A year after my divorce, I was summoned back to attend the reading of the family’s will.

They smirked when I walked in, convinced I was nothing more than a discarded memory…
until the will was read—and the entire room fell into stunned silence.

I stepped into the notary’s office already knowing who would be there.

My ex-husband.
His mistress.
And his mother.

The same three people who had once turned my life upside down.

But the moment the will was opened, the lawyer looked straight at me and said something that sent a chill through the room.

“Mrs. Alvarez… I’m glad you came.”

I wasn’t there because I missed any of them.
And it certainly wasn’t out of nostalgia.

The only reason I showed up was because of the message I received the night before—one that left me restless and uneasy.

Your presence is mandatory.

It wasn’t a request.
It wasn’t an invitation.
It was an order.

When I entered, I didn’t even bother sitting down.

I stayed near the door, arms crossed, as if standing still could calm the storm inside me.

Across the room, the lawyer adjusted his glasses and gave a polite nod.

“Mrs. Alvarez, I’m glad you chose to attend.”

“I didn’t have much choice,” I replied flatly.

He carefully arranged the papers in front of him.

“That’s true,” he said evenly.

Then he added something that made the air feel heavier.

“But you will.”

Silence stretched uncomfortably.

And then I felt it.

Their presence behind me.

Familiar. Irritating. Unwelcome.

Diego.
Camila.
Doña Teresa.

Diego—my ex-husband.
Camila—his former assistant… now his partner.
Doña Teresa—his mother, a woman who could turn sweetness into venom.

Diego broke the silence first.

“Lucía,” he said impatiently, “sit down so we can get this over with.”

“I’m fine standing,” I replied coldly.

Doña Teresa clicked her tongue.

“You’re still as dramatic as ever.”

I slowly turned to face them.

Diego looked exactly the same.

Tailored suit. Perfect posture. That polished smile I once believed in.

Camila stood beside him, flawless as always, her hand resting lightly on his arm—as if she had always belonged there.

She carried the quiet arrogance of someone who thinks stealing a man is the same as earning him.

Doña Teresa sat upright, watching me with sharp, calculating eyes, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

The lawyer cleared his throat.