I nodded.
Then I went into the restroom, locked the door, and cried until my throat hurt.
Not because of the money alone.
Because I remembered Javier kissing my forehead after I'd worked late, telling me how proud he was.
I remembered him bringing me coffee while I prepared reports.
I remembered believing we were building a future together.
And all that time, he had been taking pieces of it apart.
The hardest moment came two weeks later.
Javier requested a meeting through our lawyers.
Isabel advised that I didn't have to attend.
But I wanted to hear what he had to say.
We met in a neutral conference room, with legal representatives present.
He looked thinner.
His expensive jacket hung loosely from his shoulders.
When I entered, he stood automatically.
"Clara."
I sat across from him.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he said, "I miss you."
