The next morning, Mateo woke up convinced he was getting married.

At eight, the hotel ballroom was already full of flowers.

At nine, photographers arrived.

At ten, both families began greeting guests.

And at ten fifteen, Mateo finally realized nobody had seen me.

He called.

My number was still blocked.

He called from Carlos’s phone.

No answer.

Then from his mother’s.

Nothing.

At eleven, Elena posted another message in the wedding group:

【Sofía must be nervous. Brides always get emotional before the ceremony.】

Mateo liked that message too.

Fifteen minutes later, my mother entered the hotel.

Alone.

Mateo walked toward her immediately.

—Where is Sofía?

My mother looked at him.

—Not here.

He laughed nervously.

—I can see that. Where is she getting ready?

—She isn’t.

His expression changed.

—What do you mean?

My father came in behind her carrying a white envelope.

He placed it directly into Mateo’s hands.

—Read it.

Mateo opened it.

Inside was the marriage cancellation notice.

The hotel contract transfer.

The list of deposits I had personally paid.

And my engagement ring.

His face went completely blank.

—This is a joke.

My mother said nothing.

Mateo looked around.

—Where is she?

My father answered:

—At home.

He started walking toward the exit.

My father blocked him.

—Don’t.

Mateo’s eyes hardened.

—I’m going to talk to my fiancée.

—She’s not your fiancée anymore.

That sentence finally broke his composure.

—Yesterday she was upset. She was hurt. She wasn’t thinking clearly.

My mother’s voice became cold.

—She was thinking clearly enough to sit alone in a police station while you repaired another woman’s fuse box.

Silence spread around them.

Several relatives had started listening.

Mateo lowered his voice.

—This is between Sofía and me.

—It stopped being private when you abandoned her the day before her wedding.

Elena appeared just then.

Of course she did.

She wore a pale blue dress.

Too elegant for someone who supposedly intended to stay in the background.

—Mateo…

She touched his arm.

—Don’t argue today.

My father looked at her hand.

Then at Mateo.

Then laughed once.

—And there she is.

Elena immediately withdrew her fingers.

—Uncle, you’ve misunderstood.

—I’m not your uncle.

Her face turned pale.

Mateo ignored everyone and called me again.

This time, I answered.

Not because I wanted to explain.

Because I wanted him to hear my voice once.

Only once.

—Sofía.

He sounded relieved.

—Where are you?

—Home.

—Stay there. I’m coming.

—No.

Silence.

—We need to talk.

—I don’t.

His voice changed.

—You’re canceling our wedding because I didn’t personally pick you up?

—No.

—Then because of Elena?

—No.

—Then what?

I looked at the packed suitcase beside me.

—Because for six years, every time I needed you, you taught me that I could wait.

—Because every time Elena needed you, you taught me she couldn’t.

He said nothing.

I continued:

—Yesterday I was bleeding at a police station and you told me to behave.

—Then I was getting stitches and you asked whether I could do it without anesthesia so I would look better in a dress.

Silence.

—Mateo, I don’t want that dress anymore.

His breathing became heavier.

—Sofía, I love you.

Once, those words could erase almost anything.

Not anymore.

—I know.

He froze.

—Then why are you doing this?

—Because love that always arrives second isn’t enough for me anymore.

I ended the call.

Then I turned off the phone.

For the next three hours, I slept.

When I woke up, there were voices outside my parents’ house.

Mateo had come anyway.

My father refused to let him inside.

Elena was with him too.

That almost made me laugh.

Even while trying to save our wedding, he hadn’t left her behind.

I went downstairs.

Mateo saw me through the doorway.

His eyes immediately dropped to the bandage on my arm.

For the first time, he actually saw it.

Not through Carlos.

Not through a phone call.

Not as something that might ruin wedding photographs.

He stared.

—It’s that bad?

I smiled faintly.

—Interesting question.

His face tightened.

—Sofía…

Elena stepped forward.

—Sister, please don’t blame him. Last night was really my fault.

I looked at her.

—You’re right.

She froze.

Mateo frowned.

I continued:

—It was your fault for calling him.

—It was his fault for going.

Silence.

Elena’s eyes filled with tears.

—You hate me.

—No.

I looked at Mateo.

—I hate who I became trying to compete with you.

That hurt him.

Good.

He stepped closer.

—I’ll cut contact with Elena.

She turned toward him instantly.

—Mateo?

I shook my head.

—Don’t.

—What?

—Don’t do it for me.

I looked at Elena.

—If you want her in your life, keep her there.

Then back at him.

—Just don’t expect me to stay there too.

Mateo’s face went pale.

—We’re supposed to get married today.

—You were supposed to come for me yesterday.

He had no answer.

Then Carlos arrived.

He looked nervous.

Very nervous.

—Director Mateo.

Mateo turned.

—What?

Carlos glanced at Elena.

Then at me.

—There’s something you need to know before Miss Sofía leaves.

Elena’s expression changed.

Small.

But I saw it.

Mateo did too.

—What happened?

Carlos pulled out his phone.

—Yesterday, while I was driving Miss Sofía to the hospital, Elena called me.

My eyes narrowed.

—Why?

Carlos looked uncomfortable.

—She told me not to tell Director Mateo how serious the wound was.

The courtyard went silent.

Mateo slowly turned toward Elena.

—What?

She immediately shook her head.

—That’s not true.

Carlos unlocked the phone.

—The call was recorded automatically through the company vehicle system.

Elena’s face lost color.

Mateo stared at her.

Carlos pressed play.

Her voice came through clearly.

“Don’t exaggerate Sofía’s injury to Mateo.”

Then:

“Tomorrow is their wedding. If he sees her like that tonight, he’ll definitely leave me here alone.”

And finally:

“Just tell him she needs a few stitches. Sofía is strong. She can handle it.”

Nobody moved.

Mateo’s face became almost unrecognizable.

Because those were his words.

The same ones he had repeated to me for years.

You’re strong.

She needs me more.

You can wait.

He looked at Elena.

—You knew how badly she was hurt?

She started crying.

—Mateo, I was scared—

—You knew?

She didn’t answer.

That was enough.

Then Carlos added quietly:

—There’s more.

He opened another file.

—Miss Elena didn’t have an electrical emergency last night.

Mateo stared at him.

—What?

—The building maintenance report shows there was no outage.

Elena backed away.

Carlos continued:

—And the electrician you supposedly called?

He looked directly at her.

—He never came.

I felt something cold settle inside me.

Mateo whispered:

—Then why did you call me?

Elena’s lips trembled.

She looked at me.

Then at him.

And in that second, I realized the night before my wedding hadn’t simply been another example of Mateo choosing her.

Someone had deliberately made sure he would.

And judging by the panic on Elena’s face…

this hadn’t been the first time.