He continued.
“She died last year. Bus accident.”
The room fell silent.
In that moment, Laura wasn’t looking at an employee with attendance issues.
She was looking at a man carrying:
- A full-time job
- A critically ill spouse
- Four children
- Two additional dependents
- No external support system
- “I work nights,” Carlos said.“Cleaning offices.”
“During the day, I take care of them.”
“And when I can… I take Elena to the hospital.”
The Cost of Survival vs. The Cost of Business
Laura glanced at her wrist.
Her watch reflected the light from the window.
A luxury timepiece.
Worth more than everything inside that house combined.
For the first time in years, her understanding of “cost” shifted.
Because in corporate environments, cost is measured in numbers:
- Payroll
- Operational efficiency
- Revenue per employee
But here, cost looked different.
It looked like:
- Missed treatments
- Hungry children
- Physical exhaustion
- Quiet sacrifice
