2

What? He wants me to quit?

"Senhor Na..." I started talking and he got up screaming to interrupt me.

"FOR YOU MISS ROSHE, IT’S ONLY MR ALBUQUERQUE. HEARD? NATHAN IS ONLY FOR MY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. ARE YOU SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ME?" Nathan is very close, so close that I can feel his mint breath and his woody scent. He’s even scarier up close, his eyes seem to want to freeze me alive.

"No sir Albuquerque, I’m not. I’m just his secretary." I speak looking deep into his eyes, so he knows I won’t give up easy.

"I hope you don’t forget where you belong." Nathan

"You can rest assured Mr Albuquerque. I am mainly known for my great memory, I never forget anything. Can I withdraw?" I say and he nods his head and turns.

I run straight to the bathroom, never cried at work before, I don’t even know why I can’t control it, what’s wrong with me? How could I let him hit me like that?

Sabrina enters the bathroom and closes the door.

"Friend, what happened there. I called you but you ran to the bathroom. What did that ogre tell you that made you cry like that? You don’t care about any of this, what happened?" Sabrina seems bewildered, worse than myself.

"I don’t... I... I don’t know..." Worse than I really do. Why am I so sensitive? What is happening to me?

"Damn"

My mind screams at me. I just said that I have a great memory. Every year, it’s the same date, it’s always the same thing. Unconsciously I get extremely sentimental, so I remember why in the course of the day. Pretending not to feel anything became my specialty, but on the anniversary of my parents' death, my subconscious likes to play tricks on me. That day was just today.

"Are you getting sick?" Sabrina says as she looks if I have a fever. She and Laura are the only ones who know some things about my past.

"I just remembered. It’s today. The anniversary of my parents' death." Say

"Not bad. I mean... It’s better than being sick, you always look bad that day. Why don’t you say you’re not well and go home. I help you talk to ogre, I say I’m a witness." Sabrina.

"No Sabrina, I can’t do that. I’ll be fine. And there’s a lot to do. If he’s not the type who calls us all the time for something, I’ll be very busy with work the whole day" I say to reassure her.

"Good. Anything will be right there." Sabrina.

The day passes and thank God the ogre, "as we are calling the new boss now", did not call me in his room even once. And at exactly 17:00 he left the room and came to my desk.

"You can go now Miss Roshe, I’m going so there’s no reason for you to stay. Sleep well, tomorrow we’ll have a lot of work." Nathan

"Thank you, good rest to you too." I spoke naturally and he faced me with a frown on his face.

"I hope you arrive on time tomorrow Miss Roshe." Nathan

"Of course Mr Albuquerque, you can relax." I say

Soon I say goodbye to Sabrina who has not yet been released by Thiago and leave, at the reception meeting Laura.

"Hi, okay? Sabrina told me everything already. I saw how late you were and didn’t even say hi to me today." Laura.

"Sorry Laurinha. Today was not a good day, but I promise I’ll make it up to you." Say

"But of course it pays off. Although I understand I really need company to go out tonight." Laura

"Not there Laura, today will not give. The ogre already charged me to arrive early tomorrow, and I’m not in the mood, I would spoil everything for you. And another, if it calms woman is Monday. Let’s do the next Friday is already agreed, ok?" I say

"Okay, is that I learned that Thiago was going out today in one place, I’m going crazy right?" Laura

"Laurinha, I’m sorry but it is. You can’t keep up with him you’d go bankrupt before he noticed you. This relationship in the service doesn’t work. Much less with a boss." I don’t say to hurt her, although I know I will. But she better feel the pain right now than get more involved and end up with her heart destroyed by it.

"Okay. I know." Laura

"I need to go to rest. I’ll see you tomorrow." I kiss her on the face and she reciprocates.

"See you tomorrow." Laura.

****

I remember playing in the Garden when the phone rang inside the mansion and the maid brought the phone to my aunt. Although she was still very small only five years I knew there was something wrong with the look her uncle’s wife threw at me the moment she heard what the other person said on the other side of the line.

"This is confirmed?" Lúcia.

"Okay." Lucia said after hearing the answer on the other side. Without taking her eyes from me. When she finally hung up the phone said:

"It seems that your parents are dead. Now only what I lack and have to stay with you here. If it wasn’t enough that I had to take care of your cousin now those bastards are gonna die on me before you can manage on your own, I hope we can at least profit from it." Lúcia.

My stomach turned and I threw up right there in the garden. I remember hearing her curse and calling one of the maids. Dona Maria, a very kind Mexican woman who helped me and gave a way to clean everything.

***

So I woke up....

I turn off the alarm clock that seems to want to deafen me. Of course only this way to wake up.

Good time to start another day with my new boss ogre, better correcting: mister Albuquerque. Rio alone. Today I feel better despite the nightmare of always, I’m not in the nick of time and I’ll get dressed better I did a good makeup, put a black dress a red clog and even had time to do some curls at the ends of my hair.