CHARLOTTEI spent most of the day in the establishment, which did me a lot of good. It was warm. The atmosphere smelled delicious, and I felt safe. My head still throbbed, and my body trembled slightly; this reinforced my need to sit still.The restaurant was located in the city’s hub, and sitting next to the window gave me a vintage view of the world outside as well; it felt like a movie I had been missing out on. Elena’s visit roused something in me, possibly fueled by the possibility of losing shelter, but it was there nonetheless.It was a thought that had been creeping into my mind slowly, a voice I hadn’t been paying attention to, but recent events had given it some credence. “The world’s moved on without me,” I muttered, staring at the people on the street.I had spent time engulfed in my grief of losing my parents, going between numerous foster homes, and finally being too old for that, then coming to Milan to work. I had been so focused on myself that I forgot to see the worl
CHARLOTTE“You have two options, Signora Thuthai,” the lawyer started, but I interrupted him by shaking my head slowly. While I understood the mistake, hearing myself referred to as Rogerio’s wife felt like a blade cutting through the open wound in my heart. I swallowed and stopped myself from wrapping my arms around my body as a chill ran down my spine.He stopped to listen to me with rapt attention, his eyes holding an interesting mix of empathy and curiosity. I stared at him with a blank expression, slightly impressed that he remained unfazed by the silence or the stare. It was impressive, really; he reminded me of Maria. They had a certain protective aura about them. Being in the room with him, I could tell that he was willing to help me in whatever way he could.I wondered how many court hearings and private sessions with clients it would take to pull it off, silently contemplating if being a lawyer was something I’d want to do. I started to consider the possibilities, but my tho
CHARLOTTEIt felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and the drive back to the estate was the best I’d had in a long time. I rolled down the windows, and the evening breeze blew through my hair. Surprisingly, my headache had stopped throbbing.The sweet taste of the bun still lingered on my tongue, and I craved more. I contemplated the distance I would have to drive to get them and forced myself to move in the direction I had chosen. However, as I drove past the gates, I had a grand idea.Maria and I would eat out. Why not? It made sense; we were two women in that gigantic house and equally big estate. We needed to get out for a bit. She’d pick the restaurant, and we’d have a great time. I drove the car to a halt, and when I alighted, she was walking through the door holding a piece of paper and a pencil in her other hand.“Whatever that is, I don’t want to hear it,” I announced. She looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Don’t look at me like that; we’re going out.”“G
CHARLOTTEThe following weeks were a whirlwind of activities, mainly focused on renovating the house and interviewing new staff. Initially, I had decided not to be involved in the selection process, but Maria insisted on consulting me about everything. So, this morning, we found ourselves sitting in the study with a group of applicants waiting in the hallway.Setting up seating arrangements for the fifteen candidates who had applied for the position was a challenge, but we managed to get it done. Amidst the chaos, the handymen Maria had hired to fix the wall called to reschedule, and she was visibly miffed about it."Think about it like this," I whispered as I rocked our chairs gently. "It would've been terrible to interview in such a noisy environment."“But still, we needed to get it done today.” Her face morphed into a frown. “I could find a different firm to handle it.”“Didn’t you say they were the best you knew?”“Yes, but I’m sure there are others equally capable,” she answere
CHARLOTTEThe morning I left Milan had been unusually cold, and the air smelled a little different. I asked Maria if she noticed it, but she answered by saying that she didn't feel anything unusual. I sneezed as we got into the car, and she suggested that we go back and reschedule if I wasn't feeling well."It's alright, Maria," I said with a thin smile.The drive to the airport was filled with conversations between her and the driver, Luigi. I could tell they had a rapport from prior conversations as they discussed a place I wasn't familiar with. I listened to their exchange, grateful for the distraction from the thought of leaving Maria all alone.I tried to dismiss her, but as I boarded the plane, I couldn't deny that I felt a little different. Maria had accompanied me to the airport, and the new driver had made a good impression by getting us there in record time. We had some time to talk while we waited, enjoying breakfast together in a restaurant. When it was time to board, we s
ROGERIOIt had been a few weeks since I had seen Charlotte. I wasn’t necessarily keeping count, but the conversation with Maria replayed in my mind occasionally. This morning, it was louder than ever, making me feel uneasy. Elena hadn’t mentioned anything about going to the estate. I couldn’t decide if it was because of the wedding preparations, but we have had conversations about a lot of things since she returned. She spent most of the time at her family’s estate and came over when she needed to.I had no problems with the arrangement; it meant I had my space to myself. I needed time alone these days; everything left me feeling irked or annoyed, like something was missing. I tried to shake off the feeling and considered the possibility of Maria lying, but shook my head slowly.“What would she stand to gain from that?” I muttered and stared at the clock on the wall. I had come to the office to complete some work for a potential investor, but they had rescheduled, thankfully. I was in
CharlotteI was in Newark, at least that’s what the brochure in my hands indicated. It felt great to be somewhere new. The uneasy feeling that enveloped me earlier in the day and throughout the ride had dissipated, and I felt a little more like myself again.I looked around the airport, watching as people rushed to their destinations. Others, not in a hurry, huddled in small groups, discussing in hushed tones, or passed the time reading a book or sipping coffee. In the corner, a child was throwing a tantrum, and I felt a twinge of sympathy for their visibly distressed parent.Only a little, because well, I don’t know much about parenting, but I’m sure having to deal with different emotions from your ward comes with the job description. I moved my gaze from the scene and scanned the room with my eyes.A few moments later, I found my target: an empty seat. After the uncomfortable flight I just had, I was in no mood to put myself in a position that required a conversation with another pe
CHARLOTTEI opened my eyes the next morning, a few minutes before the alarm went off and the memories of the previous night danced through my mind. I smiled wistfully, content with the decision I had made, but still feeling like I had lost something.I tried to shake it off and focus on the fact that I had given myself quite the experience. I turned off the alarm and got out of bed. I looked around the hotel room and realized that I had forgotten to check for cameras or get an extra lock for the door.“Need to make better decisions,” I muttered, eyeing the room’s disarray, a reflection of my current state of life.It wasn’t terrible, but I had a flair for the dramatic. Clothes were strewn about, my notepad upside down—it all amplified my self-criticism. I had to remind myself that this wasn’t Milan; littering didn’t mean I was stressing the person cleaning up after me. This time, I had to take care of my mess. It felt good and terrifying at the same time.I clicked my tongue against t
CHARLOTTEThe next day started off well. I got out of bed early, took a bath, grabbed breakfast, and asked Sonia to book a reservation at a restaurant close to school where I would have lunch before attending the classes I had planned for the day.I intended to move around the different departments in the office, familiarize myself with the staff, their supervisors, and learn what each person contributed to the overall outcome of the company.Having a plan made me feel like I was on the right path. I moved around the apartment with a spring in my step and a sense of determination building in my heart as I prepared for the day ahead.I decided to focus on what I had in front of me and use it to my advantage rather than dwelling on what was going wrong. That seemed to be the best decision I had made in a while.I felt lighter, as though things were beginning to fall into place. When I arrived at the office, I asked for the files related to the company’s early days and the financial repo
Charlotte“Well… it might be because you’ve been with the club since its inception. You’re familiar with the system you created for it,” Sonia suggested, turning her gaze back to the road. “If you feel out of place at the firm, why not take some time to learn what makes the company tick?”I mulled over her suggestion for a moment, then chuckled lightly.“That’s a great idea, but I already have so much on my plate. I can’t imagine adding anything more to the pile…” My words trailed off as a spark of inspiration lit up in my mind.“What is it?” she asked, glancing at me briefly before refocusing on the road.I sighed, a small smile forming. “I think you’ve just given me a brilliant idea.”She looked over, her expression confused, before returning her attention forward. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but whatever it is, keep thinking about it. You already look better just talking about it,” she said with a chuckle as the car came to a smooth stop in front of the house.I reached for
CharlotteI took Thiago’s advice and decided to make the best of the situation. Surprisingly, things began to take a turn for the better.The meeting with the board exceeded my expectations; they understood the reasons behind the drop in sales and were eager to suggest solutions, even refining the ideas I’d presented.Their willingness to collaborate reignited a sense of purpose in me.After wrapping up at the firm, I headed to the university to pick up my schedule for the semester and familiarize myself with the campus.It felt strange to be surrounded by so many young people leading lives so different from mine. There was an energy here - a mix of excitement and uncertainty - but I decided to embrace it.I wasn’t ready to dive into any of the pre-formed cliques, nor was I eager to make friends right away. I resolved to take it slow and let things unfold naturally.The other classes I’d been taking to prepare myself for the semester were voluntary, but now it was time for the real de
CHARLOTTEIt had been a week since I started working at Thiago’s firm while also doubling as the manager at the club. Combining both activities had been nothing short of hectic.Every morning, I dropped by the office to review the previous day’s reports, stayed for an hour or two, and then rushed off to school for my classes, which had just begun.At night, I stopped by the club to supervise activities. I’d given up bartending for a while - it was clear that taking on that role too would be overextending myself.I also stopped spending the night at the club like I used to, knowing I needed at least a little sleep to function the next day.After a week of this chaotic schedule, I felt like I needed to drop something and focus on one thing. That morning at the office, I resolved to decide what worked best for me.Abandoning school was out of the question; I’d only just started, and giving up on something I so desperately wanted wasn’t an option.That left me choosing between the club an
ROGERIO“Elena, I assure you, I didn’t mean to hurt you or play any games. If I didn’t want to go through with the wedding, I would’ve let you know. I—”“You know, that’s what I thought for a moment,” she interrupted, pacing. “If you didn’t want to go through with it, all you had to do was call me. Did you even consider that, or was it fun for you to let me walk into the church and get embarrassed in front of everyone?”“Elena, let me explain… I wasn’t… I didn’t…” I stammered, but she stopped pacing and stepped toward me.“Since when do you stammer? Since when do you not know how to articulate yourself? Rogerio, you better say something that makes sense right now, or I swear to—” She stopped short as I raised my hands in defeat.“I was anxious!” I blurted out before I could think. I had been trying to come up with the perfect excuse, but nothing seemed adequate under the weight of her anger. The words tumbled out, unfiltered.“What?” she asked, her expression shifting to one of confus
ROGERIOI hadn’t planned to leave Elena at the altar until I received that message; in fact, I was resigned to my fate.As much as I hated how things had turned out, I convinced myself that I wasn’t going to track down Charlotte to confirm whatever suspicions I had.There was no use pining over a life filled with uncertainty or sulking over the road not taken - until I got that warning.The message warned me there would be a shootout at the wedding, and in all my years of being trailed by security personnel, I knew better than to treat such a message lightly.I discussed the issue with my head of security, instructing him not to inform the other guards or anyone else until we could trace the source of the message.Unfortunately, our efforts proved futile. The lead brought us to an empty, nearly dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of Milan that was up for sale.When we inquired about the ownership under the guise of buying and renovating the property, we discovered the owners were d
ELENAAs she spoke, I zoned in and out, trying to think of how best to handle the situation my way. It seemed like she was trying harder to convince herself that what had happened was a mistake than to make me feel better.At least she stayed to console my family, unlike my own, whose reputation - now tarnished - was more important than the emotional torture their child was enduring.I inhaled deeply, closed my eyes, then exhaled slowly. When I opened them, I noticed Keisha had gotten up from her seated position and was moving toward me.It felt like she anticipated what I was about to do before the thought even took shape in my head. I stood up, bundled up my dress, and started running out of the church. She followed suit, trying to catch up with me.“Elena!” she yelled, trying to get me to stop or at least slow down. “Elena! Where are you going?”“To fix this,” I answered without looking back or slowing down. “To get to the bottom of this rubbish and fix it before it’s too late,” I
ELENAI looked around the empty church and chuckled as the priest slowly walked over to where Rogerio’s parents were seated, conversing with them in hushed tones. I turned to Keisha, who was visibly shocked at the outcome of things.I tried to say something, but no words came out when I opened my mouth. My heart started racing, and my palms felt sweaty as I lowered myself to the floor and sat down.Keisha tried to get me to stand, but I wouldn’t budge - I simply refused to move from that spot.“My worst nightmare has become a reality,” I muttered, chuckling, though nothing seemed funny at that point. I stared at Rogerio’s grandfather and his mother as they rose from their seats and walked toward me.The priest reached the altar before them, extinguishing the candles near the pulpit. He patted my shoulder and walked away without saying a word.I hated what this day had turned into - what was supposed to be a joyous ceremony had devolved into a spectacle of pity.A gust of wind blew thr
ElenaI pondered her words, watching as she selected three pairs of shoes from the options the attendant had laid out.She placed them on the table and asked me to choose one. I pointed at a random pair, and she giggled with excitement, stating that she was going to pick the same pair too but asked for it in a different colour.I tried to push thoughts of what she had said about having a child out of my mind, but they lingered.They reminded me of what Thiago had said about Charlotte. He had assured me she wasn’t pregnant, but what if he was lying?Or worse, what if he had been misinformed? If Rogerio ever found out she was pregnant, our marriage would end before it even began. My conversation with Maria crept back into my thoughts, and I sighed. She was right. I’d never admit it to her face, but in some ways, she was. “Hey,” Keisha said, her voice breaking through my reverie. “Cheer up. You’re getting married - it’s not the end of the world.” She chuckled, and I mustered a faint