My daughter married a Korean man when she was 21. – HICAN

Teresa felt the floor move.

—Facade of what?

Maria Luisa spoke before he did.

—Business. Accounts. Companies that weren’t in my name, but used my signature.

His voice was low and dry, as if he had repeated that confession in his mind thousands of times.

Kang needed a foreigner with no connections here, someone easy to control, someone who seemed grateful.

Teresa put a hand to her mouth.

—And did you accept?

The question came out with more pain than accusation.

Maria Luisa finally looked at her.

—I accepted because you said you owed 300,000 pesos for Dad’s operation.

Teresa remained motionless.

That debt was old, shameful, and burdensome. She never wanted her daughter to carry that burden.

—I told you I would solve it.

—You weren’t solving it, Mom. You were selling food, cleaning houses, borrowing money. You were burning yourself out.