She’s radiant, so excited.”
“Mom, I’ve saved for three years. I’ve worked two jobs.”
“And you did the right thing; you’re a man. Lucía is a girl; she wants her fairy tale.
You don’t want her to have a worse wedding than her friends’?”
His mother knew how to press the blame button. “You’re the oldest. You owe it to yourself.”
The conversation, as always, led nowhere.
The next day, Lucía herself appeared at the door of their rented one-bedroom apartment, accompanied by Javier. She entered without asking permission, glanced around the humble room, and pursed her lips. “Oh, Ale, do you still live in this hole?”
Javier, a robust young man, shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
“Lucia, maybe you shouldn’t talk like that…” he murmured. “Shouldn’t I? I’m telling the truth!
Come in.”
She carefully took a printed sheet out of her bag. “Budget of expenses.” The figure on the bottom line: €22,000. “Lucia, I can’t.
That’s all. I don’t have any more money.”
“What do you mean, don’t you have any? You work.
You apply for a loan. Dad said they’ll approve it.”
“Javier, what do you think?” Alejandro asked, looking at him directly. “Do you think it’s normal for another man to pay for your wedding?”
Javier blushed and lowered his gaze.
“I told Lucía we could make it simpler… save up ourselves…”
“Save up?” she said contemptuously. “Until retirement? Don’t make me laugh!
Alejandro, you just don’t want to put in the effort for me. You’ve always been jealous of me.”
“Jealous? That everything was given to you with the snap of a finger?”
“Enough!” her voice rumbled.
“Javier’s already uncomfortable, and on top of that, you’re complaining!”
Alejandro looked at her, seeing her pretty, offended face, and for the first time in his life, he felt nothing but a cold, growing irritation. “I’ll think about it,” he said flatly, knowing it was a lie. “Great!” she brightened immediately.
“Oh, I almost forgot! Today we’re going to see the dress. We have to give the deposit, €300.
Do you have it?”
She extended her perfectly manicured hand. And Alejandro, broken inside, took out his wallet. He saw the spark of triumph in her eyes.
The breakup came on Wednesday. After the real estate agent’s call. “Mr.
Martín, good morning. I’m calling about the studio. I regret to inform you that the owners are withdrawing it from the market.”
Alejandro froze.
“What do you mean, withdrawing it? Why? We had already agreed on everything.”
“I’m sorry too.
Your father contacted them. He said your family is going through serious financial difficulties and that you won’t be able to buy. They found another buyer.”
Your father.
He had called. He had decided. He hadn’t just taken her money.
He had entered her future and reduced it to ashes. Alejandro remembered a phrase his father used to repeat to him during arguments: “At your age, I was already supporting the family, and you’re still in the clouds.”
Now he understood. His father wasn’t helping Lucía.
He was getting revenge on Alejandro for the levity he never had. Alejandro hung up silently. Inside, he was empty.
No anger, no sadness. Just a dazzling clarity. He opened the bank app and blocked all his cards.
Then he looked up the number for the wedding agency…
The phone rang several times before someone answered. Alejandro cleared his throat; for the first time in years, he felt in control. “Good afternoon.
This is Alejandro Martín, Lucía’s brother. I’m calling to report a change regarding the event scheduled for July.”
“Sure, Mr. Martín, please tell me,” a friendly voice answered.
“Unfortunately, we must cancel the contract. The funds are no longer available. Please consider the reservation canceled.”
He hung up without waiting for a reply.
An icy calm ran through him. He was no longer the boy who always apologized. Now he was the man who made decisions.
That night, the phone rang nonstop: first his father, then his mother, and finally Lucía. Alejandro let it ring. The silence of his small apartment in Vallecas became, for the first time, a refuge.
A few hours later, there was a persistent knock on the door. It was Lucía and Javier. Her eyes flashed with fury.
— Are you crazy, Ale? Have you canceled everything? You’re making me feel so embarrassed!
My friends already know about the restaurant on Gran Vía! — Yes, I canceled it, — he replied calmly. — It’s not my job to pay for your show.
Javier seemed, for a moment, relieved, but Lucía jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. — You say something too! — Lucía… — he murmured.
— Maybe Alejandro is right. We could have a simpler wedding, just with immediate family. — Traitor!
— she shrieked. — You’re all against me! Alejandro looked at her without rancor, only with the exhaustion accumulated after years of sacrifice.
— Listen to me carefully, Lucía. I saved that money for my life, not for your whims. You get married, you pay.
Or there’s no wedding. I’m no longer your ATM. Lucía started to scream, but Alejandro opened the door and pointed down the hallway.
For the first time in his life, he was closing the door in his family’s face. The next day, in the office of the IT company where he worked, he felt different. Lighter.
The weight of guilt had disappeared. He turned on his computer and began looking for other apartments in Madrid. The prices were high, but not impossible.
For the first time, he thought: “It’s my money. It’s my life.”
That weekend, he received a short message from Javier: “I’m sorry. You did the right thing.
Maybe one day Lucía will understand.”
Alejandro smiled bitterly. It didn’t matter anymore. In the elevator mirror, he saw his own reflection: not the scared boy who always lived for others, but a free man.
And deep down, for the first time in years, he felt a spark of true joy shine.
