From abandoned girlfriend to tycoon’s lover (Copy)

🖤 Chapter 2 — Family Ties and Broken Vows

Years ago, Carmen stole my mother’s husband. And now, her daughter was stealing mine. Like mother, like daughter.

When my parents divorced over a decade ago, it didn’t take my father even three months to crown Carmen as his new queen.

She arrived with her precious twins—a boy and a girl—two years younger than me.

It wasn’t long before I found out, by sheer accident, that those twins weren’t just random kids. They were his kids. My half-siblings.

My father had been cheating on my mother for years, maintaining a second family in the shadows while pretending we were the only ones.

When my mother found out, she was furious. She tried to reopen the divorce case to get a fair share of the assets. All she wanted was to protect me and make sure the inheritance from my maternal grandparents didn’t fall into the claws of that vulture.

But my father? He was a monster. He not only dismissed my mother’s demands, he also took control of nearly everything my grandparents had built. The family business, their properties… everything.

My grandfather was so devastated, his health took a sharp turn. We didn’t even have enough to cover his treatments.

My mother sold her jewelry and scraped together every coin she could, but in the end, we couldn’t save him.

After losing her father, guilt consumed my mother. She spiraled into a deep depression. Not long after, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. And just like that, I lost her too.

One after another, they were taken from me. And all because of that man—my so-called father—and the woman he brought into our lives like a wrecking ball.

My grandmother and I were shattered.

Back then, just a teenager, I made myself a promise: I would take back everything they stole from us. And I would do it with interest.

I worked hard, poured every ounce of effort into building my future.

My career bloomed. I was finally standing on my own two feet. And I was about to marry Antonio—the love of my life, my childhood sweetheart, the heir to the Martínez fortune.

I believed our union would make me stronger, give me a sense of home again.

But in the end, everything crumbled—right at the finish line—when that woman’s daughter took away my fiancé just days before our wedding.

When did Antonio and Isabel become so close?

Was it the day she volunteered to donate blood?

Or the time she cooked soup for him?

Or maybe it was the moment, at just eighteen, when Isabel stood in front of everyone and declared that Antonio was the love of her life… and that she would rather die than let anyone else marry him?

Even though Antonio and I were already officially together, her shameless confession earned her applause. People praised her “courage” while I stood there like a fool.

Antonio, if you’re marrying her because of all that… then what did the past six years of our relationship even mean?

Do you remember your rare blood type? I donated to you for five years—until you fully recovered.

You were weak. I made soup for you, learned to cook just for you.

When you were in the hospital, how many nights did I stay awake beside your bed? How many times did I go without sleep from worry?

And now, just because Isabel is terminally ill, you throw me aside and cancel our wedding without even blinking?

I felt the tears coming, but I held them back.

He wasn’t worth them.

I’d learned long ago—through humiliation and pain—that tears don’t change anything. They just make people laugh at you harder.

There was only one truth in this world: fight for what’s yours.

I grabbed my phone and called the traitor.

“If you transfer the entire company to me, you can marry your dying sweetheart. If you agree, come tonight. We’ll sign the papers.”

I expected him to be angry, to call me greedy. But after a brief pause, he simply said:

“Alright. See you tonight.”

Three years ago, we co-founded a fashion label—CHEZ MARÍA Haute Couture. It was thriving now, ready to go public, worth hundreds of millions.

Antonio had provided the capital. I provided the talent.

I felt like I’d won the lottery without even buying a ticket.

Now he was willing to give it all up. Just for Isabel.

Maybe this really was true love.

I stood up and looked around at the mess—the wedding items scattered across the room. I felt physically sick. I wanted to burn it all.

I called a crew to pack up everything that had anything to do with him.

Thank God I had insisted on waiting for the wedding night. If I hadn’t, I would have lost my dignity too.

Once the house was cleared, I changed clothes and put on flawless makeup. I had just finished when I heard the sound of a car engine outside.

Antonio had arrived. And with him—his mother, Marta Morales.

Of course.

I smiled coldly as they entered.

“You’re back,” I said, seated on the sofa, not bothering to stand.

“Señora, you came too,” I added, looking at Marta.

She gave me an awkward smile.

“Why so formal? Didn’t you use to call me Mom?”

I returned the smile—sharp and cutting.

“My mother died a long time ago.”

Message received.

Her face went blank, as if someone had slapped her with ice.

Antonio looked frustrated and stepped forward.

“María, I’m the one who betrayed you. Don’t take it out on my mother.”

“If the kids are messed up, it’s the parents’ fault… should I blame your dad then?”

“María!” Antonio yelled, clearly furious.

I shrugged with disinterest.

“Enough,” Marta whispered, trying to calm him down.

Antonio composed himself, took a seat across from me, and pulled out a folder of documents.

“Here. The company is yours. And our engagement is officially over.”