—So… Carmelita is doing a good job.

“She’s doing an exceptional job. She has a natural intuition for working with traumatized children. And most importantly, she’s not forcing the recovery. She’s allowing it to happen organically.”

—But… what if Valentina becomes too dependent on her?

“Mr. Carlos, children who have experienced trauma need secure figures to reconnect with the world. Carmelita has become that figure for Valentina. The important thing is that she isn’t replacing you as a father. She’s building a bridge between Valentina and the family.”

-As?

—Valentina talks about you constantly in the sessions. She talks about how her father works to take care of her, how she wants to make him happy, how they planted flowers together. Carmelita isn’t creating dependency; she’s strengthening family bonds.

Carlos felt relieved and confused at the same time.

—And isn’t Carmelita’s age a problem? She’s very young…

—On the contrary. Valentina doesn’t see Carmelita as a mother replacement. She sees her as a reliable older sister. That’s psychologically much healthier.

That night, Carlos reflected on everything he had discovered. Perhaps Dolores was wrong about Carmelita’s intentions. Perhaps he should trust what he saw more than what he feared.

The next morning, Dolores looked for him in the office before he left.

—Mr. Carlos, we need to talk urgently.

—What’s wrong, Mrs. Dolores?

—I’ve discovered something serious about that Carmelite woman.

Carlos sighed, expecting another accusation.

—Say.

—He doesn’t live where he said he lived. The address he gave is false.

That did surprise Carlos.

-In that way?

—I sent my niece to check. No one named Carmelita Rodríguez lives at that address with siblings. In fact, it’s a family home and they’ve never even heard of her.

Perhaps he moved recently… or perhaps he’s lying about everything, Mr. Carlos. What if he doesn’t have any siblings to support? What if that whole story was just to win your sympathy?

Doubt returned to haunt Carlos. If Carmelita was lying about where she lived, what else could she be lying about?

“I’m going to confront her today,” he said.

Buy vitamins and supplements

—Mr. Carlos, with all due respect: that girl is deceiving you, and worse still, she is using a traumatized child to do it.

That day, Carlos could barely concentrate on his work. Dolores’s words echoed in his head. If Carmelita was lying about her personal life, perhaps her entire connection with Valentina was calculated, not genuine.

He arrived home determined to discover the truth.

She found Carmelita tidying the living room while Valentina played with dolls on the rug.

—Carmelita, I need to talk to you.

—Of course, Mr. Carlos.

—Valentina, go play in your room for a little while. Dad needs to talk to Aunt Carmelita.