Several people recognized the name. Smiles, anecdotes, affection for a woman Patricia thought she had known alone. And in the midst of this discovery, Patricia understood something that made her eyes burn: her mother hadn’t been “just” a domestic worker. She had been a light in other people’s lives, without making a fuss.
During the charity auction, Patricia heard figures that sounded like fantasy. Then a lot of business administration and management books appeared. Starting bid: five hundred pesos.
His heart skipped a beat. Those books could change his semester. Maybe his entire career. He had five hundred of them stored at home, for emergencies.
Without thinking, he raised his hand.
-Five hundred.
A murmur rippled through the room. No one else bid. Sold.
Patricia felt pride… and panic. How would she repay him instantly? That’s when Sebastián saw his last chance. He walked to the microphone with the confidence of someone who believes he controls the scene.
“Friends,” he said, his voice amplified. “I want to comment on the previous auction. Miss Patricia Salazar, who won the books for five hundred pesos, works as a cleaner in my office.”
The room froze. Patricia felt the blood rush to her face. For a second, the impulse was to get up and run, like so many times before. To be invisible again.
But he stood up slowly. He breathed. And he spoke.
—Mr. Vargas is right. I am a cleaner. And I am proud of my job.
Her voice trembled slightly, but it did not break.
—Yes, five hundred pesos is a lot of money for me. But my mother taught me that education is the only investment that never loses value. I’ll work overtime if necessary. Because that’s how honest people do things.
There was a different kind of silence. Not one of mockery. One of recognition. Roberto Martínez, a businessman sitting nearby, stood up and began to applaud. Gabriela Fernández followed suit. Victoria did too. And in seconds, the entire room was on its feet.
Sebastian remained motionless, feeling his humiliation turn against him like a mirror.
When the applause subsided, Roberto leaned towards Patricia.
—I want to offer you a junior position in human resources at my company. Good pay, flexible hours, so you can continue your studies.
Patricia felt the air fill with the future.
“I accept,” he said, and for the first time that word was not submission, but choice.
At the end of the event, Sebastian approached, alone, without his entourage of laughs.
“I need to apologize,” he murmured. “It was mean. Cruel.”
Patricia looked at him without hatred, without any need for revenge.
“You have everything money can buy,” he replied, “but you have no character. If you want to change, start by treating your employees like human beings.”
He turned around and left, leaving behind not a defeated man, but a man forced to see himself.
At the exit, Victoria caught up with her and placed an envelope in her hands.
“Your mother left this with me. She asked me to give it to you if I ever found you. Open it at home,” she whispered. “And… she would be proud of you today.”
In the apartment, Sofia listened with wide eyes, as if Patricia had returned from another planet. When she opened the envelope, she found a handwritten letter and a savings account book.
Continue reading…
