Karen's life, a dedicated nurse, crumbles upon discovering her fiancé's betrayal. Seeking healing for her emotional wounds, she decides to seek refuge in Fernando de Noronha. On the island, Karen becomes involved with Othon, a charming doctor, in a passionate night that unfortunately proves to be yet another disappointment when a supposed pregnant fiancée unexpectedly appears. Returning home pregnant, Karen makes the courageous decision to raise her child alone, keeping the paternity of her baby Otávio a secret. However, destiny weaves new paths for Karen seven years later. Othon becomes the director of the hospital where she works and also her neighbor, while Otávio considers him his best friend. Now, Karen faces a dilemma: reveal the truth about Otávio's paternity or continue to silence this reality that unexpectedly binds them?
Lihat lebih banyakKaren
Fatigue enveloped me completely after long hours on duty at the hospital. The smell of clean corridors, permeated by the antiseptic odor, became suffocating. My head throbbed, and a growing sense of malaise began to overwhelm me. Ignoring the signs wasn't an option, so finally, I succumbed to weakness and sought help in the same place where I used to offer it: the hospital.
The doctor, solemn and thoughtful, explained the stress overload and the need for immediate rest. I understood the gravity of the situation, but my mind insisted on focusing on another concern. Max, my fiancé, wasn't answering my calls. Where could he be? Why wasn't he answering just when I needed him the most?
I decided to go straight to Max's apartment, ignoring the advice to rest, longing for the comforting embrace of my fiancé. Upon arriving at the apartment and turning the key in the lock, the scene before my eyes was confusing. Clothes scattered on the floor, and a heavy silence hung in the air, despite my heart pounding in my ears.
I didn't need to go to the bedroom to understand what was happening. On the couch, Max seemed to be resting, embraced by a long-haired blonde whose tresses cascaded disorderly over his bare chest. The shock froze even my soul.
The couple, naked and completely asleep, was an image I never imagined witnessing. A scream of horror escaped my lips, breaking the silence. The sound of the scream echoed in the apartment, and the beautiful couple seemed to awaken. I didn't look once at the woman. My eyes were fixed on Max. Max's bewildered eyes met mine, and for a moment, he seemed unable to process the reality of what was happening at that exact moment.
Max, with a dexterity that revolted me, grabbed a pair of shorts from the nearby armchair and put them on with disconcerting speed. A cynical mask covered his face as if he were about to greet me after an ordinary day.
"You're home early, love?" His question sounded like an insult.
My eyes narrowed in disbelief at the audacity of the traitor. The indignation boiling inside me finally exploded, and I lunged towards Max, determined to make him feel, even for a moment, the pain he had caused me. My hands rose, ready to strike his face, as furious words escaped my lips.
"You bastard! How dare you?" I cursed him with a torrent of obscenities, my voice choked by a mix of fury and pain.
Yet, before my hands could find their deserved target, I was restrained by him, his firm hands gripping mine, preventing any gesture of despair as I struggled against him.
As I struggled against Max, the woman with him seemed to react, getting up. I was so stunned that I hadn't even glanced in the direction of Max's lover. When I realized that the woman with Max was Lilian, an old friend of mine, I felt my world collapse even further. Lilian is someone I hadn't kept in touch with, precisely because Max had managed to convince me that Lilian wasn't a good friend. And now, there was Lilian, with Max. He was right after all. But of course, he knew she wasn't a good friend! He was having an affair with her.
"Lilian!?" The new shock made me stop struggling.
Lilian, now standing, stared at me with a mixture of guilt and surprise, but her expression soon turned into a mask of indifference, as if the lost friendship didn't affect her anymore. Max, in turn, released my hands, taking a step back.
"Karen, I can explain..." Max tried to start, but he was interrupted by the sharp, pain-laden look I shot his way.
Amidst my pain, addressing Max:
"Listen to me very carefully, Max," I declared firmly and clearly, pointing my finger at him. "Never again, do you hear me? Never again do I want to look at your face!"
Without waiting for the explanation he could offer, I turned my back on the man who had betrayed my trust. But it wouldn't be that easy, it seemed. Max ran after me, declaring desperately:
"Karen, I love you. She's not important like you are to me," Max tried to justify himself.
"It's over, Max. There's no forgiveness for what you two did!"
"Karen, please, listen to me," Max held onto my arm, seeking a connection that seemed impossible at that moment. "You were always busy, working so much. You never had time for us. I was feeling lonely. This with Lilian was a mistake, just a distraction, you understand? It has nothing to do with what we have."
I wanted to speak, to explain how much it hurt, but the pain choked my words. However, before I could respond, Lilian, enraged, interrupted Max's attempt to explain himself.
"Just a distraction, is that it?" she snapped, her eyes flashing with indignation. "I'm not just an object, Max! How dare you reduce me to that?"
The argument between the two quickly escalated, while my heart ached. I wanted to scream, but the words stubbornly refused to come out. Max's painful accusations pierced my chest, and I knew that, partly, he was right. I worked too much, I was always busy, and maybe I hadn't reserved enough time for us to have fun together. However, I was only trying to build a solid financial foundation for our future, for our marriage.
The tears I held back threatened to overflow. Yet, Lilian was furious at being labeled merely as an object of desire, and the argument between the two escalated, leaving no room for me to express what I wished.
With nothing else to do in that apartment, I decided to leave at once. My faltering steps led me out of the apartment, and tears began to stream down my face as I distanced myself. I wondered how I could overcome the pain of such betrayal. Max was too busy arguing with Lilian to pay attention to my departure, and that was painful too. What remained of our three-year love story was crumbling before my eyes, and I felt powerless in the face of it.
ColinThe moment of meeting with Letícia came quicker than I expected. As I sat in the car, staring at Letícia's front door, a knot formed in my stomach. I had spent the last few days trying to sort things out with my family, but nothing compared to the nervousness that now consumed me. Taking a deep breath, and trying to gather my courage, I finally got out of the car.I walked up to Letícia's door, and before ringing the doorbell, I hesitated for a second. Would she believe me after everything? Could I prove to her that I was here to stay? Without further delay, I rang the doorbell and waited.The door opened, revealing Letícia with a look of apprehension mixed with determination. Even in her simplicity, she looked radiant, and for a moment, I was at a loss for words.
LetíciaThe week passed without any news from Colin. At first, I believed in his intention to truly take responsibility. I even discussed with my mother the possibility of not allowing Colin to be part of our lives. She, with her wisdom and calmness, made me see that it wouldn't be fair to deny our child the right to know his father, as long as he was willing to be a positive presence."Daughter, we all make mistakes. If Colin truly wants to be present, you should give him that chance," my mom pointed out.But as the days passed in silence, I began to think that everything he had said was nothing but lies and deceit. Cynically, I thought he must be just like his twin brother, a liar. However, this realization didn't stop the sadness from settling in. I attributed these feelings to pregnancy horm
ColinI returned to São Paulo with a heavy heart. The memory of the pain in Letícia's eyes haunted me. She accused me of things I would never do. The shock of discovering Patrick's involvement gave everything a new perspective. How could he? Despite our disagreements, I never imagined he would stoop so low. I need to sort this out. Clarify everything and somehow try to correct the wrong that has been done to Letícia.But the desire to do things right this time, coupled with the fear of causing more damage to our relationship, left me confused and unsure of what to do next. Patrick's revelation once again meddling in my life was like a punch to the gut. He crossed all boundaries this time, meddling in something as serious and intimate as Letícia's decision about her pregnancy.Letícia... her name echoed in my mind, bringing back memories of that one unforgettable night we spent together. A night that changed everything. I knew I shouldn't let myself be affected so much by someone I bar
Continuation - Four months agoLetíciaYears passed, and I tried to move on. My mother was my rock through it all. She worked hard so that I could study and become a doctor. She did everything to make up for my father's absence, but that absence was a wound that was hard to heal.However, fate has its twists and turns. One day, without warning, someone rang the doorbell of our house, and when I opened the door, there he was, Osvaldo, the man I hadn't seen in years.My father, the stranger who had abandoned me. He looked older, and tired, but he still had that smile I remembered from childhood."Letícia, I...," he began, but couldn't finish the sentence.The shock left me paralyzed for a few seconds. I wanted to scream, cry, and ask why, but I just stood there, looking at him. Finally, I managed to say something."What are you doing here?" My voice came out colder than I intended, but I couldn't hide the pain and anger.He sighed, seeming to search for the right words."I heard you gra
LetíciaI spent a long time awake that night, tossing and turning in bed, thinking about the past and my ghosts. Hearing about the crazy story involving not only Colin and his twin brother but also Othon's sister made me reflect not only on what was haunting him that night we met at the bar but also on what led me there.All of that stirred up a still-open wound in me. It was hard to simply forgive Colin and involve him in my child's pregnancy after so much hurt. Finding out that he didn't cause it didn't seem to change much within me.I've always dreamed of having a child to give all the love in the world to. I love children; that's why I chose to be a pediatrician. But I wasn't prepared to have a child by a stranger, whom I only remembered the name of. He introduced himself as Colin Salles as soon as we toasted and
LetíciaThe meeting with Colin was very different from what I expected. When I decided to look for him, I imagined he might use all sorts of excuses to justify his rude behavior when I told him about the pregnancy. But it never crossed my mind that he would use the excuse that his twin brother had impersonated him.As I walked back home, trying to process everything he had told me, I found myself torn between believing or not believing this story. I didn't doubt that he had a twin brother; after all, that wasn't so extraordinary. What left me incredulous was that this brother could be so despicable as to impersonate Colin and mistreat the woman who was pregnant with his brother's child. But, as Colin himself had said, it wouldn't be difficult to find out if he was telling the truth about something so serious.When I
ColinThe first thing that caught my attention when Letícia entered the café was her protruding belly. It was subtle but a few months into pregnancy. She looked radiant and beautiful, but the coldness with which she treated me quickly refocused my attention on what truly mattered at that moment.As we sat down, I still felt somewhat incredulous that Letícia had agreed to meet me. Even more shocking was that she had reached out to me, and set up the meeting. Now we could talk more calmly and clarify things between us."Thank you for coming, Letícia," I began, trying to find a friendly tone.She only nodded in agreement, her eyes not meeting mine directly. I noticed her gaze shifting to the table next to us, where the waiter had just left some doughnuts
LetíciaI woke up that Saturday with a sense of excitement I hadn't felt in a while. The idea of starting to buy things for my baby was thrilling, even though I still didn't know their gender. As I had my breakfast, my mind was filled with thoughts of baby clothes, toys, and everything else I could buy. I had the day free and wanted to make the most of it.I mentioned to my mom about my desire to start shopping, but also about Karen being on her honeymoon and not wanting to go alone. My mom then suggested that I invite Camila."You and Camila have been getting along so well, Letícia. Why don't you invite her to go with you? I'm sure she'd love to."She was right. Camila had been a great friend, always there and willing to help. I grabbed my phone and called her.
ColinBack in São Paulo, I can't stop thinking about Letícia and all the confusion this story has become. Her image is always present, disturbing me with every moment of silence. While I try to focus on the new project for an important client, I feel restless and uninspired. Normally, my work as an architect flows easily; I have a well-established company in the market and have always been recognized for my creativity and efficiency. However, days have passed since Othon's wedding and I still haven't been able to regain my rhythm.If I were honest with myself, I couldn't attribute my lack of concentration to the time I spent in a coma in the hospital. I was already physically and mentally recovered before the weekend wedding. No, this restlessness had a name: Letícia.My phone vibrates on the table, interrupting my thoughts. Othon's name appears on the screen, and I answer with a sigh."Colin, my friend, how are you? I heard you already knew Letícia," he says, and I can almost hear th
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