A millionaire arrives home early and almost faints at what he sees. Carlos Mendoza had never felt so lost as in the last few months. The successful businessman, who ran one of the largest construction companies in Mexico City, discovered that all his money was useless when it came to healing the broken heart of a 3-year-old girl.
It was then that he decided to leave the meeting with the Japanese investors early. Something inside him was urging him home, a strange feeling he couldn’t explain. As he opened the kitchen door of his mansion in Lomas de Chapultepec, Carlos had to lean against the frame to keep from falling.
His daughter Valentina was perched on the maid’s shoulders, both of them singing a nursery rhyme as they washed the dishes together. The little girl laughed in a way he hadn’t seen in months. “Now scrub down here nicely, princess,” said Carmen, the maid, guiding the girl’s small hands. “Also, what a clever little girl you are.” “Aunt Carmelita, can I make bubbles with the soap?” asked Valentina in a crystal-clear voice that Carlos thought he had lost forever.
The businessman felt his legs tremble. Since Daniela had died in a car accident, Valentina hadn’t uttered a single word. The best child psychologists in the country assured him it was normal, that the girl needed time to process the loss. But there, in that kitchen, she chatted naturally as if nothing had happened.
Carmen noticed him and almost let the little girl slip off her shoulders. “Mr. Carlos, I didn’t expect you to start explaining,” she began, clearly flustered. “Daddy!” Valentina cried, but immediately shrank back as if she had done something wrong. Carlos rushed out to the office, slamming the door behind him. His hands trembled as he poured a glass of whiskey.
The scene he had just witnessed disturbed him in a way he couldn’t comprehend: how had this young woman managed in just a few months what he hadn’t been able to do? How could his own daughter speak to the maid in a way she no longer spoke to him? Dear listener, if you’re enjoying this story, please leave a like and, above all, subscribe to the channel.
That helps a lot of those of us who are just starting out. The next morning, Carlos pretended to leave for work as usual, but he parked his car a few blocks away and walked back. He needed to understand what was happening in his own house. He entered through the back and went straight up to his office, where he quickly set up some small cameras he had bought on the way.
For the entire following week, he left work early to watch the recordings. What he discovered disturbed him even more. Carmen Rodríguez, just 24 years old, turned every household chore into an educational game. She talked to Valentina about everything from the colors of the clothes she folded to the ingredients of the food she prepared.
“Look, princess, how many carrots do we have here?” Carmen asked, cutting the vegetables. “One, two, three, five,” Valentina replied, clapping her hands. “That’s right, you’re very clever. And do you know why carrots are orange? I don’t know, Aunt Carmelita, because they have a special vitamin that makes our eyes strong enough to see all the beautiful things in this world.” Carlos watched these scenes with a mixture of gratitude and jealousy.
Gratitude because his daughter was clearly recovering. Jealousy because he didn’t know how to create that connection that seemed so natural between the two. The recordings also revealed something that troubled him. Doña Dolores Martínez, the housekeeper who had worked in the house for 20 years, watched Carmen with constant suspicion.
The 62-year-old woman, who had helped raise Carlos himself as a child, clearly disapproved of the younger employee’s methods. “Carmelita, you’re overstepping boundaries,” Carlos heard Dolores say in one of the recordings. “It’s not your job to raise the girl. You were hired to clean the house.”
“Doña Dolores, I’m just trying to help,” Carmelita replied in a soft but firm voice. “Valentina is a very special girl, and whether she is special or not is none of your business. Do your job, period.” The tension was palpable even through the computer screen. Carlos sensed that two different worlds were colliding in his house, and he was caught in the middle of a silent war he hadn’t even known existed. On Thursday of that week, he received a call that would change everything.
It was the director of the daycare where Valentina had recently started attending. “Mr. Carlos, I have wonderful news,” said teacher Luisa Hernández. Valentina finally began interacting with the other children.
Today she played in the playhouse with three other girls and told stories about how she helps Aunt Carmelita at home. Carlos threw all his papers on the table. “How is that, teacher?” “She said she’s learning to cook, to fix things, that Aunt Carmelita tells stories about princesses who help around the house. It’s amazing how much the girl has changed. Have you had any new treatments?” “No, no, not exactly,” Carlos stammered.
Well, whatever you’re doing, carry on. It’s a miracle to see Valentina like this. Carlos canceled all his afternoon meetings and rushed home. He arrived just as Dolores was severely reprimanding Carmelita in the backyard. “I told you not to take the girl out without my permission,” the housekeeper was shouting.
You have no responsibility for this child. Valentina was clinging to Carmelita’s legs, sobbing uncontrollably. It was the first time in months that Carlos had heard his daughter express emotion so intensely. “I don’t want Aunt Carmelita to leave,” the little girl cried between sobs. “I don’t want to, I don’t want to, Valentina, my dear, nobody leaves,” Carmelita said, stroking the girl’s blond hair. “It’s okay, my love.”
“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” Dolores said harshly. “Mr. Carlos, you arrived just in time to see how this girl is manipulating your daughter.” Carlos stood in the garden gate, watching the scene unfold. His daughter was speaking, expressing her feelings, defending herself. After months of silence, she was finally reacting to the world around her.
“What happened here?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm. “This employee took the girl out to pick flowers without asking permission,” Dolores replied immediately. “And it’s not the first time she’s acted on her own, Mr. Carlos,” Carmelita said, still holding Valentina. “Valentina asked about the flowers in the garden, and I thought it would be educational to show her the differences between them.”
“I didn’t think,” Dolores interrupted. “You’re not paid to think, girl. You’re paid to obey orders.” Carlos looked at his daughter, who was still clinging to Carmelita’s legs, and made a decision that surprised everyone, even himself. “Doña Dolores, could you please leave us alone?” The governess was visibly offended, but she obeyed.
When they were alone, Carlos knelt down next to Valentina. “Daughter, are you okay, Daddy? Aunt Carmelita taught me that red roses mean love,” Valentina said, her eyes still moist. Like the love Mom had for us, Carlos’s heart almost stopped. It was the first time Valentina had mentioned her mother since the accident.
“And what else has Aunt Carmelita taught you? That when we feel nostalgic, we can keep the love in our hearts and share it with others. Just like I do with Aunt Carmelita and Dad.” Carlos looked at Carmelita, whose eyes were filled with tears. “How did you know what to say to her?” he asked. “Mr. Carlos, I also lost my mother when I was Valentina’s age,” Carmen replied softly.
My grandmother raised me, and she always said that love doesn’t go away, it just changes location. That night, after Valentina fell asleep, Carlos called Dolores and Carmen in for a conversation in the office. The tension in the air was almost palpable. “Doña Dolores, you’ve worked here for 20 years,” Carlos began. “You helped raise me.
She cared for this house as if it were her own. I have immense respect for her.” “Thank you, Mr. Carlos,” Dolores replied, clearly expecting him to take her share. “But I also need to acknowledge that Carmen accomplished something none of us could. She brought my daughter back.” “Mr. Carlos,” Dolores interrupted, “this girl is manipulating the child to secure her job.”
It’s not natural for an employee to be so interested in a girl who isn’t her own. Why do you think that? Because she’s very young, very inexperienced, and now I’ve discovered she’s lying about her education. How so? Carlos asked. Dolores took some papers out of her bag. I went to investigate her past.
Carmen Rodríguez has a degree in pedagogy from the Autonomous University of Mexico, but she never practiced the profession. Why would someone with higher education accept a job as a domestic worker, Mr. Carlos? Carmen turned pale. “I can explain,” she said in a trembling voice. “You don’t need to explain to me,” said Carlos, “but I would like to understand.”
When I graduated, my dad lost his job, and I needed to support my family. I have three younger siblings whom I raised after our mom left. I didn’t have time to look for a job in the area because I needed money immediately. And why didn’t you mention your education when you came to work here? Because people get suspicious.
They think I’m going to leave at the first opportunity or that I’m plotting something. I just wanted to work and help my family. Dolores shook her head. See, she admits she’s only here for the money. That’s not true, Carmen replied firmly. I started working for the money, that’s true, but I really grew fond of Valentina.
She reminds me so much of myself when I was her age. “And how do you plan to support your siblings if you decide to work in education?” Carlos asked. “I don’t plan to, sir. My siblings are my priority. The oldest is already 17 and works part-time. He’ll graduate in two years and can help with the younger ones. Then, maybe I’ll consider changing careers.” Dolores crossed her arms.
Mr. Carlos, this girl is using our Valentina to satisfy her frustrated maternal instincts. That’s not healthy for a child who has already been through so much trauma. Mrs. Dolores, with all due respect, Valentina is better than she has been in the last six months, Carlos replied.
For now, but what if this young woman decides she wants to work in her field, and when she decides to marry and have children of her own? Valentina is going to suffer another loss. Mr. Carlos. The housekeeper was right, and Carlos found himself torn between loyalty to the woman who had helped raise him and the well-being of his daughter.
“I’ll think about this,” she finally said. In the following days, the atmosphere in the house grew even more tense. Dolores began giving Carmen direct orders, limiting her contact with Valentina to the strictly necessary working hours. The girl noticed the change and became quieter again.
Dear listener, if you’re enjoying the story, please leave a like and, above all, subscribe to the channel. That helps us a lot, especially those of us who are just starting out. Moving on. The following Saturday, Carlos had an idea. He decided to take Valentina to see the company’s office for the first time.
He wanted to create special memories with his daughter, the way Carmen seemed to do so naturally. “Dad, why didn’t you bring Aunt Carmelita?” Valentina asked in the car. “Because today is just our day, daughter, Dad, and daughter.” But Aunt Carmelita would like to see where her dad works. Carlos tried not to show his frustration, even when he was alone with his daughter; Carmen was a constant topic of conversation.
At the office, he introduced Valentina to the employees, who were charmed by the intelligent and communicative girl. But Carlos noticed that she stayed close to him all the time, lacking the naturalness she had with Carmen. “Mr. Mendoza, your daughter is a sweetheart,” said Gabriela from reception.
She said she has a special friend at home who teaches her interesting things. Friend. Uh-huh. I asked her if it was a classmate and she said no, it’s a young lady who lives at her house and makes everything more fun. On the way back, Valentina fell asleep in the back seat. Carlos took advantage of the silence to reflect. His daughter saw Carmen not as an employee, but as a friend, a mother figure.
Perhaps the question that tormented him was, was this healthy or dangerous? When he arrived home, he found Dolores waiting in the living room with a serious expression. “Mr. Carlos, I need to speak with you urgently,” she said. “What happened, Mrs. Dolores? I found this in Carmen’s room.” He showed her a crumpled piece of paper.
It’s research on private schools in Mexico City. Carlos picked up the paper and saw that there really was a list of expensive schools in the city. And that proves she’s up to something. Why would a domestic worker research expensive schools, Mr. Carlos? Is she planning to take advantage of your generosity? Or perhaps she’s thinking about improving the education of the siblings she supports? Or maybe she’s planning to suggest that Valentina transfer to one of those schools? That way she could position herself as the family’s educational advisor. Dolores’s paranoia was beginning to…
He didn’t want to bother Carlos, but he couldn’t deny that the situation was strange. He decided to confront Carmen directly. On Monday, he arrived home at lunchtime and found Carmen and Valentina making sandwiches in the kitchen. “Dad!” Valentina shouted. “Aunt Carmelita is teaching me how to make a cheese sandwich just like Mom used to make.”
Carlos felt a lump in his throat. Daniela really did make special star-shaped sandwiches for Valentina with melted cheese. Carmen, can I speak with you? Of course, Mr. Carlos. Valentina, finish your lunch; your father wants to talk to me. In the office, Carlos showed the paper that Dolores had found.
Can you explain this to me? Carmen blushed. Mr. Carlos, can I explain? My younger brother, Alejandro, is very intelligent. He’s in his third year of high school and gets excellent grades. I was researching good schools to see if I could get him a scholarship. And why didn’t you tell me? Because I didn’t want you to think I was asking you for a favor.
My family is my responsibility, but I researched some very expensive schools. Scholarships for those institutions are very rare. I know, but dreaming doesn’t cost anything, right?” she said with a sad smile. “My Alejandro is just as smart as Valentina. He deserves a chance.” Carlos was surprised by the comparison. He really thinks my daughter is intelligent. “Mr. Carlos, Valentina is extraordinary. She learns everything I teach her. She asks incredible questions.”
She has an impressive emotional sensitivity for a three-year-old. I should be very proud. But she’s never shown that to me. Because you come home tired, worried about work. Valentina notices and doesn’t want to bother you, but when we’re alone she talks about her dad all the time.
What is she talking about? That her father works very hard to take care of her, that her father gets sad just like she used to. She understands more than we think, Mr. Carlos. This conversation shifted something in Carlos’s perspective. Perhaps the problem wasn’t that Carmen was manipulating Valentina, but that he himself didn’t know how to connect with his daughter. That afternoon he decided to try something.
He arrived home early and asked Dolores to prepare a snack for him and Valentina in the garden, without Carmen present. “Honey, Daddy wants to play with you today.” “What are we going to play?” “Whatever you want.” Valentina thought for a moment. “Can I teach Daddy what Aunt Carmelita taught me?” Alejandro hesitated, but agreed.
