After their marriage, María often asked Javier if they could visit her father in the countryside. She longed to return home, if only for a few days, to see the man who had raised her with so much sacrifice.
But Javier brushed off every request.
“What’s the point of going there?” he scoffed. “It’s just dust, fields, and backward talk. Nothing interesting for me.”
Each refusal wounded María, but she held her tongue, unwilling to argue. Her husband’s pride was already fragile from the financial difficulties his business was facing.
A Surprise Visit
One afternoon, Don Pedro decided to visit the city unannounced. He boarded an old bus, traveling for hours under the heat, carrying with him a worn bag filled with simple gifts—sweet potatoes and grapefruits freshly picked from his garden.
When he knocked at their door, María rushed to greet him.
“Dad! You should have told me you were coming. I would have picked you up at the station!” she cried, her eyes wet with joy.
But Don Pedro only smiled, his face lined with years of work under the sun.
“I didn’t want to bother you, daughter. I just thought you might miss the taste of home.”
María hugged him tightly, moved by his thoughtfulness.
In the living room, however, Javier barely looked up from his phone. When his eyes met the sight of his father-in-law’s worn sandals and faded clothes, his face twisted in irritation. He gave a curt greeting and turned away, his voice laced with contempt.
A Cold Meal
That evening, María prepared a meal to welcome her father. As they sat down, Don Pedro attempted to make conversation with his son-in-law.
“Javier, how’s your work going? I hope it’s not too difficult for you,” he asked gently.
Javier responded tersely, shoveling food into his mouth. “The usual,” he muttered.
The air grew heavy with tension. María’s face fell, but Don Pedro kept smiling, speaking about the harvest, the rains, and life in the village. Javier barely listened. Inside, he scoffed:
“What could a poor peasant possibly know about business, technology, or modern life?”
To him, his father-in-law’s presence was nothing more than an embarrassment.
The Meeting That Changed Everything
Later that afternoon, Javier hurriedly prepared for a critical business meeting. His company was struggling, and he was desperate to form a partnership with a major corporation. He had been waiting for weeks to finally meet the director of the firm—a man he believed could save his failing career.
As he dressed in his finest suit, he barely noticed his father-in-law sitting quietly in the yard. To Javier, Don Pedro was invisible.
Moments later, the doorbell rang. A gleaming luxury car pulled up outside. From it stepped an elegant man in a tailored suit—Alejandro Ramírez, the director Javier had been hoping to impress.
Javier rushed forward, his face lighting up with rehearsed charm.
“Director, welcome! Please, come inside,” he said eagerly.
But what happened next left him speechless.
