Ariadna sat in her cell, arms wrapped around her knees. Tears streaked her face, no longer radiant as it once had been. She couldn’t stand another minute in that place; she’d rather be dead than keep living in that hell.She missed her small but spotless apartment—her bed, her sheets that carried a sweet scent. She missed the satisfaction of looking at herself in the mirror wearing her favorite clothes; she missed her breakfast and the black coffee from the office.Ariadna also missed going out to lunch with her coworkers, laughing at their gossip and jokes. She longed for the feeling of self-sufficiency and power when she got her paycheck, went shopping, and filled her refrigerator at the supermarket. She missed her freedom. She missed everything she had once complained about.***Jimena got up early that day, got Adrián ready, put him in the car, and set off. She was thrilled that, finally, Pablo would be leaving the rehab center and returning to his job at the company.Just before

It was Saturday, and Pablo had taken Adrián to his parents’ house for the whole weekend, so Jimena took the opportunity to attend a sleepover at her sisters’ apartment. They’d invited Laura and Lisa.“Okay, Jim, spill it,” Cecilia pressed, curiosity gleaming in her eyes and a mischievous smile curling on her lips. The look made Jimena nervous—she could already guess what this was about.“Spill what?” she asked, feigning innocence as she narrowed her eyes.“Oh, don’t play dumb, I saw you,” added Claudia, pointing a teasing finger at her. “So? How does the hot dancer kiss?”Jimena nearly jumped at the bluntness of the question. She knew there was no escaping them, so she decided to tell them. With a long sigh, she smiled wickedly.“Okay, fine, I’ll tell you.” She sighed again, defeated. “He’s an expert. I swear I melted when he kissed me. But…”“But?” Claudia prompted reproachfully, already suspecting that the “but” had something to do with Pablo.Jimena understood the tone. Claudia was