I Pretended to Be Sick to Skip School — But That Afternoon I Discovered Something at Home I Wasn’t Ready For

Carmen sat beside her on the bed and gently touched her forehead. Her eyes, tired from long hours of work, softened with concern. She was raising Valeria alone and worked as a sales assistant at a cosmetics shop in Plaza Galerías, one of the city’s busiest shopping centers. Missing work or arriving late was not an option—Valeria depended entirely on her income.

When Carmen realized her daughter didn’t have a fever, she exhaled in relief. She prepared a bowl of soup and placed it in the refrigerator, just in case Valeria felt hungry later. After kissing her daughter on the forehead and reminding her to call if she felt worse, Carmen grabbed her beige coat, stepped out of their small apartment, and locked the door behind her.