"I am an independent, strong, and courageous woman. I am an independent, strong, and courageous woman. I am an independent, strong, and courageous woman."Standing naked in front of the large full-length mirror in the bathroom, I repeated my new mantra over and over between sobs, while tears streamed down my face.The shower was running, warm water cascading pointlessly. I had already showered, but the sound of the water helped calm me. The steam it emitted felt soothing, and it muffled my cries, making them less noticeable.A sudden knock on the bathroom door jolted me slightly."Yes?""Daughter, it’s me. Are you okay?"I recognized my grandfather Chester’s voice on the other side of the door. I forced myself to calm down, took a deep breath, and cleared my throat."Yes… Yes, Abu, thank you."His footsteps sounded as he moved around the room. "Is something wrong?" I asked nervously, trying to sound natural."No, daughter, it’s nothing serious. I was knocking on your door for a while,
I grew even more nervous. I wasn’t used to being the center of attention, but I reminded myself that I wasn’t the shy, introverted Ava anymore. Determined, I moved forward, swaying my hips and letting my body do the talking."Bone! I can’t believe it!" Cecil was the first to hug me tightly."And here we were, making plans to comfort you!" Paula chimed in, planting a kiss on my cheek."Look at you! You look amazing!" Maggie exclaimed, pulling me into a hug."But… what happened to you?!" Paula asked as I settled into one of the chairs around the table."Well," I said, shaking my head slightly with a small smirk, "I got tired of suffering. What good does it do me? I’m ready to skip all the stages of grief and just enjoy myself already." I shrugged, feigning nonchalance."Yeeessss, that’s the spirit!"All the girls cheered enthusiastically, their voices blending with the lively energy of the club.The waiter arrived, took our order and a minute later he arrived with several rounds of drin
Alex and I talked for a long time, about the atmosphere of the club, the music, some of our tastes, trivia. As the conversation progressed, Alex grew closer and closer to me, detailing me with an intensity that made my skin crawl.He was insinuating, sensual, maintained some contact with me, passing his hand over my hand, sticking more and more. Which triggered images in my mind that I had never had before, perhaps because of the effect of the drinks or perhaps because of the new way of thinking that he was trying to instill in me.I didn't know why, but I began to imagine it in a hot way. I looked at his lips and visualized a kiss from him, I turned to his torso and projected it in my mind without clothes, I lowered my eyes to his crotch and ended up fantasizing about that man on me.I think throughout our talk, I was blushing, which seemed to motivate him to flirt with me more.Then, something occurred to me, this was a new me and this was a stranger, if from now on what I wanted wa
The continuous sound of the alarm woke me up and with that, the headache took hold of me, I wasn't ready to get up, the hangover had me over, so, still half sleepy, I moved in bed enough to stretch out my hand and be able to snooze the alarm, "Just ten more minutes".I closed my eyes, and a moment later, the sound of persistent knocking jolted me awake. "Damn it! Can't they let me sleep?" I grumbled internally. I threw the pillow over my head, hoping to drown out the noise and get back to sleep. But the knocking only grew louder."Who?!" I yelled in frustration as I sat up at the mattress."Miss?" Aurora, the housekeeper, peeked in, her head poking around the door. "Mr. Golf just called. The meeting is about to start, and he wants to know why you haven't arrived.""My grandfather? The meeting? Shit! I forgot!" I glanced at the clock on the bedside table—it was nine in the morning. I grabbed it, squinting to check the time. "But I set the alarm for seven!" I checked it again, realizing
My grandfather kept talking about the impressive growth numbers of Mr. Tomás and Alex's company, which the truth is, were very good, but when I listened to him in more detail, I was surprised how my grandfather did not stop praising them.It's not that my grandfather was one of those people who didn’t recognize the accomplishments and abilities of others, but I've never seen him be so cloying. Finally, I looked up, giving my full attention to my grandfather, still wondering if this was a hallucination or a vivid dream.Maybe it was a nightmare? I quickly checked to make sure I was dressed just in case it was one of those dreams where I ended up naked, and everyone could see my imperfections and make fun of me.Not bad! I was wearing the clothes I had put on.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Alex was still there, watching me intently. I quickly glanced back at him. "What the hell is going on?!""Everything I've just explained leads me to my next announcement." I turned all my at
The meeting ended, my grandfather began to reach out to each director to say goodbye, while each one passed by me to congratulate me on my upcoming marriage. While I had finally verified that all this was not a dream, but that I was in a very real situation.How? Well, after all the announcements made by my grandfather, when I was recovering from the paleness and loss of breath, hiding my hands under the table, I began to pinch my fat rolls several times, just at those points where a pinch hurts the most, and it was painful! Which, to my misfortune, confirmed what I feared, was not a dream but a horrible reality.The goodbyes spread and I needed to get out of there, to end that ordeal, I had to talk seriously with my grandfather, I had to clarify everything as soon as possible, alone. I wouldn't be able to tell him the truth in front of all the partners, it would be humiliating.Because now, it wasn't just about confessing the truth to my grandfather about my breakup with Mike, but ev
I shifted in Alex's arms, and he tightened his hold around me, his warm breath on my neck making my skin tingle. I couldn’t quite understand what he was trying to do—perhaps distract me from what the two women were saying on the other side of the stall, but that was impossible."Oh yes, thanks to that, at least she won’t die a virgin. Money and her family's influence saved her.""No, she won’t stay a virgin. Although who knows if she’ll stay single.""What are you saying? If she’s Mike’s girlfriend, I bet he’ll marry her to guarantee a good life.""Well, you're very wrong.""Why?""Listen, no one knows." They lowered their voices a little, though from where we were, it was still clearly audible. "But Lisa told me this morning that she finally got Mike to break up with Ava.""What?! I don’t believe you!""Yes! That was yesterday, and Lisa told me about it today. She was even there, watching the whole scene.""How can that be?""It was one of the conditions she set for Mike.""But when
I ran to my bag, I needed some makeup to cover up my crying and discomfort. Although the hangover hadn't really helped me at all to improve my countenance, at least I had to hide it.I hurried, because if I myself had heard about my breaking up of secretaries so quickly, it would be a matter of days for the gossip to spread and reach my grandfather's ears, I had to cut it off as quickly as possible. From that very moment, which was my priority.I walked out of my office, erect, my head held high, trying to ignore the fucking headache that was growing and hurrying toward Mike's office.Outside the office, sitting behind his desk, was Lisa, Mike's secretary, and mistress. How bold! That woman had the nerve to show up to work as if nothing had happened, after revealing herself to be my boyfriend's lover the day before. I had always been kind to her, yet she was so hypocritical, greeting me with a smile.Now, in my foul mood, seeing her at her desk as if nothing was wrong, all I wanted wa
Ava relates:"Excuse me..." That really irritated me. I mean, how bold could this woman be to ask for my husband's details after all the times I’ve seen her clingy behavior toward him? She might be my personal idol, but when it came to Alex, no one was getting close to him. "What are you after?" I growled."What?" She seemed to notice my sudden change in mood."I mean..." I took a deep breath, trying to control myself. "Since we started this process, I couldn't help but notice the... 'preference' you have for my husband." I explained seriously. "And I can’t help but wonder, what exactly are you trying to do with him?""I'm not trying to do anything, Mrs. Grand. It's just that, both in life and in business, it's easier to get along with gentlemen than with ladies. We women tend to let our emotions and feelings interfere, just like you’re doing now. Men are clearer and more straightforward... Or did Mr. Grand ever suggest that I make any advances?" She responded, somewhat annoyed, under
Ava relates:"I agree, but only with one condition," Alex murmured, a playful glint in his eyes, as he slid the hand that had been caressing my cheek down my arm."Which one?" I asked, feeling a tingle on my skin from his touch."That… even when we’re angry, we can’t let the fun, and the marital affection slip away… It’s terrible to go to bed angry," he said seriously."Huh?" I thought, perplexed, Where does he come up with these things at a time like this?"I think it’s a good option," he said, sounding thoughtful. "If you’re angry with me, that same night, you have to spank me right away, that way you release your anger and I can relax..." he said nonchalantly, shrugging."Ha, ha, ha," I burst out laughing. I couldn’t keep up with my husband’s fantasies. "And what happens if it’s you who’s angry?""We can try it too," he raised an eyebrow mischievously. "We don’t know if you might end up liking the spanking as well, and I promise to be very careful.""Oh!"I felt myself turning red
Ava relates:I was terrified. The small pinpricks in my stomach were becoming more frequent, and with each passing moment, more and more people crowded around me.At first, like at any other event, I greeted everyone warmly, smiling as I accepted their congratulations and being polite. But I was starting to feel overwhelmed. I turned, searching for Alex's support. I knew that if anyone could get me out of there, it was him.But Alex had nowhere to be found.I didn’t know when he had left. I looked around at all the facts surrounding me, but he wasn’t there—neither close nor far.My breathing grew more rapid, my nerves intensifying. I felt like I needed some fresh air.“Excuse me…” I tried to make my way through the crowd, searching for my lifeline, my savior: my husband.I walked a bit, but every so often, people would stop me from continuing with their compliments. I tried to apologize each time, making my way through the stand, still hoping to find Alex.I never saw him. He didn’t a
Alex relates:With Ava’s pregnancy more advanced than we expected the concerns she tried to brush up on were my top priority.And I think the most stressful part of it all was trying to prevent her from getting stressed—if that makes sense. Especially considering how stubborn my wife could be.But I promised to help and support her through this process, so every day I pushed myself harder at work to free her from commitments, avoid pressure, and make her pregnancy easier.The more I tried, though, the more tense and angry she seemed.The fashion show was just days away, and all we needed to do was fine-tune the details. But Ava insisted on handling everything, and well, that led to arguments.As the days passed, Ava became moodier. She seemed like a ticking time bomb ready to explode. Still, her bad attitude wasn’t going to change my mind, she needed to focus on the baby, take care of herself during her pregnancy, and work had to be secondary.I know I had told her she could keep work
Ava relates:Alex was happy, there was no doubt about it, and although at first, I didn’t want to be pregnant, I could feel his excitement was contagious, spreading all the way to my heart. I started smiling at the news of my pregnancy.Was I scared? Without a doubt, I was filled with panic, but Alex’s words and support gave me a shift in perspective, and I began to see my pregnancy in a different light.A small hope blossomed inside me.Alex wanted to go to the doctor the next day; he was clearly eager, but I had to insist that I already had an appointment scheduled for a few days later. Since we were both swamped with work, he had no choice but to hold off.The following day, we went to work as usual, and even though Alex wanted to shout the news of the new family member to the world, I had to convince him that it was best to wait until a doctor confirmed it.He didn’t want to understand that home pregnancy tests could be inaccurate, but he eventually agreed, though he almost let it
Alex reports:Ava stood there, lost in thought, her head bowed. Slowly, she moved her hand to her stomach."So, Ava!" I shouted, my voice filled with anger. "Tell me the truth! You don’t want to have a child with me?!" I raised my voice, causing her to flinch."Do I want it?" she whispered, not looking at me. "I don’t know yet, I wouldn’t know how to tell you.""After three years together and having our twins, you still don’t know? At this point... You can’t even find the courage to tell me?" I saw the pain in her eyes, and I felt my blood boil with rage. I didn’t want to say anything more, so I stormed out of the bathroom and went straight to our closet, grabbed the first t-shirt I could find, threw on a sweater, put on some sneakers, and started getting dressed."What are you doing? Where are you going?" she asked, barely able to process what was happening as I quickly put on my clothes."I need to take a drive," I grunted, brushing past her to leave.I drove aimlessly, not really k
Ava relates:I had been feeling a bit unwell lately, but it was mostly after taking my reliable birth control, which had been causing me nausea. I thought maybe the brand of the pill wasn’t sitting well with me, so I should switch it. I silently hoped that was the case and that it wasn’t something else.Given the situation, which was starting to irritate me, I decided to pay a quick visit to my doctor.However, when I arrived at the office, I found out that my doctor was unavailable due to a personal emergency, and they wouldn’t let me see another doctor. The receptionist, rather snobby, informed me that I needed to make an appointment with the same doctor who had been treating me.A bit annoyed, I scheduled the appointment, which was for a couple of days later. It was frustrating. I left the office grumbling and drove back home.However, a bad feeling lingered. I felt like there was something more to my nausea than just the pills, and I couldn’t wait another day to find out.So, on m
Ava relates:We left for the company very early, of course, Alex accompanied me.That day was very important for me and for G&G, as a prominent designer and investor had submitted a proposal to launch her new clothing line with our company, thanks to the great success of our recent collections.It was a fantastic opportunity. If we could secure that project, we would have half the work done for the next season, and our company would gain more prestige in the fashion world, positioning itself as one of the leading companies in the industry.Now that I held the position of CEO, I couldn’t let this gift from life slip away, not when I wanted to prove to my grandfather and to everyone how capable I was of running the company.Alex supported me, of course, and accompanied me every step of the way. However, now he held the position of Vice President.Finally, my grandfather had passed the company on to me, and this entire headquarters was in my name. Even though Alex had many commitments wi
Ava relates:I was exhausted and had finally managed to get the twins to sleep. After leaving them in their room, I sat down to finish reviewing all the documents I had pending from the company.As soon as I finished the work I had brought home, I took a shower and climbed into bed, planning to rest for a few minutes since I still had one important task left to do.There was one mission I had to complete later, at a specific hour, after Alex had gone to bed.So, I just lay down, feeling the relief of taking a few minutes to relax in bed. A moment later, Alex walked into the room.He saw me settling in and winked at me with a mischievous smile before practically running to the bathroom.Alex had also brought some work home and had been in his office, checking, and signing papers—not only for the company we ran together, G&G, but also for the many other businesses he owned.Although Alex was supposed to have had a busy day at work as well, with the mischievous look he gave me, he didn’t