Chapter 10
Chapter 10: The Sound of True Silence
Valeria left Monterrey behind. She bought a beautiful, sunlit house near Santiago, Nuevo León, where the air was crisp and the majestic Sierra Madre mountains could be seen from the massive windows of the nursery.
She did not retreat into hiding. She returned to her career with a renewed, fierce passion, working as an independent forensic financial consultant. She even partnered with lawmakers to draft new legal protocols designed to detect and prevent obstetric violence and medical coercion against pregnant women in private hospitals.
One evening, a gentle rain began to fall, tapping a soft, rhythmic lullaby against the clay tiles of the roof.
Valeria sat in a plush rocking chair in the nursery. Mateo, now a thriving, happy infant, was fast asleep against her chest, his soft breaths warming her skin.
Her cellphone, resting on the side table, lit up. The screen displayed a new message from Sebastián. It was likely another long, pathetic paragraph begging for forgiveness, reminiscing about the days before the illusion shattered.
Valeria didn't even unlock the screen. She swiped left, deleting the message instantly and permanently.
She kissed the top of Mateo’s warm head, inhaling the sweet scent of baby shampoo.
For years, silence in her life had meant tension. It had meant the agonizing wait for a locked door to open, for a harsh word to be spoken, or for a new psychological trap to be sprung.
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But as she sat in her own home, listening to the rain, she realized that the silence had changed. It no longer signaled approaching footsteps or closing doors.
For the first time in years, the silence meant peace. It meant that absolutely no one in the world had any power over them anymore.
