Rafaela paused and looked back over her shoulder.

“You left me in the storm to teach me my place.

Now everyone here can learn theirs.” And she walked out into the rain, where her friend Estela was waiting at the end of the drive in a warm car.

Chapter 28 — Four Calls

That evening, from her office in the city, Rafaela made four calls.

The first, to the wedding hotel: she was revoking her personal credit guarantee; if Xiomara wanted to keep her date, she would need to pay the remaining thirty thousand herself.