negotiation with collection
Sara was counting money with her secretary, keeping a meticulous record. Eight days' worth of shit was stored in cups, and they didn't know what to do with it.
Valentina, the cleaning lady, was silently cleaning, but her eyes lingered longer than usual on the bag. She noticed Sara watching it and understood more than she should. She kept working, though her mind was already elsewhere.
Minutes later, Sara and Emily left. The place fell silent.
Valentina approached, opened the bag, and took some of the money. Her hands were trembling.
Sara returned and caught her. Valentina fell to her knees, begged for forgiveness, and promised not to do it again. Then she proposed a deal: they wouldn't call the police. In exchange, she wanted to work with them, since she knew about the other business and the "dirty" videos.
Sara and Emily exchanged glances. There were no shouts, just a brief negotiation.
They agreed to a test.
The chocolate collected over eight days was placed on Valentina, spread over her face, hair, and body, in a strange and tense scene.
Valentina didn't move. She never resisted.
In the end, the three of them smoked in silence.
Sara spoke calmly: from today on, she could stay.
