Juan, with the cold eyes of a financial shark, nodded. “We can’t let that happen. We need to destroy that woman’s credibility before it’s too late.”
The smear campaign was brutal. Using their connections, they leaked stories to the tabloids. The headlines were venomous: “The Billionaire and the Witch,” and “High Society Scam: Employee manipulates sick tycoon with fake miracles.” Overnight, the mansion was under siege. Paparazzi camped at the gates; drones buzzed over the garden. When Rosa tried to leave, they screamed insults at her: “Gold-digger!” “Fraud!” Sergio, terrified, couldn’t understand why the world hated them.
“Mama, did we do something bad?” he asked, crying under his silk sheets, which now felt like a golden cage.
“No, my love,” Rosa replied, holding him tight. “People sometimes fear what they don’t understand, and they attack what is pure.”
The True Test
Fernando, blinded by his physical progress, minimized their suffering. “Don’t listen to the press,” he would say. “The important thing is I’m getting better. Sergio, come, let’s try moving the ankle again.” He was so focused on his recovery that he didn’t see he was losing his humanity.