The Beginning

"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.

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