I received the keys to the mansion I inherited, and my husband’s family came in choosing rooms as if I didn’t matter anymore until I held up the papers and said something that wiped the smiles off their faces.

When the house was finally empty, a clean and sacred silence fell over the rooms. Austin remained there in front of her and told her that he didn’t want to lose her.

“Then don’t ever put me at the end of my own life again,” Maya said as the tension in her chest finally loosened.

“What do we do now?” he asked, and it was the first time he was actually asking for her input instead of deciding for her.

Maya looked around at the elegant staircase and the perfect dining room that his family would never have appreciated.

“The house is going to be rented, and we will use that money to start over in a small place that is just for the two of us.”

Austin closed his eyes for a second and agreed that they should start from scratch. Days later, the residence was rented to a young couple who showed respect for the property the moment they walked in.

Maya and Austin moved to a modest apartment in the Narvarte district that had no marble or terraces. Every chair and every decision in that small home was chosen together through honest conversation.

Months later, while they were eating dinner at a simple wooden table, Austin took her hand and smiled.