They signed 2 weeks later.
The divorce was long, but inevitable. Rodrigo lost rights to the house, was forced to pay civil restitution and faced charges of fraud, breach of trust and unfair administration. The last time Mariana saw him at a hearing, there was nothing left of the arrogant executive who ordered everyone to shut up. He was thin, with a careless beard and hollow eyes.
He tried to look at her as if he could still ask for compassion.
She didn’t look down.
The sapphire ring was confiscated as property acquired with illicit resources. Mariana never got it back. He didn’t want it either. Some things are born as a symbol of love and end up smelling like prison.
A year later, Grupo Aranda presented its most ambitious platform at an international technology fair. Mariana took the stage in a dark blue suit and her father’s notebook in her hand. Among the audience were the employees who resisted, the counselors who believed again, and Clara, crying silently in the front row.
