Mariana stayed in the master bedroom.
From there, she heard Sergio praise the food. “Your wife’s cooking is incredible, Alejandro. Invite her to sit down with us.”
A brief silence followed.
“She can’t,” Alejandro replied, lowering his voice into a tragic tone. “Ever since the tragedy with our daughter, she’s been extremely fragile. She can hardly tolerate being around strangers.”
Mariana lifted her head, her stomach dropping.
“That must be very difficult on you,” Sergio observed sympathetically.
Alejandro sighed heavily. “Well, you don’t abandon someone when they’re broken. I’ve had to cancel business trips, miss important meetings, even pass up career opportunities because she calls me having a panic attack and I have to rush home. Some weeks, she practically doesn’t leave the house.”
A cold chill traveled down Mariana’s spine.
None of it was true.
For two years, she hadn’t once asked him to cancel a trip. She handled her own errands, bought groceries, visited her sister across town, and had even started reading medical journals again.
