A humble cleaning lady, with no one to leave her little daughter with, decided to take her to work, but she never imagined that her millionaire boss’s reaction would change everything.

A humble cleaning lady, with no one to leave her little daughter with, decided to take her to work, but she never imagined that her millionaire boss’s reaction would change everything.

Claudia woke up at 5:30 in the morning like every day, her body tired and her eyes puffy from a poor night’s sleep, but with no time to complain.

The old alarm clock on her bedside  table didn’t even ring anymore, but she’d had the clock in her head since her husband died four years ago. Her daughter, Renata, barely four years old, slept soundly, cuddling a stuffed animal whose ear had already drooped.

Claudia looked at her for a few seconds before getting up. She was sad to wake her, but she couldn’t leave her alone. She’d have to take her to work again.

He moved quickly around the small house they shared in the San Pedro neighborhood. A humble home with worn-out walls, a single light bulb in the ceiling, and an old stove that took a long time to light.

She served some oatmeal with hot milk for Renata and black coffee for herself, all in silence so that the girl could stay asleep a little longer.

While eating breakfast, she thought about how to explain to Mr. Leonardo that her daughter would be with her again. She’d already told him she had no one to leave her with, but she always felt like at any moment they’d tell her she couldn’t go on like this, that she should find another option. As if that were easy.

Claudia had already looked for daycare, but she couldn’t afford even the cheapest one, and she didn’t have any family who could help her. Things were as they were.

At 6:15, he woke Renata with a kiss on the forehead. The girl opened her eyes lazily, stretched, and asked the same question she asked every day. “You’re going to work today, Mom.” Claudia smiled and replied that she was, but that she was going with her, like other times.

Renata nodded happily because she liked the big house. She said it looked like a castle. Even though they didn’t let her touch much of anything, she still felt happy just being there.

While she was dressing her, Claudia told her over and over again not to make any noise, not to touch anything without permission, not to run in the halls, and not to enter Mr. Leonardo’s office. It’s very important that you behave yourself, my daughter. I need this job.

He spoke to her in a firm but gentle tone. They left the house at 7 o’clock sharp, as usual. They walked four blocks to the bus stop. Claudia had her backpack slung over her shoulder and a bag with some food.

And Renata, with a pink backpack containing some small toys and a notebook for drawing, got into the truck like every morning, pushing and shoving, and Claudia made sure the little girl was sitting securely by the window.

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The ride lasted about 40 minutes, and Renata spent it looking at the cars, the people, the stray dogs, and asking endless questions. Claudia answered what she could, although sometimes she was completely lost for words.

They arrived in the Lomas del Encino neighborhood, where everything was different: wide streets, pruned trees, houses with electric gates, and uniformed gardeners up early.

The mansion where she worked was on the corner of a quiet street, behind a huge black gate. Claudia had to use the intercom to get someone to let her in.

The security guard, Mr. José, already knew her. He smiled when he saw Renata and opened the door without saying anything. Claudia thanked him with a quick glance, and they entered. The mansion was enormous, two stories high, with windows on all sides and a garden bigger than the entire street combined. Claudia was still nervous when she entered, even though she had been working there for two years.

Everything was clean, tidy, and smelled of fine wood. Mr. Leonardo almost never left his office in the morning. Claudia knew his routine well. He went up at 8, came down for breakfast at 9, and then went into the office to work or go out to meetings. Sometimes she didn’t see him all day; she only left messages for him through the butler. That day, she thought it would be the same.

They entered through the service door as usual. Claudia asked Renata to sit in a corner of the kitchen where she could see her. She gave her some colored pencils and a piece of paper. The girl began to draw, and she began to clean, starting with the dining room. Everything was normal.
Kitchen supplies
She washed the dishes the cook had left, swept, mopped, rearranged the chair cushions, and dusted the cabinet that held the collection of expensive bottles. At 8:15, she heard footsteps on the stairs. Her heart leaped. She hadn’t expected him to come down so early.

Leonardo appeared in the living room wearing an unbuttoned white shirt and a frown. His hair was slightly disheveled, and he was carrying a folder. Claudia froze, holding the rag. He was headed straight for the kitchen. When he entered, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Renata sitting there on the floor, concentrating on her drawing.

Claudia felt her stomach tighten. She took a deep breath, took a step forward, and explained that she had no one to leave her with, that it would only be for a few hours, and that she promised she wouldn’t cause any trouble. Leonardo said nothing; he bent down a little, leaning on his knees, and looked at Renata’s drawing. It was a huge house with a little girl standing in the garden and a large sun in the corner.

Renata saw him and said fearlessly, “This is your house, sir, and that’s me playing.” Leonardo blinked, said nothing for a few seconds, then sat up, straightened his shirt, and, to Claudia’s surprise, smiled. A faint smile, as if something had unlocked inside him.

“Okay,” he said simply and left the kitchen. Claudia didn’t know what to think. She had never seen him like this before. Mr. Leonardo wasn’t rude, but he wasn’t warm either. He was a serious man, with a hard gaze, who almost never said more than necessary. But that smile was something she hadn’t expected. She continued cleaning, her heart pounding, and she glanced at Renata out of the corner of her eye.

The girl continued drawing, calm, as if nothing had happened. At 9 o’clock sharp, she came downstairs again. Claudia thought the scolding would come this time, but no. Leonardo sat down at the dining room  table and asked for coffee. Then, from his chair, he asked Renata her name.

She answered him as naturally as if they were friends. He asked her what she liked to do, and she replied drawing, running, and eating sweet bread. Leonardo laughed. A low laugh, but real. Claudia sensed something strange was happening and didn’t know whether she should be worried or not. The rest of the morning was different. Leonardo stayed in the house longer.
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He went out to the garden to make some calls, but before leaving, he asked Claudia if Renata could play there for a while. She didn’t know what to say; she just said yes, if it wasn’t too much trouble, and he replied no, that he liked seeing her there. Claudia stared at him, not knowing how to react. While she was sweeping the driveway, she saw her daughter running through the bushes, laughing to herself, and Leonardo sitting on a bench, watching without saying anything.

The man who had lost his wife three years earlier and had lived like a shadow ever since seemed to be coming back to life that day. Claudia didn’t understand what was happening, but for the first time in a long time, she felt that maybe things could change, and that everything had started like any other day. Renata sat cross-legged in the garden, plucking little flowers from the grass and making piles by color.

She was wearing a white blouse with orange juice stains that didn’t come out in the wash and a ponytail that had already come undone. While she played, she talked to herself, as children do, making up stories about one flower being a princess and another a dragon.

Claudia watched her from the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands with an old rag. She was worried she’d make noise or get something dirty. She didn’t want to give them a reason to tell her they couldn’t bring her here anymore. Leonardo was in his office, as always. Some rustling of papers and a call on speakerphone could be heard.
Kitchen supplies
Claudia didn’t understand what he was talking about, but his voice was firm, one of those voices that command attention, even if you’re not watching. When Renata started singing softly while arranging her flowers in a row, Claudia wanted to run over and tell her to be quiet, but before she could move, Leonardo came out. He was holding his cell phone and wearing a tired expression. He stopped abruptly when he saw the girl singing.

Claudia froze. She expected him to say something, to tell her to be quiet, to ask why she was there again, but no. Leonardo put his cell phone in his pocket and approached slowly, without Claudia understanding what he was doing. He crouched down to the girl’s level and asked her what she was singing.

Renata looked at him, thought for a second, and then told him the name of a cartoon. She asked him if he watched that cartoon too. Leonardo let out a small laugh through his nose. No, he didn’t, he said. But he liked the way he sang. Claudia didn’t know what to do. It was like watching another person.

The same man who walked by without saying hello, who barely looked at anyone. Now he was crouching down, chatting with a four-year-old girl about cartoon songs. Renata continued talking as if nothing had happened. She explained that one flower was a mother flower, another was a father flower, and that they were taking care of their little ones. The petals. Leonardo nodded as if he truly understood, and then he walked past. He laughed. A soft but real laugh. And it wasn’t just once.

Renata said something else, something about the petals being mischievous and escaping from the garden, and he let out a low but clear laugh. Claudia felt a lump in her throat. She couldn’t tell if it was joy, surprise, or fear. Seeing him laugh like that was like watching it rain in the middle of the desert. It was obvious he didn’t do it often.

He stayed with the girl for a while longer, watching her arrange the flowers by color. He asked her if she liked it there. Renata said yes, that it was like a park with a roof, and that she wished they lived there. Leonardo looked at her seriously for a moment, but then smiled again. After a few minutes, he stood up and told Claudia that she could let the girl play there as long as she wanted, that it was no problem.

Claudia only managed to say a very quiet thank you. He simply left, as if everything were normal, but for Claudia, nothing was normal. Later, when they were cleaning the floor of the hallway that connected to the library, Claudia paused for a moment when she heard Leonardo’s laugh again. This time it came from the office. It wasn’t loud or exaggerated. But it was there.

That had never happened before. Claudia peeked out. She didn’t want to spy, just look. She saw Leonardo sitting at his desk with Renata in a chair across from him. She was holding a sheet of paper with drawings, and he was looking at them intently. Suddenly, the girl looked up and said something she couldn’t hear, but it made Leonardo laugh again. Claudia quietly left.

I didn’t want to interrupt. I didn’t know how long that good attitude would last, but I was determined not to ruin it. The cook, Marta, a woman in her fifties who had worked in the house for years, approached Claudia as she collected some towels from the guest bathroom.

She told him in a low voice that she had never seen the boss like that, that since Mrs. Daniela died, he didn’t laugh, didn’t talk more than necessary, didn’t let anyone into his space. “And now that girl has taken him into her own world,” Marta commented, surprised. Claudia could only shrug. She didn’t want to get her hopes up. She didn’t know what all this meant. At mealtime, Leonardo asked for an extra place setting. Claudia thought it was for a guest, but no.

He said Renata would eat, and the girl sat happily as if it were the most normal thing in the world. She asked for flavored water, and Marta served her some hibiscus. Leonardo didn’t say anything; he just looked at her. He asked if she liked beans. Renata said yes, but that she had once eaten some that tasted like dirt. He laughed again.

Claudia stood by the stove, unsure if that was right or wrong. Leonardo called her by name, something he almost never did. He told her she could eat something if she wanted, not to worry. Claudia just replied that she was fine. Thank you. But she didn’t eat. Her stomach was in knots.

That afternoon, as they were leaving, Renata ran to say goodbye to Leonardo. She gave him a drawing she had made with crayons. It was a man wearing a tie and a girl holding his hand. Leonardo looked at it, remained silent for a few seconds, and then put it in his desk drawer without saying anything else.

She just stroked the girl’s head and told her to behave. On the way home in the bus, Renata asked her mother if they could come back tomorrow. Claudia didn’t know what to say. She looked out the window with teary eyes and a heavy heart. Something was changing. She felt it, but she didn’t know if she should trust it. She had learned not to expect too much from anyone.

Sometimes, when something good happened, it was just the prelude to something worse. That night, after eating some rice and egg, Claudia put Renata to bed. The girl fell asleep quickly, cuddling the same stuffed animal as always. Claudia sat on the bed staring at the ceiling. She had too many things on her mind. Leonardo, his laugh, the way he looked at his daughter—she didn’t understand what was happening, but a part of her was afraid, because when life started to get better, something always came along to ruin it. But at the same time, she couldn’t deny that she had seen something in that man’s eyes, something broken, but wanting to come out. And the strangest thing is that her daughter, without realizing it,

She had been the one to open the door for her. From that morning on, something changed in the house. It wasn’t something that was said or formally agreed upon, but from then on, Renata started going with Claudia every day. The first week was like walking on thin ice. Claudia expected to be told at any moment that she couldn’t take her anymore, that she was breaking the rules, that she should find a babysitter, something.