Mariana was appointed interim general director.
That afternoon he entered the office that had belonged to his father and then to Rodrigo. She ordered the sofa to be removed from the video, the lamp changed, every corner cleaned and all of her husband’s personal belongings removed. When the office was empty, he closed the door and cried for the first time.
He didn’t cry for Rodrigo.
She cried for Ernesto.
For the years when she believed that protecting a company meant staying silent. For the shame of having loved someone who confused his patience with weakness. For the absurd wound of discovering that sometimes the enemy sleeps next door and has breakfast at your table.
Then he wiped his face, opened his father’s old notebook, and started working.
The next few months were open heart surgery. External auditors, commercial lawyers, financial experts and authorities arrived. Contracts, payrolls, suppliers and hidden accounts were reviewed. Several directors who previously laughed at Rodrigo’s parties appeared in Mariana’s office offering information in exchange for keeping their jobs.
