Page 107 of Please, Forgive Me
In that moment he looked so vulnerable, so far from the arrogant, controlling man I’d known. And for a split second, I almost felt sorry for him.
I walked slowly toward him, close enough for him to see the seriousness in my eyes. I took his hand firmly, feeling the tension hanging in the air, forcing myself to stay in control.
“Diego, if you want me to believe every word you just said, you’re going to have to do a lot better than that,” I said, my voice low but edged with steel. “You’d have to cry in front of me, show me these apologies are actually coming from your heart, and maybe—just maybe—look credible. Six out of ten for this performance so far. You could improve. So… are you going to start crying now or wait a few seconds? Who knows, maybe you’ll get a seven. That’s up to you.”
Yes, maybe I was being the worst woman alive, but a sad story from his past wasn’t going to soften me.
What we go through doesn’t give us a free pass to take it out on others.
His jaw tightened, and for a moment I thought he’d retreat back into his defensive posture. But instead, he just stood there, staring at me, like he was trying to absorb everything I’d said.
I let go of his hand, a small flicker of satisfaction rising as I saw the confusion in his eyes.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Do I really need to answer that? Apologies aren’t what’s going to fix us, Diego,” I said, stepping back to put some space between us. “You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you, and it won’t be easy. Because apologies don’t erase what you did or undo what I went through. I don’t care what happened with another woman—every person is different. I’m me, she’s her. Lumping all women together was your biggest mistake. Telling me about your past doesn’t make what you did to me any better.”
He stayed silent, his face blank, but something in his eyes told me my words had hit deeper than he wanted to admit.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to do than listen to more explanations,” I said, turning away.
“Maria Gabriela…” he called after me, his voice still carrying a mix of frustration and something heavier. “I’m going to prove I’m telling the truth. And one day, you’re going to forgive me.”
I glanced over my shoulder, allowing myself a small, ironic smile.
“Good luck with that, Diego. It’s going to take more than pretty words to convince me—maybe actions… maybe not even that.”
“The other day I wasn’t just talking,” he said quietly.“I love you, Maria Gabriela.”
“But I don’t love you. I never did. Face the consequences of what you did like a man.”
I left him standing there, alone with the weight of my words. And as I walked away, a strange sense of relief washed over me. I knew he’d stirred something in me, but I wasn’t about to drop my guard.
If Diego wanted another chance, he’d have to work much harder for it—and I’d be the toughest woman he’d ever have to win over.
CHAPTER 43
“Redemption begins the moment we look within ourselves…”
MARIA GABRIELA
The days and weeks passed, and I had to admit—I’d started feeling calmer about Diego.
It wasn’t easy to acknowledge that, but there was something in his recent actions that made me believe he wastruly trying to change. I was still cautious, of course, yet a part of me couldn’t ignore what I was seeing.
Sometimes, when he was alone with Clara, I’d hear him quietly crying—talking to her in a low voice, saying things he’d never have the courage to say to me.
It was as if her presence pulled out a side of him he’d kept hidden from everyone, including me.
His relationship with our daughter had grown in ways I never expected. He was gentle, attentive, and Clara responded with those bright little smiles that melted even my heart.
With every visit, he seemed more at ease, more present—and it was impossible not to notice the love he was building for her.
It was different. Real.
Arthur, his son, had also grown attached to his sister. Their visits together were full of laughter and warmth, and to my surprise, a new kind of dynamic began forming among us. Arthur, who had once just been curious about the baby, now treated her with the sweetest tenderness, as if he already saw her as a permanent part of his world.
And Diego would look at the two of them with this quiet kind of satisfaction, like he was watching an old dream finally take shape.
