He thought he could deceive her, but she had a plan he never imagined

Andrés was never a good liar. As he packed his suitcase in the bedroom, he avoided meeting Marina, the woman with whom he had been married for almost ten years.

—So “conference”. A whole week,” Marina said, leaning against the doorframe. And right in Cancun, when everyone is on vacation.

“The company covers everything,” Andrés murmured, hiding a pair of beach shorts under a pile of shirts. It would be strange to say no.

“And Valeria, your colleague, is also going?” “It wasn’t a question; sounded like a result.

Andrés tensed for a second and continued folding clothes.

“Yes. She presents. Work is work.

“Like in last year’s corporate office, when they ‘worked’ until four in the morning,” she replied.

“Again with the same thing…” He slammed the suitcase shut. I’ll be out in three hours.

“Send greetings to your ‘colleague,'” Marina said, stepping aside to let him pass. Rest.

He grunted something and left. Marina stared at a photo of the two of them on the table. Then she picked up the phone and looked for a contact: someone who could help her understand… and to decide.

Cancun without guilt (or so I thought)

By midweek, the warm sea and long nights seemed to undo the remorse. Valeria laughed in the water, tanned, shining in the sun.

“Come!” The water is perfect! He shouted at him.

Andrew entered the sea with her. Still, a discomfort gnawed at his stomach.

—Thinking about work again? She wrapped her around his neck.

“I forgot to send a report before leaving,” he improvised.

“Liar,” smiled Valeria, kissing his cheek. You’re thinking of Marina.

“We agreed not to talk about it here,” he cut off.

“Someday you’ll have to decide,” he said softly. We cannot always hide.

“After the trip I talk to her. I promise.

Valeria nodded, hopeful. The week went by between seafood, photos and hotel rooms. Andrés almost stopped thinking about home. Almost.

The surprise

On the night of his return, the taxi dropped him off in front of his building. He saw light in the room. He walked in silence, put down his suitcase, and walked toward the murmur.

He stopped in his tracks: the room was different. Garlands, flowers, balloons; on the wall, photos of her wedding, of travels; On the table, a cake with a candle in the shape of a “10”. On the sofa, Marina… and a tall man with light hair.

“What… what is this? he managed to say.

“We didn’t expect you for two hours,” Marina said, surprised. Today is our tenth anniversary, Andrés.

The man stood up and held out his hand.

“Alejandro. A pleasure.

Andrés did not take it.

“What is he doing here?”

“He’s an interior designer,” Marina explained. I reorganized the department while you were at your “conference.” I wanted to give you a surprise.

She took him to see the rest: new bedroom, warm lamps, paintings. Then she opened the door of what was Andrés’ studio: a children’s room painted in soft tones, with a crib and a teddy bear.

“What…?” he stammered.

Marina hugged herself.

“I was going to tell you today. I’m pregnant. Fourteen weeks.

Time stopped. Andrés saw the room, the crib, the expectant gleam in her eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I wanted to be sure. And then… your journey with Valeria.

He turned pale.

“Did you know?”

“I’m not stupid, Andrés,” she stared at him. Also, before you left you ran out of battery and used my old cell phone to call a taxi. You are not logged out. I received all your messages. All.

Andrés felt the blood flee from his face.

“I don’t know what to say.

“Don’t say anything,” she replied. Just answer me one thing: do you love her?

He opened his mouth… and closed it.

“I don’t know. I’m confused.

Marina nodded, as if she expected it.

“Good. So we’ll do this: you have a week. Take your suitcase and go to a friend’s house, a hotel, wherever. Think about us, about what you want, about the real cost of your decision. In a week you come back and tell me what you’re going to do.

“What if I decide to leave?”

“You’ll go,” he answered, his voice barely trembling. I’m not going to stop you. But I want you to be absolutely sure.

Andrés, suddenly, saw her differently: the serenity, the dignity, the strength that made him fall in love at first… and that he had forgotten to look.

“I don’t deserve you,” he whispered.

“Maybe,” he smiled weakly. But the one who decides is you. Now go. Don’t call me these days.

He took the suitcase.

“See you in a week.”

“See you.”

When the door closed, Marina returned to the living room. He looked at the cake, the photos, the lights. She went to the window and saw him below, with the suitcase, hesitating, walking away at last.

She put her hand on her belly. She was not pregnant. She had asked Alejandro, a friend from school, to help her set up the scene. I knew that lying is not a good foundation to rebuild, but I also knew that sometimes someone needs to lose everything to understand what it was worth.

He turned off the lights and went to the bedroom. “The night brings advice,” her grandmother used to say. He had a week ahead of him.

Epilogue (one week later)

Andrés returned on time. It smelled of rain in the hallway.

“You’re not pregnant,” she said as she entered, bluntly.

Marina held her gaze.

“No.

“You set everything up… so that he would understand what he was breaking.

“I set up a mirror,” he answered. I showed you what we could have had if you had built it too.

He took a deep breath.

“I broke up with Valeria. Not because you discovered me, but because I saw myself from the outside and I didn’t like what I saw. If you still want to, I want to start over. No lies. With therapy. With real work.

Marina studied it in silence. He didn’t say yes. Nor is it not.

“We’ll set rules for ourselves,” he said at last. A truth for every fear. And if you fail again, there will be no second scene. There will be no decoration that will save it.

“Okay.

They sat face to face, without toasts or cake. Just two people who, for the first time in a long time, spoke clearly.

Sometimes, to remember the value of a home, you need to look over the edge of the abyss. Marina had set a stage; Andrés chose whether it was an end or a beginning. The rest—like everything true—no longer depended on a promise on the beach, but on what they would do each day.

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