Elena took a deep breath. She could no longer pretend she didn’t see anything. No, she kept quiet, this isn’t a draft. It has dates, names, employees I remember seeing crying in the hallway.
And I stayed silent. You said it was necessary, that it was strategic.” She spoke without raising her voice, but with the pain of someone who finally admits she was complicit, even if unintentionally. Kayo changed her tone, stopped laughing, softened her voice as if trying to bring order to the conversation.
“Elena, do you know how much I’ve done for this company? If we had to cut costs, it was to keep it afloat. The market doesn’t forgive amateurs. Your father was tired. I only protected his legacy to protect his legacy.”
That phrase that had convinced Elena so many times, this time had a great impact, because now there was proof that along with that legacy, what he had been doing mainly was protecting his own power.
Augusto spoke slowly, almost wearily. Protecting a legacy. It’s not about throwing papers in the trash, I say. It’s not about using my name to fire people without looking them in the eye.
This isn’t about turning my signature into an automatic stamp. The silence grew thick. Raby watched everything, his heart racing. He’d never seen important people so cornered.
He was used to the opposite. Poor people demanding explanations, rich people telling others to shut up. This time was different. There was another knock at the door. It was Dr. Valerio, the old accountant, with thinning hair and a worn briefcase in his hand.
The same man who had said long ago that he wouldn’t last long in a company like this. “Has anyone called me, Mr. Augusto?” he asked timidly. The old man gestured to the chair. “Valerio, do you remember these reports?” he asked, extending the envelope. He put on his glasses, glanced at the surface, and let out a heavy sigh.
Yes, I remember. At the time, I realized it was wrong, that they were going to blame you for everything. After that, I stopped receiving those kinds of newspapers. Only the sanitized versions arrived.
Callo shifted in his chair. “With all due respect, Doctor. Valerio is mistaken. I haven’t remembered for a long time.” “Memory can fail,” the accountant interrupted. “But my conscience doesn’t.”
You know very well that several of these cuts were decided behind closed doors with people saying, “The old man doesn’t need to know everything.” Elena closed her eyes. She remembered a dinner where Kayo had said exactly that.
“Darling, your father can’t stand so many details anymore. Leave it to me.” It was so kind, so convincing, it seemed like affection. Deep down, it was indifference. Augusto placed both hands on the table.
He arrives. His voice wasn’t loud, but it had a firmness no one had seen in a long time. From today onward, no important decision will pass through this company without an independent audit.
Would you be willing to coordinate this again? The accountant swallowed hard, visibly moved. I accept, Mr. Augusto, as long as I have the strength, I accept. Then the old man looked at Rab and said, “This boy stays.”
Kayo almost stood up. “Stay? What do you mean, stay? This is a dump, Augusto. This isn’t a shelter.” Rab lowered his head. He was prepared to hear worse. But Augusto wouldn’t allow it.
This garbage collector, as you called him, has done more for the honesty of this company today than many suited executives. He took a deep breath. Go study, Rabbi. And if you want, you can also work here, not to serve coffee, but to truly learn how a company should treat its people.
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