I choose you

Chapter Thirteen-ANDRÉS

Three months.

Three months since I started working at Galicia.

And I loved every single second of it.

Every.

Single.

Second.

I loved the pressure.

I loved the long hours.

I loved walking into the office at eight in the morning and realizing I might not leave until ten at night.

I loved the adrenaline that came with a case changing at the last minute.

I loved negotiations.

I loved watching a contract finally get signed after weeks of arguments over one clause.

I loved closing deals.

I loved winning.

Especially winning.

Five major cases.

Five.

In three months.

I still couldn’t believe it sometimes.

And these weren’t small cases.

These were major corporate matters involving companies with thousands of employees and international operations.

I had been part of ten mergers and acquisitions.

Ten.

Some involved companies whose names everyone knew.

Fortune 500 companies.

Companies worth billions.

Companies employing thousands of people.

I had sat in rooms with executives who had more money than I could probably spend in ten lifetimes.

And I loved it.

I loved every minute.

The pressure didn’t scare me.

It made me sharper.

The long hours didn’t bother me.

They made me feel useful.

The constant research, negotiations, meetings, drafting, reviewing, arguing—

I loved it.

For the first time in my life, I had something that was completely mine.

My career.

My work.

My reputation.

Nobody could take that away from me.

And that was probably why I had become so protective of it.

I wanted to earn everything.

Every case.

Every client.

Every promotion.

Every opportunity.

I didn’t want anyone thinking I was there because I was Mateo Del Ríos’ husband.

I wanted them to know me as Andrés.

The lawyer.

And after three months, I think they did.

I sat behind my desk one afternoon, reading through a contract for the third time.

There was something bothering me about one of the indemnification clauses.

I couldn’t explain what yet.

But something was wrong.

I leaned back.

Read it again.

Then I heard a knock.

“Come in.”

The door opened.

Carlos stepped inside.

“Busy?”

“Always.”

He laughed.

“I know.”

He walked toward my desk.

“You have a minute?”

I looked at the clock.

“Five.”

“Perfect.”

He sat down.

“We’re having the fundraising dinner next week .”

I frowned.

“The what?”

“The annual fundraising dinner.”

“I didn’t know the firm did that.”

“We do.”

“Since when?”

Carlos smiled.

“Since before you joined.”

I stared at him.

“Apparently I missed that memo.”

He laughed.

“It’s a major event. We raise money for several initiatives and organizations the firm supports.”

I nodded.

“Okay.”

“And everyone is expected to attend.”

“Fine.”

“Lawyers are encouraged to bring a plus-one.”

I looked up.

“A plus-one?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a dinner, Andrés.”

“I understand what a dinner is.”

He laughed.

“I’m just saying, bring someone.”

I sighed.

“Who?”

“Your partner.”

I stared at him.

“My—”

Then I remembered.

Mateo.

My husband.

Right.

Of course.

I hadn’t thought about bringing him anywhere.

Not because I had forgotten I was married.

I hadn’t.

I just—

I didn’t think of him that way.

Not as someone I wanted beside me at my professional events.

Carlos was watching me.

“You have someone, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“Very good.”

He smiled.

“Then bring him.”

I nodded.

“I will.”

Carlos stood.

“And don’t worry. It’s not some boring corporate dinner where everyone sits quietly for four hours.”

“Good.”

“It’s actually fun.”

“That’s surprising.”

“Music. Food. Drinks. Auction. Speeches. Clients. Partners. Associates.”

I smiled.

“Sounds like a marketing event.”

“It is.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Exactly.”

He laughed.

“Half of the people who attend are potential clients.”

“Now that sounds like a law firm.”

“Exactly.”

He walked toward the door.

“Oh, and Andrés?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t show up alone.”

I smiled.

“I won’t.”

He left.

I looked at the calendar.

Next week.

I already knew who I was bringing.

Héctor.

Obviously.

He was my brother.

He had supported me through everything.

He had been there when I graduated.

He had been there when I got married.

He had been there when I started working.

And honestly, he would enjoy this.

He loved these kinds of events.

Politics.

Business.

Powerful people.

Networking.

He understood that world better than I did.

I picked up my phone.

I was about to call him.

Then I stopped.

Tomorrow.

I’d tell him tomorrow.

There was no rush.

I turned back to my computer.

My contract was still waiting.

And that was more important.

⸻

By six that evening, I had already attended two meetings.

By eight, I was still working.

By nine, I was negotiating revisions to a transaction that had been going on for weeks.

By ten, I was finally satisfied.

I leaned back in my chair.

Done.

I smiled.

That feeling.

That feeling was addictive.

There was nothing like looking at a completed deal and knowing that you had helped make it happen.

Nothing.

I packed my briefcase.

As I walked through the office, I saw people still working.

Some offices were lit.

Others were dark.

Phones were ringing.

Assistants were finishing documents.

Associates were rushing between conference rooms.

It was chaotic.

And somehow—

I loved it.

I loved the energy.

I loved knowing everyone around me was there because they wanted to be there.

People here worked hard.

They cared about what they did.

And I had found my place among them.

⸻

When I got home, it was almost eleven.

The house was quiet.

I walked inside.

Elena was still awake.

“Good evening.”

She smiled.

“Good evening, Andrés.”

“You’re still awake?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I know.”

I smiled.

“How was your day?”

She immediately started telling me about something that had happened in the kitchen.

I laughed.

Then I realized something.

I had been home for less than five minutes and had already spoken more to Elena than I had spoken to Mateo all week.

I didn’t feel guilty about it.

Maybe I should have.

But I didn’t.

Because the truth was simple.

I still didn’t like Mateo.

I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.

I didn’t hate him.

Not anymore.

But I didn’t like him.

I didn’t seek him out.

I didn’t look for him when I came home.

I didn’t feel the need to tell him about my day.

And I was perfectly comfortable with that.

Our relationship was functional.

Respectful.

Quiet.

He gave me space.

I gave him respect.

That was enough.

At least for now.

I walked upstairs.

As I passed his office, I saw light beneath the door.

He was still awake.

I stopped for half a second.

Then continued.

I didn’t knock.

I didn’t ask how his day was.

I didn’t tell him about the fundraising dinner.

I didn’t tell him about my cases.

I didn’t tell him about the merger I’d closed.

I didn’t tell him that Carlos had praised my work again.

Maybe tomorrow.

Or maybe not.

I didn’t know.

And I didn’t feel particularly guilty about it.

My life was moving forward.

My career was going exactly where I wanted it to go.

And for the first time in years, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I went into my bedroom.

Changed.

Set my phone on the nightstand.

Then smiled as I thought about the dinner.

Héctor was going to enjoy this.

He would probably spend the entire evening talking to executives.

Maybe he’d meet some people useful for his political work.

Maybe he’d complain about the food.

Maybe he’d embarrass me.

Probably.

I laughed quietly.

Tomorrow.

I’d call him.

For now, I was tired.

Really tired.

But it was the good kind of tired.

The kind that came from doing something you loved.

Three months ago, I had walked into this firm nervous.

Today, I walked through those halls like I belonged there.

Because I did.

And I loved it.

Every meeting.

Every case.

Every argument.

Every closing.

Every long night.

Every victory.

This was my life.

My career.

My name.

My future.

And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.