“Why did you take so long?” he asked harshly. “All women give birth faster. My mother had five children and never complained as much as you.”

A chill ran down Camila’s spine. She knew that voice. It was the same tone he used when he was about to explode.

At that moment, Nurse Sofía Ramírez, a middle-aged woman, entered to check the new mother’s vital signs.

“Mrs. Mendoza, your blood pressure is a little high. It’s normal after childbirth, but you need to rest,” she said professionally, though she sensed the tension in the room.

Ricardo muttered, walking toward the window: “She always exaggerates everything. She’s probably just playing the victim to get more attention.”