Laura Mendoza lived under the tyranny of the second hand. Her existence was a Swiss clockwork mechanism, where success was measured in steel skyscrapers and bank accounts with infinite zeros.
Standing in front of the mirror in her penthouse, she adjusted her designer blazer. The reflection showed her an implacable woman, a queen of the real estate sector who wouldn’t allow anyone to show any weakness.
That morning, anger bubbled in her chest. Carlos Rodríguez, the cleaning man, had been absent again. Three absences in a month were a mortal sin in her pristine, glass-walled empire.
“Family emergencies, ma’am,” he had always said. Laura despised that phrase. For her, family was an abstract concept that should never interfere with the productivity of a serious business.
Patricia, his assistant, tried to intercede for the man, highlighting his years of discretion and punctuality. But Laura had already made a drastic decision. She wanted to see the lie with her own eyes.
“Give me her address,” he ordered with icy coldness. “I’m going to find out what kind of pathetic drama justifies abandoning her post. I won’t allow mediocrity to infiltrate my main offices.”
The system revealed the destination: Los Naranjos Street, San Miguel neighborhood. It was a working-class area that Laura only knew from urban development maps, a place far from coastal luxury.
The black Mercedes-Benz advanced like a silent predator through the unpaved streets. The potholes rattled the luxurious suspension as neighbors watched the vehicle with a mixture of awe and wonder.
Barefoot children ran after the car. Laura felt a pang of disgust and superiority. “This is where unambitious people live,” she thought, as she parked in front of 847.
The house was a humble, faded blue structure. The wooden door was cracked, revealing the passage of time and the lack of resources of those who lived in that small enclosure.
Laura got out of the car, her Swiss watch flashing in the blazing sun. She slammed her fist on the wood with an authoritative force. At first there was only silence, then the muffled echo of hurried footsteps.
