Chương 12
The absurdity helped until Sofía sat down and felt another cramp.
Her smile vanished.
Maribel saw it immediately.
“How bad?”
“Four.”
“Bleeding?”
“Less.”
“Dizzy?”
“No.”
“Fever?”
“No.”
Maribel nodded.
“Then lie down.”
“I hate when you’re professionally competent.”
“That’s jealousy.”
Sofía rested while Elena went downstairs to buy groceries nobody needed.
Her phone stayed quiet for almost an hour.
Then Iván sent a message.
Andrés is here.
Sofía stared at it.
Another came.
He’s mad.
A third followed.
At me.
She typed, Why?
Iván answered immediately.
Because I told the police Dad told me to stop calling.
Sofía sat up.
Andrés knew that.
She typed back.
He said he was going to tell them the same thing.
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Returned.
Finally Iván wrote, Then maybe he’s mad because I said it first.
Sofía read the sentence twice.
A cold uneasiness moved through her.
She called Andrés.
He answered after several rings.
“Hi.”
“Why are you angry with Iván?”
Silence.
“Sofía.”
“Why?”
“I’m not angry.”
“He says you are.”
“He exaggerates.”
“So do you.”
“That’s not fair.”
She almost hung up.
Instead, she said, “You told me an hour ago you were going to clarify your statement.”
“I am.”
“Then why does it matter that Iván told the police what happened?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Andrés.”
He exhaled.
“Because he’s making everything messier.”
Sofía closed her eyes.
“How?”
“He keeps talking without thinking.”
“He called emergency dispatch when nobody else did.”
“I know.”
“He told the police what he saw.”
“I know.”
“So which part is messy?”
“He’s saying things like Dad told him to stop calling, which makes it sound like Dad knew you were seriously hurt and didn’t care.”
“Did Ramiro tell him to stop calling?”
“Yes.”
“Then that’s what it sounds like because that’s what happened.”
“You weren’t there for the whole conversation.”
“I was busy bleeding.”
The silence on the other end stretched.
Andrés spoke more quietly.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“You keep having that problem.”
“Sofi.”
“Don’t.”
She heard a door close near him.
His voice changed slightly, as though he had moved into another room.
“I came here because Iván was freaking out.”
“Where are you?”
“His apartment.”
“He told me.”
Another silence.
“You’re talking to him?”
“Yes.”
“About what?”
Sofía nearly laughed.
“That is none of your business.”
“We’re married.”
“Interesting time to remember.”
Andrés went quiet.
She hated how satisfying the line felt.
It was too neat.
Too cruel.
She rubbed her forehead.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“That was unnecessary.”
“No, it was probably deserved.”
“I don’t want to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Become someone who only knows how to hurt you back.”
Andrés breathed out slowly.
“I don’t want that either.”
“Then stop giving me reasons to question whether your version of events changes depending on who is in front of you.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Prove it.”
“How?”
“Call Lucía.”
“I was going to.”
“Today.”
Another pause.
“Okay.”
“Not after you talk to your parents.”
“I’m not going over there.”
“Not after anyone talks you out of it.”
“Okay.”
“Today.”
“I said okay.”
Sofía lowered the phone.
“Then do it.”
She ended the call.
Her hand shook afterward.
Not dramatically.
Just enough that the Saint Jude medal clicked against the nightstand when she set it down.
Maribel leaned into the doorway.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Good answer.”
Sofía looked at her.
“I think he means well.”
Maribel crossed her arms.
“That can be dangerous.”
“He’s not malicious.”
“I didn’t say he was.”
“He’s scared.”
“So are you.”
Sofía looked away.
Maribel sat beside her.
“People can love you and still choose themselves.”
“I know.”
“There you go again.”
Sofía gave her a tired look.
Maribel softened.
“I’m not telling you to leave him.”
“I know.”
“I’m telling you not to make his fear more important than your safety just because his fear looks familiar.”
Sofía stared at the floor.
“That sounded suspiciously wise.”
“I read shampoo bottles in the shower.”
“Explains everything.”
An hour later, Lucía called.
Andrés had contacted her.
He had requested to amend his statement.
Sofía sat up straighter.
“What did he say?”
Lucía remained careful.
“I can tell you he provided additional information.”
“Did he confirm the kick?”
“Yes.”
Sofía shut her eyes.
Relief came, but it was not clean.
It carried anger with it.
He had done the right thing only after being pushed.
That still mattered.
It simply did not repair what came before.
“Did he mention Ramiro telling Iván not to call?”
“Yes.”
“And his own part?”
Lucía paused.
“He acknowledged that he initially discouraged involving police because he was afraid of what would happen to his father.”
Sofía’s chest tightened.
That was more honest than she expected.
“Thank you.”
“There’s another issue.”
Of course there was.
Sofía braced herself.
“Carmen provided photographs of bruising on her forearm.”
Sofía looked at her own arm.
“From where she grabbed me?”
“That’s what will have to be evaluated.”
“Can bruises tell who grabbed whom?”
“Not by themselves.”
Sofía almost smiled bitterly.
Reality kept refusing to arrange itself into certainty.
Lucía continued.
“Your attorney may want to request that the footage be preserved through the proper process.”
“I’ll tell Daniela.”
“And Sofía?”
“Yes.”
“Do not contact Carmen.”
“I won’t.”
“She has reportedly been telling relatives that you are trying to have both her and Ramiro arrested.”
Sofía went still.
“Both?”
“Yes.”
“I never said that.”
“I know what you reported.”
“Who told you?”
“One of the responding officers heard it from a family member who called the station.”
Sofía’s stomach twisted.
Public perception.
Family pressure.
Versions multiplying.
She thanked Lucía and ended the call.
Then her phone began ringing again.
This time it was an aunt of Andrés’s.
Sofía watched the name until it stopped.
Another relative called two minutes later.
Then a cousin.
Then someone she barely knew from Carmen’s church.
Maribel looked at the screen.
“Do not answer.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
The messages began next.
Please think of the family.
May you like
Carmen says you attacked her.
Ramiro made a mistake but prison will kill him.
