Chapter 7 - The Complaint
Daniel accused me of financial misconduct.
The irony was almost impressive.
According to his email, I had used company resources for personal travel, neglected my daughter because of work, and created a “dangerous home environment” by prioritizing clients over family.
He attached photographs.
Me at airports.
Me at late meetings.
Me at client dinners.
Every photograph had been taken from my own social media or forwarded from messages I had sent him.
He turned my career into evidence against me.
At nine the next morning, I sat across from Elena Vargas, one of the senior partners at my agency.
She closed Daniel's complaint.
“Is any of this true?”
“I travel.”
“I know.”
“I work late.”
“So do I.”
“I trusted my husband to care for our daughter when I couldn't.”
Elena's face softened.
Then I showed her the pediatric report.
I did not show Rosa's videos.
Those belonged with my attorney.
Elena read the first page.
Her expression changed.
“Do you need leave?”
“I need flexibility.”
“You have it.”
I stared at her.
Daniel had spent years telling me that my company would replace me the second I became inconvenient.
He was wrong.
Elena pushed Daniel's complaint aside.
“Mariana, your campaign in Monterrey just secured the largest account this agency has signed in three years.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“The client approved the national rollout this morning.”
For the first time in days, something good had happened.
But Elena wasn't finished.
“There is another reason I asked you here.”
She turned her computer toward me.
Daniel had emailed not only HR.
He had emailed one of my clients.
He accused me of falsifying campaign expenses.
The client had immediately forwarded the message to Elena.
My hands went cold.
“He could have cost us the account.”
“Yes.”
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't apologize for someone else's behavior.”
Elena copied Daniel's email into a folder.
“Our legal department will handle this.”
When I left the office, I had three missed calls from Sofía.
I called back from the elevator.
“What happened?”
“We found something in the financial disclosures.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“Daniel has a loan.”
“How much?”
“Six hundred thousand pesos.”
I stopped walking.
“For what?”
“We're still determining that.”
“I never signed for a loan.”
“That is the problem.”
My elevator doors opened.
Sofía's voice dropped.
“The paperwork lists you as guarantor.”
My heart started pounding.
“I never agreed to that.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Your signature appears on the documents.”
The hallway blurred.
“It's forged.”
“That's what I think too.”
May you like
Then she said the part that changed everything.
“The loan is secured against the apartment.”
