Anna and Marco had been married for three years. To everyone else, they seemed like the perfect couple. Marco was kind, hardworking, and loving. But there was something that deeply troubled Anna: a “strange” habit of her husband’s.
Every night, around midnight or one in the morning, Marco would carefully get up. He would slowly release Anna from her embrace and leave the room. He would walk to the room of his mother, Doña Corazón, who lived with them. And he wouldn’t return until dawn.
The first year, Anna tried to understand.
« My mom has insomnia, » Marco would tell her. « She needs company. »
But in the second year, doubts began to grow.
Was he too attached to his mother? A « mama’s boy »?
By the third year, Anna was consumed by jealousy and mistrust. She felt that Marco loved his mother more than her, as if there were a third person in their marriage.
« Why are you sleeping there? » she confronted him one night. « I’m your wife! You should be with me. What are you doing locked up in there all night? Talking until dawn? »
—Anna, please understand— Marco replied, exhausted, with deep dark circles under his eyes. —My mom is sick. She needs me.
—Sick? I see her fine in the mornings. She eats, watches TV… That sounds like an excuse because you don’t want to sleep with me!
Marco didn’t answer. He lowered his head and left the room in silence.
Blinded by rage and suspicion, Anna made a decision: to follow him. She needed to know the truth.
Midnight arrived.
As always, Marco got up slowly. He thought Anna was asleep, but she was awake, watching in the darkness.
He left the room.
Anna waited five minutes and followed him, walking barefoot so as not to make any noise.
He stopped in front of Doña Corazón’s bedroom door. It was ajar.
Anna peeked out.
I was ready to scream. Ready to confront them both.
But what he saw stopped his heart.
