Year 2010.

Victoria Torres was a dreamy sixteen-year-old, with a bright future ahead of her. In her small town, everything seemed perfect until she met Martin Sierra, the most attractive and popular boy in school. His intense gaze and dazzling smile made her feel butterflies in her stomach, and they quickly realized that there was a special connection between them. He was desired by many, but he chose her.

At first, their relationship began as a game of glances and furtive smiles. Martin, with his charm and sweet words, enveloped her in an emotional whirlwind. He whispered in her ear that she was unique, that he desired her with a passion that made her feel special.

"Do you love me, Victoria?" he asked that afternoon after having an ice cream.

"Of course, I love you, Martin. You are the love of my life," she replied sweetly.

"I love you too, Victoria, I want you to give me your proof of love."

"But...."

"We love each other, Victoria, in the future we are going to get married. Why wait so long? You will always be mine and I yours."

Victoria, caught in her world of teenage love, got carried away by the excitement and, after a few weeks of romance, decided to give him her virginity, despite her mother's warnings and her father's rules. Victoria was very convinced that Martin was the love of her life. She dreamed of finishing school with him, then going to college together and later getting married and forming a beautiful home.

However, a month later, she began to feel that something was not right. Morning sickness surprised her at the most unexpected moments, her period, which had always been punctual, had not arrived and anxiety invaded her with each passing day. She feared her parents' reaction, so she decided to buy a pregnancy test in secret. She carefully kept it in her bag, and when she arrived at the school bathroom, her heart was pounding.

With trembling hands, she took the test, hoping it was all a misunderstanding. The minutes seemed eternal, but when she saw the two pink lines on the test, she knew her life had changed forever. With tears in her eyes, she hid the test in her bag and prepared for the last class of the day, feeling the weight of the world fall on her shoulders. Her mind was a mess, she had to tell Martin everything so that together they could face her parents.

At the end of the day, she met with Martin in their usual place, a secluded corner of the park where they used to share laughter and dreams.

"Martin, I have to tell you something very important," she told her boyfriend with a racing heart.

"Yes, I also want to do a lot of things today," he said, winking. "Talk to your mother, tell her that you are going to do homework with your classmates."

"Okay," Victoria replied with her nerves on edge.

Victoria called her mother and told her that she was going to do homework with some classmates, and after some warnings from her mother, she obtained the necessary permission to go to Martin's house.

Arriving at Martin's house, she felt a little calmer. His parents were never there, so she felt safe, but also very nervous. As the tension grew, Martin, with a seductive gesture, tried to take her to his room. However, Victoria stopped him.

"Wait, I have to tell you something very important," she insisted, feeling trapped between her love and her fear.

He crossed his arms, showing a mixture of impatience and curiosity.

"Okay, talk," he said, his tone no longer so friendly.

Victoria, trembling, searched in her bag for the pregnancy test. She took it out and, with her heart pounding, said:

"Martin, I'm pregnant. We are going to be parents," but Martin laughed, thinking it was a joke, but soon discovered that it was not.

The silence that followed was deafening. Martin's reaction was instantaneous and devastating.

"I always pull out."

"I know, but I don't know how it happened and now I'm expecting a baby from you," Victoria defended herself. She wanted him to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, but the opposite happened.

"Don't count on me," Martin replied, his voice cold and hard. "I'm too young to be a dad. Abort or find someone else to score that goal! Don't bother me with this."

"Martin, please," she pleaded, "My parents are going to be very angry with me. Help me. You told me you loved me."

Martin smiled smugly.

"That's what I tell all the fools like you so they open their legs for me. Now get out of my house."

Victoria's heart broke into a thousand pieces. With tears running down her cheeks, she picked up her bag and left Martin's house, feeling the pain consume her. The betrayal and rejection followed her as she left that place, wondering how she had gotten to this point and what she would do with her life now.

The days turned into weeks, and for Victoria, each dawn felt like another weight on her shoulders. The secret of her pregnancy was a monster growing inside her, and despite her attempts to ignore it, the symptoms were becoming increasingly evident; she could no longer figure out how to keep her parents from finding out. Martin, the boy who had filled her life with illusions, had left her in utter solitude, ignoring her completely. At school, she saw him laughing and flirting with other girls, and it pierced her heart like a dagger.

With each passing day, the need to talk to him became more intense, but every time she approached him, he rejected her.

"I don't want to know anything about you, Victoria. Forget about me," he had told her once, his gaze as cold as ice.

"But the baby is..." Martin interrupted her.

"I don't want to know anything about that thing, I told you: abort or tell someone else to deal with you."

Desperate and feeling more alone than ever, she made the most difficult decision of her life: she would talk to her mother. She knew she had to be honest, that she couldn't carry this weight any longer; a pregnancy couldn't be hidden for long, and she was almost two months along. That afternoon, after arriving home, she took advantage of the fact that her father was still at work and her mother was alone in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

"Mom, can you sit down for a moment? I need to talk to you," Victoria said, noticing that her voice was trembling.

Her mother, with her hands dry after wiping them with a towel, looked at her with concern and invited her to sit at the dining room table.

"What's wrong, honey? You look nervous," she asked, noticing the anguish on her face. "Don't tell me you failed a subject. Father of the holy word, your father will kill us both!"

Victoria swallowed, feeling fear engulf her.

"It's nothing about school, Mom..." she murmured, tears welling up in her eyes. "I need to tell you something important."

Her mother stared at her, leaning towards her.

"Please, don't scare me. Did you break something? Did you go into your father's little office without permission?"

"No... it's not that," Victoria replied, feeling her heart pounding. "I'm... I'm pregnant."

The words came out as a whisper, but the impact was devastating. Her mother's expression changed drastically, and tears began to stream from her eyes.

"What?" she asked, her voice breaking. "How could this happen? And the father? Who is he?"

"He doesn't want to know anything about me," Victoria said, choking on her tears. "He ignores me and... and I don't know what to do, Mom, I'm so scared."

Her mother covered her face with her hands, feeling the weight of the situation.

"Father of the divine word! I always told you that you should wait, that you should only give yourself after you get married. What am I going to tell your father when he finds out about this? He's going to punish us both! I didn't know how to raise you!"

Victoria, filled with fear, took her mother's hands in her own.

"Please, help me. I don't know how to face this."

"First, I have to talk to your father," her mother replied, her voice trembling, she was terrified of her husband. "This can't be hidden for long, and at any moment, he's going to punish us."

Fear surged inside Victoria.

Dinner that night was completely silent, with the atmosphere tense and full of uncertainty. Victoria felt trapped between fear and guilt, knowing that her life would change forever. She didn't dare to eat much, or rather, nothing appealed to her.

After dinner, her mother, with a heavy heart and full of fear, decided it was time to talk to her husband. She sat in front of him, her face pale and her eyes full of tears. She knew that he would punish her for being a bad mother and her daughter for disobeying and not knowing how to behave.

"Tomas, we need to talk about our daughter..." her mother began, feeling anxiety flooding her.

"What's wrong?" her father asked, noticing the seriousness in his wife's tone. "Does she need money?" The woman shook her head.

"Victoria... Our daughter is... is pregnant," she said, the words coming out quickly. "And... the boy doesn't want to know anything about her. He doesn't want to respond." The frightened woman spoke with her eyes closed.

Tomas's reaction was instantaneous and fierce. He got up from his chair, slamming his fists on the table.

"What? That girl is shameless!" he shouted. "How could she let herself get pregnant at this age? Didn't I tell her that she should save herself for marriage?" Tomas accused his wife while she trembled like a leaf.

Victoria, hearing her father's voice, felt the world crumbling around her for the second time. She knew that her father's anger was imminent.

"You're a disgrace to this family!" he continued, looking at her with contempt. "You're not my daughter! Get out of my house! You're dead to this family! Get out!" he shouted loudly before throwing all the dishes on the floor.

Victoria, with a broken heart and tears in her eyes, felt more alone than ever, she wanted to die as rage and pain consumed her. The decision she had made would lead her down an uncertain path, and that night, as her family crumbled around her, she realized that her life had changed forever.

She quickly made a small suitcase with the essentials and saved her piggy bank, where she had saved much of her allowance.

Her mother tried to defend her, but her father did not allow it and threw her into the street as if she were worthless.

With a broken heart, Victoria sat on the edge of the sidewalk, feeling the world crumble around her. The anger and disappointment of her parents had left her with nowhere to return. Determined to find support, she took her small phone and dialed her aunt's number, her father's sister, hoping she would understand.

"Hello, Aunt, I need to talk to you..." she began, her voice trembling. "Help me, please," she pleaded.

But what she received was a cold silence and a discouraging response.

"Victoria, I can't help you. I don't want to get involved in your problems, much less have problems with Tomas. He already called me and told me everything."

Her aunt's rejection was another blow to her heart. Feeling that she couldn't count on anyone, she tried to contact her friends. However, upon hearing the news, they only offered responses of disdain and excuses.

"I'm sorry, Vic, but I don't know what to do. I can't help you."

"My parents would kill me if I helped you. I'm sorry."

Desperate, she made one last decision: she would call Martin. Hoping that, at least, he could listen to her, she dialed his number. However, her heart sank when she heard the tone that led her directly to voicemail.

"Martin, it's me..." she whispered, with tears in her eyes. "Please, I need to talk to you."

Victoria regretted a thousand times having believed Martin, for not listening to her mother's advice and her father's warnings.

She wanted to turn back time, but it was impossible, and now she had to face the consequences of her actions.

With her soul shattered, Victoria left her neighborhood and headed to the bus station. Night was falling, and the cold was piercing her bones. A lady, with a kind look, watched her and approached.

"Do you need help, dear?" she asked with a warm smile.

Victoria, feeling lost and vulnerable, nodded. The lady accompanied her to the ticket office and helped her buy a ticket to the capital. While they waited, the woman offered words of encouragement.

"Don't worry, dear. Life sometimes puts difficult tests in our way, but there is always a path to the light."

Victoria, feeling a little more comforted, sat next to the lady on the bus.

"I'm Azucena," she introduced herself, extending a hand. "And what's your name?"

"Victoria," she replied, smiling despite her sadness.

Azucena offered her salted peanuts and some water, and together they began to chat. The lady listened attentively to Victoria's story, without judging her.

"You know, dear, sometimes life surprises us with situations we don't expect. But God always finds a way to help us," she said, with a soft and comforting voice.

The trip lasted twelve hours, and as the bus moved forward, Victoria looked out the window, watching the landscape change. The idea of arriving in the capital filled her with anxiety and fear. It was an immense city, full of lights and noise, and she felt so alone and lost.

Upon arrival, the cold air enveloped her, and the bustle of the city overwhelmed her. Azucena, noticing her unease, helped her get into a taxi.

"Don't worry, Victoria. My sister Maria will receive you. She is a good person," she assured her, while giving her the address written on a piece of paper, then she sent a text message to her sister.

Victoria felt grateful for Azucena's kindness, they said goodbye with a warm hug and exchanged phone numbers. In the taxi, as the city lights flickered around her, a new feeling began to blossom inside her: hope. Although her life had changed drastically, she was willing to face what was to come. With each kilometer she traveled, she became convinced that, perhaps, there was a second chance waiting for her in the capital, instinctively and carefully caressing her still flat belly above her clothes, her heart felt something different with that gesture. She would have her child, she would love him, she would take care of him and she would show the world that, although she made a mistake, she was going to do it right, she would be different from her parents, they would love their child unconditionally.

The taxi moved at a good pace through the illuminated streets of the capital, and Victoria watched in amazement as life in the city swirled around her. The neon lights, the noises of the people, and the constant coming and going of vehicles created a vibrant and frenetic atmosphere that made her feel both fascinated and overwhelmed. It was a completely different world from the one she had known in her small town, a place that seemed so distant at that moment.

Arriving at her destination, the taxi stopped in front of a modest but cozy building, with a sign that read "Hospedaje Maria" (Maria's Lodging). Victoria felt a knot in her stomach when she thought about what awaited her inside. How would that lady react when she saw her? Would she accept her after everything that had happened? With a mixture of fear and determination, she took her bag and said goodbye to the driver, she didn't have to pay, Azucena took care of that.

"Thank you, sir," she said, her voice choked with nerves.

"Remember, child, there is always a path to hope. Don't give up," replied the driver, smiling warmly before driving away.

Victoria took a deep breath and headed to the door of the lodging. Upon pushing it open, a gentle tinkling of bells greeted her, and the smell of homemade food enveloped her. The reception was decorated with family photos and green plants that gave a homely air.

"Hello, welcome to Maria's Lodging. How can I help you?" asked a middle-aged woman, with a kind smile.

"Hello, I'm Victoria. I'm looking for Mrs. Maria," she replied, feeling anxiety overwhelm her again. "I come from Mrs. Azucena."

The receptionist frowned for a moment, then her face lit up upon recognizing the name.

"Ah, of course! Maria is in the kitchen. Let me call her."

Victoria felt as if her heart was beating harder as she waited. The seconds seemed eternal, and when she finally saw Maria enter, she felt a mixture of relief and fear, the woman was just as Azucena had described her, of medium height, light eyes, and graying hair.

"Victoria?" said Maria, with an expression of surprise and concern. "You are just as my sister described you."

"I need a place to stay, I have enough to pay for a room," replied Victoria, feeling the words get stuck in her throat.

Maria looked at her carefully, noticing the sadness in her eyes and the tension on her face.

"Let's go to the kitchen, we'll be more comfortable there, you look cold and hungry, I'll give you something delicious and hot," she suggested, guiding her to a small dining room where the aroma of stews and spices enveloped her.

Once seated, Victoria felt that anxiety oppressed her. It was time to open her heart and tell her aunt everything.

"Mrs. Maria, I'm pregnant," she finally said, her voice breaking.

Maria was silent for a moment, processing the news. Her soul ached when she thought about the situation a young girl was going through.

"Don't worry, God never forsakes us, you'll see that you'll get ahead, child," said Maria with a mixture of concern and compassion.

"I'm alone in this world, but I want to fight and get ahead."

Maria looked at her tenderly, realizing the magnitude of the situation.

"Daughter, the first thing you should know is that you are not alone," she pointed to her belly, "also that you are in a safe place," she said, taking her hand. "Here I will support you in whatever you need. You are not alone."

Victoria felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. Maria's warmth and understanding gave her a little comfort in the midst of her emotional storm.

"Thank you, Mrs. Maria," she replied, feeling a little stronger.