Mariana's cousin, Laura, called her that same night.
"I didn't want to get you into trouble, but you need to know," she said nervously. "They made another group without you or Rodrigo."
Mariana froze.
-So that?
Laura took a deep breath.
—To get organized and go to your house on the 24th anyway. Your mom said that when you see them outside, with suitcases, children and half-eaten food, you're going to bend over backwards as usual.
Mariana felt a blow to her stomach.
—Did you say that?
—Óscar said you don't have the character to leave them on the street. Karina said your drama would pass.
Mariana hung up, speechless. For five years she had provided for everyone. She had sacrificed rest, money, and peace. And now they were planning to invade her home as punishment for saying "no."
Rodrigo found her sitting in the bedroom, with red eyes.
"I can't take it anymore," she whispered.
He sat down next to her.
—Then don't do it anymore.
Mariana looked at him.
—I want to sell the house.
She thought Rodrigo was going to say she was exaggerating. But he just took her hand.
—The house is ours, not a family obligation. If that house has become a prison, let's get out of there.
The next day they called a real estate agent, Patricia. She inspected the property, took photos, and said it could sell quickly because the area was in high demand.
"Are you in a hurry?" he asked.
Mariana answered without hesitation:
—Before Christmas.
They painted the walls, packed up decorations, and cleaned every corner. In less than two weeks, they received an excellent offer. Mariana and Rodrigo found a smaller, modern apartment near the city center, with security and only two bedrooms.
"There's no guest room," Rodrigo said.
Mariana smiled for the first time in days.
-Perfect.
Meanwhile, the family chat was still buzzing. Karina sent a list of ingredients that “Mariana needed to buy.” Óscar warned:
“We arrived on the 23rd at night.”
Doña Teresa wrote:
“Stop with the tantrum. Your dad is very excited.”
Mariana did not answer.
On the morning of the 23rd, while signing the final papers for the sale, he received a call from his mother.
—We're leaving now. We'll arrive in 3 hours.
"Don't come," Mariana said.
—Don't start again. Your brother already carried the suitcases.
Mariana closed her eyes.
—Mom, I sold the house.
There was a long silence.
—What did you say?
—I sold the house. I don't live there anymore.
Doña Teresa let out a scream.
—Did you sell your house just to leave us without Christmas?
—I sold my house because I needed peace. And yes, knowing they were planning to force their way in helped me decide.
The messages exploded. Óscar called her ungrateful. Karina wrote that she had destroyed the family. Her mother sent audio messages crying as if Mariana had committed a crime.
She turned off her cell phone.
That Christmas Eve, Mariana and Rodrigo ate cakes for dinner, sitting on crates, without a tree or a fancy tablecloth. But no one yelled. No one made a mess in their kitchen. No one treated her like a servant.
The next morning he turned on his phone. He had 86 messages.
The last one was from his mom:
“I went to the house. The new owners were already there. We need to talk. There’s a reason your brother needed that house.”
And Mariana understood that the worst truth had not yet come out.
What do you think Mariana's family was hiding? The ending changes everything.
PART 3 For more information, continue to the next page
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