I am standing in front of Mila. Everyone in the house has gone out to do something. She sits down on the dining table and stares at me without saying anything.

- Why? I ask as I put down my cup of tea.

- Why?

- Why did you sleep with James behind my back?

- You want to know the truth," she laughed. I was dating James before he got involved with you. He went out with you thinking you could help him with some financial problems. His business was going bankrupt and he needed money.

- He could have asked his parents," I said, staring at her.

- What for? His mother was clear as he didn't want to take over the family business. He had to prove himself without relying on his family.

- And you're going to tell me that you accepted this compromise," I said. You're far too proud for that.

- You think I had a choice? He had borrowed money from loan sharks and he had to pay it back as soon as possible. He had a choice: plata o plomo. They had made it clear that if anyone was ever involved in this, everything would have gone to hell.

Mila sighs and brushes her hair back before looking at me.

- You all think life is great, but none of you know what he's been through. He slept with Christian, so what? I knew about it, the only rule between us was that everything had to be private.

- Doesn't the fact that he's cheating on you bother you? I asked intrigued.

The proud Mila knew when to get off her high horse. She clenched her jaw and took a sip of coffee.

- I'd rather he did it openly and for me to know than behind my back. It's his life and his body, he's free to do what he wants. If he really wanted to cheat on me, he would have done it anyway.

- What a way to think.

- I get that from my mother," she smiled. Why did you forgive Christian but not me?

- Because Christian isn't my sister. I trusted you. I really did. I was sure you would never betray my trust. Except I didn't expect anything from Christian.

- You all think I'm the bad guy in this story, except I was actually James' girlfriend. He fell in love with you by spending time with you. I ended up alone, and people kept comparing us even in public.

Mila's point of view

The comments in public, the criticism from my father, the criticism from my mother for not doing as well as my half-sister. All because she was going to get engaged at the last minute.

Everyone thinks my mother must have been happy. Well, she wasn't. She called me a homewrecker. She'd done the same thing I'd done to get us off the streets. To get away from gang wars and prostitution.

After some time with James, I knew that the only thing that would keep him around was a child. He was finally starting to come around.

I had a nervous pregnancy and my mother hid it by making my recovery look like a miscarriage.Alma puts her empty cup in front of me and glares at me.

- Is that why you decided to invite me to the engagement party? she asks curtly. Did you want to show me that you were better than me? Why did you use me instead of just asking me for help?

No. It's not that. Things are much more complicated than they seem. James isn't just a sex-crazed jerk. I'm not just a gold digger. The problem is, you'll never be able to put yourself in our shoes.

Not you, the little princess. Daddy loved you so much that he was always nagging me to be more like you.

His perfect daughter.

And after you left without saying anything, he decided to erase you from his life. You didn't have the courage to seek an explanation or to leave properly. You just ran away. You left us behind as if we didn't matter. Whether it's your father, your twin or your grandmother.

You ran away without a trace. Like a coward.

I can understand how I hurt you and betrayed you with James. Except the others didn't deserve that. They didn't deserve the sleepless nights they spent worrying or the tears they shed after thinking they'd lost you forever.

- We got into this because you were the only way we could get that much money in that short amount of time. James paid you back, didn't he?

Alma nods, looking stern.

- I came to you for help, but my mother was putting you through hell and you were doing everything to avoid me. I was lucky if I saw you, even if only on the street at the time.

- It was the worst possible solution," said Alma.

- They often say the end justifies the means," I sighed. It's probably not right, but I couldn't let James risk his life. Not after what he had done for me.

If his business was going bankrupt, it was my fault after all. He was extorted a fortune to keep pictures taken without our knowledge off social media.

Pictures of me, my mother and Alma at the time. My mother was already having a hard time with this new family life that had been pushed on her. I knew she wouldn't be able to get over it. Alma...

I had noticed that she was not well. She had developed a complex because my mother thought that taking it out on her would make her feel better. Except she just needed help, not a way out.

James paid up without thinking twice. And since then, we've stuck together.

Except that after thinking about it all night, I decided to give up. We've reached a point where we don't know why we're together anymore. I'm grateful for everything James has done for me, but 

I want to start over, away from my mother and all these problems.

I stand up before getting down on my knees and bowing my head.

- I'm sorry for what we did to you," I say, bowing my head even more. It shouldn't have happened like that, it's true.

- Get up," Alma orders, "you're not in Japan anymore, you're in Spain. If you wanted to apologise to me, you should have done so earlier.

- Alma, I'm not even asking you to accept my apology, just to hear me out. Whatever James did, he didn't do it with the intention of hurting you. He thought he was doing a good thing, but he chose the worst ways to do it and so did I.

- I don't want your excuses. You destroyed my life when I saw you, that was the last straw.

- And you think you didn't destroy mine when you came here? I asked with tears in my eyes. Every day my mother saw you and your brother, she remembered that she didn't belong here. That it was her fault when it was Dad's fault for not knowing how to keep his zip shut.

Alma had a scowl on her face. She knew the truth. My mother was mocked several times for not realising the second home our father had started. Stares rained down on us, not to mention indiscreet remarks.

She was tricked into thinking he was still single.

- Stop blaming me, I didn't make him behave like that.

- Don't you remember the day of our parents' tenth wedding anniversary? When you were 15 and you got into a fight with my mother because she wouldn't let you leave the room. We all knew you were going to run away. And you started screaming at her that she was an adulteress and that she only earned her place by going under the desk. That was even why she was still here.

Because your mother was dead.

Alma looks down, troubled by my words.

- Do you know what it did to her when her husband didn't even have the courage to refute the words of a 15-year-old girl in public? I asked, looking at her sternly.

Everyone has their reasons and wrongs for acting one way rather than another and it's time to move on. I've made mistakes, but I've been able to admit them and James had better do the same.

I stand up and dust off my clothes before looking Alma in the eye.

- I know you want revenge, and that's your choice," I say. Except that before you wanted revenge, you would have tried to find out what was behind everyone's actions.

Voices echoed from the hallway and headed our way. James enters the dining room and takes me in his arms. I let him do so before taking him to our bedroom upstairs. He sits on the bed and looks up at the ceiling.

- James, we should cut the crap," I say, smiling at him.

- When we've already come this far? he asks.

- We're doing more harm than good together. I want you to find a girl who will bring out the best in you. And that girl is not me.

- So what? We're happy together," he protests, taking my hand.

- You're going back to your old ways James. Sometimes holding on does more damage than letting go. That's what we're doing. We're destroying everyone around us.

- What are you trying to tell me?

- We better break up now before it's too late. The only things that bind us together are the mistakes we've made in the past.

- No, it's not. Mila, please. . .

- Yes, it is. We both need to move on and take responsibility. It's time to grow up.