Page 52 of Stronger Than Fate

“That's absurd!” I exclaimed, unable to contain myself. “I swear I had no idea you were siblings. Besides, at that point Ihad nothing going on with him; we had only crossed paths a couple of times. I can't believe...” I said, distressed and holding my head in my hands.

“Dali, I never thought that. I swear it never crossed my mind. But you need to know everything because I think Sol isn't well, and the anger she feels toward you is concerning.”

“This can't be right. There must be something we're missing because she's never acted like this before.”

“I have no idea because I barely know her. At first, I thought it was just friend jealousy, but this is more than that. If you had seen and heard her talk, you'd think she hates you.”

“Please, continue telling me,” I asked, with an anguish that was tightening my chest.

“The next day she showed up at my atelier. I don't know how she found the address because, as far as I remember, I had never given it to her. I was very surprised, but I tried to act normally so as not to alert her to my concern. On that occasion, she came to tell me that she had found out that you and my brother were sleeping together, and she wanted me to warn Henry that you weren't a trustworthy woman.”

»At that point, I couldn't take it anymore. I told her that I trusted you completely and that I didn't agree with her behavior, that what she was doing was being a bad friend and that you didn't deserve it. As I was telling her this, I watched her face transform from that sweet, concerned girl to an enraged witch.”

“I swear it's hard for me to believe everything you're saying. It's not that I don't trust you—I believe every word you're saying—but I just don't recognize Sol in these behaviors you're describing. I don't understand what's happening.”

“Did you ever notice her being jealous of you?”

“At one point she was jealous of our friend Sean because she said he was more of a buddy with me than with her, but shenever acted the way you're describing. This Sol is not the friend I know.”

“Let me continue. That day in my office, when I said that, she stood up and told me she wanted to warn me because my brother was involved. She got up to leave, but before she turned and told me not to get my hopes up about you because you wouldn't be part of my family.”

“What?”

“Exactly. I think she's not well; she needs professional help. You know her better, but I assure you that girl's head isn't working right, or she's truly just a bad person. I don't want anything more to do with her, I'm sorry, but I don't want to see her again.”

At that moment her phone rang, and Niky took it out of her purse. When she looked at it, she gave me a serious look and showed me the screen.

“It's her. I thought she wouldn't call me anymore. I'm going to answer so you can hear whatever she has to say,” she stated, putting the call on speaker and placing the phone on the table.

I didn't feel good about what she was proposing, but it was what I needed to finally convince myself that Sol wasn't the friend I thought she was.

»“Hello,” Niky said.

»“Hi, Niky, how are you?” Sol greeted.

»“Good, and you?”

»“Still worried. Did you talk to your brother? Did you tell him that Dalina isn't right for him? He needs to know that she's not for him because...”

»“Let me ask you something,” she interrupted. “How do you know my brother well enough to know what's right for him?”

»“The one I know is Dalina, and I assure you she's not the right woman for a respectable businessman like him.”

I listened to her statements and, without realizing it, tears were streaming down my face, and there was nothing I could do about it. Sol was betraying and defaming me. I didn't know her motives, but there was no way to justify what she was doing. My friendship with her had come to an end.

»“I still don't understand why you're doing this. I thought you were Dalina's friend, that you cared for her. How can you talk like this about a friend? Friendship is loyalty,” Niky insisted, looking at me sadly.

»“We were friends, but I can't tolerate her fakeness anymore. Always trying to make all men fall in love with her and then playing with them and trampling their hearts. For many years I put up with it and didn't say anything, but now it involves a friend's brother, and I won't allow it. I won't let her break Henry's heart. I want you to know that I'm on your side, and of course, on your brother's side too. Besides, Dalina is finished for me.”

»“I'll ask you again, and I want you to be honest. Do you know my brother?”

»“Just knowing you is enough to know that he's the same—you're good people, respectable and well-regarded. That's why I have to prevent him from getting hurt.”

»—“And how do you plan to prevent it?” she asked, looking at me with eyes wide as saucers.

»—“By talking to you, but if you don’t do anything, I’ll have to do it myself.”

»—“Do what?”