I wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.
Carefully cleaned the blood from her face.
Tried to remain calm despite the panic building inside me.
Then she told me what happened.
After the reception ended, she and Javier went to their luxury hotel suite.
She believed they would finally enjoy their first moments alone as husband and wife.
Instead, Javier claimed he needed to handle something briefly.
He left.
Twenty minutes later, the suite door opened.
Carmen entered.
She wasn’t alone.
Six other women followed her.
Then they locked the door.
The Attack
At first, Sofia thought it was some strange family tradition.
Perhaps a joke.
Perhaps advice for newlyweds.
Instead, Carmen immediately demanded one thing.
The condominium.
She wanted Sofia to sign documents transferring ownership to the Robles family.
Sofia refused.
Carmen slapped her.
Hard.
The room fell silent.
Sofia thought it was over.
It wasn’t.
The second slap came moments later.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
The assault continued.
Again.
And again.
And again.
According to Sofia, she counted forty strikes before losing track.
Each time she refused to surrender her property, the violence escalated.
The women accompanying Carmen laughed.
Some encouraged her.
Others mocked Sofia for being “disobedient.”
Javier’s Betrayal
The most devastating part wasn’t the attack itself.
It was what happened outside the door.
Throughout the assault, Sofia could hear Javier’s voice.
He wasn’t trying to stop it.
He wasn’t calling security.
