“Put a hidden camera in the living room and leave the apartment,” my daughter-in-law told me, and this is what happened.

A sleepless night

Rosa didn’t ask any questions. She made chamomile tea and sat with me in silence. Later, lying in the guest room, I watched the shadows of the fan turning on the ceiling.

I picked up my phone several times, tempted to open the camera app. I always stopped myself. I was afraid I wouldn’t see anything… and even more afraid of seeing something.

Dawn arrived pale, with the scent of salt and damp wood. I hadn’t slept. Rosa was still snoring when I opened the app.

The picture showed my living room exactly as I had left it. I sighed, almost embarrassed.

Then the door opened.

The recorded betrayal

Rafael , my son, went in first. Behind him came our cousin  Leonel  and a man with a toolbox. The stranger went straight to the studio door lock.

“He’ll be gone for a week,” Rafael said. “Plenty of time to put him up for sale.”

Leonel laughed.

—He’ll sign when he gets back. I already have the forms ready.

I couldn’t breathe.

They talked about writing, about the safe, about paying off debts as if they were tidying up furniture. I watched them open drawers that held family memories, without a single hint of guilt.

When they left, the door closed as if it were the end.

Something inside me silently broke.