Damian steps back.
He points at you.
“This isn’t over.”
Then he leaves.
Your knees give out.
Mr. Sterling catches your arm before you fall.
“I’m sorry,” he says quietly.
You look up at him.
“For what?”
“For waiting too long to become brave.”
By sunrise, everything moves fast.
Mr. Sterling contacts an attorney who once worked for Alejandro’s grandfather. Alejandro calls a former physical therapist his family fired after she suggested he was improving. You send copies of the crash footage, forged reports, and Damian’s threat recording to three separate email accounts.
But Damian moves faster than you expect.
At noon, Doña Isabella calls you into the main living room.
Your mother is there.
So is your father.
Your heart drops.
Your mother will not look at you. Your father looks hungover, angry, and ashamed. Damian stands near the fireplace, smiling.
Doña Isabella sits on the sofa like a queen preparing judgment.
“Maria,” she says coldly, “your services are no longer needed.”
Your mother’s head snaps up.
“What did she do?”
“She has become inappropriate with Mr. Alejandro.”
Your face burns.
“That’s not true.”
Damian laughs softly.
“Careful.”
Doña Isabella continues.
“We are generous people. We will pay one month’s wages if you leave quietly and never contact this family again.”
Your mother grabs your arm.
“Apologize,” she hisses. “Do you know what this job means?”
For a second, you are seventeen again in the kitchen of your old house, begging to stay in school while adults decide your life has a price.
Then the elevator doors open.
Everyone turns.
Alejandro stands inside.
