My husband bought an apartment right below ours for his partner. They lived there together for four years, without me knowing… until one day, everything came to light.
One afternoon, while I was watering the plants on the balcony, I suddenly saw my husband coming up from the floor below us.
He left a stranger’s apartment—as calmly as if he were coming home. I was surprised, but thought he might be visiting a friend or business associate.
A few days later, I saw him come out again at the same time. This time he was carrying a bag of groceries, his face full of tenderness and joy…
An expression he hadn’t shown me in a long time. A painful suspicion began to grow inside me.
I decided to investigate. The concierge hesitated at first, but finally confessed:
“Mr. Rodrigo often goes to 904… A young woman has been renting there for years.”
My blood ran cold. 904 was right below my apartment. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would tear my chest apart.
Could it really be that my husband had been living a second life with another woman for four years—right under my feet, while I walked over this nest of betrayal day in and day out without even realizing it?
That same evening, I rang the 904 doorbell, claiming to be delivering a “misdirected” package. A beautiful young woman answered the door and was startled to see me.
And behind her, I clearly recognized Rodrigo, sitting on the couch, his familiar sandals neatly placed on the floor.
At that moment, my world collapsed. He jumped up nervously and stammered:
“Isabel… let me explain…”
I looked him straight in the eye, my voice trembling but filled with anger:
“Explain? For four years, you’ve lived down here like this! Was I your lawful wife… or merely the shadow that concealed your sin?”
Silence filled the small apartment. My beloved bowed her head; Rodrigo was sweating and didn’t dare look at me.
At that moment, I knew our marriage was over. Such betrayal is unforgivable.
I went home and slammed the door as if I wanted to break the last chains. That night he didn’t dare come back. The phone rang incessantly, but I didn’t answer.
The next morning, while I was packing my things, my mother-in-law, Doña Carmen, appeared with a stern expression on her face:
“Do you really want to cause such a fuss? All men have their indiscretions. Rodrigo loves you, he loves the children.
He only bought this apartment to be discreet. If you cause a scandal, the whole family will laugh at us.”
With a lump in my throat, I asked:
“So you knew all along?”
She lowered her eyes and mumbled:
“For four years. I advised him to stop, but he didn’t listen. A wise woman knows how to close her eyes to protect her home.”
I burst out laughing bitterly. Everyone had conspired to hide the truth from me: my husband, my mother-in-law… everyone. Only I had remained blind, standing directly above this nest of adultery.
That evening, I sat across from Rodrigo. He knelt down, took my hands, and begged:
“Forgive me. I’m going to break up with her, I’m selling the apartment. Think of the children, the family. Give me a chance.”
I looked into the eyes I’d trusted in my youth and saw only an abyss of lies. I replied coolly:
“Don’t worry.
I’ll let you go. But prepare for the trial. I’ll fight for custody of the children and the property. You won’t escape me that easily.”
My words were the final blow, severing the roots of a rotten marriage. Rodrigo was paralyzed; Doña Carmen was speechless.
They had never imagined that the docile woman they knew could put an end to everything in one fell swoop.
