because of a marriage agreement -- even if she had willingly signed on at the start.

She had believed that with time and constant closeness, he would eventually fall in love with her.

But no. She had always been a wife in name only. The woman he would walk away from after sleeping together, leaving her alone. The pretty ornament he paraded around at parties.

"I haven't agreed to the divorce because I've fallen in love with you. Through our constant life together, I've learned to love you."

The smile on Miguel's lips grew wider. He didn't believe a single word coming out of Alondra's mouth.

"Do you seriously think I'm going to buy something that stupid?" Miguel whispered.

"I'm not saying it so you'll believe me or not. I'm saying it so you'll understand why I don't want to divorce you," Alondra declared.

"Dear wife, between you and me there is nothing but a marriage agreement. There are no emotional ties binding us together," Miguel replied.

"What do you know about my feelings!"

"You've never once cared about me."

"If you feel so hurt, like some object chaining you to me--"

"The contract we signed ended months ago. We both came out ahead in this marriage. Now we each go our own way," Miguel said.

"Sure, darling. For you, it's that simple. We get married, we get divorced, and everybody does whatever they please."

"How are you going to give me back the four years I gave you? How do you plan to make up for all the nights of pleasure I gave you?"

"Why all the drama? We both enjoyed it, didn't we?" Miguel said, taking a seat on the sofa.

"You're an idiot! But fine -- you want a divorce, I'll give you one!"

"But it'll be when I decide!" Alondra screamed.

"No, it won't be when you decide. It'll be when I decide. I have some very compromising photos that clearly show you cheating on me with a man much younger than either of us."

"Are you threatening me?!" Alondra screamed even louder.

"What happened to the well-bred, refined, and above all, elegant woman?" Miguel taunted.

Alondra grabbed a crystal object from the nightstand and hurled it at Miguel. He dodged it with ease.

The expression on his face changed. He stood up from the sofa and said in an ice-cold voice:

"I tried to do this the right way. But since you don't want to cooperate, I'll have to do things my way."

With that, Miguel walked out of the bedroom, causing Alondra to lose all control.

She began hurling everything in her path while screaming insults at Miguel.

"You're an idiot! A jerk! A cheating dog!"

From the very beginning, Alondra had known what Miguel was like. She was well aware of his womanizing. She also knew their marriage would be anything but easy.

Miguel had never shown love for any woman. He simply used them as sexual objects and never called them again.

Alondra ran out of the bedroom and shouted:

"I'm pregnant, Miguel!"

Miguel stopped, running his hands over the back of his neck.

He turned to look at Alondra, who stood at the top of the apartment's upper level.

"Congratulations!"

"Miguel, don't play dumb! This baby is yours!" Alondra screamed.

Miguel just smiled and answered:

"That's impossible, dear wife. Five years ago, I had a vasectomy."

"What?" Alondra whispered in disbelief.

Miguel had never told her he'd had a vasectomy. She had gotten pregnant on purpose to hold their marriage together.

"You weren't expecting that, were you, wifey?"

"Go find the real father of that child. I don't have time to waste on lies."

Miguel continued walking toward the apartment's exit. Once outside, he quickly called his lawyer to inform him about what had happened between him and Alondra.

"I'm sending you some photos and videos. I want the divorce from Alondra finalized in less than a week," Miguel told his lawyer.

"I'm looking at the photos now, sir. This is more than enough for a judge to grant the divorce."

"Oh... she also claims she's pregnant." Before he could finish, the lawyer asked Miguel:

"Sir, is the child yours?"

"Of course not. I had a vasectomy five years ago. So it's impossible for it to be mine."

"Very well, sir... Mrs. del Monte will have no choice but to agree to the divorce amicably. A scandal wouldn't benefit either of you -- it would only damage both companies."

Miguel ended the call, fully aware that marrying Alondra had been a mistake.

He took the elevator down to the parking garage. When he got into his car, his phone started ringing. He gave it a quick glance and saw it was his best friend Antonio's number.

"What do you want?" Miguel answered.

"What a temper. I thought you'd be happier about the arrival of your child."

"What child are you talking about, you idiot? You know better than anyone that I can't be a father. After what happened with Sarah, I decided never to get another woman pregnant." Miguel said.

"Your wife just posted on social media confirming she's pregnant and tagged you."

"She got you good. Now you're going to be a dad." Antonio loved giving Miguel a hard time.

Furious, Miguel ended the call and went to his social media, confirming that what Antonio had said was true.

Now you've gone way too far, Alondra! Miguel whispered, clenching his teeth.

At that very moment, his phone rang again. He swiped his finger across the screen.

"Mom, I'm not in the mood."

"Miguel, you should be happy about the arrival of your firstborn."

"I don't know why you hadn't told us anything. If Alondra hadn't posted it, we wouldn't even know we're about to become grandparents."

Miguel's mother was overjoyed at the arrival of her first grandchild.

Miguel took a deep breath before telling his mother that Alondra had lied and that the child she was carrying wasn't his, but another man's.

"Mom, I think you're misunderstanding the situation. The child Alondra is expecting--"

Before Miguel could finish, his mother cut him off.

"I'm not misunderstanding anything. Alondra called us a moment ago and told us about the argument you two had."

"Miguel, how can you be capable of saying that child isn't yours?"

Miguel pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. It was unbelievable how his mother would turn her back on him and take Alondra's side.

"Mom, let me explain how things really are. Alondra is lying."

"Miguel, I thought I raised a man!"

After those words, his mother hung up. Miguel started the car and drove to his best friend's company.

He needed to blow off some steam. He also needed advice -- someone who truly knew him and would listen.

When he arrived at Madrigal Enterprises, Miguel got out of the car and headed straight for the CEO's office. He didn't even knock -- he walked in as if he owned the place.

At that moment, Antonio was spending some family time with his son Fernando and his wife Virginia. When they saw Miguel walk in, Virginia smiled and greeted him.

"Hi, Miguel, how have you been?"

Miguel forced an awkward smile, since he hadn't expected to find his best friend's family there.

"Hi, Vicky, I've been fine. Can't you tell?" Miguel joked halfheartedly.

"Glad to hear it, Miguel." Virginia greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Uncle, you look older," little Fernando declared from his father's arms.

Miguel narrowed his eyes, staring straight at Fernando.

"Antonio, did you hear what he just said to me? You should teach your son better manners."

"Fernando didn't say anything that wasn't true. You do look older every day," Antonio teased.

Miguel turned to Virginia -- of the three of them, she was the most sensible.

"I'm going to head out. I just remembered I have things to do."

"Come on, sweetheart. Say goodbye to your father."

Antonio set Fernando down on the floor. The little boy took his mother's hand, and before leaving, he added:

"Grumpy Uncle, when are you going to have kids? I want to play with my cousins. I get so bored at home with Grandma Elizabeth."

"What are you saying, you little rascal? Uncle Miguel is never having kids. So you'd better go find some friends to play with."

Virginia and Antonio both shook their heads.

"Let's go, sweetheart." The two of them left Antonio's office.

Once they were alone, Antonio looked at Miguel.

"You really don't plan on having kids. Let me tell you, you're missing out on something truly wonderful."

"Blah... blah... blah..." Miguel muttered.

"I honestly don't plan on going through the same thing I went through years ago. So forget about me ever becoming a father," Miguel said.

"What happened between you and Sarah was a misunderstanding. You should have gone looking for her instead of marrying Alondra."

"Now you're in serious trouble. She's not going to just hand you a divorce," Antonio said, knowing Miguel and Sarah's story better than anyone.

"If we're looking for someone to blame for the misunderstanding between Sarah and me, you're the one to blame."

"If it weren't for the fact that I helped you that night with Matilde, Sarah would never have left the city," Miguel said, clearly irritated.

"Don't pin that on me. I just asked you for a favor as a friend and you agreed. I had no idea about your relationship with Sarah."

"On more than one occasion, I warned Sarah not to get involved with you, because the only one who'd end up getting hurt was her."

"Whether you believe it or not, I cared about Sarah a great deal. She was without a doubt the best secretary I've ever had in my entire career," Antonio said.

"You had the nerve to badmouth me to Sarah behind my back?" Miguel whispered.

"No... I only warned her that you weren't the right man for her. That if she didn't want to get hurt, she should stay away from you."

"Nobody knows you better than I do. Sarah was my best employee. Even though she made some mistakes, it hurt me deeply when she left without saying goodbye."

"For me, it was a total disappointment that she abandoned her job and left the city."

"All you ever care about is your precious work!"

"It hurt me deeply that she didn't have the courage to tell me she was pregnant with my child."

"I had to find out from other people that I was going to be a father. And the worst part is that she terminated the pregnancy, as if she'd made that baby all on her own." Every time Miguel revisited the past, he felt his blood boil inside him.

"Neither you nor Sarah were right for each other. She needed a different kind of man in her life. All you ever offered her were empty promises."

"Would you have changed your entire way of life for her?" Antonio whispered.

Miguel fell silent, running his hand over his neck again and again. It was hard for him to admit that Sarah had been the only woman who ever truly won his heart.

The one he had shared more than just a single night in bed with. The one he had imagined building a family with. The only one for whom he would have changed his entire lifestyle.

"The past is behind us. Sarah made the decision to leave and to abort our child."

"And I made the decision not to go after her. We both took different paths," Miguel said in a cold tone.

Silence fell over Antonio's office. Even though Miguel denied it, he was still in love with Sarah. That was precisely why he had never tried to love Alondra.

"Just answer me one question. What would happen if Sarah reappeared in your life?" Antonio watched his best friend's expression closely.

Miguel's face contorted. He had imagined that scenario many times. But he would never forgive Sarah for killing his child. That was something he could never forgive.