Page 62 of Please, Forgive Me

I stood up and took a step toward her, not bothering to hide the anger pulsing through me.

“Oh, I can,” I said, my tone low, controlled—but dripping with venom. “And I am. Believe me, I can make this much worse for you if I want to. And trust me, Gabriela… I want to.”

Her eyes widened for a split second, her expression torn between shock and frustration. But then, something flickered there—anger.

She wanted to fight back but knew she couldn’t. I could see her trying to hold on to her dignity, though it was obvious she was breaking inside.

Silence.

The only sound in the room was the ticking clock on the wall, each second stretching longer than the last as I stared her down, waiting for a reaction.

“You’re really going to keep me here all night?” she finally asked, exhaustion and disbelief dripping from every word.

I tilted my head, my gaze still locked on hers.

“Until you finish. Unless, of course, you’d rather I add more work to your list? Because honestly, I can do that too.”

Her face flushed red, and for a moment, I thought she was going to cry—but she didn’t give me that satisfaction. She just stared back at me, anger and determination flashing in her eyes. It stirred something in me—something I forced down before it could surface.

She turned away and walked slowly toward the door. I knew I’d pushed her to the edge.

And that was what I wanted, wasn’t it? I wanted to see how far she’d bend before she broke. But as she reached the door, something inside me twisted.

Maybe it was guilt.

Or maybe it was something deeper, something I didn’t want to name. For a second, I almost called her back—almost told her she could go home, that it was fine.

But pride won.

She’d made me furious with that ridiculous story about the pregnancy—that betrayal I couldn’t get out of my head. I needed control, and she was on the verge of taking it from me.

“Remember this,” I called out before she could leave. She stopped at the door and turned her head slightly toward me.“You still owe me five more months. Don’t think I’ll forget. And believe me, I’ll make sure every single one of them is… unforgettable.”

She didn’t answer. She just left, closing the door behind her—not slamming it, but firm enough to make a point.

When she was gone, I exhaled, long and heavy, collapsing into my chair. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the tension coiled in every muscle of my body.

Part of me said she deserved it—for trying to fool me.

But the other part—the one I didn’t want to listen to—whispered that I was only fooling myself.

MARIA GABRIELA

I stayed at Amacel until around eleven that night, finishing every bit of work Diego had dumped on me. I knew that standing up to him would destroy any future opportunity—here or anywhere else—but that didn’t mean my anger and contempt for him had faded.

If anything, they’d only gotten worse.

Exhausted, drained, my heart heavy, I finally left the building and stepped into the cool night air. The breeze brushed against my face, and for the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe.

I needed something. Something that could make me forget—if only for a moment—the chaos my life had become. And almost on impulse, I decided to do something different that night.

Instead of heading straight home, I turned toward an animal shelter near my apartment.

I’d always dreamed of adopting a dog, but between the long hours, the bills, and my emotional mess, I’d kept putting it off. Tonight, though… I needed this.

Something new. Something that could bring a little joy back into my life.

When I arrived, one of the staff members greeted me. He looked surprised to see someone show up that late, but his smile was kind. He led me to the dog area, and the moment my eyes landed on a medium-to-large German shepherd with deep brown eyes and black-and-gold fur, I knew. He was the one.