They Called Me the Ugly High School Graduate, and My Family Disowned Me. Ten Years Later…

“At his main office, at three. I’ll send you the address by message.”

After hanging up, I shared the information with Gabriel. “It seems our weekend of revelations continues.”

“Frank Fuentes isn’t a man for Sunday meetings unless it’s something extraordinarily important,” Gabriel commented. “Or potentially lucrative.”

At 3:00 sharp, I found myself in the impressive Fuentes Corporation building, being escorted by Claudia to the main office. The place breathed power and success, very different from the ostentatious style my father preferred for his facilities.

Frank Fuentes received me with professional courtesy. To my surprise, Michael was also there with a serious expression and red eyes that suggested lack of sleep.

“Lucy, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Frank began. “The situation is delicate.”

Michael intervened. “I canceled the honeymoon.” His voice sounded hollow, devoid of the happiness that should characterize a newlywed.

“What? Why?” I asked, genuinely surprised. My intention had never been to destroy their marriage, just reveal the truth about my family.

“After our conversation last night, I confronted Sarah,” Michael explained. “I wanted to give her the opportunity to explain herself, to tell me her version of what happened with you. But instead of that, she confirmed everything you had told me, and more.”

“Not only did they repudiate you for not meeting their aesthetic standards,” Frank took the floor, “but Sarah actively participated in your exclusion.”

“Normally I wouldn’t get involved in personal matters, but this has taken a turn that potentially affects our business interests,” he added.

“How exactly?” I asked, trying to understand why I was being included in what seemed like a private marital drama.

“Sarah revealed that your father has been using privileged information to manipulate certain acquisitions,” Frank explained. “Information that apparently Michael shared, trusting in his wife’s discretion.”

Michael looked devastated. “I was naive. I thought I was sharing business details with my future wife, not with an industrial spy for Edward Martinez.”

The revelation left me stunned. My sister had not only participated in my family expulsion, but now had betrayed her own husband’s trust out of loyalty to our father.

“The toxic family at its maximum expression,” I murmured more to myself than to them.

“Precisely,” Frank nodded. “And now we have a problem. Sensitive information about our next corporate strategies is in your father’s hands, potentially compromising millions in investments.”

“And what does this have to do with me?” I asked, though I already intuited the answer.

“We need your help,” Frank replied directly. “Your inside knowledge of how Edward Martinez operates, combined with your experience in financial restructuring, could be crucial to mitigate the damage.”

“Besides,” Michael added, “you’re the only person with family connections who has demonstrated integrity in this whole matter.”

The irony didn’t escape me. The same family that had rejected me for considering me inadequate now faced the consequences of their own duplicity. And I, the exile, was now sought as savior.

“I understand the situation,” I replied carefully. “But I must ask: what happens with Sarah? She’s my sister, despite everything.”

Michael looked toward the window, avoiding my gaze. “She’s at your parents’ house. I asked her for time to reconsider our marriage and the legal aspect of all this.”

“I asked Frank,” I said.

“For now, we’re evaluating options,” he replied. “But if we confirm there was deliberate use of privileged information, we’ll proceed with legal actions.”

I felt a chill. The revenge I had imagined for years was materializing in ways I had never foreseen, with potentially devastating consequences for my entire biological family.

“I need time to think,” I said finally. “This goes beyond a simple professional collaboration.”

Frank nodded understandingly. “Of course. But don’t delay too much. In the business world, every hour counts when there are information leaks.”

I left the meeting with a turbulent mind. On one hand, the poetic justice was undeniable; the family that had humiliated me now faced their own public humiliation. On the other hand, did I really want to be an instrument of their total destruction?

My phone rang again. This time it was a familiar number I hadn’t seen in a decade.

“Lucy?” her voice sounded broken, almost unrecognizable. “We need to talk. It’s an emergency.”

The tone of genuine desperation surprised me. “What’s happening?” I asked cautiously.

“Your father has had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital.”

My world stopped momentarily. Despite everything, the news deeply impacted me. “Is it serious?” I asked, feeling a knot in my throat.

“The doctors say it’s serious. He’s stable but, Lucy, he’s been asking for you.”

The revelation left me speechless. The man who had expelled me from his life, who had erased my existence from family history, now sought me in his moment of vulnerability.

“I’ll go,” I replied simply before hanging up.

The private hospital where my father was interned was the same where, ironically, I had been born thirty-two years ago. As I walked through the aseptic hallways, I felt the weight of the decision I was about to make: forgive, get revenge, or simply close the circle to be able to move forward.

In the waiting room, I found Sarah with smudged makeup and a desolate expression. When she saw me, she stood up hesitantly, as if she didn’t know whether to approach or maintain distance.

“She came,” she said simply, addressing my mother who was sitting in a corner.

My mother approached, aged ten years in a single day. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered, taking my hands. “It means a lot.”

“I haven’t come for you,” I clarified honestly. “I’ve come because, despite everything, he’s my father.”

Sarah looked away, unable to meet my gaze. “Michael told you everything, I suppose,” she murmured.

“Yes,” I replied simply. “Though I don’t understand why, Sarah. Why betray your own husband?”