The afternoon heat pressed down on the dusty street, baking the pavement until it shimmered.

The sudden crash of a suitcase hitting the sidewalk shattered the quiet. Elena stumbled, shaking, as she tried to catch another bag thrown out of the house that had been hers just moments ago.

“I told you to leave! I don’t want to see you here again!” Mateo shouted, his face flushed, veins tense with anger.

Neighbors watched silently from behind their windows. Elena clutched her children—Leo, eight, and little Sofia—to her chest as they cried in fear, unable to recognize the man their father had become.

Nearby, leaning against a sleek black SUV, stood Valeria—calm, elegant, and completely detached from the chaos. Mateo slammed the door behind him. Heartbroken, Elena gathered her children and their belongings and walked away, trying to hide her tears.

After several blocks, the same SUV pulled up in front of them. The tinted window slid down. Valeria extended an envelope.