hadn’t abandoned her.
At seven, Sergio Mendoza arrived.
The instant the doorbell rang, Alejandro became another person. He smiled broadly, spoke with booming confidence, uncorked an expensive bottle of wine, and greeted his boss as though he hadn’t spent the previous ten minutes humiliating his wife.
Mariana remained in the master bedroom.
From there, she heard Sergio compliment the food. “Your wife’s cooking is incredible, Alejandro. Invite her to sit down with us.”
A short pause followed.
“She can’t,” Alejandro replied, lowering his voice into a tragic tone. “Ever since
