Chapter five

Almost a month later, I started to feel severe pain in my back, and I had pneumonia. If I died, I certainly wouldn't miss my father, who didn't care about me or worry about me. Magdalena, who wasn't the worst of women, bought me a new mattress when she realized that the situation could get a lot worse.

I was the source of her wealth, if I died how would she survive?

From caviar to fried egg, there were days when we didn't even have an egg to eat. It was only after the second month that things started to change. Magdalena rescues all the money she earned from my father and bought clothes, furniture, food. The woman seemed to live in the clouds, but I saw absolutely no advantage in any of that. I was literally eating the bread that the devil had kneaded. When it rained, it leaked on top of me. There were days when the storm was so big that it flooded the whole house and I had to find a way to sleep on the small, worn sofa in the house. There was no running water and I had to learn to live with cold showers. That was hell itself. While I enjoyed twenty-five years of my life living in luxury without ever having worked, these people lived like pigs in a sty, struggling daily to survive. I was feeling it on my skin, and it was way more unpleasant than anything I imagined going through in my entire life.

Before six months passed, I met a girl called Geane. She was a beautiful brunette and completely fell for me. Lying to her about completely everything in my life. He said that I was a civil servant and that I was here, living with my aunt, to fulfill a dream. There was something about my story that almost nobody knew, I was also a writer and that's why we met. I had two novels kept in a drawer which I never dared show to anyone, in fact I kept this secret under lock and key and Geane was the first to know. During the months we met, she introduced me to Naldo and Anne. I liked the fact that I was making new friends. Those people were able to pull me out of the reality my father had forced me into and around them, I could be whoever I wanted.

I bullied Geane for four long months, because I still wasn't able to sustain my own lies. I wore old rags, and I didn't have a presentable shoe to go out with. In fact, my appearance was detestable. My hair was long and my beard showed how careless I was. I had lost weight, I was thinner than usual. Every time I looked in the mirror, I hated Gonzalo even more for doing that to me.

But I had to behave if I wanted to win anything from him again, and when the six months had finally passed, he remembered me again and sent what he had promised. When Magdalena handed me the card, saying that was where he would deposit my money, I almost set off fireworks. When I pulled it out, there were only five hundred reais.

— Who can survive on five hundred reais? – I questioned Magdalena.

— You can't do it — she answered me — but you'll survive. He has no home to maintain, no children to support.

Thinking about it that way, she was absolutely right. When Magdalena offered me a day off, I went to the city's shops and bought a pair of new clothes, some sneakers from the market and a pair of prescription glasses. In fact, it was counterfeit, but I needed to make a good impression on Geane on our first date. I paid to have my hair cut and shaved. There was almost no real left. I knew her, but I didn't have the money to buy any candy on our first date.

He remembered the bath he had taken in the open air, while the thermometer had read fifteen degrees. I've never shaken so much in my life. I left under a strong wind and met her in the central square of the city. Not only that, but I had already walked through those streets so much that I knew that city like the back of my hand. It was a paradise compared to the chaos of Rio de Janeiro. Geane really was beautiful and smart, but the chemistry didn't happen. Maybe because she offered too much and broke the spell of conquest.

— I have a friend to introduce you to – she kept talking – Aurora has just returned to the city and needs to meet new people. What do you say?

Another date, I thought.

— Of course – I replied, even without knowing how I could manage to do that – but I can only do it in another week.

— Oh, of course – she answered – Aurora is also a writer. You will like her a lot.

— Certainly, –  I replied.

— You just can't like it better than me."

I let out a fake smile, pretending to enjoy the conversation.

— I need to go, Geane – I said goodbye – I have an appointment with my aunt later, you understand, don't you?

— Of course – he replied smiling – we talked via messages.

I hugged her and managed to get out of there as quickly as possible. I wasn't the type of guy who didn't want to go on a date, even more so with a woman as beautiful as Geane, but I was so focused on getting revenge on my own father that nothing else could hold my attention. Furthermore, I went back to Magdalena's house thinking about it. The six months had already passed and from that moment on, whatever I earned from Gonzalo, I would need to save a part and put it together to return to Rio de Janeiro. How long would that take? Two years, three, five, ten years? With the little he sent, I might never get out of there, but I needed to find a solution, any solution, to get more money. I didn't graduate from anything other than high school. He could speak a little English, but that was all. My biggest stupidity, perhaps, was believing that I would never need to study, because I was rich, my father supported me. I also never imagined that Gonzalo would be able to do that to me. Throw me through hell and walk away without looking back. If there was anyone I missed deeply, it was my mother. How would Olivia be? What was Gonzalo up to with her? I could call just to say hi, but I'd rather keep my distance to focus solely on the revenge plan. Certainly Olivia was in better shape than I was, that I wouldn't doubt.

While thinking about my escape plan that cold night, I received a message from Geane.

"See you tomorrow? At the same place and at the same time as the last meeting. I look forward to meeting Aurora.”

I just hoped that Aurora would make a difference in my life. Because deep down, that's exactly what I needed.