“Mr. Andino,” he said with fake concern, “Gina only did this to make up for the pain you caused me. Don’t blame her. And maybe stop filling a kid’s head with your bitterness. What if she grows up to be just like you?”
Then, with an exaggerated sigh, he added, “I heard today’s Claudia’s birthday? What a shame. It also happens to be the 5,200th day since Gina and I first met. She swore she’d celebrate every one of our milestones in style. Guess that’s why she ditched you two.”
He smiled, full of smug pride despite his supposed apology. “Anyway, I baked a mango cake for you both, a peace offering. I hope you’ll accept it.”
I didn’t have the energy to respond to his acts. I just wanted to bury my daughter and be done with this nightmare.
As I silently left, Regina misunderstood. She thought I was giving Hector the cold shoulder.
“Where the hell are you going?” she snapped.
Then she ordered one of the bodyguards to grab me. The man shoved me forward, slamming me face-first onto the kitchen counter.
“Did your manners rot along with your pride, Luciano?” Regina sneered. “Hector is being kind enough not to hold a grudge against you or your brat and you stand there acting like you’re too good for us?”
“Where’s Claudia?” Regina snapped. “Where are you hiding her? Bring her back so she can finish this cake and apologize to Hector!”
“Claudia’s dead,” I said through clenched teeth, fighting the burning pain in my chest. “If you want someone to eat that cake, let it be Hector—in hell!”
“You’re disgusting!” she shouted, eyes blazing. “Jealousy has made you so twisted, you’d curse your own daughter just to get back at me?”
Her fury boiled over. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did back then. After my accident, it was Hector who stayed by my side, he told me everything! I gave birth while I was still unconscious and you killed our child. You forced Hector out of the country, stole the company shares, did everything in your power to erase him!”
She was trembling with rage now. “I kept quiet all these years out of gratitude — for you sticking around, for raising a family with me. But you weren’t satisfied. You kept bullying Hector and now you're cursing my daughter.”
At her signal, the bodyguard twisted my arms behind my back and pinned me to the counter. Regina grabbed a handful of greasy mango cake and started shoving it into my mouth.