Javier had been born and raised in Mexico City. He was used to comfort, to seeing life through eyes that valued only money and status.
When he married María a sweet, simple girl from a small town his friends mocked him, saying he had “brought a countryside wife.”
But because she was beautiful, hard-working, and loved him with all her heart, Javier agreed to marry him.
On the wedding day, María’s father, Don Pedro, a thin, sun-baked peasant, traveled from the ranch and gave all his savings to support his daughter.
But for Javier, the man was nothing more than “a poor, backward man.”
After the wedding, María sometimes asked her husband to return to the town to visit his father, but Javier always made up excuses:
“What’s the point of going there? Only dust, fields, and nothing interesting to talk about.”
María was saddened, but she didn’t dare reproach him.
One day, Don Pedro arrived unexpectedly in the city to visit the couple.
He traveled on an old bus and brought a gift of a few kilos of sweet potatoes and some grapefruits from his garden.
As soon as he arrived, María became emotional:
“Dad! When did you arrive? Why didn’t you let me know to pick you up at the central station?”
He smiled kindly:
“I didn’t want to bother you, daughter. I just brought a few things from the ranch, so you wouldn’t forget the taste of home.”
María was moved to tears.
But Javier reacted differently.
He was in the living room looking at his cell phone; when he saw Don Pedro enter wearing worn clothes and old sandals, he frowned, greeted him coldly, and turned away.
During the meal, Don Pedro tried to chat with his son-in-law:
“Javier, how’s work going? Is it too hard for you?”
Javier quickly ate some meat and replied tersely:
“The usual.”
The atmosphere became tense.
Don Pedro, nonetheless, smiled and talked about the harvests and life in the village.
Javier barely listened, nodding occasionally.
Inside, he thought with annoyance: “A peasant without money, what could be so interesting? What does he know about modern life?”
María, seeing her husband’s coldness, suffered in silence.
That afternoon, Javier had an important meeting with the director of a large company, someone he was looking to partner with to save his failing business.
He hurriedly got ready, leaving his father-in-law alone in the yard.
Shortly after, the doorbell rang.
A luxury car pulled up in front of the house.
An elegant, middle-aged man in an impeccable suit got out. Javier ran to greet him with a servile smile:
“Director! Welcome, please come into the house.”
But when the man entered, Javier froze.
The visitor walked directly to Don Pedro, who was sitting silently, and spoke respectfully:
“Good afternoon, Don Pedro. I’m Alejandro Ramírez, director of ABC Company, and I came as agreed with you.”
Javier’s mouth fell open.
The “director” he had dreamed of partnering with treated his peasant father-in-law with utter deference.
Don Pedro smiled and calmly explained:
“I didn’t mean to boast, but for years I’ve invested my savings with some acquaintances in building this company. Alejandro is the general manager. This time I came not only to visit my daughter, but also to discuss opening a new branch in the city. I was thinking of introducing you to him, to see if we could collaborate…”
Javier’s body collapsed inside
He remembered her indifference, the curt answers he’d given, the contempt in her eyes.
All he felt was deep regret. He stammered:
“Forgive me, Don Pedro… I didn’t know…”
The father-in-law sighed and said slowly:
“I don’t need you to respect me for money. I just want you to love my daughter and value family. But today I clearly saw what weighs most heavily on your heart.”
He stood up, picked up his old backpack, and prepared to leave.
María burst into tears and tried to stop her father. Javier, on the other hand, went pale, lamenting.
The golden opportunity had slipped through his fingers because of his pride and contempt.
That night, the house fell silent.
Javier, dejected, realized that true wealth wasn’t found in an elegant suit, a full wallet, or a luxurious car, but in the kindness and dignity of people.
And he understood that what he had lost was not only a business opportunity, but also the trust of his wife and the respect of his father-in-law: the humble farmer who was actually the majority shareholder of the company he had so dreamed of working for.