Chapter 2 - The Alias in Monterrey
That desperate desire for a genuine connection is exactly why, when I moved to Monterrey to pursue my university studies, I made the fateful decision to lie.
I stripped away my designer clothes, hid my trust fund accounts, and crafted an entirely new identity for myself. When I met Diego in a campus coffee shop, I introduced myself as an orphan.
"I grew up with my aunt, but she passed away a few years ago," I told him, looking down at my hands to sell the lie.
"I have to pay for my own studies by working as an assistant in a small administrative office."
Diego, at that time, seemed like the most wonderful, compassionate man in the entire world. He was handsome, charming, and seemed utterly captivated by my story of struggle.
May you like
"You are so strong, Valeria," he would say, looking deeply into my eyes.
He was attentive. He took me to eat at simple, unassuming street taco stands, places my mother would never dare set foot. He listened to me talk for hours about my dreams of a quiet life, and he promised me that we would build a home filled with love together.
