Chapter 3
PART 3:
Then Mariana became pregnant.
For one month, everything changed.
Doña Carmen sent flowers.
She brought soup.
She kissed Mariana’s belly and cried when she heard the heartbeat.
Julian was relieved.
Mariana wanted to be.
Then the baby’s anatomy scan revealed they were having a girl.
Doña Carmen’s softness disappeared by dinner.
“A girl,” she said, staring at the ultrasound photo.
Julian laughed gently.
“Yes, Mom. A daughter.”
Doña Carmen’s mouth tightened.
“The Alvarez name needs sons.”
Mariana felt the baby move inside her.
“She is your granddaughter.”
Doña Carmen set the photo down.
“She is a complication.”
That night, Julian fought with his mother.
Mariana heard only pieces from the bedroom.
My wife.
My child.
Never speak about her like that again.
For a few weeks, Julian became more protective.
He stopped leaving Mariana alone with his mother.
He answered calls on speaker.
He told Doña Carmen she needed boundaries.
But families like his did not change easily.
They waited.
Doña Carmen waited until Julian’s company sent him to Dallas for three days.
Mariana begged him not to worry.
“I’m fine,” she said.
She wasn’t.
Her pregnancy had become high-risk after several dizzy spells and early contractions.
Her doctor told her to avoid stress, avoid heavy lifting, and call immediately if pain increased.
Doña Carmen knew.
She also knew Julian had cameras in the hallway and nursery after a break-in months earlier.
So she attacked where cameras did not reach.
With words first.
May you like
Then pressure.
👉 But when Doña Carmen found one medical document, she turned Mariana’s pregnancy into an accusation…
