Chapter 36 - The Outside Looking In
Outside the luxury hotel, standing in the cold, pouring rain, a figure watched the entrance from across the street.
Rodrigo Cabrales huddled under a broken umbrella, wearing a damp, faded jacket. He was working as a valet for a nearby restaurant, the only job he had managed to secure with his ruined reputation.
He watched the black luxury cars pull up to the gala.
And then, he saw her.
Through the massive glass windows of the hotel lobby, Rodrigo saw Valentina. She was glowing, radiant, and laughing softly at something the handsome, sharp-looking lawyer beside her had said.
She looked happier, stronger, and more beautiful than she had ever looked during their entire relationship.
May you like
Rodrigo felt a physical, agonizing pain in his chest. He realized, with crushing, absolute certainty, that he had never truly known her. He had tried to force a lioness into a cage to please his mother, and the lioness had simply broken the cage and conquered the jungle.
He lowered his umbrella and walked away into the dark, rainy night, entirely forgotten by the world.
