When the plane finally landed and the seatbelt sign turned off, Ricardo stood up on shaky legs. Valeria grabbed her bag and walked ahead without looking at him.
At the aircraft door, Elena was standing there again, saying goodbye to every passenger.
When it was Ricardo’s turn, she looked him straight in the eyes.
“I filed for divorce this morning,” she said quietly, so only he could hear. “My lawyer already has everything. The house, the savings, and the evidence of embezzlement. You should probably get a good lawyer too.”
Ricardo’s voice cracked. “Elena… I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”
She gave him the same calm smile she had worn at boarding.
“No, Ricardo. You didn’t make a mistake. You made nine years of choices.”
Valeria was already rushing down the jet bridge, trying to disappear into the crowd.
