"I'm still processing everything, Mom, because this wasn’t something that was in my plans at the moment," Rafaela said."If it wasn’t in your plans, how did you let this happen?" her mother asked."I protected myself, Mom, I swear to you that I protected myself, but still, it happened," Rafaela responded."And the father of this child, what did he say about it?""I'm not going to tell him.""What do you mean?""We’ll talk about that later too, Mom.""Then I’m left with nothing to talk to you about since all my questions somehow involve this man," her mother replied, frustration evident in her tone."I know it might be strange, but we’ll talk about it another day," Rafaela assured her."So, what do you want to talk about? You’re not thinking about having this child there without any family nearby, are you?""That’s what I want to talk about, Mom. I’ve been thinking about this." Rafaela took a deep breath before continuing. "I’ve tried to visualize how my life will be after this baby is
After finishing talking to her mother and hanging up the phone, Rafaela burst into tears. Surely, this would be the most difficult decision of her life, having to leave her son after his birth. Even though she fully trusted her family, she knew that a piece of her heart would break with that, but she tried to ignore it as long as she could because thinking about it caused her anxiety and suffering.One day at a time, that's how it should be.It was horrible not having control over things. She was now torn between the joy of motherhood and Ethan's reaction, who, if he found out at any moment about the baby, could cause an uproar. She knew nothing about his personal life, except that he had lived abroad for many years and only returned when his father said he was about to retire and wanted his son nearby, to start familiarizing himself with the company, and to become the future CEO.[...]On Monday, arriving very early at the company, she entered the elevator, pressing the number of the
"You will go in my place, Rafaela; you will receive someone for me.""Me?" she questioned, already imagining she would lose her precious lunch hour with Kate."Yes, I can't let my driver go; it would seem disrespectful on my part," he replied. And to not just stop there, I want you to go to a flower shop and buy a beautiful bouquet of flowers.""What specific flower do you want me to buy?" she asked, interested, trying to imagine who this person was that would receive so much of Ethan's attention, to the point of receiving flowers."Does that matter? What flowers do women like the most?" he asked her, and she didn't know how to respond.A woman, she thought."I don't know, women's tastes are different; some like delicate and discreet flowers, others like extravagant and colorful ones.""That seems difficult," Ethan seemed to think. "Tell me, what kind of flowers did you most enjoy receiving?" he asked."I’ve never received flowers," she replied with a certain sadness.Although she was
Eva Thompson's revelation caught her by surprise; she knew nothing about him, but at no time did she consider the possibility that he had a fiancée. She didn't want to ask that question, but before she knew it, she was already confronting him."Why the surprise in your eyes, is there any objection?" he asked, with a strange tone, as if mocking her behavior."No, there's none," she replied, trying to compose herself."Actually, she’s not my fiancée yet, but we are about to formalize the engagement, so it's only a matter of time until it happens.""I understand, sir," she replied, embarrassed. "If you don't need anything else, I'll leave now to go to the flower shop.""You can buy a bouquet for yourself too," he said."Why?" she asked, confused."You said you've never received flowers; consider it a gift from me.""I don't need that," she replied."As you wish," he said. "I’m just trying to be kind.""Thank you for your kindness," she retorted. "But I don't need it.""You know how to dri
While savoring a sandwich, she thought about how comical it was to eat something so unhealthy just because she had to wait for the fiancée of her son's father. "This is frustrating," she thought constantly, not knowing how she would react to the days ahead.As she ate, Rafaela noticed a familiar man in line, near the counter. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized it was her former boss, the man she had once been deeply in love with. Tácio Duarte was there, but he didn’t notice her presence. The surprise overwhelmed her, but she decided to keep her composure. After all, it had been two years since she last saw him, and she had no idea how she would behave in front of him if they crossed paths. Finishing her meal, she tried to sneak out, but she couldn’t resist when she heard a familiar voice calling her name."Rafaela?"She turned around, pretending to be surprised.Tácio was wearing a short-sleeved green shirt that revealed part of a tattoo on his arm. He also wore black jeans. Hi
After 20 minutes of waiting, the passengers from the plane finally disembarked. It felt strange for her to be holding a sign in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other, waiting for Ethan's fiancée. However, since it was her job, she couldn’t refuse. Among many people, one stood out. A tall, slim woman with short blonde hair. She seemed to be looking for someone in the crowd. Thinking that this was Eva Thompson, Rafaela Souza approached with the sign."Eva Thompson?" Rafaela Souza asked."Yes. Who are you?" the woman asked with some suspicion."My name is Rafaela Souza. I’m Mr. Ethan Smith’s secretary. I’ve been assigned to pick you up and take you home.""So, he didn’t come in person?" she asked, showing some disappointment."Unfortunately, he had a very important meeting and couldn’t reschedule, but he asked me to give you this." She handed the flowers to Eva."It’s so typical of Ethan to come up with excuses not to pick me up." She took the envelope from the bouquet, opened it
“Director General's Office, Rafaela speaking.”“Did you do what I asked?” Ethan's voice asked from the other end of the line.“Yes, sir, I just arrived.” She looked at the walls and ceiling, trying to find a camera because whenever she reached a certain point in the corridor, Ethan knew she was there.“What did she say?” he asked.“She questioned why you didn't go personally to pick her up, but when I gave her the flowers, she seemed more resigned.”“How did she react when she read the note in the envelope I sent?”“She smiled. She seemed to like what she read,” Rafaela replied, rolling her eyes, feeling almost nauseous for having to answer that.“You didn't happen to read what I wrote in the envelope, did you?” he questioned.“Of course not!” she replied quickly.“Very well. Have you eaten yet?” he asked.“I had a sandwich. Since Miss Thompson's flight was delayed, I didn't get to take my lunch break.”“Then let's eat together.”“What?” she asked, not getting any response, as Ethan ha
It was wrong to say that since she didn't like the idea of seeing Tácio again because she was afraid her feelings might return, especially now that she was pregnant by another man. But Ethan's indirect provocations made her nervous; it seemed like he always wanted to come out on top of the situation as if he were the big shot. Not that he wasn’t, but she had no feelings for him, so she should let him know that."So, your trip wasn't in vain?" he asked, adjusting himself in the chair."Of course not," she replied, laughing. "I really enjoyed going there; I even feel like it's a matter of fate.""Fate?" He laughed. "What nonsense.""Don’t you believe in it?" she questioned."I think it's a big waste of time, all that stuff," he replied."I don’t think so. Sometimes, I believe there are people who are destined for each other and end up meeting at the right time," her eyes sparkled as she said that, remembering Aurora and Oliver, who seemed destined for each other."Are you saying it was f