Chapter 4 - The Weight of the Secret
Maria took a slow sip of the coffee, the warmth color returning to her pale cheeks. "Because in my country, and in this city, when a maid asks for more, she is replaced. There are hundreds of women waiting at the bus stops who will work for less and never complain about a small lunch."
"You are not replaceable to Leo," David said. "And you are not replaceable to me. Tell me what's happening."
Maria looked down at her hands, her fingers rough from years of cleaning chemicals. "My husband, Jorge, was a construction worker. Three months ago, he fell from a scaffolding. The company claimed it was his fault and refused to pay his medical bills. He is in a wheelchair now, waiting for a surgery we cannot afford. Every dollar I earn goes to his medication and our rent. There is... very little left for food."
David’s tech-mind, always looking for structures and solutions, immediately began to calculate. "How much is the surgery, Maria?"
"Forty thousand dollars," she whispered, her voice cracking. "To us, it might as well be forty million."
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David stood up, walking to the window overlooking the glittering Miami skyline. He had spent twice that amount on a single digital art piece for the penthouse lobby three months ago.
"We are going to fix this, Maria," David said, turning back to her. "But first, you are going to finish your breakfast. And from now on, our chef will prepare three meals a day for this household—one for me, one for Leo, and one for you and your husband to take home every single evening."
