Bend, not break

Part 1 - Is she here?

Marta de la Reina crossed the forecourt of the hacienda with quick, determined steps towards the store. Her face was red, her forehead creased. Even from a distance, you could see her jutting jaw, her straight shoulders and her tense muscles looked belligerent. The landowner's daughter was evidently furious and no one in their right mind would dare speak to her now. On the contrary, most of them avoided eye contact and those who could, strove to disappear from view. Only Begoña lifted her gaze as Marta stormed past her, now looking like a Greek fury.

The woman whom she had always admired for her unwavering composure seemed to carry a firestorm she hadn't yet seen in any de la Reina since she had married into the family. On the contrary, it had taken her a long time to accustom herself to poise and discretion being the preferred attributes of the clan. No matter the cost. For a brief moment, she almost felt a pang of envy inside her. But at the last moment, she noticed a tear rolling down Marta's cheek. She had no idea what could have made Marta so visibly angry and hurt at the same time, but she was already certain that Damian or one of the other men had played a big part in it.

There was no point in asking now, so she turned to Isidro and nodded to him, indicating that it was time to leave. He had also been looking after Doña Marta with a worried, pensive expression, but now closed the door of the car after pulling himself together. The car sped off as Marta stepped through the open door of the store.

-

"Hija, this behavior has to stop now, I won't tolerate it any longer. I've tried to be patient with you, I really have, by God. But you are a de la Reina, Marta. And I expect you to behave like one."

Marta could still hear his father's voice, speaking to her in a sharp yet calm tone. It had always been like this. He rarely raised his voice and essentially never lost his temper, but his voice could take on a coldness that made the entire room shiver. No one ever contradicted him, because even in a calm voice he could issue threats that brought everyone to their knees.

"But since you don't seem to be able to do that at the moment, I've spoken to Jaime and we've agreed that it would be good if you were on your own for a while. Without commitments. Without distractions." He emphasized the last words with pinched lips. "What do you mean?" Marta asked. "You and your husband are going to move to our estate in Andalusia for a while." Marta clutched the backrest of her chair she had almost seemed to have been gripping for a while now..

"To Andalusia? What will happen to my work? I can't leave now. Not even for a week."

"I'm not talking about a week."

"I don't understand."

"I think it wwould benefit you, but also your marriage, if you experienced a different environment for a period of time."

Marta turned pale. "For how long?"

"For as long as it takes for you to...," he seemed to search for the right words for a moment, something that rarely happened, "...well...get better again. Until you're back to your old self." His smile seemed devoid of empathy.

"You can't do that. What will happen to my work here?" she repeated. Her voice trembled.

Of course, it was about more than work. Cosmetics and perfume had never been her dream, but she loved having a real position, making her own decisions. She took delight in the freedom as an entrepreneur and boss that most of the women around her had been denied. And despite the last few weeks, despite the separation, she loved seeing Fina from afar, despite all the pain it caused. She had sworn to herself, even though they were no longer a couple, that she would do everything in her power to give Fina a good, independent life and, if necessary, to protect her if it ever came to that. From a distance, if necessary. But by far away, she had never meant further than the distance from her office to the store or the house. She longed to hear Fina's laughter again one day, even if it was no longer hers. More than that, deep inside her lay the hope that one day the situation would change and they might have a chance to be together after all. With what her father was asking of her at the moment, however, any chance would be lost, every spark of hope in vain. Nothing, absolutely nothing would remain for her except an eternity at Jaime's side. And he, who had once been her best friend, didn't deserve that either. She shook her head in despair and looked pleadingly at her father. But she was looking into the eyes of a determined patriarch and patron, not a loving father.