I heard moans behind my bedroom door… I tried to open it and discovered the truth.

I heard moans behind my bedroom door… I tried to open it and discovered the truth.

 

 

My name is Ramón, I am 67 years old, I am a retired salesman and I live in León, Guanajuato, where I have spent a large part of my adult life. And today I want to tell something that still weighs on my heart, something that broke me into pieces on a Friday anyone when I returned before time to my house wanting to give a surprise and I ended up seeing the scene that took 35 years of marriage from me single hit.

 If you who listen to me have gone through the pain of betrayal or you know someone who lives something similar, leave a like to accompany this old man who just wants to vent soul Subscribe to the Stories from Yesterday channel so as not to lose my memories, my setbacks and my learnings. and tell me in the comments where do you see me from and What time is it there? I always like to know who is on the other side listening to this stubborn old man.

 Although now I live in León, I was born very far from here, far from in Txcala, a place where the smell of handmade tortillas mixed with the smoke from the comales from early. My father, Don Laureano, He was a merchant, a serious man, firm word. He always said, “Son, the “word is worth more than any signature.” I grew up seeing him leave before dawn and return when it was already dark, but I never heard an argument between him and my mother out of mistrust.

They were one of those from before, one of those who They swore love to each other and fulfilled it without doing noise. I was the youngest of four brothers. We didn’t have a car, we didn’t have luxuries, but we had enough to live peacefully Mi mamá hacía unos tamales so tasty that they perfumed everything the house.

On Sundays after mass, we ate red rice, refried beans and meat stewed Then we went out to the street play until the night overtook us. We were happy without knowing it. I ran as if he had something but fast, always with scraped knees. To the 14 years old I got my first job in a downtown hardware store.

 The owner, Don Hilario was strict, but fair. I taught to value honest work. I arranged screws, moved boxes and I learned to deal with people. I won little, but my mother kept that money as if it were gold. I put it together in an old can saying that it would be for when I needed it. In the end he used it to buy her wedding dress for my older sister and me I never complained because I knew it was for something good.

 It was at a town festival where I met the one I thought would be the love of my life, Lucia. she had eyes dark brown color and a smile that illuminated the air. She was wearing a skirt colors that moved with the music. I I kept looking at her like a fool until my brother gave me a push and told me I was going to talk to him.

 I gathered courage, I asked dance and she said yes. Since that moment I felt that I had in front of me the path I wanted to follow. We were boyfriends for several years. I went up to his house every afternoon, even though it was in a hill that left me breathless. We we sat in the corridor to drink water from Jamaica and talk about life.

 Lucia I dreamed of having my own house, with having children, with growing old with me. I I promised him that I would work hard to give him all that and he meant it. We We got married in the same church where we we met My dad, although dry, he shook his hand proudly. my mom He cried throughout the ceremony.

 Lucia was beautiful in a simple dress. No we had an elegant honeymoon, but we were happy. Shortly after we moved to León, Guanajuato, where I got a better job selling appliances. With a lot of effort and patience we achieved comprar una casa propia, dos pisos, tres rooms, simple ours. We cry for joy upon receiving the keys.

 we had two sons, Mateo, serious and responsible, and Carmina, talkative and full of energy. The years passed between work, laughter and responsibilities. Lucía left her job to take care of the house and the children. I worked a lot, but I always looked for a moment to take them to the park, fly kites or fishing in the river.

 I thought that life It was already resolved. that that love was strong, firm, able to withstand everything. But the children grew up. Each one took his way and the house remained again just for Lucía and me. It was there when, without me realizing it, the first signs began to appear. Signs that I now see clearly, but in I ignored that moment like a fool confident.

 I didn’t know what was for coming to break me completely. with As time went by, Lucía began to change in ways I didn’t understand. At At first they were small details that They didn’t seem important to me. It was fixed more than normal, wore clothes that never had had, she painted her hair with more frequently and put on perfume new that I didn’t know.

 I saw it as something good. I thought maybe I was trying to feel better about herself. But now I know that those were the first warnings that something was moving his heart. He also started going out more. followed. He told me that he was going with some friends or who was helping in a group crafts at church or what was going to walk to the park.

 I trusted like a stupid I told him it was okay, no. she would stay locked up, she would look for distractions. I never imagined that those Outings were not what she said. It was around that time he came to live next door our a young man named Diego. He was in his mid-thirties. single, thin, always with his computer in hand.

 He said that I worked from home fixing systems and internet pages. I didn’t understand at all, but I liked him. He was kind, He always greeted us. He even helped me couple of times when I needed to move something heavy I never suspected anything. For I was just a good neighbor. But Lucia He started mentioning it more and more.

 me He said that Diego didn’t know how to cook well and who had brought him a plate of food or that he had asked her for help choose a washing machine or what had happened to talk to him something light. All that They seemed like normal things between neighbors. I didn’t see evil in either of them. It never crossed my mind that there A misfortune could be beginning.

Over time, Lucía began to get irritated with me. Any comments mine bothered her. If you arrived tired of work and told him that the food was Rich, she rolled her eyes. If you wanted to see a movie with her, she said she was tired If I tried to talk to him about something, He responded only with aha, as if I would get in the way I was trying to understand her.

 him He said that we could go out more, that We could do things together, but each my attempt hit a wall invisible. Worse still, in the intimate part It also started to change. Before, although The years had passed, there was still love between us, but suddenly I was always tired, or in pain head or with any excuse.

 I don’t I insisted, but deep down it hurt me. I felt like something was coming loose. between us, but I didn’t know what. A day I returned earlier than normal, because my boss gave me the afternoon off. When I entered, the house was in silence. I called Lucía and she didn’t answer. I went up the stairs without noise and I found in the room, sitting on the bed looking at his cell phone.

 When he saw me, she jumped a little, as if she had been caught stealing something. He saved the fast cell phone, too fast. You I asked if he was okay and he told me Yes, I was just bored, but that reaction left me with a hole in my chest. Something didn’t add up. Weeks passed like this. I tried not to think badly, but The signs were already there.

 one day, while she was bathing, her cell phone vibrated on the kitchen table. I saw it from sideways The name that appeared on the screen was Diego. my heart stopped. I didn’t answer, I didn’t touch the cell phone, I didn’t do anything, I just watched it until it stopped ringing. When Lucia He came out of the bathroom, I asked him if anyone had called. He told me no.

 lied with an ease that caused me a chill After that day, I started See things you didn’t know before. Lucia I went out more than ever and it was always late hours to return. I sent him messages and took a long time to respond or He answered with obvious lies. I knew Deep down something wasn’t right, but I was afraid to face the truth.

afraid because a part of me already knew What was happening and I didn’t want to accept it. The the straw that spilled everything was one afternoon anyone. I was putting clothes away our closet and I saw a folded paper between Lucía’s blouses. I took it without think about it It was a short note written with man letter Today was special.

Thanks for everything. D. I felt that the world it fell on me. my legs They trembled. I had to sit on the edge of the bed so as not to faint. That letter was not mine. That initial was not mine. He knew perfectly well who it belonged to. But I didn’t say anything. I didn’t have the strength. I kept the note where it was and went down to the room.

 I sat for hours without seeing television, without understanding anything, alone listening to the sound of my own heart, breaking piece by piece. That night I realized that I no longer I could continue living without knowing the complete truth. If Lucía was with me betraying, I had to see it with my own eyes. I needed proof. I needed to close that chapter once and for all.

time. I had to find out myself, although that would destroy me forever. After finding that note hidden among Lucía’s clothes, I passed whole nights without being able to sleep. I I was looking at the ceiling, thinking about every detail that I had previously ignored. Every departure from her, every lie, every strange gesture became a clear sign, as if everything were illuminated by a lamp that I didn’t want to light.

 but Now there was no turning back. had than knowing the truth. I couldn’t continue living with that doubt that I was consuming inside. So I took one decision. I was going to prepare a trap, something that wouldn’t raise suspicions. I wanted see it with my own eyes, discover what what was really happening.

 I don’t He was looking for a fight, neither blows nor screams. I just wanted the truth. Because when one faces betrayal, what hurts the most It is not deception, but the lie of every day. that lie that gets in under the skin that one believes without realizing account. I spent days acting like nothing happened. He spoke with Lucía as always.

 The I greeted the same, I did my routines, I went out to work at the same time, returned to the same time, everything normal. inside It was in pieces, but on the outside I had to look calm so as not to raise suspicion. I couldn’t ruin my own plan. One night, during dinner, I released the first part of my trap.

 You I told Lucía that I had gone on a trip quickly to Monterrey, I had to go to close an important deal. she raised the look and for a second I thought I saw a strange shine in his eyes. He asked me how many days I would be gone. I pretended to think and told him I would return until Saturday night. He nodded. as if nothing, but I noticed a small curve in his mouth like a smile hidden. That smile made me nauseous.

The next day I prepared my things like if I were to travel. I kept clothes in a suitcase, I put on my good shirt and I even printed some papers so that It seemed that he had documents work. Lucia was strangely calm while I got everything ready. I He gave a cold kiss before I left and I alone I could feel anger and sadness mixed.

I left the house, started the car, said back to the street and as soon as I was out of sight I parked the car several blocks. I walked back through a dirt road that led to the houses back. I hid behind some old bushes, from where I could see perfectly the entrance to my house and also the door to Diego’s house.

My heart was beating so hard that I was afraid that even the birds would hear it. I waited 10 minutes, 15, half an hour, nothing. I started to think that maybe I had wrong, that perhaps Lucía would not do nothing that day. But then, as if God would have liked to show me the truth, at once the door of my house it opened. It was Lucia.

 He looked towards both of them sides, like someone checking that no one is looking. He left with a quick step and was straight to Diego’s house. my stomach he stirred. She rang the doorbell. He He opened it, smiled at her and she entered. The door It closed behind both of them. I felt that I I was out of air. My legs shook. I couldn’t move.

 I was frozen behind those bushes like a man soulless I knew deep down, that moment was going to come, but a part of I still had hope to be wrong. And there was the proof. No There was no doubt, there were no excuses. There was no different interpretation. my wife, the woman with whom I shared almost all my life, I was entering the another man’s house as soon as he believed that I had left the city.

 I stayed looking at that closed door without blink. I don’t know how much time passed. There could have been been half an hour or a minute. everything in me head was noise, the sound of my heavy breathing, heartbeat accelerated and a pain so deep that it seemed like a hole that swallowed me complete. But I couldn’t stay there.

I needed to see more. I needed that when the time came no one could Tell me I was exaggerating. I walked away from there trembling and I walked to a cafe in the center of León. I ordered a coffee that I didn’t even feel while drinking. I looked at the clock every 5 minutes. Just I could think.

 I just felt a mixture of anger, fear, sadness and shame. Yes, shame, because when one is betrayed, even if it’s not one’s fault, something in the heart feels like it they would have made a fool of themselves. At 3 In the afternoon I decided to return home. Ya It was time. If they were together, would find.

 I was going to come in by surprise, like someone who returns from a trip before planned. I no longer cared what went to see I needed to close that one wounded with the complete truth. I arrived slowly without making noise. I opened the door with my keys. The house was completely silent, but a strange, thick silence. That silence that one recognizes as a sign that something it’s bad I went up the stairs and then I heard it.

 some moans, moans loud, moans that came directly from my room. My heart broke in that moment and still I continued climbing. I climbed the stairs as if each step will cut inside. The moans were more clearer, stronger, unmistakable. They were lucia. I recognized his voice perfectly, but there had never been heard like that.

 That way of moaning was not For me, it never was. I felt a mix of rage and pain so deep that I almost doubled over right there. my hands I was sweating, my throat was closed and my heart beat as if it wanted get out of the chest I reached the hallway and The sounds came directly from our room, the same one where We slept together for more than 30 years, where we raise our children, where We share dreams and hopes.

The door was locked, with key, in my own house, in my own fourth. Lucía had never closed that door, not even when children They were small. And now it was closed. As she moaned, I knocked on the door with the fist, with all the strength that had. Lucia, open it for me right now. The moans were suddenly cut off.

 It was made a thick, uncomfortable, dirty silence. I heard quick movements clumsy steps. Then her voice trembled. Ramon, wait. I’m fixing the fourth. That lie was like a slap. tidying up the room, with the door closed and with moans They were listening from the hallway, I thought I was an idiot. I hit again, more strong. Open the door now, Lucía.

 she It didn’t open. He kept saying to wait, to be calm, making excuses that didn’t make sense. It was then when I lost control. I stepped back a couple of steps and I threw myself against the door with shoulder. The wood creaked. I hit again. Another blow, a third. And at the fourth blow, the sheet came out flying and the door burst open.

The image I saw inside stayed engraved in my mind like a scar eternal. The bed was all messy, the sheets thrown on the floor, the clothes revolt. Lucia was standing in the middle from the room with a poorly dressed robe, the disheveled hair, red face. No I needed no explanation, everything It was clearer than water.

 she he stuttered. He said he was preparing a surprise, that I had everything was ruined, but I had nothing left sense. My gaze swept the room looking for the other, the intruder, the coward Where is it? I asked with the voice so low that it even scared me listen to me Who? Lucia responded. trembling But I wasn’t stupid.

 I knew that there was someone else there. I opened the closet. Nothing. I checked the bathroom. Empty. I looked behind the curtains. Nobody. Lucía looked at me with a mixture of fear and despair, as if he still had Hope he wouldn’t find it. but I knew every corner of that house. I the last place was missing.

 I crouched down and I lifted the quilt that was hanging on the edge of the bed. There was Diego, cowering like a cornered animal, underwear, cold sweat, face white with fright. When our glances met, I felt a explosion of rage inside me. He He was paralyzed without being able to move. “Come out from there,” I told him with a voice cracked by the fury He didn’t move.

 I told you that Get out of there, I shouted. Diego began to crawl trembling, trying to stand up. When he came out he was so nervous that he almost fell. Ramon, for Please, can I explain it? Babbling. Explain what, I replied taking a step towards him. What are you doing under my bed? What are you doing in my house? What are you doing with me wife? He backed away in fear.

 For a moment I felt an impulse to hit him, to break his face, to take him out even though was a part of the pain that I was feeling. But I looked at it carefully and realized I realized that it wasn’t worth a single hit from me. He was a coward hiding under a bed without dignity. “Take your clothes and get out,” I told him.

 Diego He ran to dress as best he could, tripping over his own feet. Lucia I was standing without moving a finger, without say a word When he finished put on his shirt, opened the door again mouth. “Ramón, sorry, I, “Shut up,” he said. I said pointing to the door. “Leave before change your mind.” And he left running down the stairs, almost falling I heard like the door main whipped himself when leaving.

 then I was alone with Lucía. The room smelled of other people’s sweat, betrayal, lies. Lucia stood with her eyes full of tears, but not of regret. They were tears of fear, of having been discovered. I took a deep breath, feeling a pain that felt like a knife stuck in in the chest. How long? I asked without seeing her. Lucia did not answer.

I’m asking you, “How long?” I shouted. She jumped and finally He said with a broken voice, “Two years, Ramón, two years. 2 years. 200 weekends, more than 700 days, while I worked, while he trusted her, while he I gave my entire life.” And everything collapsed suddenly. When Lucia said, “Two years,” I felt as if someone would have hit directly in the soul Two years of lies, two years of fake hugs two years of sleeping with me while I thought of another.

 I It was hard to process. I held on to the edge of the bed so as not to fall. The I stared and asked the only thing my heart wanted to understand. why Lucia? What did I do so wrong? She lowered her glance, took a deep breath and said something that It still gives me a lump in my throat. You didn’t do anything wrong, Ramón.

 That’s him problem. You didn’t do anything. always you were busy, always working, always tired. I felt alone, Diego listened to me. He made me feel alive. Those words were worse than any blow. I, who worked all my life to give it stability, so that nothing was missing, was now the reason why the one who said she had gone with another.

 I I was looking at her with such pain deep that I couldn’t even speak for a few seconds. I didn’t understand how he could say that afterwards. of everything we did together. Did it make you feel alive? I repeated with a broken voice. And What was I to you? A piece of furniture, a hindrance, a check? Lucia began to cry harder, but I don’t anymore moved Not after what there was seen, not after hearing it justify something unjustifiable.

I got up and walked towards the door. I felt like the room had become a dirty place, a stained space that already I couldn’t call it mine. “I don’t want listen to you more,” I told him. Don’t invent excuses. Don’t lie to me anymore. I already had enough. I went down to the living room without looking back.

 I sat down on the couch shaking, trying to decide what to do. The only thing I knew It was that my life had changed always. A few minutes later, Lucia He went down the stairs slowly. I had the swollen face He wanted to get closer to me, but I raised my hand. Don’t touch me, I said. Don’t touch me again. She She stood in the middle of the room without know what to do.

 Ramón, can we talk, please? He pleaded. Can we fix this? Fix what? I responded laughing with bitterness Fix two years of betrayal. fix that you messed with a man who lives a few steps from our house. Fix that I heard you moan for him in our bed. No, Lucía, there is nothing that fix. She covered her face with her hands and started crying harder.

 but He didn’t cry for me. I was crying because they had discovered. He was crying because comfortable life was about to end. In that moment I took my cell phone and dialed the Mateo’s number, my eldest son. I tried Keep your voice as steady as possible. Son, I need you to come to León, it is urgent.

 He understood from my tone that something serious was happening. He told me he was leaving Mexico City immediately. I hung up and I continued sitting without moving. I felt a tiredness that I had never felt, a weight that crushed my chest. Lucia He took a few steps closer, but I got up. “Please, Ramón, give me one opportunity,” he insisted.

 “No,” I said with a calm that surprised me. There is no longer nothing between us. This is over. The rest of the day was hell silent. I sitting in the living room, she in the kitchen, everyone in their world. When Mateo arrived in the afternoon and I told everything, I saw him break. It was the first time since I was a child that I saw my son cry He hugged his mother, but then he turned away from her sadly.

Mom, how could you? he asked. Lucia not He responded, just crying. My daughter Carmina He also arrived later with my grandchildren. When he learned the truth, he couldn’t even look her in the eyes. That night I sent Lucía went to sleep in the guest room. I couldn’t see her. I couldn’t be in the same bed that had been stained with another man.

 I slept in our room, although the smell of betrayal still was. I closed my eyes, but I didn’t sleep. I stayed staring at the ceiling until dawn. The Monday morning I did what I had what to do I went to a lawyer recommended by a colleague. He attended to me a serious man in a gray suit. I told him the story without omitting anything.

 He took notes and at the end he said, “Ramón, you You have every right to ask for a divorce. for adultery. The house is at your name.” “Yes,” I replied. So, I don’t know worry. We will make you stay with what belongs to you. I returned home with papers in my hand, determined to start the process. Lucia It was on the table with a cold coffee.

When he saw me enter, he wanted to speak, but I passed by. I went up to the room, I started to separate my things and I went down with two full suitcases When Lucía saw me get down, ran towards me. What are you doing, Ramon? “I’m leaving,” I said without looking at her. “I’m I will stay with Mateo for a few days while I find where to live.

 you can stay here until he comes out divorce. Then you’ll have to go.” She opened her mouth, but I didn’t let her. speak If you want to say something, tell it to my lawyer Your number is on the table. and Without further ado, I left the house that was once my home I left the house with the suitcases in hand without looking back.

I felt a huge hole in my chest, like if they had taken something from me that I don’t know can replace. I put the suitcases in the car and drove towards the city of Mexico, where my son Mateo lived. It was 5 hours on the road They seemed eternal. I cried so much that I had I have to edge myself twice because the view it clouded me.

 I cried for what was lost, for the years that would not return, for the Broken trust and shame having been deceived so close to me own door. When I finally arrived at Mateo’s apartment, he received me with a firm hug, almost as if he wanted hold me so I wouldn’t fall apart. His wife, Camila, had prepared a special food to cheer me up, but I could barely eat a few bites.

 everything It tasted like ash, as if it had nothing taste or sense. That first night I slept in the guest room they used for visits. I lay down in the bed and I stared at the ceiling without blink, reliving the scene of Lucía and Diego. I closed my eyes and listened the moans again. I opened my eyes and I saw them together.

 It was a night of torture, one of many that came after. In the following days, Mateo did what possible to keep me busy. I He took me for a walk in the park, he invited me to have breakfast, he sat with me to watch television, although I did not provide attention to nothing. Carmina also me I called every day worried, asking how he was.

 My cell phone, in change, it kept ringing for calls de Lucía, 50, maybe more. messages long, begging, saying that I he loved, that he was wrong, that I wanted to fix everything. I blocked her without think twice. I didn’t want listen to more lies. After two weeks living with my son, I decided that I couldn’t stay there forever.

 No I wanted to be a burden. I started looking for a small place to rent. I found a simple apartment in a neighborhood quiet with a bedroom, a living room and a little kitchen It wasn’t pretty, nor big. nor happy, but it was a place where I could be alone without getting in the way of anyone. I signed the contract, I paid the rent and I moved with my suitcases.

 Enter that place empty was like entering a world different, a cold world. I put my few things in the drawers and I sat on the bed in silence. That silence became my companion, too big, too hard. The days were made eternal I got up without desire. I made coffee just to feel a little of heat. I ate the same thing almost daily because I didn’t feel like cooking.

In the afternoon I went for a walk, but at returning to the apartment was the same silent. I no longer had anyone to ask how my day was, no one will wait for me, no one to share with a plate of food. The process of divorce was advancing. My lawyer kept informed. He told me that Lucía I was trying to fight for half of the things, that he wanted a pension, that he was doing everything possible not to go out losing.

 But the law was on me side. She had committed adultery. No There was a lot I could do. And although that was winning legally, I felt defeated inside. One day while I was watching television unattended, the doorbell rang from my department. I woke up thinking which would be Mateo or some neighbor. When I opened the door, the wind left me.

 It was Lucia. She was thinner, with the messy hair and eyes swollen He was wearing loose clothing as if I wouldn’t have slept in several days. Ramón, please, I need to talk with you,” he said with a broken voice. “I have nothing to talk to you”, I responded trying to close the door. “Ah, but he put his hand to stop her.

Please, just 5 minutes. you I beg. Against my will I left her pass.” He sat on the tip of the chair with his hands shaking. I I stood with my arms crossed waiting. I finished with Diego, he said without look at me The same day that you you found out, I never spoke to him again him. He moved out, sold the house and left.

 I I am alone, Ramón, completely alone. I lost my children, I lost my grandchildren, I lost you. I stayed silent. No I felt neither pity nor anger, just an emptiness huge. I regret it. continued crying. I can’t sleep, I can’t Eat, I don’t know what to do. Do you think that does anything change? I told him with a cold voice.

 I you betrayed for two years. two years, Lucia. You kissed me after kissing him him. You slept with me after be with him and now you come to talk to me of regret. She sobbed, but I couldn’t move anymore. not one day Centimeter your pain. “Go away, Lucia, don’t come back again,” I told her. got up trembling, walked towards the door and before leaving he turned around.

 I loved you, Ramón, believe it or not, I looked at her directly. If that was love, then I don’t even want to imagine your heartbreak. I closed the door behind her and I dropped to the floor crying once again. But not anymore I cried for her, I cried for myself, for what life had taken from me. The months that followed that visit of Lucía were the heaviest of my life.

 I was still living in that small apartment in the city of Mexico trying to get used to a routine that I had not asked for. I got up early, I made coffee, I opened the window to let in fresh air and then I sat for a long time watching the city wake up. Sometimes I They made me want to cry for no reason. Others Sometimes I was completely empty, as if they had turned me off inside.

The divorce came out after several weeks. My lawyer told me that the judge He had dictated everything in my favor. the house de León was left for me and also the most of the goods. Lucia would have to look for a new place to live. When I received the news I thought I would feel victorious, relieved, but no.

The only thing I felt was one more hole big. It was as if the judge’s signature would have put the last nail in the coffin of everything I had been for 35 years. Still, I kept going. I didn’t have another option. I wasn’t going to be left stranded the bed waiting for life to me will lift Life doesn’t lift anyone up.

One has to stand up alone. I started walking more often. Close to my apartment had a little park simple with old benches and trees that They gave good shade. I went every mornings with a thermos full of coffee pot. I sat and watched people pass. Ladies walking dogs, gentlemen doing stretches as if they had 20 years younger, kids running around as if the ground will not burn.

 That little park became my refuge. Right there I saw several people who turned faces known. A lady who sold bread, taga zero and that he always gave me a extra bread, because you remember me to my father, Don Ramón, a man from white hair wearing his dog old man and he always greeted me with a how it dawned And although it didn’t seem a lot, those little greetings, that routine helped me feel that I still belonged somewhere.

 One day, while I did my shopping in a supermarket nearby, something happened that changed my route completely. I was grabbing some bean bags when a woman without wanting to crash his basket against mine. The basket fell and the fruits rolled everywhere. I got nervous apologizing trying to help her to put everything together.

 The woman smiled such a kind way that calmed me down. “I don’t know worry, those things happen,” he said. had short, gray hair, in a way pretty and calm eyes that gave peace. Her name was Martha. he told me it was widowed for 3 years, living alone and that he came to that supermarket every week. We We stayed talking for a while there between pasta aisle and canned.

 The conversation was so Naturally it surprised me. there was not pressure, nor nerves, nor that sensation ugly in the stomach that I had every time that remembered Lucia. With Marta everything It was simple. When we leave the supermarket, We discovered that he lived only a few blocks away. from my department. We walk together stretch and when we arrived in front of his building said goodbye with a smile that for the first time in months it made me feel something like calm.

 The days following we started to bump into each other more often, sometimes in the supermarket, sometimes in the bakery, other times in the little park Each meeting was a pleasant talk. Marta was calm, she spoke slowly, He listened more than he spoke and had a special way of seeing things beautiful things in life, like a fresh flower or a reddish sunset.

 I, who had lived months in a dark pit, I began to feel a small light, a timid light, but there it was. With time no longer They were chance encounters. We start to walk together in the mornings. she I had a bottle of water, I had my thermos of coffee. We talked while we gave laps around the park.

 One day he invited me to try the homemade bread that the Saturdays. Another day he showed me photos of his children and their grandchildren. there was not pressures, there were no expectations, just sincere company. In one of those walks I finally dared to invite her to have a real coffee, not the one from the thermos.

 We went to a small cafe with the aroma of freshly baked sweet bread. We We sat near the window and ordered coffee and a piece of cake. We talk for hours and there, on that wooden table, I told him for the first time. Do you see the story complete of what he had lived with Lucia and Diego? Marta did not interrupt me not once.

 He didn’t ask gossip, no He made faces, he didn’t criticize, he just listened. AND When I finished, he extended his hand and took mine. I’m very sorry, Ramón, but you still have life ahead of you. Don’t you Give up, he told me with a soft voice. that such a simple gesture was like a bandage warm in an open wound. something inside of me moved as if for the first time In a long time my heart will remember how to beat without pain.

 After that coffee with Marta, something inside me started to change, even if it was just a little. It wasn’t that from one day to the next I would have removed the pain. No, that doesn’t work like this. But for the first time since my life had been split in two, I felt that It wasn’t completely sunk. It was as if that talk would have moved a stone that had me stuck inside.

 Martha He had that calm way of listening, that way of looking at you without judging. and one when it’s broken you need that more than any advice. We continue to see each other in the park. Sometimes we walked fast, other times we would just sit in one bank to talk about anything. she She told me about her deceased husband, hard as his first years had been alone, how she felt that the world was closing in on her It was coming when he died.

 Your words were not of pity, but of understanding. And that made me feel that someone He understood my pain without minimizing it. As the weeks passed, Marta and I We started going out a little more. one day we went to the cinema to see a movie old lady who was passing by at functions specials.

 Another day he invited me to a small restaurant where they made enchiladas Swiss that she loved. I He accompanied without haste, without expectations. It wasn’t a romantic date. Not yet. It was company, it was breathing without feeling that my chest was so heavy. my children They also met her. One afternoon the I invited him to have coffee at Mateo’s house.

He and Camila received her with affection. Mateo, who has always been observant, He looked at me with a smile that said more. than 1000 words. Later, when Martha He left, put a hand on my shoulder and said, “Dad, you can see the peace that was needed.” Carmina also met her days later. She was more direct.

 I He took my hand and said, “If that lady It gives you peace of mind, how good, dad. After what happened, you deserve something nice.” Those words made me cry silently later that night. Sometimes you need your children to push forward a little. but not everything was easy. There were days when my My mind was playing tricks on me.

 Yes Martha It took me a while to reply to a message, although whether it was because she was busy or because I was buying vegetables, I thought made my heart shrink. he came to me dirty thought, old fear, shadow of betrayal. I was wondering if I was repeating history, yeah I was trusting too much again. one late, my anxiety was so strong that When she finally answered me, I ended up confessing everything to him.

 Sorry, Marta, sometimes I get scared. It is not with you, is what I have left. She doesn’t know bothered, he did not frown, nor did he He questioned, he just hugged me slowly. Ramón told me, “wounds take time to heal.” close, but I will not fail you. you I will demonstrate with facts. And so it was. Marta was a constant woman.

 I didn’t say one thing and did another. It didn’t disappear, He wasn’t hiding. And that stops anyone seems simple, for me it was how to breathe clean air after a lot of time breathing dust. one afternoon she invited me to dinner at her department, prepared with sauce made in home and put on soft music. we ate calm, without rushing, laughing at simple things.

 She told me stories of his grandchildren. I told him about when Mateo was little and lost a shoe in a river The night was so quiet It seemed like the world had gone arrested. When I was about to say goodbye, Marta approached, took my hands and He looked straight in the eyes. Ramón told me with a serious and sweet tone at the same time time, I know that you continue to carry pain.

I understand it. I know that betrayal marks, that one remains distrustful, but I want that you know that you are not going to live with me that. I am a woman, simple, Ramón. I I don’t play with anyone. If you want to try something with me, it has to be calm, with sincerity. And if you’re not ready, that’s fine too.

 We will continue to be friends. I stayed silent for a moment, feeling that my heart was trembling, no of fear, but of truth, because first time in a long time someone told me He spoke directly, without detours, without lie. I took a deep breath and said, “I want try, Marta, but I need you to be patient with me. Sometimes I go to scare, sometimes I will distrust without reason.

 It’s not because of you, it’s because of what I lived.” She smiled. That smile of hers that It seemed to put out any storm. “I have all the patience in the world, Ramón,” he replied. “There’s no rush.” And That was the beginning of something new, a slow start, without fire of youth, but with calm of people who already They lived long and do not need to disguise nothing.

 It was not love from a novel, it was a honest affection that was growing step by step step. From that moment I entered a different stage of my life. a stage where he was no longer alone and where sadness began little by little to let go of me the hand The relationship with Marta progressed slowly, calmly, without pressure. It was just what I needed.

 The trust that I had lost with Lucía left a mark, but Marta never He was desperate with me. I always had a soft word, a calm smile or a simple gesture that made me feel peace. He never demanded anything from me, he never reproached me my fears, never rushed me. Your way of love was calm, like a hug that It doesn’t squeeze, but it holds.

 Little by little shortly I began to open spaces in myself life. She taught me things I never did. had done. He taught me to cook more than the basics. He taught me how to cut vegetables without leaving your fingers in the way, prepare tasty broths and even a rice that didn’t stick. I told him laughing that it was pure witchcraft and she he laughed the same with that low laugh his that remained in the air like a hug He also taught me to care plants.

 He had a small garden in the roof of his building where he cultivated albaca, mint, jito, matitos and even some flowers that I didn’t know how to pronounce. He invited me to do one too. in my apartment. I thought that nothing was going to be given to me, but she helped me put up pots, prepare the land and plant the first seeds.

 Every morning I went to check my plants as if they were children little ones and little by little I see them grow It gave a peace that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Over time, the idea that someone could betray me again he left becoming less strong. Marta always spoke to me directly, He told me where he was, he told me his plans, he did not hide his cell phone, he did not have secrets.

 His way of living was so transparent that I myself began to relax Trust, that word that It seemed impossible after what I lived, it was coming back little by little. Lucia from time to time I kept trying contact me. He sent messages on dates specials on Carmina’s or Carmina’s birthdays the Grandchildren, always the same tone. It I’m sorry, I can’t sleep.

 I would like speak Can we fix it? But nothing moved me anymore, neither courage nor sadness, just indifference. It was as if His presence in my life would have remained back in a closed door that no longer I was thinking of opening again. I didn’t let Marta knew about those messages at first because I didn’t want to burden her with my past, but one day I decided tell him.

She listened to me calmly, without get upset He just told me, “It’s normal that She seeks to clear her conscience, Ramón, but you are no longer there. you are here living another story. and had reason. The months passed and Marta and I We started spending more time together. We cooked, we went for walks, we went to the movies, we drank coffee in the mornings, sometimes we had dinner in my apartment and other times in yours, but we have never been people of great luxury.

 The simple things were more than enough. My grandchildren got attached with her. The first time I took them to her apartment, Marta received them with homemade cookies. The children looked at her as if she were an extra grandmother. Since That day they began to tell her, “Grandma Marta!” And her mind lit up face.

 Seeing that moved me more than What can I explain? Carmina, my daughter, He also hugged her lovingly the first time. time they saw each other after several visits. “Thank you for loving me like this dad,” he told her. And Marta, without fanfare, He only responded, “It’s easy to love your dad. He is good. Hearing that broke me a little bit inside, but in a nice way.

 I needed someone recognized me not as a man betrayed, but as someone who it was still worth it. However, not everything was simple. Sometimes at night I I woke up sweating. I was listening again Lucia’s moans. He saw me again knocking on the door. I saw again Diego hiding under the bed. It was like If my mind insisted on tormenting me.

I sat on the edge of the bed and I breathed deeply until my chest it stopped hurting. But little by little those nightmares were decreasing. Not because I had forgotten, but because Marta was there. She told me, “Ramón, those wounds don’t go away, but they become more bearable when “someone accompanies you.” And it was true.

 A day, after almost a year of meet, she proposed something to me that took him by surprise. Ramon, what would you think? If we look for a place for both of us? I don’t He said it with pressure, he said it like someone speaks of the mild climate with patience. I I stayed silent. I looked into his eyes calm.

 I looked at his hands, those hands that had given me calm when I was most I needed it. and I said, “I think I already It’s time, but I want to do it with you slowly, without hurry.” She smiled. That smile that looked like morning light. We started looking for an apartment that outside of the two, a place that does not had any memories of me or of her, something new, somewhat clean.

 We found one small, but very nice, with windows large and a perfect roof to put plants. And so, without realizing it, I began a new life. A life I never thought I would have after so much pain. move in together It wasn’t something we did overnight. tomorrow. Marta and I wanted to do it well, without repeating past mistakes, without rushing out of emotion, without hidden fears.

 We spent several weeks visiting departments, seeing prices, sizes, light, location. I had always been average desperate for those things, I I surprised myself by being patient. I didn’t want anywhere, I wanted a home, one that did not bring ghosts, one that did not It smelled of betrayal or broken memories. We finally found an apartment perfect for both of us.

 I was in a quiet building with wide stairs and a roof full of light. I had a small but cozy room. two simple bedrooms and a kitchen where Marta was already imagining recipes new. The day we signed the contract, She took my hand and said, “This will be our beginning, Ramón. I felt a knot in the throat I never thought that at 67 years I would be starting from scratch again.

But there I was with a woman who treated with respect and true affection, a woman who was not in a hurry, who was not He hid nothing, he didn’t use excuses or games. It was like breathing clean air after years of drowning without giving account. Moving day was special. We didn’t have many things, but every object we carried meant something.

 I brought my old books, my favorite thermos, some photos of my children when they were little and the clock that I inherited from my father. Marta took her pots, their spice jars, some simple paintings and a box full of threads and needles because she liked to sew in the afternoons. Between the two of us we accommodate everything calmly. I put together a shelf.

Marta hung curtains and together we chose where each plant would go. on the roof We prepare our small garden. she He planted basil, I planted tomatoes. When we finish, we stare the place as if it were a small achievement, a little piece of hope planted after so much darkness. The first night in 1900 and our new home was quiet.

 We had something to eat simple, some sandwiches and coffee. We We sat in the living room with the boxes still without unpacking and we talked for a long time. We talk about the past, about the fear that I I still had inside me, the doubts that They still visited me at night. Martha He listened to me without interrupting me. Then said, “Ramón, I can’t erase what you lived, but I can accompany you to don’t carry alone.

 here I am and here I will be That phrase disarmed me. It was not a empty promise. It wasn’t a, I swear, those that later break. It was a firm and calm statement. The days The following were a nice mix of routine and discovery. Marta and I learned to live together like mature couple, without dramas, without shouting, no games.

 She cooked and I washed the frets. I watered the plants and she knitted while we watched television in the night. Sometimes we went for a walk, sometimes we went to the market. sometimes alone we stayed at home listening to music old lady My grandchildren visited often. They loved the roof, the garden and especially Martha.

 Carmina told me that It was nice to see me like this, calm, with a smile that, according to her, she had not seen me since years ago. Mateo also accompanied me from time to time and he always found something to fix or improve on department. But of course, there was still difficult moments. Sometimes I woke up in the early morning sweating, feeling another time that scene with the closed door key.

 Sometimes I heard in my head the moans, the knocking on the door. The Lucía’s trembling voice lying shamelessly. I got up slowly so as not to wake up to Marta and I went to the living room to breathe silence, with trembling hands. one night she realized and got up. He also found me sitting in the darkness looking at the ground.

 came closer Without saying anything, he sat down next to me and took his hand. Again he asked gently. I nodded without being able to speak. You don’t have to face it alone, Ramón, He told me, resting his head on my shoulder. And so we stayed for a long time without words, just letting the heart accommodate again.

 Little by little those nights became less frequent, no They disappeared completely, but I no longer They won, they didn’t leave me stranded like before. Marta became my haven, my fixed point in the middle of the storms internal. A detail that I will never forget The thing is that Marta never spoke ill of Lucía. He never told me, “I told you so, no way Woman, you don’t even deserve better.

” Never It fueled my resentment. Every time I mentioned the past, she listened with respect and then he reminded me of something. Ramón, the past is no longer there. You no longer you live there And he was right. For the first once in a long time I felt that my life was going forward. One day, while We had coffee on the roof, Marta told me said, “Do you realize? We’re building something beautiful.

 I looked at her and yes I realized. And that for a man who he thought his story was over It was more than a gift. It was a miracle silent. As the months passed, my life with Marta took a rhythm that I never imagined to have again. It wasn’t a perfect life not even a movie, but a life calm, honest, without surprises false or lies.

 hidden Not anymore I lived with that constant fear that remained like a shadow after what It happened with Lucia. Every day with Marta It was like putting a new brick in a wall that was previously collapsed. A Sometimes we got up early alone to see the sunrise from the roof. I I prepared pot coffee and she heated it bread.

 We sat in silence watching how the city was waking up those moments. Although they seem simple, They became my favorites. they made me feel that there was still a good life to enjoy, even at my age. My children came to visit us when they could. Carmina loved to see how Marta and I kept our little garden One day he put the children to help water the plants and they they did so badly that they ended soaked Marta, instead of getting angry, He laughed with that laugh that made him shine the eyes Mateo also went from time to time whenever and always I found something that

improve. A loose screw, a chair that creaked, a poorly placed shelf. Watching him move around our house with freedom made me feel accompanied, as if the family had been healed little too. But of course, life is not a straight line. One day, while I was in the kitchen chopping vegetables, my cell phone vibrated.

 When I see the screen I stopped the heart. It was a message from Lucia, although I had blocked her. It was another number. He didn’t say much. Ramón, alone I want to know if you are okay. I stayed looking at the screen for several seconds, feeling a mix of anger, sadness and tiredness. Then I deleted the message without replying. Marta entered the kitchen just then.

moment and saw me with a serious face. Everything okay? He asked softly. Yes, “Just a memory from the past,” I responded. She didn’t insist. He didn’t ask me explanations nor did he question anything, he just gave a kiss on the cheek and continued preparing the food. That way of respecting my spaces was something that I I had never had before and I learned to value as a treasure.

 With time I I found out from Carmina that Lucía was still living alone in a modest apartment in Leon. Nobody knew much about her, no I had close friends and I barely spoke. with the neighbors. Carmina told me one day, “Dad, I don’t know if you’re interested in knowing, but mom is not well. “She’s very alone.” I listened, but I didn’t answer.

 It wasn’t coldness, it was clarity. Lucia took her decisions and I could no longer carry consequences that did not belong to me. Marta never had an opinion on that, but every time I saw that the news moved me something, he discreetly took my hand. That silent gesture reminded me that my place was no longer in the past.

 There was a special day that marked a before and a then how I saw my new life. We were on the roof checking our plants when Marta told me, “Ramón, do you realize that you no longer you talk about what happened with pain, but with distance.” I kept thinking. It was true. I no longer felt that huge knot in my chest every time I remembered the betrayal I no longer cried when I thought of the lost years.

 Yes it hurt because scars always hurt a little touch, but the pain no longer controlled. It no longer stole my sleep or breathing. I smiled at him and said, “I think that you began to heal me without me realized.” She shook her head with that humility of his. No, Ramón, you You just healed yourself. I just walked with you.

 Those words touched me deep because I understood that Marta did not had come to replace nothing or to compete with a broken past. There was arrived to accompany me forward. One day while we were walking hand in hand in the park, Marta told me something that I will never forget. Ramón, it doesn’t matter how old we are, you can always start again.

Always. That phrase stuck with me laps all day and while the I thought I realized that I no longer I felt like a destroyed man, but like someone who had survived, learned and reborn. sometimes life something so strong that we believe is taken away from us that there is no turning back. but life It also has curious ways of giving us second chances.

 The routine with Marta was already so natural that sometimes I I was surprised how happy I felt doing simple things. For example, watch old shows on television, cook together, walk through the flea market on Sundays, listen to music while She sewed and I read the newspaper. one night, while we were watching a movie old and Marta fell asleep recharged on my shoulder, I stared at her silence and it was there, in that moment so simple, I realized something very deep.

 Not only had I found company, had found peace. and peace after having been through hell It’s worth more than anything else. Today, Now at 69 years old, I can say that My life took a direction I never imagined. If someone had told me that Friday when I discovered the betrayal that two years later I would be living in peace in a quiet apartment, accompanied by a good and honest woman.

I wouldn’t have believed it. At that moment I thought that everything was It was over, there was nothing left for me after the pain I carried. But life, although it sometimes breaks us, He also knows how to rebuild us when We least expect it. I continue with Marta living in that little apartment that We transform between the two.

 every corner It has a little piece of our hands. The kitchen always smells like coffee and food homemade. The room has photos of my children, my grandchildren and one that Marta and I took a trip to the park. Our roof is our pride. The plants They grow strong and green, as if they too they would have found a new start.

 Every morning we go up together see how the garden is going and water the plants plants while the sun begins to appear behind buildings. My children are happy to see me like this. Carmina usually visits us on weekends week with their children and the children leave straight to the roof to see what fruits new ones came out.

 Mateo also passes often and always brings a gift for the house, like a set of cups or a new plant for Marta. know that They see me stable, calm and accompanied is a huge blessing. I I thought betrayal was going to break also my relationship with them, but it happened the opposite. They supported me, they took care of me, They gave me strength when I didn’t even have it a drop From time to time, when I go to León, to Vera Carmina, I run into Lucía on the street I no longer feel angry or sadness. I only see her as someone with

who I shared many years, but who took a different path. We greet each other with a slight nod of the head and we continue each one on their own. I found out for myself daughter that she lives alone, that she hardly comes out, who was left without the company of the neighbors because everyone knew what passed. But it’s not my business anymore.

 I don’t I wish bad, but I don’t feel either obligation to bear his loneliness. Everyone lives with what they sow. What is clear to me is that the betrayal doesn’t kill the heart, though loere strong. What kills the heart is stay there wallowing in pain without allowing time to do its thing work.

 It took me months to get up and I had nights so dark that I thought not I was going to see the light again. but here I am alive, calm, at peace and above all accompanied by a woman who does not came to replace nothing, but build something completely new. Marta has a very special way of see life Sometimes while we walk through the park, he tells me, “Ramón, look at that tree.

 It lost all its leaves in winter and look at it now. That’s how we are too. And I smile because I know it has reason. I lost a lot, but I also gained things I never imagined. One of the things that I am most grateful for are having learned to value the small joys Before I lived in a hurry, always thinking about working, about fulfilling, about not fail.

 Now I enjoy simple things that Before maybe I didn’t even notice. The smell of bread freshly brewed, the first cup of coffee of the day, the song of a bird in the window, a long conversation in the night without having to watch anything or distrust That to me is worth more than any luxury. I also learned to be patient with myself.

 The scars never They disappear completely. sometimes still I have memories that hurt, but not anymore They throw me to the ground. They are like signs of that I survived. And I also learned that love after being betrayed It’s not impossible, it just takes time, calm and a person who knows how to walk with you without rushing you.

 Marta always says, “Ramón, what we are experiencing now is not Youth is maturity. and maturity He also knows how to love beautifully.” And he has reason. Today I know that true love does not makes noise, does not demand, does not shout, does not hide True love is seen in the small gestures, in trust, in the peace that a person brings to your life.

 and If Marta has given me anything, it is peace. Yes you are listening to this story and you are going through betrayal, I want to tell you something from my old heart. It’s not him final. Even if you feel that life is broke, even though it hurts you to breathe, even though you think you won’t be able to continue, yes you can.

 With time, with faith in what comes and with the right people at your side side, the pain is transforming. No disappears completely, but becomes more bearable It’s never too late to get up It’s never too late to start again. I thought my life had gone finished when I found that door locked. and to that man hidden under my bed.

 but here I am two years later with a new story, a new house, a new peace and a heart that beat again without fear. Thank you for listening to this story. Thank you for accompanying this old man in his history. If it touched your heart, let your like and subscribe to the channel Diarios de the grandparents Tell me from where you listen and what time it is there.

 And remember, I tell you with love, life is not ends with a betrayal, sometimes barely begins.