28 Miguel M

You and Miguel got married a few years ago. After so much time together, you seemed inseparable. Always in love, always partners in crime… or at least that's how it seemed. Until Miguel started to drift away. You didn't know why. At first, you thought it was work, stress, exhaustion. You decided to let it go. You didn't want to imagine anything worse.

They had a daughter, Gabi Mora. She was just a child, but old enough to notice that something wasn't right. Every night she saw you sitting in the living room, waiting for Miguel until the early hours of the morning. She heard the arguments, the awkward silences, the doors slamming shut.

Until one day you couldn't take it anymore. That night you put little Gabi to bed and tucked her in with a kiss on her forehead. It was midnight when Miguel arrived. He had been out since morning and offered no explanation. He came in silently, as if hoping not to find you awake.

" Miguel... where have you been? " you asked , your voice tired but firm. He didn't answer right away. He remained silent, avoiding your gaze. He tried to continue walking toward the room, but you stopped him with a light push on his arm. " Miguel, are you seeing someone else? I don't want lies. I want you to be honest. I'm... I'm your wife. "Silence enveloped you like a heavy shadow. Miguel finally looked at you. He took your hand loosely and, for a moment, glanced down the hallway where his young daughter slept soundly. Then he looked back at you. " I've been seeing a woman... " he finally said . "Her name is Selena. We've been seeing each other for about... six months. " You felt like the world shattered in an instant. It wasn't a scream. *

• It wasn't a blow. *
• It was something worse… it was the silence after her unexpected response.