I will finally keep all your money, you. Your disgusting hands will never touch a woman like me again. The woman sneered as she signed the divorce papers, not knowing what she would hear. On the stand was Marcus, a man who had worked his whole life for success. As a child he lived in a humble neighborhood where every day he faced rejection and discrimination because of the color of his skin. After many years of working day and night, Marcus was able to create a successful technology company that quickly made him a millionaire.
I had money, recognition, but I also felt a deep sadness. Then he met Daniela. She was a beautiful, charming woman who seemed to love him deeply, but behind her smiles and sweet words was a dark truth. Daniela comes from a family with strong racist prejudices and from the first day Marcus appeared in front of them, she received looks of contempt and indirect comments full of cruelty. At first, Marcus ignored the signs, blinded by love and the hope of starting the family he never had.
After they got married, Daniela began to show her true colors. She made embarrassing comments about Marcus, always pretending to be a joke, making fun of his friends who shared his wrong views. If it weren’t for the money he had, he would never have been with her. “It’s giving me so much cabbage,” Daniela secretly commented with her friends, between laughs filled with mockery. After a while, Marcus began to suspect infidelity when Daniela began to withdraw emotionally. Strange dates, now inappropriate messages, meaningless excuses, but he decided to give it one last chance.
She had great faith in the promise of marriage they had made. One night, Marcus found her with another man. The pain was deep, unbearable. She decided to divorce him immediately, knowing that the person she thought she loved only saw in her a source of income. The day of the divorce arrived in the courtroom, while Marcus was about to silently sign the papers, Daniela looked at him with a contemptuous smile and said loudly for everyone to hear, “I’ve finally gotten rid of you.
I hope I never marry someone like you again. You never deserve me. Do you really believe that someone could truly love you for who you are? I’m only with you for your money. You’re pathetic. Marcus remained calm, though the words pierced him deeply. The judge paused, and looked at Daniela sternly. Before he could speak, Daniela sneered, laughed shamefully, and pointed directly at Marcus. What’s the matter, Marcos? Were you expecting a miracle? Did you think someone would take your side?
He shouted with contempt. And you are a scumbag who should not have been able to escape the misery he came from. Filth. And do you believe that because you wear an expensive suit and have money, you can hide who you really are? Marcus breathed slowly, his fists clenched tightly under the table, trying to stop the flood of emotions that was burning inside him. I just thought, “How can I spend so many years with someone who despises me like this?” Daniela did not stop, fueled by her own hatred and pride.
“Listen to me, scum,” Daniela continued. “All this time I had to pretend to be okay with you. I was annoyed every time I touched you, every time you looked at me. I was only with you for your money and now that I’ve finally gotten rid of you, I’m telling you clearly in front of everyone. You’ll never be anyone, Marcus. You’ll never be enough because you’ll always be a worthless black person.” Marcus slowly looked at Daniela. His eyes were trembling, filled with intense pain. His cracked voice, almost a whisper, broke the embarrassing silence.
Daniela, all this time together meant nothing to you. In truth, not a single moment was real. Marcus paused and tried to control his emotions. I have only one question. Since when? Since when have you been cheating on me? Daniela slowly turned her head to him, a cold and cruel smile curving her lips. Without any remorse on her face, she answered hesitantly. Do you want the truth, Mark? From the first day I was with you, I felt nothing but disgust.
You never meant anything real to me. Every caress, every kiss, every hug from you made me feel disgusted. And yes, I was disobedient to you from the beginning, and not to just one, but to many people who deserved me. Marcus felt that every word Daniela said was breaking him inside. However, he clung to a small hope and asked, “Why, Daniela? Why did you make me believe that you loved me all this time? I am so sad for you. Daniela laughed sarcastically before answering harshly, and her tone was even higher so that everyone could hear her clearly.
Why? Do you want to know why? Because you can’t hurt me, eh. And never. Just your presence makes me dizzy. I look for in others what you can’t give me with your dirty skin. You don’t know how to make a woman like me happy. I need real men, not a wretch like you. Tears silently rolled down Marcus’ face as he listened to those words and gritted his teeth. He tried to understand why he had made the mistake of trusting his heart to someone so cruel.
Marcus tried to take a deep breath and looked at Daniela, who was asking him with the last shred of hope left in him. “Haven’t you ever seen anything beautiful in me? “Not even once, have you felt anything real?” Daniela, who was unwavering and cold, responded immediately with a venomous smile. I saw nothing but your money. And now that it was finally over, I didn’t have to pretend to care. Now everyone knew what you were, a piece of trash that shouldn’t have come out of the hole of sadness from which it came.
The room remained silent. All eyes were focused on Marcus, who seemed completely broken. No one thought there was anything else to discover in that room. The judge took a deep breath and raised his voice sternly. Mrs. Daniela, now it’s my turn to speak and you’d better listen carefully to what I have to say. Daniela, with her arms still crossed and the expression of supremacy stamped on her face, looked impatiently at the stage, unaware that she was about to lose control of the scene.
Marcus, his eyes still wet, said nothing. I couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t understand how someone could hate the person who had once called him love. The judge slowly closed the file in front of him and his gaze, serious, sharp, was focused directly on Daniela. “Mrs. Daniela,” he said with a more serious tone, full of strangeness, a mixture of disapproval, anger and above all authority. You’ve said a lot now, terrible things.
And as you laughed, as you insulted her with a level of contempt that personally humiliated me as a person, you paused for a moment, letting each word weigh in the air. I was reviewing the important information from this case. Daniela frowned. For the first time, her smile faded and a slight quiver crossed her left eyebrow. Her body language began to change, but those who were paying attention could see it. The judge leaned forward slightly and placed a document on the table in front of him.
And what I found changed everything. Daniela, trying to regain her arrogant position, responded without hesitation, although her voice seemed less confident. So what? Another legal farce. Hurry up, I’m done with this circus. I want to be rid of this monkey as soon as possible. The judge didn’t open his eyes, looked at Marcus, then back at Daniela and finally said, “Then listen carefully, ma’am, because in the next few seconds your whole life will change. A long, deliberate pause, the kind of pause that makes your skin stand on end and your heart race for no reason.
Marcus’ eyes, though still sad, were slightly closed, as if he sensed something about to shine. Something that even though he didn’t know for sure, he felt. Daniel swallowed hard. The sound seemed to echo off the walls of the room. The judge took a piece of paper in his hands, held it up carefully and before reading it looked up and said slowly, “Because there is nothing, absolutely nothing that you think belongs to you.” The judge’s sentence fell like thunder.
Daniela opened her eyes, she didn’t understand what she heard at first. Her arrogant smile disappeared in an instant, replaced by a grimace of disbelief. “What? What did he say?” her voice spoke in a tone, almost hysterical. No, that’s impossible. That’s my house, my cars, my money, this is what I own for enduring this abominable time. The judge looked at her steadily with a silence that seemed to pierce the air full of tension. Mrs. Daniela, everything you consider legal to be yours is not yours.
Mientes shouted, suddenly standing up from his seat. It was a beautiful lie. Marcus turned on him angrily. You planned this, you damned one. Maybe you deceived me from the beginning. You must have kidnapped me from that life to take everything from me. Marcus, his eyes still red from the pain, looked at her without saying a word. There was only a deep silence between the two, as Daniela sank into a spiral of despair. This is a conspiracy, she shouted, and slammed her hands on the table.
I’ll take care of you, Mark. You’re sick. You caught me with your traps. This is a kidnapping. It can’t all be mine. The judge was exhausted, and hit the gavel hard. Silence in the courtroom. Daniela stood there, her breath trembling, but she shook her head repeatedly, as if trying to wake up from a nightmare. No, no, no. I married him. He owes me everything, she said, angrily pointing at Marcus.
“Son, you won’t leave me on the road. But for the first time in the entire process, Marcus slowly got up from his seat. His face no longer felt pain. Now it was a mixture of strength and restrained justice. He approached her without taking his eyes off her, while Daniela took a step back, feeling something had changed in her. Marcus said all this in a deep but clear voice. Daniela, everything you did, all the hatred you threw at me, the betrayals, you did everything believing you had something to hide.
Now, your world has collapsed in front of everyone. The judge took a deep breath and continued reading from the document with deadly silence. Because the prenuptial agreement you signed, Mrs. Daniela, proves that not only are you entitled to a cent, but also that Daniela is not disturbed, screaming like a trapped animal. That is wrong. You two are in Cavite. They can’t take away my property. I am going to the zoo. A whisper ran through the room. The tension was so thick that anyone watching the scene felt their hearts beating, waiting for the final bomb to be released on the scene.
was about to explode, but everything you touched, everything you bought with your card, even the jewelry you were wearing, the judge continued, ignoring your cries, legally belonged to Marcus. You have nothing. Daniela was paralyzed. A deadly silence filled the room. For a moment it seemed as if the world had stopped spinning around her. Then, suddenly, it exploded. No, it couldn’t be. That’s a lie. They can’t do this to me. She screamed with tears of anger streaming down her face.
Her voice was a mixture of hysteria and fear. Marcus, without losing his composure, stared at her and said, “Everything you did, Daniela, was ultimately for nothing.” Daniela stood like a wounded statue. Her hands were shaking, her makeup starting to drip with tears of anger and despair. Then Marcus slowly turned to her, still calm in contrast to the emotional turmoil she had unleashed. He continued walking until he was only a meter away.
He looked at her with a mixture of pity. “Do you know what, Daniela?” he said calmly but loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Keep the jewelry.” A whisper ran through the room. The chains, the rings, the watch, everything you have, he added, I don’t need any of that. Material things have never been important to me. All I want is to have a true love, a true love. But you, you only want gold, so keep it. May it serve as a necklace when you drown in your emptiness.
Marcus’s words were like oil burning on fire. Daniela trembled all over her eyes that bulged as if her soul had suddenly been torn apart by a burning comb. Those words, keep it, I don’t need it, stuck to her like a knife. For someone like him, obsessed with appearances, with luxury, with feeling superior, that wasn’t generosity, it was humiliation. A direct blow to his rotten ego. “What did you say, you fucking idiot?” he shouted, his voice completely distorted with anger. The referee raised his hand to intervene, but it wasn’t fast enough.
Daniela screamed like a demon released from hell and violently confronted Marcus, her nails clawing like claws, her designer dress trailing behind her like a shattered shadow. I’ll kill you, damn it. You didn’t leave me. I’ll destroy you first. She screamed madly. But Marcus didn’t move. He didn’t back down, he just looked at her with a silence that hurt more than any punch, as if his anger toward her was powerless. “Look,” she said as security held her back.
“Lahat ng mahal mo ay nakabitin sa leeg mo. Malaya na ako ngayon. “Ang mga guwardiya ng korte ay nakipaglaban sa kanya, sinusubukang pigilan siya habang siya ay sumisigaw, nagpupumilit at sinipa tulad ng isang nakulong na hayop. Hindi, hindi ito patas. Siya ay isang itim na tao mula sa Karapat-dapat ako sa lahat. Ako, ako, ikaw, ay karapat-dapat na nasa lansangan. Doon ka nabibilang, sigaw niya, hanggang sa naging desperadong umalingawngaw ang boses niya sa katahimikan ng mga dumalo. At nang hilahin siya palabas ng silid, ang huling sigaw niya ay tumagos sa mga dingding.
“Hindi naman mawawala ‘yan, Mark. And, I swear to you na sulit naman ang ibabayad nyo :). Si Marcus, nang hindi tumalikod ay umupo muli, pumikit sandali, at huminga sa unang pagkakataon sa loob ng maraming taon. Nanatiling nakaupo si Marcus habang ang mga sigaw ni Daniela ay naglaho sa pasilyo, na tinangay ng echo at seguridad. Bumalik ang katahimikan sa silid na parang mabigat na kumot, ngunit sa pagkakataong ito hindi dahil sa tensyon, kundi dahil sa isang bagay na mas malalim, ang bigat ng katotohanan.
Ang hukom ay nagbigay ng huling suntok gamit ang sledgehammer, at taimtim na tinapos ang kaso. Inaprubahan ang diborsyo. Walang ibinahaging mga kalakal. malaya siya sa anumang kaugnayan kay Mrs. Daniela Álvarez. Hindi gumalaw si Marcus, nakatayo siya roon na mag-isa sa kanyang upuan at nakatitig sa kawalang-kabuluhan at biglang tumulo ang mga luha. Hindi sila pasabog o dramatikong luha, hindi sila galit o paghihiganti. Ang mga ito ay tahimik na luha, ang uri ng ipinanganak mula sa isang nasirang kaluluwa. Hindi siya umiiyak dahil nawalan siya ng bahay, kotse, o pera.
Umiyak siya para sa isang bagay na mas malupit, para sa imahe na itinayo niya sa kanyang puso, para sa mga pangarap na minsan niyang ibinahagi sa isang babaeng kilala niya ngayon na hindi kailanman nagmahal sa kanya. Paano masasaktan nang labis na makita kung ano ang isang taong minsan mong naisip na hawak ang iyong kamay sa katandaan? Iyon ang naisip niya nang masira ang kanyang puso. Dahil ang pinakamahirap na bagay ay hindi ang pagtataksil, ito ay ang pag-unawa na mahal niya ito, na naniniwala siya sa kanya, na pinili niya ito at na ang pagpipiliang iyon ay humantong sa kanya sa impiyerno.
Lumipas ang mga linggo, pagkatapos ay buwan. Si Daniela, sa kanyang marangyang apartment, na halos hindi na niya kayang bayaran, ay nagsimulang maramdaman ang tunay na kahungkagan. Hindi na siya tinatawagan ng mga lalaking nakapaligid sa kanya. Tumigil sa pagpapakita ang mga kaibigang tinukso niya kay Marcus. Ang natitira lamang ay ang malamig, walang kabuluhan, mabibigat na hiyas, tulad ng isang kadena na naaalala ang bawat salita na kanyang sinabi, bawat pang-iinsulto na kanyang binigkas. Isang hapon, habang naglalakad sa isang shopping street, nakita siya ni Daniela. Nakipag-usap si Marcus sa isang magandang babae, ngunit hindi dahil sa mababaw na kahulugan.
Iyon ang kanyang kalmado at tunay na tingin. Kinausap niya ito at ngumiti siya nang may init na katulad ng pagtingin niya sa kanya. Hawak niya ang isang bata sa kamay, ang kanyang anak, ang kanyang pamilya. Nagtago si Daniela sa likod ng isang display case. Walang nakakakilala sa kanya. Wala na siyang tao ngayon, anino lamang sa buhay ng isang tao na, sa kabila ng lahat, nagawa niyang maging masaya. At sa sandaling iyon ay naramdaman niya ang bukol sa kanyang lalamunan. Ang nag-aapoy sa mga mata, ang kahungkagan sa dibdib, ang pagsisisi.
Ngunit huli na ang lahat. Ang lalaking itinuring niyang basura ngayon ay naglalakad na parang hari, malaya, minamahal, natutupad. At nakulong siya sa pagitan ng mga diamante na hindi na nagniningning at mga alaala na hindi na babalik.