Chapter 12 - Shadows of Ecatepec
Far across the sprawling, chaotic expanse of Mexico City, Mariana sat on the edge of a sagging sofa in her parents' cramped apartment in Ecatepec. The television hummed quietly in the corner, replaying footage of Valeria Mendoza standing triumphantly beside the mayor at the new innovation center groundbreaking.
Her mother walked in carrying a tray of lukewarm instant coffee, her face lined with exhaustion and bitter disappointment.
“Your cousin called from Puebla,” her mother said, not looking at Mariana. “They heard about the scandal. They don’t want you bringing the boy down there. People are talking, Mariana. The whole city knows you tried to steal a married man's empire and ended up on the street with empty hands.”
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Mateo walked out of the tiny bedroom, dragging his backpack behind him. “Mom, why did the kids at school say Daddy is a criminal on TV?”
Mariana burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. She had traded her youth, her dignity, and her quiet life for a penthouse that belonged to a ghost, and now she was trapped in a nightmare from which there was no awakening.
