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B2 SpanishBilingual ReaderProfessional Spanish

La renuncia por correo

It was nearly seven when Marta stepped into her office on the Diagonal; the air smelled of reheated coffee, fresh printer ink, and rain tapping the glass walls.

Illustration for the B2 story "La renuncia por correo": After a bruising performance review, Marta drafts her resignation from a Barcelona office while voices still echo through the glass walls.

What you'll learn

  • Bilingual graded story
  • Native narration
  • 7 useful words
  • 3 comprehension questions

Then shadow

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Native Spanish narration of this exact text. Keep the transcript visible on the first pass.

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2Then shadow

Era casi las siete cuando Marta entró en el despacho de la Diagonal; el aire olía a café recalentado, a tinta fresca de la impresora y a lluvia que golpeaba los ventanales.

Warm-up vocabulary

Preview 1 optional words before reading
renuncia
resignation
“Escribió la renuncia antes de cerrar el portátil.”

Your Spanish story

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Story + translation + quiz

Era casi las siete cuando Marta entró en el de la Diagonal; el aire a café recalentado, a de la impresora y a lluvia que golpeaba los ventanales. La del martes en la pantalla: comentarios en rojo que parecían más duros cada vez que los , como si alguien hubiera escrito el veredicto antes de escucharla. Mientras la puerta de cristal, oía a su jefe en la sala contigua; detrás, alguien reía con nerviosismo, como si el pasillo un altavoz. Abrió el portátil y escribió el : «», con manos que ya no del todo. «Quería el tiempo en el equipo», , aunque lo que deseaba era no volver a aquella reunión. « hablar antes de que la decisión», añadió, probando un que sonaba a carta antigua. cada frase: si el correo, mañana ya no tendría llave del parking ni azul. Fuera, la Diagonal bajo una de mayo; dentro, el ascensor subía con un cansado que mezclaba voces y anuncios lejanos. «enviar» cuando el reloj las seis; el servidor tardó un segundo eterno en , y el borrador quedó vacío con la firma automática todavía pegada al pie. Guardó el portátil en la mochila, y salió respuesta, como quien cierra un capítulo sin ni despedida en el ascensor.

Show full English translation

It was nearly seven when Marta stepped into her office on the Diagonal; the air smelled of reheated coffee, fresh printer ink, and rain tapping the glass walls. Tuesday’s review was still open on her screen—red comments that seemed harsher every time she read them again. As she shut the glass door, she could hear her boss raising his voice in the next room; behind that, someone laughed nervously, as if the hallway were a loudspeaker. She opened her laptop and typed the subject line: “Voluntary resignation,” with hands that no longer trembled quite so much. “I wanted to thank you for my time on the team,” she wrote, even though what she wanted was never to sit through that meeting again. “I wish I could have spoken before you made the decision,” she added, testing a subjunctive that sounded like an old-fashioned letter. She read every sentence again: if she sent the email, tomorrow she would no longer have the parking pass or the blue badge. Outside, the Diagonal gleamed under a fine May rain; inside, the lift climbed with a tired hum that blended voices and distant announcements. She hit “send” as the clock struck six; the server took an endless second to confirm it. She slid the laptop into her backpack, drew a deep breath, and left without waiting for a reply—like someone closing a chapter with no epilogue and no goodbye in the lift.

Reading Comprehension Exercise

B2 Spanish Reading Comprehension Exercises

1. Why does Marta write the email that evening?

2. What does Marta lose if she sends the message?

3. Which line shows formal regret with the subjunctive?

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