Albina was transfixed on the spot, her gaze fixed on his handsome face, unable to come to herself for long.
Umberto could not help but draw her close and kiss her on her red lips for a good while before releasing her, and said in a deep voice:
-Tontita, did you hear me?
Only then Albina regained her sanity, reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and kissed him again and again on his thin lips. Until the man had a reaction in that intimate part, Albina withdrew her kiss.
With flushed cheeks, she answered shyly:
-Umberto, I promise I will protect myself well.
Albina did not tell Umberto about the plan, partly because she was worried that the man would stop her, and partly because Umberto was so busy lately.
The Seco family had become the backing of the Carballal family, and he knew that the Santangel family had been planning to take the Carballal’s against him, so Jaime had been acting secretly against the Santangel family.
As they were only petty disturbances, Sergio did nothing about it to stop it and watched the situation calmly.
Although such vile actions were not so much as to affect the Santangel family, they were quite annoying.
Umberto was very upset these days. He would like to ignore Jaime’s little tricks, but he feared that Jaime would take advantage of the negligence. That Jaime guy had learned his dirty tricks from somewhere and was so cunning and villainous that Umberto was worried that his people wouldn’t be able to deal with this guy.
Albina didn’t want to distract Umberto with her own business at the moment. She could deal with those hated ones from the Espina family on her own without bothering her man.
As soon as Albina left the Santangel Group, she immediately called Ramon.
The call was almost answered in less than three seconds and Ramon’s excited and expectant voice came from the other end of the phone:
-Albina, how are you doing? Has Umberto agreed to give me a job?
Albina answered in a voice full of confidence:
-Don’t worry. Umberto likes me so much, naturally he has promised me, but it hasn’t been easy, eh? Because of the fuss that Grandma had made in the company, Umberto got very angry. I begged him for a long time and he finally promised me to give you a job, but the position is not one of the very high rank.
After a brief pause, Albina continued:
-Actually, I’m afraid that bad rumors will be raised in the company if you are given a high-ranking position. Besides, your previous reputation is not very good, so you’d better not be so flashy at first if you want to develop in the company in the long run. When the time comes and Umberto’s anger subsides, I will talk to him and ask him to give you a promotion. how about it?
When she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Albina quirked a smirk on her lips.
“Heh, heh, Ramon will definitely hold a grudge against his mother this time.”
It was true that Ramon didn’t suspect what Albina told him, because deep inside, he believed that Umberto only wanted that pretty face of Albina and didn’t want her at all and that it was impossible for her to influence Umberto’s decision.
After hearing her words, Ramon gave a complaining glance to his own mother.
Mrs. Estela, who was also listening on the side, became quite uncomfortable and embarrassed when she noticed her son’s look and regretted having offended Umberto at that moment.
Seeing Albina still waiting for his answer, Ramon did not dare to delay and said hurriedly:
-All right. I will be satisfied as long as I can work in the Santangel Group. Albina, don’t worry, after I join the company, I promise I won’t disgrace you and will strive for a promotion as soon as possible.
His last words were both a demonstration of attitude and a reminder for Albina not to make him wait too long for promotion.
Taking advantage of the fact that Ramon could not see her expression, Albina flashed an increasingly wry smile and said feignedly:
-I’m glad you say so. I was worried that you would blame me for not getting a higher position for you.
-No way! I should be thanking you for helping me so much.
The two continued to chat hypocritically for a while and even made an appointment to have dinner together afterwards. Albina let out a satirical chuckle after hanging up.
“Dinner with them? Who knows if they’re going to poison me to death!”
Hanging up the phone, Ramon looked at his mother and son with a smirk and said:
-What, you believe me now? Albina has really found me a job. You must have heard the way she talks, right? Her tone doesn’t carry the same aggressive and unforgiving attitude as before, yes or no?
Both the old woman and Alex nodded in agreement. It seemed to be like that.
Such an Albina was the same one they had all known before: kind and gentle.
Esperanza showed more sarcasm in her eyes as she watched the three of them speak enthusiastically.
She knew Albina quite well. When John and his wife were still alive, Albina had led a comfortable, quiet life under the love of her parents and the good conditions of her family, and she really was a fine specimen of a soft, gentle girl.
But now, with her parents having tragically died, Albina was full of hatred and resentment in her chest, it was impossible for her to go back to being that gentle girl she used to be before!
“How could these three people be so naive and foolish to believe that a broken heart could ever be healed?”
The more she thought about it, the more upset Esperanza became. When the three were talking merrily, she stood up to their front violently.
Her movement was so sudden that the three stopped talking and looked at her in confusion. It was the first time the three had paid so much attention to her since she joined this family.
Alex was interrupted, looked impatiently at his half-broken mother and whined:
-Mom, why did you get up all of a sudden, you gave me such a fright!
Esperanza looked deeply at her son with some sadness. She had given birth to him and had tried her best to raise him, but this was how she spoke to him, without a hint of respect.
Then she looked away, looked at her husband and said in a deep voice:
-Ramon, let’s get a divorce!
At these words, the whole room fell silent.
After a long while, Albina asked in astonishment:
-Are you crazy? What the hell do you want to do?
Mrs. Estela also recovered from the extreme surprise, stared at her and grumbled:
-What nonsense are you talking about? Esperanza, you’re too old to talk about divorce!
-It’s because I’ve put up with most of my life and I don’t think I have anything to look forward to, that’s why I want a divorce,” Esperanza took a deep breath. I’ve had enough of all of you and I can’t take any more of this life.
Seeing her firmness, Ramon put on a somber expression and questioned:
-Do you want to look for another man because I am out of work and our family has no money? You shameless bitch, look at yourself in the mirror! You’re already old, who else loves you but me?!
Esperanza, who at first was hesitating, was completely disappointed to hear what her husband said and gave him a cold look, speaking:
-Ramon, we’ve been married for so many years and I’ve always been accompanying you, how can you think I’m leaving you for money!!!!!
Then she let out a mocking laugh and continued:
-It’s really your usual acting style. Since you think like that, then I have nothing more to say. Let’s divorce each other!
When the old woman heard her say this, she started to get nervous.
Although Mrs. Espina did not like this daughter-in-law of hers very much, thinking that Esperanza was not worthy of her son, she could not accept that the two of them, who had spent so many years together, should separate just like that.
-No, I don’t agree! They can’t divorce in any way,” the old woman shouted in opposition.
Alex, who had been dumbfounded from the moment his mother asked his father for a divorce, reacted from the astonishment, pulled his mother’s arm and said with a frown:
-Mom, what nonsense are you talking? Please don’t cause us any more trouble at this time.
Esperanza looked at her son. Seeing in his eyes no trace or hint of affection, other than complaints, she smiled indifferently and pushed his hand away, saying:
-I have already decided. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you for anything. Ramon, be a real man, tell me if you agree with the divorce or not and don’t waste my time.
Both the old lady and Alex urged Ramon to say no.
Ramon looked at his wife’s slightly wrinkled face and a hint of disgust quickly passed through his eyes. Before he was used to it and had no intention of changing wives, but now Ramon thought he already had the Santangel Group as a backup and would have a promising future, so he didn’t want an unattractive wife like Esperanza either.
He grimaced, ignoring the objections of his mother and son, and agreed directly:
-Go if you want to, but don’t regret it.