The rich don't Cry

Chapter 9

Mornings always turned out interesting with Diego. It was a relief to Veronica that her brother-in-law was more open than her husband. Most of the time, Alex seemed to be in a different world, but Veronica maintained that, deep inside, he was as clever as his brother.

Diego enjoyed Veronica's company. They talked during breakfast, and that allowed them to know each other. She could become very snobby for his taste, but he was delighted with the new member of his small family. The conversation, at the time, focused on the best butter for toasts. Veronica preferred the French one, but Diego thought the one made in San Antonio was more superior.

"San Antonio?" asked Veronica, surprised by the comment.

"Yes, it has the best butter, and if you add some strawberry jam, you touch the sky from there."

"Are you from San Antonio?"

"You ask as if you didn't know."

"Alex told me you were from a small village, but he never told me the name. And it's not that I wouldn't sleep because of that, but San Antonio? My family is from San Antonio."

"What a coincidence! It's weird... Honestly, because you look posh. I was very small, but Alex probably knew about you. The place isn't very big, and we all know each other. But still, I don't remember you."

"We left about fifteen years ago. You must have been too small to remember us."

"Yes, it can be. But you know what? At the wedding, I saw your sister. I had seen her before in my brother's office. It's funny because she said my name when we met at Alex's office. I think she did remember me from San Antonio. How small the world is."

Diego continued having breakfast, oblivious to the doubts he had aroused in Veronica.

"Something so important couldn't have happened to her," she thought. Unless he wanted to, it couldn't be true that Diego was making up stories. Veronica refused to bring her fears to life. She didn't want to create a conflict with her husband over such nonsense. But Diego was right. He might not know them, but what if he was right? What if Elisa did know him? Maybe she also knew Alex. And what was her sister doing in Alex's office?

The questions were piling up, but her refusal to consider something suspicious was happening was stronger. Veronica told herself that maybe she was drowning in a glass of water, and it was all a coincidence. She also dismissed it as an issue that didn't seem important to her husband at some point. If she remembered correctly, Alex had told her that in his hometown, he lacked financial resources. So it was possible for them not to know each other directly.

Once again, breakfasts with Diego had served their purpose and had left no one indifferent. The conversation had also attracted the attention of Clara, the woman working as the Baezas' housekeeper since they had moved to the apartment. The woman treated Veronica very well since then, and despite her advanced age, she cleaned as if she was thirty years younger. On one occasion, Veronica thought how ironic it was that just when she was twenty-seven, she had finally met the only nanny who could handle her. Or she perhaps had simply changed.

After coffee, it was time to go to work. A somewhat tense morning was waiting for her. Despite having rejected the job and urged her boss to hand the position over to Rosa, he chose to give it to someone else. Rosa stoically accepted the resolution, but Veronica couldn't help but think that it might have been her fault.

***

Alvaro waited patiently in the Little Apple's executive waiting room. After a while in that room, the door opened again and the same girl who had attended him at first appeared. The girl, with a pale complexion and a matted hair, brought with her a cup of coffee with milk. The treatment was so exquisite that he sincerely flattered the young woman when she handed him the glass.