Chapter 39
Dear Diary,
I just need to express my feelings to you. I still can’t accept that the people who served us and Ignacio have turned their backs on us. They blame my husband for the crimes in the town. Believe it or not, my dear husband could never do what they are accusing us of.
Levi arrested Ignacio for a crime he would never commit. The townspeople attacked us, forcing us to leave our beloved town— Lo siento si no puedo continuar con lo que voy a decir. (- Sorry, if I can’t continue what I’m about to say.)
Stella Montes
September 1988
—
Ana wiped away her tears as she read Lady Stella’s words. She felt the weight of what Lady Stella was going through.
She clenched her fists upon learning this. “How could the townspeople treat the Montes like that without sufficient evidence for their accusations?”
She couldn’t help but feel frustrated with the people, wondering if it was appropriate to help them when they believed without evidence. She turned to the next page, feeling the emotions Lady Stella had while writing in her diary.
—
Dear Diary,
What should I do? Ignacio is currently imprisoned. Our hacienda was also burned down, and they took away our other properties. We were attacked by the townspeople, the same people who used to serve us. Our loyal servants died in the fire. I don’t know what to do, I have no one else to turn to. Everyone has betrayed us. They have all turned against us.
I can’t visit my husband because there are too many guards watching my every move. The only company I have is our unborn child. Please help us, I beg of you…
Sincerely,
Stella Montes
September 1988
—
Ana covered her mouth and burst into tears after reading Lady Stella’s diary. She didn’t know, but she could feel Lady’s pain, especially when she was pregnant when the tragedy happened. She had read about Lady Stella’s words in articles and newspapers. Furthermore, she also knew how cruel the world was to the Montes, but she wanted to know where it all started, what the truth was, and why it happened to them.
“Did the Villalobos have anything to do with what happened to them? And if they did, what? What was their involvement in what happened back then? Why is it forbidden to talk about the
Montes?”
She sighed heavily and shook her head repeatedly because she wasn’t finished reading.
She then turned to the third page…
—
Dear Diary,
I escaped! I secretly went to see Ignacio, but I found something else… His face was all bruised, and his body was weak! I don't know who did this to him! Was it the police or someone else! I talked to Ignacio, and he asked me to hide because he would find a way to prove his innocence.
Ignacio is innocent! He is not a killer! None of the accusations against him are true. All the people we helped have turned their backs on us. Oh my God. Please help my husband, do not let evil prevail.
Stella Montes
October 1988
—
“Damn!”
Ana leaned back, unable to contain her sobs as she read Lady Stella’s diary. She felt like she couldn't continue, as her heart was unable to bear it. But if she didn’t continue, she wouldn’t find the answers to her questions. Ana looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath, feeling her chest tighten with the knowledge she gained from Lady Stella’s diary.
She clenched her fists, realizing the immense suffering the Montes family had endured in a cruel world. Their experiences were so different from hers. They had only experienced half of what she had gone through.
She knew the feeling of having no one on her side, no one to turn to, and no one to confide in… because she had lost trust in others due to her experiences. Ana knew the feeling of being alone.
Ana adjusted her posture and turned to the next page, even though it was already late. It was okay as long as she finished Lady Stella’s story.
Dear Diary,
In my hiding, I learned many things—
Ana paused as someone knocked on the door again. She rubbed her eyes, stretched her arms, and then hid the diary again. She stood up to open the door for the person knocking.
“Why are you still awake?”
Ana stopped mid-yawn when she heard Martin’s voice.
“M-Martin!”
Martin raised an eyebrow. “Why are you still awake?”
Ana scratched her head and pointed to her desk, which was filled with papers. “S-sorry, I still have a lot to do,” Ana said with a smile, as Martin just stared at her. “I-I’ll go to bed soon, he-he,” Ana added. Martin just nodded and went back to his room.
Ana peeked into Martin’s room before going back into her office. She was a bit puzzled because she could feel that Martin was still upset with her. She closed the door and returned to her desk to continue reading. Eventually, she fell asleep while reading.
Meanwhile, Martin couldn’t sleep because he was worried about Ana. He hadn’t seen her leave her office all night, so he kept going back to check on her.
He wasn’t upset just because Ana hadn’t told him she was pregnant before. In truth, he was angry at himself for not being able to protect Ana and their unborn child. If only he had arrived earlier, maybe Ana’s baby would still be alive before the accident.
He got up from his bed, ran his hand through his hair, and went to check on Ana again. He brought a blanket with him in case she had fallen asleep from all the work.
“Oh?”
Martin stopped in his tracks on his way to Ana's office when he ran into Maximiliano.
“Good night."
Maximiliano patted him on the shoulder before entering his room. Martin furrowed his brow but let it go and went straight to Ana’s office. He noticed that she had fallen asleep. He just shook his head and covered Ana with the blanket. Furthermore, he decided not to wake her up, as he would rather not disturb her sleep.
Furthermore, he glanced at the scattered papers, sighed, and left Ana sleeping peacefully. Then, he ran his hand through his hair and also fell asleep, as he had a lot of work to finish in the office…
