And here we are in the middle of the store, being served by two beautiful ladies, who can't take their eyes off my handsome boss. He comes out of the dressing room, buttoning a beautiful baby blue shirt. I look at him. A rebellious curl of his black hair falls over his forehead and I jump. It is the same, one that I always struggle to fit in my little son's head. "Ma'am," the saleswoman who brings several outfits for me, in her hands, brings me out of my thoughts. "The ladies' changing room is behind there. Your husband is in good hands." My boss and I look at each other. I'm going to clarify the situation, when Christian winks at me and says. "Yes, dear wife, I'm going to help you right away, with your clothes. Accompany the young woman to move forward, we are somewhat behind." I turn all red, and I almost run out, after the girl who is wearing my clothes. I try on various dresses, always getting my boss's disapproval. Until he found a beautiful dark blue, which matches the
I look at the longing and hopeful expression of my grandmother, and the reproachful one of my grandfather, who shakes his head warning me not to raise my hopes if I am not sure. I do not wish to sadden my beloved grandmother."I think so, Grandpa," I'm not sure, but I don't want to take away my grandmother's hope, who is now smiling happily. "I think I saw it now when Mum passed me by with her entire entourage. There was one like the one Dad used when I was a child and we wanted to hide, that stopped for a moment next to me, but your grandpa's hounds appeared and scared him away. Sorry, Mima, I couldn't see if it was Dad clearly. Surely it is he who comes to see you from afar!" "Bella, don't get your grandmother's hopes up," Grandpa scolds me. "Santiago knows that he doesn't have to hide to see his mother, it must be someone else.""Oh, Grandpa, you are the one who doesn't have to take away her hope. It's him, Mima, who comes to see you!" I say and I go forward hugging her very tigh
He remains silent, looking into the distance. He lets out a sigh and helps me take out the bags that were still left in my car. "If you don't want to change the car, you should at least use another one, Bella, if you want to delay meeting your mother. Although I still think it's not good for you to hide.""I'm not hiding. I just want to have my job first and feel like a useful and fulfilled woman before facing them.” I tried to convince him, but when I saw the look on his face, I agreed.” Okay, trade me the car." "Really?" He is surprised and at the moment I see his expression filled with joy and I know exactly what that means, he will buy me a car at his whim. So I hasten to say:"Yes, but don't exaggerate, Grandfather." After the kids fall asleep at night, I'm lying in my bed unable to sleep. This whole mess with my parents worries me. I don't want my kids to suffer because of them and I know my mum will call them bastards. I grab my phone and send a message to my unknown frie
My Grandpa leaves protesting about my dad. Mima smiles and says thank you. Then I go to see the children who are sleeping, and Marta does too. I grab my things and go see the new car. I can't believe my grandfather changed my car so quickly. He's waiting for me at the exit with the key in his hand. He's already taken it out. He extends it to me smiling and waiting for my reaction. I look at the car and I'm shocked. It's the same as mine, only the latest model! "Is that the change, Grandpa?" I ask in disbelief at his smiling face. "Ha, ha, ha... Yes. What does it matter if your mother sees you? You are an adult and independent of her, Bella. If you encounter her, face it as it should be - for yourself and for your children - with your head held high. And don't forget that you have me. If you can't do it alone, we will do it together, but don't hide from anyone." He tells me earnestly wanting me to stop fearing my mother. I sigh looking at my shiny new car. I know she's right, it
I turn quickly to find out who called me by my nickname. I can not believe it! It's Luis! He is the one who called me at the top of his voice, making everyone who arrives notice me. What is he doing here? Will he be following me? Vivian must have told him and he chased me, I think. I straighten up to face him. He approaches me smiling, but I can see his hateful look. "Blessed are the eyes that see you!" He says in a familiar tone, as if we were best friends. "I did not expect this surprise. When Vivian told me, I couldn't believe it!" He keeps talking and even makes a gesture of coming to kiss me as a greeting. I take two steps back, avoiding him. "Good morning, Luis," I responded to his greeting, trying to appear as confident as possible. "How are you?" "How do you think I am, after everything you did to me?" he asks quietly, getting closer to my ear. I instinctively move away. "What did I do to you? I do not know what you are t
I take note of everything he explains to me, I am grateful that he will stop questioning me and concentrate on work."Then, go down to the human resources department, which is on the third floor, to sign the contract. As I told you yesterday, it will be the first trial month, so you will only have the basic salary, without any other extra benefits." He indicates to me, still looking at me in that way that makes me nervous."Okay, sir, no problems." And I turn to go stand in my office, but his voice holds me back. "Look Bella... I mean Isabella, sorry. You are already informed of the projects we will be working on in these six months. For yesterday's presentation," he stops and turns to look at me intently. "Which, by the way, I repeat again, you were excellent. Without any preparation, you managed to present the second part very well. Congratulations, you are a good professional."
I can't believe this is happening to me! Of all the jobs in the world, it just had to end up where Luis was! I fix my blouse as best I can and tuck it into my skirt. The elevator door opened, and there I was, face to face with my boss, who was looking at me with wide eyes, evidently surprised by my appearance. I tried to hide my discomfort and annoyance at the situation. Without warning, my boss grabs my hand and pulls me out of the elevator, whisking me to his office. My heart was pounding, wondering what he would think of me seeing me in this state. "What happened to you, Isabella? Who did that to your face?" my boss asks, visibly worried. I tried to hide my discomfort and nervousness, responding with feigned indifference. "Eh? What do you mean? It's just a small accident, no big deal." But I knew I couldn't fool him. Shame filled me, and I felt vulnerable and exposed before his scrutinizing gaze. I didn't want him to
It can't be that my grandfather ruined it, I think. I know he is capable of that and much more. Was that what Luis was referring to when he said that grandfather had done this to him? "Since when have you not heard from him?" I hear Christian ask me and I get out of my thoughts. "Well..., sir, I think about five years or so. I was not in the country." I sincerely contest. "I see, I tell you that his parents left him with nothing after the divorce. His dad's company also went bankrupt. He graduated in accounting, and my mom asked me to employ him here. He's not bad at his job, so far. He has a child with his wife." He tells me in the same way without taking his eyes off my face. "With Vivian? Did he marry her? Luis, have a son?" I was really surprised. Christian looks at me and responds very seriously. "I don't know what his wife's name is. But that's what my mother told me. I can't assure you that it's all true. I will talk to him,
After my visit to Isabella's grandparents' home, I find myself deep in thought. Life, in its unexpected way, has led me to meet people I would never have imagined. Who could have predicted that my new assistant and editor, Isabella, would be someone I knew in my childhood? The irony of the situation is overwhelming. I can't deny that Isabella has a special charm, and her children are adorable. I wonder how I had the courage to say I was their father. Why did I do it? They both looked at me with such cute, eager, expectant little eyes, that I didn't have the courage to tell them I wasn't their daddy. I felt so good when I said, "yes, I am their daddy." Their looks filled me with a strange emotion that prompted me to utter those words. For a moment, I wished with all my heart that it was true. Will I ever be able to have children? It's a question that haunts me constantly. I remember the looks on Isabella and her children's faces as I told them I was their father. Their eyes sparkled
As he watched her, his gaze was filled with intense hatred. "How could I let her escape my control?" he thought, fixated on how he should have kept her by his side forever. However, as he continued to press his body against hers, Luis noticed a change in Isabella. Her eyes reflected determination and strength, nothing like the scared girl from before. And as he held her, she smiled, not with fear, but with a fire in her eyes that unnerved him.Time seemed to stop as tension built between them. Luis struggled to keep her under his control, while she resisted with a ferocity he had not expected. In a moment of carelessness, Isabella raised her knee and hit him hard in his private parts. Pain coursed through his body, forcing him to let go, writhing from the impact. She took the opportunity and pushed him, causing him to fall to the ground. She ran towards the elevator, adrenaline pumping through her system.Luis tried to get up to follow her, but the pain stopped him. He screamed in fru
Christian said firmly, taking Isabella's arm in a possessive gesture. As he watched them walk away, Luis was filled with a mixture of hatred and frustration. He needed to understand the dynamic between the two of them, so he set out to find out more details. How do they know each other? What relationship do they have?"I should find out about those two," he told himself, his fists clenched. "I can't let Isabella come and interrupt the plan I have with Adele. If necessary, I will discover her secrets."With that purpose in mind, he returned to the reception, where the secretary greeted him with a professional smile."Good morning," Luis said."Good morning, Luis. How can I help you?" the secretary replied."Do you know what the woman who came in with the boss does?” Luis inquired.The secretary, apparently intrigued by his question, answered him with a touch of sarcasm. “Do you mean Isabella?”Luis looked at her, smiling. "Yes, her. When did she start working here and in what position?
After ending the call, she purposefully stowed away her phone. She had teamed up with Luis, forming an unusual alliance with a singular goal: to make Christian fall in love! She needed him to be her husband to liberate herself from the clutches of her father, who offered her no respite. She yearned to swiftly realize her aspirations of eloping with her true love to a secluded haven, where she could vanish without a trace, consuming her every thought. Weary of being a compliant puppet, subject to her father's caprices.She was convinced that once her father amassed a fortune through his ventures, he would finally leave her be. Recognising that her financial situation was far from ideal, she understood that they had banked on her union with Christian to yield prosperity. However, a fiery outburst had derailed those plans, and her father was unwilling to forgive her. What kind of novel idea was brewing in Luis's mind? That question gnawed at her, yet it also kindled hope that he held the
Adele entered her father's office, where he was engaged in a conversation and gestured for her to wait. She stood still, feeling scared in the centre of the room. As the call ended, her father walked around the desk and suddenly delivered a forceful slap that sent her tumbling face down onto the floor. He glared at her with intense hatred."You couldn't even handle that properly?! You had him under your control, with his memory loss! No one knew about your affair with another man! And now he's rejected you, he's rejected you! I don't know if he'll recall what you did, but everyone knows you cheated on him, and he's turned away from you!""I'm sorry, Dad! I swear I don't know what came over me when I did that foolish act. Give me some time. If I fell in love with him once, I can do it again, especially now that he has no memory. I've met Luis Ibáñez, who now works with him and they're becoming close friends. He promised to help me locate Christian. I'll show up without raising any susp
The revelation left me momentarily speechless. Christian seemed so different from my recollection, yet the connection was undeniable."Why does your face look so different now?" I blurted out.Christian's response was staggering. He had undergone extensive facial reconstruction following an accident that had left him severely injured. I struggled to process this newfound information."I can't say that I truly know you," I confessed. "We didn't exchange many words during the flight. I was engrossed in my book. You kindly escorted me home when taxis were scarce, but we didn't keep in touch afterward. You mentioned being friends with my grandparents and called me 'Bella.'" Christian appeared intrigued by my account and inquired with genuine interest:"Are your grandparents still alive?""Yes, they reside with me," I confirmed. "Why do you ask?"Christian's suggestion that my grandparents might aid in triggering memories from his past intrigued and exhilarated me."Perhaps they could assi
On the other hand, Santiago revisited his mother, parking his car at a distance this time. Waiting until nightfall, he crept through the garden surrounding his parents' house, reminiscent of his youth when he would sneak away from home. Eavesdropping by his bedroom window, he overheard a conversation between his father, mother, and daughter."Mima is right, Grandpa. That car she mentioned was Dad's; I remember it clearly. Yes, Mima, Dad is on his way to see you; he adores you.""Bella, don't get your grandmother too excited. If it were Santiago, he wouldn't need to keep his distance; he knows our doors are always open to him. Even if I was upset, I would never stop him from visiting his mother.""Mima says he's scared of you; that's why he hasn't come.""And what would you have me do? Should I leave so he can visit?""She didn't say that, Grandpa. Can you go talk to him? Maybe it's as I said; Dad feels guilty for missing Mima's surgeries and doesn't know how to face us now.""Coming,
Santiago acquiesced to the request, although his thoughts lingered on the prior accusations. Nonetheless, Eva persisted, unveiling a new revelation that triggered alarms in Santiago's mind. "You make the call, but kindly refrain from any altercations with my mother or, even more so, with Isabella. Are you certain Isabella is coming? I understand she works in France, so it's peculiar that she would abandon her esteemed position there. Perhaps she's merely visiting." Eva spoke with a mischievous glint in her eyes, prompting Santiago to suspect she harboured concealed intentions. "She's back for good. Your father informed the doctor. I overheard their conversation distinctly, and you know what?""What?""She's back for good. She's neither wed nor engaged!" she disclosed with a gleam in her eye, leading Santiago to suspect she was plotting something."How do you know? Perhaps she has a clandestine partner in France," Santiago posited in an attempt to counter Eva's insinuation. Unfazed,
Eva was taken aback. It was the first time Santiago had threatened her with divorce, and that couldn't be a positive sign. Dr. Alfonso undoubtedly had something to do with this, she was sure. Santiago was beginning to realise what she had been doing to him for years, she reflected. However, his recovery was rapid. She concealed her embarrassment behind a hypocritical smile that barely touched her lips."Don't be like that. I'm sorry for what I said before. You know that if she doesn't love me, I don't love her either. But that doesn't mean I wish her harm. It wasn't today, it was yesterday when I saw her. She appeared to be emaciated, although not entirely bad," Santiago explained. Santiago sank into the chair slowly, his gaze fixed on Eva. Something was being concealed, he sensed it, and was determined to uncover it. He vowed to rise early and visit the doctor without delay; he promised himself not to let any more time pass before seeing his mother and daughter. Yet, a nagging conc