Not knowing that his wife was the owner of the hospital, the husband fired her right in front of all the staff.
All the intensive care personnel were silent when Darío Montemayor tore the credential from his wife’s uniform.
You’re fired, Valeria. Don’t show up at this hospital again.
The metal plate fell to the ground and slid into the shoes of a nurse who did not dare to pick it up.
Valeria Navarro stood still in front of the man she had shared 9 years of marriage with. Around her were the doctors, stretchers and nurses she had trained. Some looked down. Others pretended to check the patients’ screens.
Eugenia Montemayor, Darío’s mother, watched the scene from the door with a barely disguised smile.
Next to her was Renata Córdova, a newly hired nurse who had been appearing next to Darío for months in meetings, dinners and photographs taken outside work hours.
“Maybe now we can modernize the area,” said Renata, “wahib. There are people who have been believing that they are indispensable for too long.
Valeria finally understood that this was not an impulsive dismissal.
They had prepared their humiliation.
Darius crossed his arms.
“Security will accompany you to the exit.
“No need to,” Valeria replied.
He leaned over, picked up his credential and put it in his pocket.
He didn’t cry.
He took his coat, passed the patients with whom he had spent whole nights and walked towards the elevator.
One of the hospitalized elders extended a hand when he saw it.
Nurse Valeria…
She stopped, accommodated the blanket on her legs and smiled.
“Everything will be fine, Don Ernesto. Nurse Julia knows her medications.
Then he continued on his way.
Darío saw her leave with a satisfaction that almost seemed proud. I had just shown in front of everyone that he was the administrative director of the San Gabriel Hospital in Monterrey.
What he did not know was that the woman he was expelling carried in his bag the only signature capable of deciding the future of that building.
