I learned to appreciate the few gestures of affection from my father-in-law, who seemed to treat me with a bit more humanity than others. I learned not to notice how Miguel was gradually drifting away, how he was coming home later and later from work, how our conversations were reduced to the bare minimum, how his hugs were becoming increasingly cold.
Carmen grew up and went to university abroad. For the last two years, she’d been living in England and only came home for holidays. Since she left, the house felt emptier, more foreign. “We’re here,” the taxi driver said, pulling me from my thoughts. My father-in-law paid, and we got out in front of our house—a large mansion in La Moraleja, a house I never felt was mine, despite having lived there for almost 20 years.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” he offered. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight.” I looked at him, surprised. In all these years, it was the first time he’d ever done anything like that for me. “Thank you, but I’m fine. You need to rest too.” He nodded. “Whatever you want. Call me if you need anything.” I stepped into the empty house and immediately felt the weight of the silence.
It didn’t usually bother me, but that night every creak, every sound startled me. I turned on all the lights as if that could protect me from the dark thoughts that were suffocating me. What if Lucía died, and what if I was the cause of her death? Even though she was never my friend, even though she did everything she could to make my life miserable, I never wished her dead.
And what would happen when Miguel came back? What would I say to him? I’m sorry, love. I saw you put something in my glass and decided to switch it with your sister. No, of course not. I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. My hands were shaking so much that the glass kept hitting the counter. I had never felt so lost and scared in my life.
The phone rang suddenly, making me jump. I spilled the water. Miguel’s name appeared on the screen. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and answered, “Yes, Elena.” Miguel’s voice sounded strange, muffled. Lucía is in intensive care. The doctors say it was poisoning. They gave her a chest pump, but she’s still unconscious.
“Oh my God,” I murmured, not knowing what else to say. “How could that have happened?” “I don’t know,” she replied after a pause. “Maybe it was the wine or something in the food.” “Mom’s hysterical. I’m staying here tonight.” “And are you okay?” “I’m in the same boat as you,” I answered, trying hard to sound calm. “Let me know if anything changes.” “Okay, sure.” Then, after a silence, she said, “Elena, you didn’t drink anything from your glass, did you?” My heart skipped a beat. “No, I barely touched it.”
Why? Nothing, I was just asking. The doctors said everyone at the table should be on the lookout for anything unusual. I’m fine, I lied. Because I wasn’t fine. I was terrified, confused, and I’d call you if there was any news. She hung up, and I stood in the kitchen clutching the phone. There was something about her voice.
I was scared, that much was clear, but there was something else, a subtle relief when he heard I hadn’t drunk from his glass. I went up to our room and sat on the bed. My mind was a mess, my heart was pounding. I knew I had to do something, but I had no idea what. Call the police and say that my husband tried to poison me, but when he switched the glasses, he ended up poisoning his sister.
Suddenly, I remembered a conversation I’d overheard a few months ago. Miguel and Lucía didn’t know I’d arrived earlier than usual. I was coming up the stairs when I heard their voices in the office. “You have to sort this out, Miguel,” Lucía was saying. “How much longer are you going to wait? The situation is only getting worse.” “I know,” he replied, sounding tired and annoyed.
“But it’s not as easy as you think. There’s no simple way out, and you know it, but the longer you put it off, the harder it will be later.” Lucia, I can’t simply didn’t finish the sentence. We have to find a way that doesn’t raise suspicion. Time is running out, brother. If you don’t decide, I will.
At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I assumed they were talking about business, but now those words echoed in my head with a different meaning. I had to find a way to do this without arousing suspicion. What if they were talking about me? What if Miguel and Lucía were planning to get rid of me? The doorbell startled me. I glanced at the clock; it was past midnight.
Who could it be at this hour? Miguel said he’d stay at the hospital. My mother-in-law was there too. My father-in-law, but why didn’t he call sooner? I went downstairs and approached the door. I looked through the peephole. A young, serious-looking policeman in uniform. My breath caught in my throat. They already knew. Did they already know what had happened at the restaurant? With trembling hands, I opened the door.
Elena Ferrer asked. “I’m Officer Rodriguez. May I come in? We need to talk.” I nodded silently and let her in. Only one thought kept hammering in my head. They know, they already know everything. “Please, have a seat,” I offered, gesturing toward the living room. “What happened?” Officer Rodriguez remained standing. “We received a notification from the hospital.”
Her relative, Lucía Martínez, was admitted with signs of poisoning. Doctors believe it wasn’t accidental food poisoning, but intentional; they found traces of a potent substance in her blood. I slumped into the armchair, feeling like the floor was opening up beneath my feet. It’s terrible.
But why have you come to see me? We’re interviewing everyone who was at the restaurant table. Your husband told us you went home. I need to ask you a few questions. I nodded, trying to stay calm. Of course, ask whatever you need. Did you notice anything strange about anyone’s behavior at the table? I swallowed. To say it or not. To mention that I saw Miguel put something in my glass.
But then I’d have to explain why Lucía ended up poisoned. No, nothing out of the ordinary. I lied. Everything went smoothly. We were having dinner, chatting. Then suddenly Lucía felt unwell. Did you notice if anyone went near her glass, a waiter or one of the other diners? I shook my head. No, I didn’t see anything. You left the table yourself.
I only went to the bathroom for about 10 minutes. The officer jotted something down in his notebook. Who else was absent? I thought for a moment. Miguel got up a couple of times to take calls. My mother-in-law, I’m not sure, I think she went to the bathroom too. My father-in-law was seated the whole time. At least that’s what I remember. And Lucía came out once, but I don’t remember exactly when. The officer nodded.
I understand. One last question. Do you know if anyone had a reason to hurt Lucía? I almost laughed. I had reasons. Many. Twenty years of reasons. Twenty years of humiliation. Malicious comments, constant contempt. I didn’t answer. As far as I know, everyone got along well with her. Lucía is a lovely person.
The lie came easily, too easily. Okay, the officer closed his notebook. If you remember anything else that might be useful, please call me. He handed me a card. I walked him to the door and then went back into the living room, sinking into the armchair. The police. An investigation. This was getting too serious.
What if someone saw me switch the glasses? What if they find fingerprints? What if Lucía dies? No, I couldn’t think about that. She won’t die. She can’t die. It would be too much, too horrible. I looked at my phone, hesitating to see if Miguel would call. But what would I say to him? And what would he say to me? If he really tried to poison me, talking to him would only put me in more danger.
I went up to our room and calmly began packing. A couple of changes of clothes, documents, some cash I had saved just in case. I couldn’t stay in that house. I couldn’t wait for Miguel to come back. I needed time to think, to decide what to do. With my suitcase packed, I went downstairs, grabbed my car keys, and left the house.
At that moment, my phone rang again inside my bag. I took it out, expecting to see Miguel’s name on the screen, but it was Antonio, my father-in-law. Yes, Antonio. I tried to sound calm. Elena, his voice was low and tense. Are you home alone? Yes. Miguel is at the hospital with Lucía. I know. Listen carefully. Don’t just stand there.
Psalm. I froze. What? Why? I can’t talk on the phone. Just trust me. You have to leave and be very careful. They might be watching you. Who? Antonio. What’s going on? We’ll talk later. For now, just go and don’t tell anyone where you’re going.
Not even me, he hung up, leaving me in a state of utter confusion. What was that? A warning of who and why my father-in-law suddenly wanted to protect me, but I didn’t have time to think. I got in the car and pulled out of the garage. Where to go? I didn’t have many options. I hardly had any friends left I could truly trust.
Over the years, living with Miguel, I drifted away from almost everyone. His family, his friends, his world—it all became mine too. Lucía had made sure my old friendships vanished. “They’re not on our level, darling,” she’d say in her fakely friendly tone. And Miguel always agreed. There was only one person I could turn to: Pilar, an old friend from university.
We stayed in touch, though we rarely saw each other. She lived in the suburbs, in a small house she’d inherited from her grandmother. The last time we saw each other was a year ago for her birthday. Miguel was away on a business trip and couldn’t come with me, or maybe he didn’t want to. I dialed her number, praying she’d answer despite the late hour. “Hello.” Her voice sounded sleepy. “Pilar, it’s me, Elena.”
I’m sorry to call so late, but I need your help. Can I come over right now? He woke up immediately. Of course. What happened? I’ll explain when I get there. I have nowhere else to go. Den, I’ll wait for you here. I hung up and looked in the rearview mirror. Someone was following me. Antonio said they might be watching me.
Who could they be? Miguel, the police, someone else. When I reached the main road, I decided to be extra careful. I changed my route several times. I drove around aimlessly. I stopped at gas stations to see if anyone was following me, but everything was quiet. No one was behind me. An hour and a half later, I arrived at Pilar’s house in Torrelodones. She was waiting for me at the door, wrapped in a bathrobe.
Elena, what’s going on? she asked as soon as I got out of the car. Are you okay? I shook my head. No, no, I’m fine. Can we go inside? I’ll explain everything inside. We went into the house. Pilar took me to the kitchen and put water on to boil. “Talk,” she said, sitting down across from me. And I told her everything from the beginning.
How I saw Miguel put something in my glass, how I decided to change it, how Lucía collapsed, the policeman’s visit, my father-in-law’s strange call. Pilar listened to me in silence. Her eyes widened as I recounted the story. “My God, Elena,” she whispered when I finished. “It’s a nightmare.”
Do you really think Miguel tried to poison you? I don’t know what to think, I answered honestly. I saw with my own eyes him put something in my drink. That’s a fact. But why? What for? We’ve been together for 20 years. We have a daughter. Yes, we’ve grown apart lately, but something like that is beyond me. And your father-in-law? Why did he warn you? I don’t know.
She always treated me better than the rest of her family, but a warning like that… Maybe she knows something. Maybe she’s aware of Miguel’s plans. Pilar swirled her teacup thoughtfully. “And the insurance, do you have life insurance?” I nodded. “Yes, we both do. Quite high sums. We took it out a few years ago at Miguel’s insistence. He said it was normal at our income level.” “And who’s the beneficiary of yours?” “Miguel.”
Sure. Guilló’s from his side. Pilar raised her eyebrows knowingly. There’s a possible reason. But it’s absurd. Miguel doesn’t need the money. His business is doing well. He earns much more than my insurance would be worth. Are you sure about that? Do you really know his financial situation? I was left thinking.
In recent years, Miguel didn’t share many details about his business with me. I knew he owned a chain of restaurants and nightclubs, and had some investment projects, but I didn’t know the specific figures. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “But he never complained about money problems. We live in a luxurious house. We have two cars. We vacation abroad at least twice a year. He doesn’t seem like someone desperate for money.”
“No, it doesn’t seem so,” Pilar agreed. “But you yourself said that he’s changed lately. Perhaps his business isn’t doing as well as it appears.” I remembered that a few months ago Miguel was unusually tense and irritable. He received a call during dinner, apologized, and left the dining room.
When he returned, he was pale and clearly agitated. I asked him if everything was alright, and he simply replied, “Problems with one of the projects. Nothing serious.” But that night he drank much more than usual, and later I overheard him on the phone in his office until very late. “It’s possible,” I said. “But still, there’s a world of difference between having financial problems and trying to kill someone.”
“What if he fell in love with someone else?” Pilar suggested. “What if he wants a divorce, but doesn’t want to divide the assets?” That thought had already crossed my mind. I’d noticed how Miguel perked up when he received certain messages on his phone. As if he thought I couldn’t see him, he’d smile at the screen. How he was staying at business dinners more and more often. If that were the case, the divorce would be easier than murder.
I replied. We have a prenuptial agreement. In case of divorce, I would receive a set amount, but most of the assets would remain his. And what if he doesn’t want to pay you even that, or if the contract has a clause about infidelity? It does, I admitted. If it’s proven that I was unfaithful, I receive nothing. If he’s the one who’s unfaithful, I’m entitled to half of everything.
Then there’s another reason. I shook my head. Still, I can’t believe it. Twenty years, Pilar. Twenty years together. People really could have changed that much, Elena, especially when there’s a lot of money involved or a new lover. We stayed in the kitchen until dawn, going over possibilities, trying to understand what could be happening. Around 6 a.m., my cell phone rang.
“Miguel, don’t answer,” Pilar said immediately. “You don’t know what information he has. The police might have already found someone who saw you switching the glasses.” I listened to her and let the phone ring until it stopped. A minute later, a message arrived. “Where are you? Call me, it’s urgent.” Pilar took the phone from me and turned it off.
Continued on the next page
Leave a Comment