My husband invited his boss to our house, but just before he arrived, he looked at me with disgust and whispered, “Stay in the bedroom. I’m ashamed to have you seen like this. If my boss sees you, you’ll ruin my promotion.”

“You want me to lock myself in the bedroom?” Mariana asked softly.

Alejandro barely looked away from the hallway mirror while adjusting his shirt collar. “Don’t be dramatic. I’m on the verge of landing a promotion to general manager. Sergio is coming to the house for the first time, and I need everything to go perfectly.”

“It’s my house, too.”

“Which is precisely why I’m asking you for a favor. Serve the dinner and vanish for a little while.”

Mariana felt the familiar knot tighten in her throat, the one