Some evenings, she sat at the dining table overwhelmed by doubt, questioning whether attempting to return at forty-eight was insane.
One afternoon in the hospital library, Andrew closed the massive textbook in front of her. “You’re not going to reclaim seven years of progress in two weeks, Mariana. Take a breath.”
“I’m terrified I’ve forgotten too much,” she whispered.
“You’ve forgotten some protocols,” Andrew smiled gently. “You haven’t lost your hands or your instincts.”
While Mariana poured herself into studying, Alejandro began discovering that a life built on fabricated stories came with expensive consequences.
Late one Friday, Sergio summoned him to his executive office.
Another senior director was already there.
“The executive board’s recommendation for your promotion to regional manager has been officially rescinded,” Sergio announced calmly.
Alejandro froze. “What? Why? My sales metrics this quarter were higher than—”
“Because I discovered you’ve been submitting falsified HR hardship documentation for three years to excuse travel restrictions and missed executive conferences,” Sergio said flatly.
