“Valeria’s parents are stubborn,” Patricia’s recorded voice hissed on the speakers. “But she’s just a child. She drinks what I give her. She trusts me. By the end of the month, there won’t be a ‘problem’ for Mateo to worry about.”
My father let out a sound that wasn’t human—a low, guttural growl of pure agony. He lunged toward Patricia, but the school counselor and the security guard, who had been waiting outside, stepped in.
“Don’t touch her, Mr. Gomez,” the principal warned. “The police are already on their way. We called them ten minutes ago.”
Mrs. Rebeca Rivas finally lost her composure. The designer bag slipped from her shoulder, hitting the floor with a dull thud. “This is a setup! That video is doctored! My son is a minor, you can’t use this!”
“Actually,” the principal replied calmly, “your son is eighteen. He stayed back a year, remember? And since he is an adult, and this video suggests a conspiracy to commit a crime against a minor—Valeria—the law is very clear.”
Mateo looked like he was about to vomit. The “Golden Boy” of the soccer team was gone. In his place was a terrified boy whose privilege had finally hit a wall it couldn’t climb over.
The Mystery Messenger
“Who sent the message, Valeria?” my mother asked, her voice trembling as she grabbed my phone.
I couldn’t speak. I just pointed to the screen. My mother read the text aloud: “Your baby was not the first.”
The room went still again. Aunt Patricia’s face turned from pale to a sickly grey.
Suddenly, the door to the office opened again. A girl walked in. She was a senior, someone I barely knew—Lucia, the quiet girl who sat in the back of the library. She was holding a stack of old journals.
“I recorded it,” Lucia said, her voice steady despite the tears in her eyes. “I’ve been following Mrs. Rivas for two years.”
She walked over to me and took my hand. Her palms were sweating, but her grip was like iron.
“Two years ago, it was my sister,” Lucia said, looking directly at Mateo. “She was fifteen, just like Valeria. She was pregnant with Mateo’s baby. Your mother didn’t offer us money, Mrs. Rivas. She sent Patricia to ‘counsel’ us. She gave my sister those same ‘calming teas.’ My sister lost the baby… and then she lost her mind. She’s in a facility now. She doesn’t even remember my name.”
