+Omniscient narrator+
For a moment, Adal Müller felt relieved upon hearing from his secretary that the girl he had recommended had accepted and was only waiting for him to indicate the time and place for them to talk and plan their contract marriage. One thing was on his mind - he could use the girl who would be his wife for special events, all for appearances, but he couldn't consider her his true wife. If there was one thing he was clear about with arranged marriages, it was that emotions would eventually ruin it.
Adal took a big sip of his whisky as he pondered the pros and cons of the marriage until he suddenly came up with a couple of ideas to establish it in the contract. Without saying a word to his secretary, he went straight to his desk, got comfortable, and quickly took a pen to write down the main rules to maintain absolute control of the contract. A girl who has no feelings for him, who has no sexual desires, who does not fall in love, who always remembers that everything is a contract, and that everything is confidential. He stops for a few seconds and rereads everything he has written. He felt like something was missing, all because of the fear of being discovered and losing everything he has worked for. "She needs the money, she doesn't have to worry about discretion," Lucero says, approaching Adal. His secretary feels a lot of anguish that her boss doesn't want to marry her friend, that she doesn't want to meet his expectations, and that it took so much effort to convince her apartment friend. "I intend to offer her good benefits, and therefore, she has to pretend, although I would have preferred that we just sign that document, but we can't," Adal says. Again, Adal looks at what he was writing, going over what he needs to add. "That means the meeting she will have with her will be soon," he nods, as he had no other choice but to accept. It seems that the frustration that threatened to take over him has vanished with his secretary's confidence. "Tell me our problem is solved now," he says. Adal and his secretary are surprised by their friend's imprudence, entering without announcing himself, also because he doesn't want anyone to find out what he is about to do. "I'm working on it right now. Apparently, I've found her," Lucero says. "Who is she?" Alfonso asks, very curious, taking the paper Adal is extending to him. The room began to spin around him upon hearing that name. His mind came up with a single thought that began to flash again and again. Adal looked around and, satisfied with the result, told his secretary that he wanted the girl in the meeting room in an hour. He emphasized that the wedding needs to take place as soon as possible and that the meeting room must have fresh air, fresh flowers in the center of the table, and accompanied by red wine to celebrate the contract. Lucero assured him that her friend would be there in an hour and that no other details would be neglected. That was the last thing she said before rushing out of her boss's office, while Adal remained stunned by the step he was about to take. "I will start with the document," Alfonso said before turning around and leaving Adal alone. ∾ The clock time had run out, and she still had not arrived. Adal felt furious about her tardiness, but in front of him, the contract was placed with precision along with a silver tray, coffee, and a selection of snacks. Adal knew that his secretary had done an excellent job with the details, but he couldn't say the same for his friend. For a moment, he considered forgetting the knot that formed in his stomach every time he thought about the girl he was going to propose to, and thought about rejecting her since her tardiness did not fit the image he needed. Although these thoughts tortured Adal, he decided to wait a little longer. Although the Italian girl did not fit his image, she was the ideal one since both of them needed the money. His secretary had not told him all the details of the needs of the girl he would marry. Still, judging by his employee's nervousness, she might have regretted something. Just as he was about to get up, the doors opened, and his eyes went straight to the door. A pair of big blue eyes stared directly at him without hesitation, and her expression was so clear that it indicated that this woman would not be the woman he imagined. Although he recognized those eyes, she was the same girl from the café who was in a daze. Her eyes contrasted sharply with her red hair, which was long and straight. Her prominent cheekbones highlighted her voluptuous mouth. It was incredible for Adal since he had an immense erotic dream with those lips. Gisela noticed his inspection and felt embarrassed, lowered her gaze while apologizing for her tardiness. He swallowed hard, distracted, her breasts were as voluptuous as her lips, and they fit perfectly with the curve of her hips. She was tall, almost as tall as he was. Her overwhelming femininity was wrapped in a passionate red dress. Gisela stood still in the doorway, as if allowing him to admire her before continuing to apologize. A little bewildered, Adal tried to recompose himself and clung to professionalism to hide his reaction. He looked at her with the same neutral smile he would give any business partner, knowing that she had come on behalf of his secretary. "Are you the person I've been waiting for?" Adal asked."Yes, I want to apologize for being late. It's not an excuse, but I had to ask for permission from my job and..." She trailed off as she realized she was rambling. "Please, sit down. Would you like some coffee? Tea?" He asked in a nervous tone. "Water, please," she pleaded, having run too much. "You can get comfortable on the couch, and we'll move to the table later." Gisela nodded, walked in that direction, and elegantly sat down on the cushioned couch, crossing her legs. The silky red fabric rose a little, offering Adal a good view of her smooth, athletic legs, or at least that's what her body showed to any pair of eyes trying to delight in them. "Snacks?" He asked politely, trying to be cordial. "No, thank you," she shook her head. "Are you sure?" Adal insisted, trying to be a gentleman. "Yes." Totally perplexed by the woman he didn't want to have any physical contact with, he started to bring her a glass of water. They looked at each other for a moment, letting the silen
+Gisela+ It took me a long time to decide, my pillow didn't let me think much, since it came to my mind that my grandmother will need more money for my father and his needs. Lucero's words kept going through my mind until I hit rock bottom and felt that my only way out was to sell my life to the devil, to that old man who would get me out of all my problems. However, I never imagined that the person I was waiting for was the same person I crashed into in front of the café. I remember perfectly what I said before she left the apartment; I told her that I would marry her boss, that I had no choice but to sell my dignity because I have nothing. Desperation has driven me to make that drastic decision. Her response was that everything I do is out of the love I feel for my parents, showing that I am capable of anything to not leave them on the street. Today, while at work, I received a sudden call from Lucero, telling me that my meeting would be today and that I could not make excuses or
I grabbed the pen and immediately signed the damn contract; at this point, it's useless to make things difficult for myself. "Okay, it's signed. Now, can you tell me what comes next?" I slid the document and pen to his side. "I expect a copy of this document, as I don't want to deal with a fraudster or someone who wants to harm me." "What?" He opens his eyes wide. "That must be a joke. I would never hurt you or deceive you. Remember, this is a business deal, and you can't tell anyone about it except for my secretary, who recommended you." "My intentions are not to offend you. I just want to be straightforward." "Yes, that's direct. I don't know what indirect is," he babbles. "What did you say?" "Nothing," he shakes his head. "The next step is that I'll give you this card, so you can send me messages. You'll receive information about everything we'll do from now on." "Perfect. If you need another meeting, please schedule it after work, as I doubt they'll give me permission to le
"I know now!" he exclaims after snapping his fingers. "I'll let you go with my secretary. Why is he trying to be nice?" This time it's not bad to accept, I want to talk to Lucero, I'm afraid of the next step and the lies I have to tell to achieve the damn marriage. He wants me to quit because I can embarrass him or ruin the plans. Oh, I want to scream because I got into this out of desperation for not having money, for sending everything to my parents and having the expenses here consume me. The relationship I am creating with this man is very peculiar, although it can be said that it is a business and that everything will soon end. Yes, this is what I wanted, to have the money to help my parents, to obtain economic stability and thus I can go to my place. Yes, it's not a bad idea to return to where I was born, with the money he gives me, I may live well for a while, all while I find a job or there is also the possibility of going on vacation. "Yes, it's a good idea, I need to ta
"My boss is a man of principles and unintentionally I have heard that my boss has a huge penis, I can even assure you that it must be up to his knee," she closes her eyes while biting her lower lip. My eyes pop out of their sockets to the point that my mouth is open with a little drool, simply because my imaginative side has already captured it. I am not a saint, so that morbid imagination excites me. "You're exaggerating," I give her a pat on the arm, taking the liberty of having more confidence with her. "If I weren't committed, I wouldn't hesitate to accept the deal, but it wouldn't be for money, I would propose that he give me a night of passion," she purrs near my ear. She's a pervert! "Sometimes I feel like his body is screaming for a daring woman to want to possess him, to leave him on cloud nine," she bites her lower lip. "Do you want to be with him?" "No, I can't, but don't worry, I occasionally betray my sweetheart in my dreams, and that's why I'm asking you to be brave
"Yes, mother, I kept it so hidden that now I have to bring it to light. I wanted a little time because relationships take time, but oh well, now it's time to introduce her to the whole world." "In that case, I'll catch up. Today, I have all the time for you. I'm going out with my friends right now, and they'll all help me with the organization and everything since there's no time, my love." "I like that, mother," I give her a kiss on the cheek to say goodbye. "Don't hesitate to tell me the details," I wink at her, walk away from her, and before asking more questions, I leave. "Alfonso, take care of my son and make sure the lawyer doesn't have any tricks up his sleeve. I'm sure he'll try to find a way to trap us in the will, all to make us lose everything that belongs to us." "Understood, Mrs. Müller," Alfonso responds while nodding. My mother leaves the office with a smile from ear to ear. I don't like lying to her, but in this case, I couldn't avoid it. I resume walking, head t
"Is it over? No, the party hasn't ended yet, and don't worry about your clothes. I'll send them to the dry cleaner tomorrow. But before that, can I see your room? I don't mean to be disrespectful, I just want to know a little bit more about you." "Why?" "Because I'm interested in you, Gisela. I need to know your likes and dislikes, and you need to know mine." The last word makes a knot in my throat. "Okay, maybe next time. I can see that Lucero intimidates you. I just noticed that a moment ago. Don't be angry with her. From the time I've known her, I can say that you're the first woman she's had a conversation with that's more than just work-related." "I know. Sometimes I act selfishly, and that leads me to loneliness, trying to push away people who want to help me." "Do you know what I did when the two of you were in the kitchen?" he asks, and I shake my head. "I apologized to that gentleman. I couldn't confess to him what I proposed to Lucero because it's a secret that few of u
Oh, I saw it already, without fear of success, I am heading towards it, even though my legs want to betray me. "I've taken the liberty of ordering a bottle of wine, I hope you don't mind," he stands up and, like a true gentleman, helps me get comfortable. "Here are our glasses." From what my eyes can see, he was waiting for me to open the bottle. With great curiosity, my eyes watched him as he poured the pale liquid into the crystal glass. "Why are you so calm?" "Excuse me, are we celebrating something?" God, how do I tell him that I don't drink, that I'm a little new to this alcohol thing? "Yes, first because I have a proposal for you, which is practically a surprise, and second because you resigned," he says as he directs the bottle towards my glass. It can't be, I knew this man would think my boss would accept my resignation quickly. I am paralyzed as he raises his glass high, waiting for me to join the toast. "I'm sorry, but no," finishing saying no, his face changed radica
+ Five months later... "My love, we will soon reach our destination and I want you to do something for me. I want you to put on this blindfold and not ask why," the car comes to a stop, my eyes open wide, and a crazy smile appears on my face. I was expecting something like this, but not so soon. I had no choice but to agree, so I grabbed the cloth and obediently covered my eyes like a little girl. Ha ha ha, suddenly it made me laugh. Why is my beloved not so mysterious or someone who can pretend? I can detect his nervousness from here and his desire to surprise me. "Okay, but I warn you that sometimes things don't go as planned." Aaaah, inside, I want to scream with joy. I am a happy woman who just wants to enjoy all the wonderful things her husband is giving her. After I put on the blindfold, Adal keeps driving. I'm nervous, lots of things are going through my head, and I don't know which one of them will come true. After a few minutes, Adal tells me that we have arrived at ou
+ This must be a headache! For the first time, I saw my son cry in pain. As I was leaving work, I received a call informing me that my son had been admitted to the hospital and was being attended to by a pediatrician. I demanded to know what was going on and if Gisela was aware. My mother, crying, responded, "She's asleep. We didn't want to worry her, especially after seeing that he couldn't walk." I didn't say a word about the issue when I asked for the address; I just knew I had to be with my son. Within minutes, I arrived at the clinic, my breathing rapid and my heart racing. Seeing my little one only made me more desperate, as my mother's statement about his fever was still true. My child was suffering, and they weren't doing anything about it. All we could do was wait. Eventually, I picked up my baby and left the place. They weren't attending to him as they should have been. My mother screamed after me as I left, but I couldn't take it anymore. I told her that my son wouldn't
+ADAL+ I am disappointed. Last night was an unforgettable moment. We even promised to try again, but when I woke up, she wasn't by my side. She had left. I panicked and tried to contact her, but I couldn't find my phone anywhere. I remember locking myself in the shower for half an hour, thinking about what to do, or what was going through Gisela's mind. She had given me the opportunity I had been waiting for, and now my fear is that she will regret it. I decided to get out of the shower, get ready, and leave my room. I had to get out of those four walls before I went crazy. Part of me knew I had to find her and seize the opportunity I had been given. Just as I was about to leave the house, I ran into my mother. She told me that my phone had been taken by the person I was desperately trying to reach, and if I intended to find her, I should call my number or look for Lucero, the person who had been helping me without any commitment. My mother said, "run," and I flew. It wasn't long b
"No, I hope I didn't interrupt your sleep," my words are sincere, but his reaction is nothing - no emotion on his face, he's furious. Years may have passed, but I remember perfectly when his serious face means he's ready to kill, not to think. "I'll just have this little coffee, and then I'll leave, I have a few things to do at home." "I think we should talk first before you go," he says after sitting next to me. "Since it seems you're having trouble remembering, I want to tell you that I didn't like that you drank and let yourself get careless. Do you know what would have happened if I hadn't arrived on time?" I gulp, panic takes over me, I don't know what to say, and I have no arguments to refuse. Where were the girls? I'm sure he's lying, he just wants to scare me into submission. No, he's wrong if he thinks I'll reward him. "To be honest, I don't remember anything, and if we're going to talk about what happened yesterday, it's better if Lucero and Dolores are present. They kno
+ "Wait for me, don't go alone," I hear Dolores shout behind me. She wants to dance with me, and I hope the waiter doesn't bring the margaritas right now. God, I need those margaritas! "Baby, don't leave me alone," and boom, Lucero joins us. This is good because now we're really enjoying the night. We're the three friends, not rivals that everyone expects. Never ever forget this moment. Lucero and Dolores are two important pieces for my heart and mind. "Please wait for me here, I'll be quick in the restroom, you know, so the others can get in," I leave them there. I want to dance with them, but my bladder is the most important thing right now. I walked down a narrow hallway and reached the restroom, which was so bright that a pulse of pain shot from my eyes to the back of my head. When I arrived at the stall, I fixed my hair and shouted to the sky because it's empty and all the stalls are available for me. Ha, how funny, I just need one. After a couple of minutes of relieving my
"Hey, you're not supposed to drink it like that," shouted Lucero, trying to snatch the margarita glass from me. As she made the attempt, I tilted the glass further, taking advantage of its chilliness. "You have no remedy, dude. Please bring three margaritas. She needs more than two. Oops, sorry. She's already on her second one, and it's all because she wants to act tough and drink vodka when she can't handle it." "Lucero!" I complained, finishing the last drop of margarita, and placing the glass aside to pick up the next one. "You're right. I'm not a drinker, and if you know me well, you know my throat is burning." And I went for the second margarita, I'm sorry for Dolores, but my throat is on fire. No! This can't be happening. My tongue is... "You're already lost, woman. Nobody understands what you were talking about." That's it. I'm already feeling dizzy, but it's all because I took the two margarita glasses from Lucero. I thought things would be different this time, that becaus
+ The night bears witness to our madness, and it wasn't long before Lucero showed up. The three of us decided to leave the house together, of course, only if the babysitter stays with my baby. And since Lucero is one of those who swears that everything will be fine, Dolores and I came to accompany her to the first bar we found, not those shady ones as Lucero would say. She has that touch of superiority, which is normal, that's how she was raised. For me, it's the third time I've been to this kind of place, and I think it will be the first time I take any drink with alcohol. At this moment, each of us will share our story; what troubles and saddens us. We've come here to drown our sorrows. The music in the bar is completely soft, not the kind where you have to shout to be heard. The club has low lighting, deafening and full of contorted bodies: on the dance floor, in the hallways, against the bar. A DJ mixed music on a small stage, and posters plastered all over the front promised t
+ In the end, Adal got his way. The spoiled son of his father took us home because he said I was nervous and not in condition to drive. At first, I objected, but Dolores jumped on board to become friends with Adal. After Adal realized there was nothing he could do, he blackmailed me with the words, "Our son is waiting for you at home." He was being sly, as he brought my baby into our fight. I don't want him involved in my life anymore. I don't need him. Now that I'm home, I bite my tongue with the intention of staying quiet. I watch as my son plays with that man, because Gerald ate all the dinner the nanny prepared. Dolores approaches me and tells me I need to change my attitude. Whatever that man did in the past, it's better to leave it behind because time keeps moving forward, it doesn't stop or go back. Now she's becoming Adal's savior and defender. No, that man doesn't need anyone to intervene, he can defend himself just fine. "Mrs. Gisela, the child needs to shower, but..."
"No, I need them to leave," I replied angrily, "understand for once that I need to be alone." "Damn..." he muttered, and I felt like opening the door, "I don't know what happened to make you shut yourself in, but let me tell you one thing, woman, if you don't come out now, we're not leaving and neither are the employees because it's not fair for you to stay and for them to go to sleep." That man is insane, I had no choice but to open the door. I stumbled and half said that both of them were insane. "Hey, what happened to you?" Dolores comes to me with open arms, "why didn't you call me?" I stopped, a lump formed in my throat, and I burst into tears as I felt her arms around me. Between sobs, I told her that I was to blame for other people making bad decisions. "No, that's not true. We are all responsible for our actions, and you didn't put a knife to that person's throat to make them mess up, like we do with butter on bread." I didn't do it with a knife, but in a way, I pushed h