CHAPTER 61. TomorrowAndrea had no words to describe those days. They often went home to see Adriana, but it seemed like the baby was delighted with Zack’s parents. The cabin was perfect in every way, and what was supposed to be two days extended to almost the whole week.Each day, Zack and Andrea went out together to different places to explore. They talked about the world around them, family, their dreams and aspirations, about anything that wasn’t painful, and above all, they tried not to talk about their future together.Every night, they sat together on the terrace to watch the stars, embraced, and stayed there until one of them dragged the other inside, where they made love with as much passion as if it were the first time.In those moments, Andrea felt she had found something special. Zack not only made her feel desired but also safe and protected. When they were together, she couldn’t help but think about how incredibly lucky she was to have someone like him in her life.But f

CHAPTER 63. A debtAndrea wanted the ground to swallow her up as she dropped off her little daughter at daycare. From there, she had to go to Zack's office and ask him for the money he owed her from the Christmas contract. She hated having to do it, but at that moment, paying off the hospital debt before it doubled was the priority.As soon as she entered the office, he looked up and met her eyes. The atmosphere felt tense even though Zack tried to smile, maybe because she was the one feeling bad about it.“Hey, Thorcito,” she murmured, approaching and giving him a soft kiss on the lips.“Hey, Pastelito. Everything okay? How’s the baby?” Zack asked, and Andrea felt her cheeks redden.“Yes, everything is fine.” She tried to maintain her composure, but she was very embarrassed. She had agreed to that Christmas contract with Zack, but now they were together, and many things had changed. “Thorcito... I’m really embarrassed to ask you this...” she whispered, staring at the floor, “but I ne

CHAPTER 65. A lawsuitAndrea's heart was pounding as if it were going to leap out of her chest."How... how did he leave, Ben...? Why?"She tried to find a reason in her head, but it seemed impossible. Had he really left? Had he abandoned her? How...? Why...?"Do you... do you have any idea why he left?" she asked, tears filling her eyes and her voice choked by the lump in her throat.Ben frowned, worried. He would have preferred not to answer that question, but it was inevitable."I don't know," he confessed. "He just got on the plane and left. Did something happen between you two?"Andrea couldn't hold back her tears as she shook her head. She felt helpless, hurt, and disappointed."No... I have no idea what... what could have happened. I didn't think Zack was that kind of person.""And he's not. He didn't say anything to me, but I assure you he's not a bad person!"Andrea nodded, though she was very frustrated. She couldn't understand how someone so important in her life could disa

CHAPTER 67. DesperateHow could Zack hurt more than Mason?As Andrea returned to her apartment, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. But the truth was that it wasn’t Mason or Zack who hurt her; it was the disappointment, the broken trust, the helplessness of not understanding why they were such complete jerks.The following two days were pure torture. Andrea desperately searched for a lawyer who could help her, but the state didn’t provide public defenders for cases like these. She knew she couldn’t afford a good lawyer, but she tried calling some because she knew there were always those who took on pro bono cases. However, the response was disheartening: at least at that moment, no one was taking cases for free.Her next option was women's aid foundations, but the two in the city told her the same thing.“I’m sorry, we can help you with many things: clothing, food, jobs... but we don’t have lawyers.”By Monday morning, Andrea was on edge and felt like she hadn’t slept in two days. Th

CHAPTER 69. A suitable environment for a childThe apartment was clean, very clean, but that was the only positive thing to say about it. When Andrea opened the door, the tall, thin woman beside her, about fifty years old with a stern face and firm gaze, momentarily looked surprised. She carried a clipboard, and Andrea felt a chill when she saw her write something down."I thought I was coming to evaluate an apartment... but I see there’s not much to evaluate," she said with concern.There were no rugs, no furniture, no pictures, nothing to soften the starkness of the room. The walls were bare, the windows had no curtains, the floor was cracked, and the light was dim. Andrea felt a wave of panic wash over her. She knew it was the kind of place no one would want to stay in for long, especially not with a child.The woman inspected the apartment with a critical eye, taking notes as she went along; Andrea followed her with a pounding heart."How long have you been living like this?" she