He smiled kindly:
“I didn’t want to disturb you, daughter. I just brought a few things from the ranch so you wouldn’t forget the taste of home.”
María was moved to tears. But Javier reacted differently. He was in the living room, looking at his cell phone. When he saw Don Pedro entering in worn clothes and old sandals, he frowned, greeted him coldly, and turned away.
During the meal, Don Pedro tried to talk to his son-in-law:
“Javier, how’s work going? Is it too hard for you?”
Javier quickly bit into his meat and replied dryly:
“The usual.”
The atmosphere became tense. Don Pedro, however, smiled and talked about the harvest and life in the countryside. Javier barely listened, occasionally nodding his head. Inwardly, he thought with irritation: “A man without money, what’s so interesting about him? What does he know about modern life?”
María, seeing her husband’s coldness, suffered in silence.
That afternoon, Javier had an important meeting with the director of a large company with whom he wanted to establish cooperation to save his failing business. He hastily got dressed, leaving his father-in-law alone in the yard.
A moment later, the doorbell rang. A luxurious car stopped in front of the house. An elegant middle-aged man in an impeccable suit got out. Javier ran to greet him with a warm smile:
“Mr. Director! Welcome, please come inside.”
But when the man entered, Javier froze. The guest walked straight up to Don Pedro, who was sitting in silence, and spoke respectfully:
“Good morning, Don Pedro. I am Alejandro Ramírez, director of ABC, and I have come as agreed.”
⏬️ ⏬️ continued on the next page ⏬️ ⏬
