"Promise You'll Take Care of Them"
FABIOLA
I truly did love him, but I never thought he would be so different from the man I first met. I wasn't just disappointed — I was hurt. I had to endure it alone, because all the friends I had were either like him or just like me.
Suddenly, I missed my parents so much. I gave up almost all my dreams when I married a man I believed was the love of my life. But even if I went back, they wouldn't recognize me; living a life of luxury was costing me far too much.
"How's married life?" Ari and Sebastián's biological mother asked me.
She always had a smile on her face, and her little daughter, Ari, looked so much like her physically. She was older; at that time, she was 32 years old.
I knew about her from magazines: she had been a famous model in her youth and later got married.
Ariana had always been kind to me, and sometimes I wondered if she lived the same way I did.
"Good, I'm still not fully used to it," I said as I sat down beside her. Her house was one of the biggest in the area, and they clearly had more money than we did.
But honestly, I didn't understand why — if her husband was my husband's brother, I assumed they had at least the same amount of money.
Ari and Sebastián walked over; he was carrying her, and they both greeted us.
"Go play if you want," Ariana said, and they simply nodded with a smile. They waved goodbye to me again, and I waved back.
Sometimes I understood why my husband envied them so much.
It was because they were happy. And that was my fault, because I didn't make him happy.
"Fabi," she said to me, "is he treating you well?"
I was bringing the cup of coffee we had prepared together up to my lips when she asked that. I truly enjoyed spending time with her, but I was afraid to talk about it. I was scared she wouldn't believe me — or worse, that she would walk away from me.
The only person I had, the one I thought would be enough for the rest of my life, hated me.
I had finally found a friend, and I was terrified she would disappear too.
"Yes, he does."
I answered a little nervously, and she noticed.
"Are we friends?" she asked, and I nodded while looking at her. My vision blurred because I wanted to cry and my eyes filled with tears. "I know it's a lot to think about, but we don't want this life for our children, and we don't want anyone around who could harm them."
"Since the last time, we haven't attended any parties, and you've noticed. The first time we went was only because Henry and Gabriel recommended it — they were our friends — but we never believed it would be something like that," she added.
I remembered that night. I felt so ashamed. She screamed because she saw Henry and Gabriel with some girls, and I pulled her out of there because she was having a panic attack.
Mateo's reaction — her husband — was absolute disappointment toward his brother. I remember he was on a call and ran toward us; then he looked ahead, saw the scene, and dropped his phone. His face was filled with horror.
That's when I understood they truly had no idea.
I could have prevented something like that, but I never told them what was really happening at that party. They were truly innocent; they genuinely wanted to make heartfelt donations and instead ran into a completely different reality.
That day, Mateo grabbed Gabriel, pulled him away from them, threw his clothes at him, and then punched him. I thought they were going to die that day, but they bought their way out of the party. The organization, however, did not remain calm about people who disagreed.
Gabriel and Mateo came from a wealthy family. Their parents had passed away, and the companies were under their control. But I truly can't say when Gabriel became involved with those sick people. Mateo, on the other hand, had a more private life: his work, his marriage, and a broken relationship with his brother — and that's why he never found out about any of it.
When they reconciled, because Gabriel was going to marry me, they made peace and promised to be closer. But Gabriel wanted to drag him into his twisted life — something I only realized after I was already married.
"You know how he is, you can imagine," I told her, and she simply nodded. "But it's fine… sometimes it's not that bad."
"That's sad," she said while looking at me. I let out a nervous laugh. "Fabiola, you don't have to stay with him."
"I have nowhere to go," I answered, shaking my head. I couldn't leave him; he would definitely kill me.
"Come with us. I honestly wouldn't mind having a friend around twenty-four hours a day," she said, and I couldn't hide my surprise.
She truly made me cry — not because she hurt me or hit me — but because she made me feel affection, something I had grown used to not feeling.
"Why would you help me? I'd be such a burden, especially since I don't work."
"You'll figure it out. Besides, you need to finally remember what you're worth and leave the person who hurts you every single day."
I nodded and took a deep breath. Maybe it would work. Maybe I could start over.
"You're family too," she said at last.
I leaned against her, feeling her hand stroke my hair.
Time passed, and I told her everything. For the first time, I felt free. I felt heard and supported by someone. She took me to the bathroom and, with makeup remover wipes, cleaned my neck, revealing the strangulation marks Gabriel had left.
"He's an idiot," she said angrily as we looked at ourselves in the mirror, our reflection almost seeming ready to fight. Then she removed the makeup from my arms, revealing the rest. "Where else?"
"Abdomen, legs, back," I said, and she lowered the wipes and looked at me steadily.
"We're leaving earlier, do you hear me? I'll tell Mateo we need to leave the country as soon as possible, so give me your passport so I can prepare everything."
"Tomorrow we'll go to a doctor."
That was the last thing she said before helping me cover the bruises again when Mateo and Gabriel arrived. Mateo looked at Ariana, stressed, and shook his head at her; they both knew what that meant. Then they shared a brief kiss.
Gabriel looked at me irritably. They had argued; maybe Mateo had tried to convince him to step away from all the trouble he was involved in.
That day I was beaten again, but this time I found comfort in knowing I would soon leave and stop suffering.
Gabriel said we wouldn't visit them again and that they were finished, which frightened me, and I told Ariana.
She told me not to worry, but it was true. When Gabriel left for work, we made a call: they were being threatened. They thought Gabriel had done something about it or had told them they wouldn't return to the organization.
They had hired security because of it; she and the children didn't go out, and Mateo had no choice but to move around with security everywhere.
When the day finally came, I packed my suitcase. A truck would arrive in a few minutes. Ariana gave me the license plate information. I got in when it stopped outside the house; I was trembling. The driver greeted me and confirmed my identity. Through the rearview mirror, I saw another vehicle behind us. She had told me not to be afraid — it was just security.
The first call was normal; everything was fine. But the second one…
"Are you already on the highway?" Ariana asked, and I looked at the driver.
"We'll be merging shortly, miss," he said, and Ariana let out a sigh of relief — but then I heard a sudden screech of brakes.
"What happened, Ariana?"
I got no response. Then I heard gunshots.
"Mateo, don't get out!" I heard Ariana's voice, and my heart rate shot up. The driver sped up when he heard the noise.
More gunshots.
"Ariana, get down with the kids!" I heard Mateo shout, and I knew they were in trouble.
"Ariana, answer! Please answer!"
"Fabiola, come get the children and take them. I need them to get there as fast as possible. They're going to break the windows soon — they won't hold much longer, and they'll come in for us."
The entire way I held onto whatever I could as we drove at high speed. When we arrived, I saw many cars parked: hers, the security vehicles, and the ones that had intercepted them. They were armed, and the security guards were lying on the ground; most were already dead.
"Don't get out," the driver told me.
I watched as the security team fought back, but the organization's men were more numerous.
As if they had known exactly how much protection they would face.
I tried to open the door, but it was locked.
I called Ariana again. She answered.
"Fabi…" she said in a broken voice. I could hear Sebastián and Ari crying together.
"They're going to be okay."
"Fabiola, I need you to take care of them somehow. Please. You're my only option, and I trust you."
"Don't say that."
I saw another group start shooting at their car again. They finally broke a window, opened the door, and dragged Mateo out.
He fell to his knees. When he tried to stand, they forced him back down. One of the security men fired, but he was quickly shot down.
They pulled Ariana out with the children. Mateo fought, but they beat him until he stopped resisting.
I panicked. I kicked the door, then the window, trying to open it, but it was bulletproof.
I saw Henry step out of one of the vehicles. I started crying. They wouldn't show mercy — not even for children.
I found a key that had fallen from the mirror, pressed the buttons, and the doors unlocked.
I grabbed a weapon. If I had to aim at anyone, it would be Henry.
"Fabiola?" Henry asked as I pointed the gun at him.
"Leave them alone. They won't betray you."
I was shaking.
He laughed and clapped slowly.
"Wow. So you finally say something that's both yes and no. That means you care."
"Let her take my children, please," Ariana begged.
One of them slapped her.
"Don't give him orders."
"Don't touch her again, idiot!" Mateo shouted.
"We'll give you money. Just leave us alone," Mateo said, holding Ariana while Sebastián clung to them.
"This can't be solved with money, Mateo," Henry replied. "I told Gabriel you weren't like us."
"Of course we're not," Ariana said.
"Then die thinking you're better. We surpassed you. That's reality."
"You'll rot in hell," Mateo said.
"We are hell," Henry answered. "Step away from them."
"No."
"Do you want me to kill your children too?"
"No, please, don't hurt them."
"Then stop acting like an idiot."
Mateo kissed Ariana. He kissed his children's foreheads.
I could read his lips: "I love you."
"Fabiola."
I felt chills run through my entire body. Gabriel was behind me.
"Why is she here? Or was the whole family planning to escape from us?" Henry asked.
Gabriel looked at me.
"But your wife was," Henry said.
Gabriel approached me aggressively, snatched the gun, and threw it away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he said, grabbing my hair painfully.
"Let her go!" Ariana shouted.
"Shut up, bitch!" Gabriel yelled.
Without thinking, I slapped him.
"Never call her that again," I said through tears. "Hit me if you want. Insult me. But let them live. For once in your life, do something right."
"Gabriel, if you ever loved me, please. Just today."
His expression softened.
"Henry," Gabriel said. "Give me the children."
Henry hesitated, then nodded.
"If that's what you want, my friend."
Ariana looked at me. "Thank you," her lips formed.
They stepped back.
Gunshots rang out.
Mateo looked at Ariana, and she touched her stomach.
"No!" I screamed.
Sebastián ran toward me carrying Ari.
Ariana gave me one last look before falling to the ground.
Mateo crawled toward her.
"Mom," Sebastián cried.
"I know… forgive me."
Henry and the others left.
When I tried to get closer, the car exploded.
They said it was an accident. An explosion. That's what they said at the funeral. Lies were told, and no one would ever speak the truth about how they really died.
I fell into depression for a long time.
But I couldn't lose sight of Ari and Sebastián.
I had to keep the promise I made to my best friend.