Part 8
The next few days passed in a blur of legal proceedings and medical checkups.
The news of Carmen and Javier's arrest exploded across the city's social and business circles.
The headlines were brutal.
"Prominent Businesswoman and Son Arrested for Extortion and Abuse of New Bride."
The public outrage was immediate.
Carmen's remaining business partners scrambled to cut ties with her, completely destroying what was left of her reputation.
Sofia stayed at my apartment, slowly regaining her strength.
The physical swelling on her face began to go down, replaced by a quiet, fierce determination.
She was no longer the frightened girl who had collapsed into my arms.
One afternoon, Alexander came over with a stack of legal documents.
He sat down on the couch next to Sofia, placing the papers on the coffee table.
"These are the annulment papers," he said gently.
"Because the marriage was entered under extreme duress and criminal activity, the judge has fast-tracked the process."
"By tomorrow morning, you will legally no longer be married to Javier."
"It will be as if it never happened."
Sofia looked at the papers, a single tear escaping her eye, but she quickly wiped it away.
"Thank you, Dad," she whispered. "For everything."
"You don't need to thank me, Sofia," Alexander said, his voice cracking slightly with emotion.
"I should have protected you from them from the very beginning. I should have seen through them."
"We both should have," I added, sitting on her other side and wrapping my arms around her.
"But they are going to pay for what they did. Every single day for the rest of their lives."
Alexander nodded grimly.
"The District Attorney is refusing any plea deals," he explained.
"With the evidence we provided, Carmen is looking at a minimum of ten years in a maximum-security prison."
"Javier is looking at five to seven for his role as an accomplice."
"Their assets are being liquidated to pay off their debts, and whatever is left will be seized as part of the civil lawsuit I filed on Sofia's behalf."
"They will leave prison with absolutely nothing."
Sofia looked up, a sense of peace finally washing over her face.
"I want to go see him," she said suddenly.
Alexander and I exchanged worried glances.
"Sofia, I don't think that's a good idea," I said gently. "You need to rest."
"No, Mom," Sofia said, her voice firmer than I had heard it in months.
"I need to look Javier in the eye one last time. I need him to know that he didn't break me."
Alexander arranged the visit to the detention center the following morning.
Because of his influence, we were given a private visitation room, away from the standard glass barriers.
Sofia sat at the metal table, her posture straight and proud.
Alexander and I stood quietly in the corner of the room, providing silent support.
The heavy iron door opened, and a guard led Javier inside.
He looked completely unrecognizable.
The expensive designer suit he wore at the wedding was replaced by a bright orange jumpsuit.
His hair was unwashed, his face pale, and his eyes were red from crying.
The moment he saw Sofia, he broke down, falling into the chair opposite her.
"Sofia... oh my god, Sofia, please," he begged, reaching across the table, but the guard quickly ordered him to keep his hands to himself.
"I am so sorry," Javier sobbed. "My mother forced me to do it. She threatened to disown me if I didn't help her get the condo."
"I love you, Sofia. You know I love you. Please tell your father to drop the charges."
Sofia listened to him, her expression completely blank.
There was no anger in her eyes.
There was no sadness.
There was only complete, utter indifference.
"You stood outside the door, Javier," Sofia said, her voice calm and steady.
"I screamed your name. I begged you to help me."
"And you told your mother just not to leave bruises on my face where people would notice."
Javier flinched as if he had been struck, his face turning an ash-gray color.
"I was scared, Sofia! You don't know what my mother is like!" he panicked.
"I know exactly what she is like," Sofia replied coldly. "And now, you are going to spend the next several years of your life learning what a prison is like."
"I didn't come here to hear your excuses, Javier."
"I came here to show you that I am still standing."
"You and your mother tried to destroy me to save yourselves."
"Instead, you destroyed yourselves, and I am stronger than ever."
She stood up slowly, turning her back on him without waiting for a reply.
"We can go now," she said to Alexander and me.
May you like
As we walked out of the room, Javier’s desperate screams and cries echoed behind us, but none of us looked back.
He was a ghost from a past that no longer had any power over our lives.
