Chapter 3
Rosa doesn’t usually go out much, spending most of her time in her painting studio. However, she decides to go out despite the snowstorm, which piques Ana’s curiosity. “Rosa, if you don’t have a boyfriend, why are you going out in this weather?” Rosa, not knowing how to explain that she has to leave, answers evasively: “I… have some business to take care of. Anyway, when the car arrives at the visa office, everyone will probably know.” Ana doesn’t insist any further, she turns and starts chatting with Hugo about the day’s plans. They chat animatedly, as if they almost forgot about the presence of someone else in the back seat. At a red light, Ana takes out a lipstick and asks Hugo to help her touch up her makeup. He agrees, holding her face with gentle, meticulous gestures. Just when it seems that they are going to get even closer, Rosa turns and looks out the window at the falling snow. As they are about to reach their destination, Ana suddenly says that she wants to go back home to get a coat. Seeing that the GPS shows only two kilometers remaining, Hugo, without thinking, says that it is not convenient and suggests that Rosa take another taxi. Rosa smiles bitterly, says nothing and gets out of the car alone. The black car speeds away, raising a whirlwind of wind and snow. With the street deserted, Rosa walks two kilometers to the visa office through the snow and hands over her documents. Stepping out and meeting Carmen, her high school tutor, at the door, they chat for a moment. Hearing that she is moving abroad, a look of surprise crosses Carmen’s face. “You don’t plan on coming back after you leave? Is Hugo okay with that?” Rosa, taken aback by Hugo’s sudden mention, can only respond with a lie. “Yes, he does. We are not related by blood and I am an adult now, I can’t keep depending on him forever. Exploring the world is also good.” Carmen nods sadly, flooded with nostalgia. “Even though you are not related by blood, Mr. Hugo has really treated you very well.” I remember when you were accused of plagiarism in that contest; Hugo, fresh from appendicitis surgery, rushed to defend you; when you fell at school, he left a multi-million-dollar order and rushed to take you to the hospital; and when those bullies were bothering you, it was also Hugo who found someone to teach them a lesson… Listening to Carmen recount the past, Rosa is also immersed in memories. In the end, Carmen takes her hand, fervently urging her to remember Hugo’s kindness and repay him appropriately. Rosa nods silently. She had already decided, before leaving, she would settle all debts of gratitude to him. For him, the best repayment would probably be the news of her departure. Then, he would not have to worry about her and her insistence anymore. When she gets home, Rosa changes her clothes wet from the snow and sits down to do the math.Having lived in Casa de la Luna for many years and being aware of every monthly and yearly expense, she quickly calculates an approximate value. Besides the specific expenses, there are many hidden costs that are difficult to calculate, so she decides to pay back three times that amount. That morning, she had already organized all the gifts Hugo had given her in the past and put them up for sale on a trading website. She then contacts a real estate agency to put Casa Diaz up for sale. After completing all this, she feels relieved and lies down on the bed when her phone suddenly vibrates. Checking it, she sees that Ana has sent her several photos and a message. “Rosa, Hugo and I are going to Hawaii for a few days, behave while we are not home.” Without even opening it, Rosa knows that the photos are of Ana and Hugo showing their affection. Ever since they made their relationship public, every time they go out, Ana sends many such photos. Before, seeing these photos made her feel so bad that she couldn’t sleep and cried until her eyes turned red and swollen. But now she has decided to consider Hugo only as a relative, and she is no longer affected by Ana’s stimuli. As to whether Ana does this intentionally or not, Rosa prefers not to speculate and answers calmly: —Okay, have fun.
