A wealthy businessman never expected that an ordinary afternoon would reopen a chapter he had buried six years ago. After leaving a long, self-important meeting in Polanco, Julián Castañeda slipped into his armored SUV, eager to escape the noise. As traffic crawled forward, he glanced out the window without interest — and then his world stopped.
Standing on the sidewalk near a pharmacy was Valeria, the woman he had left without goodbye. She looked exhausted, her hair tied back carelessly, simple clothes hanging loosely on her frame. Beside her stood three children — identical, with the same eyes, the same mouth, the same expression. They looked exactly like him.
Julián leaned forward in disbelief, trying to see more clearly. Before he could process it, another car cut between them and blocked his view. “Stop!” he shouted. The driver slammed the brakes as Julián jumped out into the street, scanning the crowded sidewalk in panic. But she was gone.
Moments later, he spotted her crossing the street, holding the children’s hands as they climbed into a gray Uber. He froze, his stomach tightening painfully. He didn’t know whether to call her name or let her disappear again. Within seconds, the car blended into traffic, leaving him trembling.
Back in his SUV, he remained silent the entire ride home. His mind replayed the image of those three children with his face. Six years earlier, he had walked away from Valeria without explanation, chasing a business opportunity that would make him a millionaire. He assumed there would be time later to fix things. There never was.
That night in his Santa Fe apartment, he poured himself a drink before sunset and paced restlessly. Memories flooded back — her laughter, her support, the way she believed in him when he had nothing. He searched for her online, but she had vanished completely from social media, as if she had erased herself from existence.
Digging through old files, he found photos of them together: beach days, lazy nights, shared dreams. Then he opened a forgotten box of mementos. Inside were small reminders of their past — and a positive pregnancy test. His blood ran cold. She had been pregnant when he left.
The realization crushed him. He had abandoned her when she needed him most. Now the children he saw on that sidewalk could very well be his. He immediately called his assistant, Mateo, and ordered him to find Valeria Ortega. “I need to know if those children are mine,” he said firmly.
The next day, Mateo traced an address. Julián drove there alone, hands sweating on the wheel. The neighborhood was modest, far from the luxury he now lived in. The building was worn but alive, filled with families and children playing outside.
At exactly four in the afternoon, Valeria emerged with the three children, each carrying small backpacks. Julián approached her and spoke her name. She turned slowly, freezing when she saw him. The children watched silently as tension filled the air.
“I need to know if they’re mine,” he said quietly. Valeria’s response was cold and controlled. She reminded him how he had left without asking if she was okay. How he had disappeared with nothing but a short apology note. She had raised the children alone.
They agreed to meet the following day at a café. When they sat across from each other, she gave him only fifteen minutes. She handed him a copy of a birth certificate. The father’s name was blank. “You weren’t there,” she said. “I wasn’t going to beg anyone to be a father.”
Julián felt guilt swallow him whole. He offered financial support, help with school, anything. Valeria refused his money. “It’s not about money,” she said. “It’s about them.” She left without saying goodbye, leaving him alone with more questions than answers.
Days passed, but Julián couldn’t let it go. He was certain the children were his. The resemblance was undeniable, and the missing father on the documents confirmed his suspicions. Unable to wait any longer, he decided to seek answers elsewhere.
He contacted Jimena, an old mutual friend who had always known everything about everyone. If anyone could tell him what happened after he left, it was her. She replied almost immediately, surprised that he was searching for Valeria after so many years. They agreed to meet.
And for the first time since that afternoon on the sidewalk, Julián felt that the truth — whatever it might be — was finally within reach.