Part 1: Lo que no borré a tiempo
Valentina records a long, brutally honest voice note for her sister Elena from a café in Barcelona — confessing she's changed, that she's not sure she still loves Diego the same way, and that she's been too scared to say it out loud. She sends it to the wrong chat. Diego has already listened.
—
Barcelona. A Tuesday afternoon. Valentina is alone in a coffee shop in the Gràcia neighborhood — one of those small places with wooden tables and music that no one chose. She has been staring at her coffee for forty minutes.
hey, are you awake?
😒
I'm always awake, I'm your sister 😒 what's up?
nothing. I'm in a coffee shop
okay... and you're texting me because...
how nice. and Diego isn't with you?
okay valen. tell me what's going on. seriously.
it's just... I don't know how to explain it in writing
send me a voice note then. I have time.
ok. give me a second
Valentina closes her eyes for a moment. Then she presses the microphone button. She speaks for four minutes and twelve seconds.
—
Valentina presses send. The app makes the usual sound. She leaves the phone on the table and looks out the window for a few seconds. Then she picks it up again.
wait
I didn't send that audio to you
what?? what do you mean you didn't send it to me??
I sent it to the group. the group with diego
he's online. my god elena he's online
try to delete it!! fast!!
it already has the two blue ticks
oh valen...
Valentina closes the chat with Elena. She opens the group. The audio is still there. Four minutes and twelve seconds. Played.
diego that audio wasn't for this chat. I'm so sorry. please, can we talk?
Diego is online. The three dots appear. They disappear. They appear again. They disappear again. Valentina is not breathing.
I've heard everything
Diego goes offline. The chat remains still. Valentina is still sitting in the Barcelona coffee shop, with her cold coffee and the phone in her hand, unable to move.
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