My heart pounding in my throat, I walked straight toward that house. House number 14 appeared before me, with stained walls, a peeling wooden door, and a pot with a wilted daisy on the windowsill. I stood there with trembling hands, feeling like the whole world was holding its breath with me.
I knocked on the door, and each knock sounded like a hammer blow to my chest. The door opened, and I was speechless. Standing in front of me was a woman identical to Araceli. From her face and body to her long, black hair. The only difference was her frightened look and her hands, which trembled as they held a rag.
I stammered, my voice breaking. Araceli. The girl was startled. She gripped the rag tightly and tried to slam the door shut. But just at that moment, another voice came from inside. A soft but firm voice. Isidora, don’t hide anymore. You too know this is wrong. I looked up and saw a young woman emerge from a corner of the fourth floor, standing right behind the woman who looked just like Araceli.
She was thin, with her hair tied back, and had an intelligent but kind expression. She looked at me and smiled slightly. Let me introduce myself. I’m Luciana Varela, Isidora’s fourth-grade classmate, Doña Estela. Please come in. It’s time you knew the truth. I took a deep breath, trying not to let my legs shake, and entered that cramped tin house.
The walls were stained, the cement floor cracked, and a faint smell of disinfectant floated in the air. In one corner, an older man was coughing weakly, lying on an old cot, covered with a threadbare blanket. I felt the space crushing me, but I walked anyway and sat down on the wooden chair Luciana pointed out to me.
The woman, identical to Araceli, lowered her face, her voice barely a whisper. Forgive me, I’m not Araceli. My name is Isidora. I looked at her, my mind in turmoil, unable to say anything. Isidora. The name was strange, but the face was all too familiar. I clenched my hands, trying to keep my voice steady. Explain to me why you look so much like my daughter-in-law and why you’re showing up at my house.
Isidora looked up, her eyes filled with guilt, but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, Luciana sat down next to her. She poured a glass of water from an old plastic jug and began to speak. “Isidora is very poor, Doña Estela,” Luciana said in a calm, clear voice. “Her adoptive parents are very sick, especially the man lying there.”
A few years ago, Isidora ran into Araceli by chance at a market. They were like two peas in a pod, and Araceli took advantage of that. She suggested Isidora pose as her, replace her for a few hours whenever she needed it. Isidora didn’t want to, but Araceli paid her very well, and her family needed the money for the medicine.
I looked at Isidora and saw that she had her head down, clutching the rag so tightly that her knuckles turned white. I pressed her, my voice full of disbelief. Replace her for what? Why would Araceli need someone to pretend to be her? Isidora looked up, her voice trembling.
I don’t know, everything, ma’am. She just told me, “Just stay at the house for a few hours. Do some things like go to the market, take care of the child,” and she’d already given me money, a lot of money, enough to buy my parents’ medicine. Me. I didn’t dare ask any more. She lowered her head and tears began to roll down her cheeks.
I looked at her, feeling my chest tighten. Every strange detail of the past few months suddenly made sense. The change in handwriting, sometimes sweet and sometimes sour. The voice, sometimes honeyed and sometimes cold. Everything fit together now, like the last pieces of a puzzle I had refused to see. Luciana continued, her gaze sharpening.
I don’t know if this helps, but I once saw Araceli with a very elegant man. His name is Salvador Quiñones. I heard the name when they were talking in a café. They called each other “My love” very affectionately. At that moment, Isidora was waiting outside in the car, not understanding a thing. The name Salvador Quiñones
was like a knife in my heart. I remembered Iván’s words.She was sitting in first class next to a rich man. The small room seemed to spin around me. I tried to stay calm, but my hands were shaking so much that I knocked over the glass of water. Luciana rushed to clean it up, but I just shook my head, my voice choked. “She… Araceli… is deceiving my family.” Isidora burst into tears, her voice breaking.
Forgive me, ma’am. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I just wanted to save my parents. I looked at this young woman with a face identical to Araceli’s, but with a look of pain and regret. I wanted to get angry. I wanted to scream. But when I saw Isidora, I only felt pity. She wasn’t the mastermind.
She was just a piece in Araceli’s game.
Everything was falling apart before my eyes. I stood up, trying to make my voice sound firm. “Isidora. Do you know where Araceli is? Do you know what she does when she asks you to pretend to be her?” Isidora shook her head, still crying. I don’t know, ma’am. She just told me to do what she asked and that she’d pay me. I didn’t dare ask any more questions.
Luciana placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and then turned to me. “Doña Estela, I know this is very painful for you. But Isidora is a victim too. She had no choice.” I looked around the humble house, listening to the weak voice of the man on the cot. I understood Isidora’s desperation, but that didn’t erase the feeling of betrayal I felt.
I clenched my fists, trying to hold back my tears. I don’t blame you, Isidora, but I need to know the truth. I need to protect my son and my grandson. I got up feeling like the world was falling down on me. Thank you, Luciana, for telling me the truth. I’ll be back.” I left the house, and the bright sun outside blinded me.
But my heart was frozen. The next morning, I returned to that small alley where the stained walls and the peeling wooden door had become an obsession in my mind. The sun was still beating down, but I felt cold inside, as if carrying an icy wind of unresolved doubts.
I knocked on the door of number 14, clutching the family photo as if it were an amulet that would give me the courage to face the truth. This time Isidora didn’t seem so scared anymore. She opened the door, still timid but calmer, and invited me in. Doña Estela was waiting for her.
Please come in. The house was still small, with that smell of disinfectant and the faint cough of the man on the cot.
I sat down on the old wooden chair and looked at Isidora. She was wearing a simple blouse, her hair tied loosely. She looked tired but no longer scared. I took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “Isidora, I want to meet your adoptive mother. I need to understand all of this better.” Isidora nodded and led me to a corner on the 4th
floor where a very thin woman with completely white hair was lying in bed, her eyes clouded, staring at the ceiling. It was Doña Felicitas Morales, Isidora’s adoptive mother. I took her skinny hand and introduced myself. I am Estela Márquez, the mother of Esteban, Araceli’s husband. Doña Felicitas
looked at me, breathing heavily, and said in a weak voice, “Isidora is not my blood daughter. She is a girl I adopted when she was a newborn.”
Her words were like a hammer blow to my head. I froze, my heart pounding, but I tried to keep my voice calm. “Please tell me how it all happened.” The woman coughed and then slowly began to tell me a story I wasn’t prepared for. Many years ago, I was a nurse in a village hospital. She began with a trembling voice.
A very poor family. She had twin girls. They were so poor they couldn’t support both of them. The mother was crying. She said she could only keep one and the other. They were going to abandon her. My heart broke. I couldn’t let them abandon that baby. So I adopted her. That’s Isidora. He paused to cough long and then looked at Isidora with immense love.
I raised her as my own, but I know she’s always wanted to find her real parents. I have nothing to give her but my love. And this house? I sat there, clutching the edge of my chair, my head spinning. Do you know who Isidora’s biological parents are?
I asked, my voice shaking. Doña Felicitas shook her head.
I only know that they were a poor family from a nearby village. I didn’t ask too many questions. I just wanted to save the girl. I looked at Isidora and saw her with her face bowed, tears streaming down her face. “Doña Estela, I don’t know anything about my biological parents,” she said, her voice choked. “But when I met Araceli, I thought that maybe
she knew something. She looks so much like me, but she never told me anything about it.”
I felt like I was short of breath. I asked Doña Felicitas to let me see her old papers in the hopes of finding some clue. She pointed to an old wooden wardrobe. Isidora took out a yellowed envelope and gave it to me. Inside was a copy of some hospital papers with Isidora’s date of birth.
I read them quickly and felt my heart stop. Isidora’s date of birth was exactly the same as Araceli’s. The same one I had seen on her papers when she married Esteban. I grabbed the documents with trembling hands and looked at Isidora. “You, you and Araceli could be twin sisters.” I said, my voice lost. Isidora burst into tears, covering her face. “So Araceli is my sister. Why didn’t she tell me anything? Why did she make me do all that?” I looked at her, my heart breaking. I remembered the days when Araceli came to my house radiant and confident, as if she had been born to be the perfect wife and mother. I had loved her.
I had believed she would bring Esteban happiness, but now I knew that not only had she deceived my family, but she had also taken advantage of her own sister, using her as her double to hide secrets I didn’t dare imagine. I stood up, placed my hand on Isidora’s shoulder, and my voice, though firm, couldn’t hide the pain. Isidora, from today on, I won’t let anyone else take advantage of you.
I’m going to help your parents with their illness, but in return, you have to cooperate with me. I need to bring this truth to light. For Esteban, for Mateo. Isidora nodded, still crying. I’m going to help her. I don’t want to live this lie anymore. I looked at her and saw sincerity in her eyes, and for the first time, I felt a ray of hope in the midst of the storm. I left the house and walked down the alley, my soul in turmoil.
I passed by the bustling market where people were shopping and laughing. But in my mind, Doña Felicitas’s words echoed like bells. Two twins, one abandoned, the other a servant. And now their destinies had crossed in my own family. I returned home with my soul in shambles. Like a field after a storm.
The truth about Araceli and Isidora. The twins’ secret was a rock crushing my chest. I was facing a crossroads I wasn’t prepared for. To confront my daughter-in-law, the woman who had deceived us all, and reveal the truth to Esteban and Mateo. That night I called Iván. My voice was firm, even though my heart was trembling. Iván, tomorrow night you have to come to the house.
There are some things I need you to clarify. Iván was surprised. I could hear the concern in his voice. “Mom, did something serious happen?” I said sharply. “Just come here, son. I need you. And if you can, bring Araceli’s electronic passport.” He didn’t ask any more questions. He just said, “Yes, Mom, I’ll be there.” I hung up and sat down.
Feeling like the whole world was crashing down on me. I knew tomorrow night would be one no one in this family would forget. The next day, I got up early and prepared a big family dinner. I put a white tablecloth on the table and lit some candles. I cooked the mole poblano that Esteban loves so much and the grilled fish that Mateo always asks for.
I wanted this dinner to be special, not to celebrate, but to mark a before and after. I was in the kitchen chopping vegetables, but my mind was elsewhere. Between that gloomy alley and Isidora’s words, I told myself I had to be strong for Esteban. For Mateo. But every cut from the knife felt like a cut to my own heart.
Esteban came home as it was getting dark, tired from work. When he saw the table set, he was surprised. “So what’s the celebration now? That you made so much food? Mom?” I smiled, trying to look calm. I just wanted us all to have dinner. Delicious. Sit down, son.” Araceli came in wearing her light blue dress, smiling softly but with a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
Mateo ran to hug my legs. “Grandma, the fish smells so good!” I stroked his head with a lump in my throat. I knew that after tonight, Mateo’s innocent smile might never be so carefree again. We sat at the table, and at first, the atmosphere was lively. Esteban
talked about work. Mateo talked excitedly about the drawing he did at school.
Araceli nodded, commenting occasionally, but I noticed her hand trembling slightly as she held the spoon. I took a deep breath and signaled to Iván, who was waiting outside. He came in, and right behind him was Isidora, wearing a simple dress, her face identical to Araceli’s, but with a look of anguish.
Everyone at the table fell silent. Mateo looked confused from Araceli to Isidora and asked innocently, “Why are there two moms?” Esteban turned pale, dropped his spoon, and Araceli jumped up, screaming. “What’s all this about, Mom?” I stood up, holding onto the edge of the table to keep from shaking. “Sit down, Araceli,” I said slowly but firmly. “I need us to get everything straight.”
I began to count, and every word tore me apart. Ivan’s call from the airport when he saw her on a flight to France. Even though she was still at home, the times I changed hands to write her character. Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour. And finally, my visit to the alley where I met Isidora and discovered the twins’ secret.
“Are you and Isidora twin sisters?” I said, looking her straight in the eyes. “Did you take advantage of your sister to hide the truth? Tell us what the truth is.” Araceli was trembling, her face as white as a sheet. She screamed, trying to defend herself. “She’s making it all up to humiliate me. How dare she?” But Ivan
approached and slammed a stack of papers onto the table.
“This is a copy of the electronic passport with the entry and exit stamp for France,” he said harshly. “You can’t be home and fly to France at the same time.” Araceli stared at the papers, her lips pursed, unable to say anything. Mateo, sitting next to her, suddenly intervened in a voice
innocent but full of pain.
It’s true, Grandma. Some days my mom is an angel, and other days she’s very mean. I don’t like mean moms. My grandson’s words were like a stab, and I had to hold back tears. The air in the room felt so heavy it was hard to breathe. I nodded and signaled to Luciana, who had just come in through the back door.
She stood there with her sharp gaze and spoke in front of everyone. I saw Araceli with Salvador Quiñones. They called each other “My love.” And it was she who hired Isidora to pretend to be her and deceive the family. Esteban turned to his wife, his voice choked. “It’s true, Araceli. Tell me. Is it true?”
Araceli bit her lip in silence for a long moment and suddenly shouted, her voice full of fury. “Yes, it’s true. I have a lover.” I’m sick of this poor life. Sick of being the daughter-in-law in this house. Salvador gives me a life 100 times better. And you, Esteban, are useless. Her words were like a bomb exploding in the room. Esteban froze, clenching his fists so tightly they turned white. Mateo burst into tears and ran to hug me, his voice shaking.
“Grandma, what did my mom say?” I hugged him tightly, tears streaming down my cheeks. I looked at Araceli, heartbroken. She stood there, her gaze cold, without a hint of regret. Esteban stood up, his voice trembling. “Araceli D. Do you really think that?” She turned away without answering.
Isidora, who had been silent to one side, suddenly spoke in a low but clear voice. “Sister, you didn’t have to hurt them like this. I only wanted to help you, but I didn’t know it would come to this.” Araceli glared at her, but said nothing. She just turned and left. The door slammed close, leaving the room plunged into a painful silence. After that night of confrontation, the air in my house felt as if its life had been stolen from it.
The living room, once filled with Mateo’s laughter and Esteban’s chatter, was now stiflingly silent. I had lived my whole life for my family, but now I felt like someone who had just survived a hurricane, standing amid the rubble of the home I had taken care of so much.
Araceli left after shouting those bitter words, leaving Esteban with a blank stare and Mateo with innocent tears. I knew everything had changed forever. A week later, Esteban and Araceli went to court for their divorce. I didn’t go, but Esteban told me afterward, his voice dry, as if he had lost his soul. Mom didn’t look at me or Mateo.
She signed the papers and left with that man, as if we had never existed. I sat down next to her. I held her hand, trying not to cry. Araceli didn’t ask for custody of Mateo, as if the boy had merely been part of a play she’d grown tired of. My heart ached, not just for Esteban, but for Mateo. A seven-year-old boy who didn’t deserve to be abandoned like this. “Don’t worry, my son,” I said, my voice shaking.
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