Chapter 48.
Bonus 6.
By Lora Miller.
| When Love Touched Me Once Again. |
Throughout my almost 37 years, I have deeply loved three people. The first was Ian, my ex-husband and the father of my two children. Our marriage came to an end, although our companionship, friendship, and respect only increased with the passage of time. Currently, he, his current wife, and I have become great friends. On the other hand, my second love experience was not very good, and I was still left with a broken heart and some traumas as consequences of Arabella's selfish and irresponsible attitudes. I could never force her to reciprocate my feelings, nor to continue her relationship with me while desiring and loving someone else. On the other hand, much suffering and tears shed could have been avoided if she had been sincere from the beginning. About three years after the near-event of the wedding of the centu
Chapter 49.Bonus 7.By Lora Miller.| When the past came back for the last time. |— See you tomorrow, Miss Miller! — The security guard at the entrance of the P. & G. Vacchiano Construction Company building said goodbye to me as soon as I passed him. — Have a good evening! — He continued in the same kind tone.I smiled slightly in the direction of the man who looked more like a human closet, for he was very tall and muscular, and stopped walking so that I could answer him better.— Likewise, Jonnas! — I wished, flashing a huge smile. — And it's Lora, not Miss Miller. It doesn't even seem like we're friends. — I rolled my eyes, in good humor.Although he could have an intimidating appearance, Jonnas was a good-hearted man and a great joker outside his security posture. His wife, Ingrid, had babysat for Ashley as a
Chapter 50.Bonus 8.By Lora Miller.| When she said yes to me. |— Love, since the kids are asleep, shall we watch a horror movie? — asked my girlfriend in a low, very low tone, lying next to me. — Please, Lo? Yes, let's, shall we? — Alicia even had the courage to give us a cute pout.Although the room was dimly lit, I could see how Alicia had an expectant expression as she waited for my answer. I hated this genre, and she knew it.— Ok… — I rolled my eyes, giggling. She let out an excited shout and stole a kiss. — But we need more popcorn, Ali. — I held out the empty container.She took it and stood up, before murmuring:— My love, with this miracle of you agreeing to watch horror movies with me, I can plant a cornfield to make as many pots of popcorn as you want. — She winked and walked away
Chapter 1. — Once upon a time there was a bar... |Today | I will never put another drop of alcohol in my mouth for the rest of my existence on earth! This was the first thought that occurred to me when I woke up the next morning after a night of drinking with a complete stranger. In fact, it only took two glasses of vodka and three martinis to get me drunk. A grunt of pain escaped my parched lips, while my head throbbed in an irritating way. Without much choice and feeling an irresistible urge to pee in the first bathroom that came into my field of vision, I sat down on the bed in one sudden movement, causing a strong nausea to hit me like a runaway truck. Why did I make up a drink? Still in the cloud of having just woken up minutes before, I realized that the mattress, on which I was still sitting with my head throbbing and my eyes closed, was strangely too soft for an architect, practically newly graduated and hired by a big construction company like me, to boast as a luxury i
Chapter 2.— Once upon a time there was a lunch in a not very nice family….Sunday has always been my second favorite day of the week, second only to Friday night and the entire Saturday. Or could it be considered a third day? Anyway, the question remains. But back to the previous topic, there was a reason behind my special, personal appreciation. In my not-so-distant adolescence, it was customary for me to gather with my parents in our small dining room and have typically Brazilian lunches in our simple Philadelphia home.Yes, I was born in Brazilian lands. However, I ended up on American soil at the age of ten with my parents, a sister still hidden in my mother's belly and big dreams of a better life as part of our luggage. However, after going to the bar on Friday night, waking up in a room that did not belong to me and next to an unknown woman on Saturday morning were making me hate my beloved Sunday. Holy shit! Such hate! As if the previous day's embarrassment wasn't enough, I n
Chapter 3. — Once upon a time it was a parade of confusions. I had definitely thrown a rock with the cheapest gum on the cross. No, actually, I had danced a forbidden funk at the table of the Holy Supper in another incarnation to be so unlucky in this one. Ok, it is not that I was good at dancing to this carioca rhythm, even though I was born and grew up, until the age of ten, in Teresópolis, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. To be honest, I could already see myself descending through the pole dance straight to hell and feeling the not-so-pleasant heat of the not-airy environment. Holy shit, Carina Maria! How unlucky I am! How the hell did I manage to get a nice pair of horns on Lorenzo with just the woman who appeared out of nowhere in the dining room? Meanwhile, back to the current events in the dining room of my future former in-laws. — Veronica? — exclaimed Mrs. Eva, quite emotional and perplexed, getting up from her chair as well, while her eyes watered. — My daugh
Chapter 4. — Once upon a time, the order of the century… If one day I tell you what happened that Sunday in question, no one will believe me… — Well, tell me, my son. — Francesco encouraged him. — Please stand up, Carina! — Lorenzo asked politely, also rising from his chair. The smug smile was on his lips, and I was enjoying the scene less and less. He wouldn't do what my intuition screamed, right? — Cah, my sweet and eternal love. — He continued in the same tone, taking my hands in his and squeezing them hard. I could only look at him with concern and fear, for I was in shock. — I am absolutely convinced that you are the woman of my life. Of course, you are, after all, my headdress is only a small sample of all your love for me, I thought with all my mental sarcasm. — Lorenzo… — I tried to intervene, but he put a finger over my lips, shutting me up. I didn't even have to look away to know that I was being watched, because I could feel three pairs of eyes staring at us in sil
Chapter 5. — Once upon a Monday morning... I was absurdly passionate about the profession I chose to venture into in college and practice when I had my degree in hand in my adult life. It was a very difficult five years in which I found myself almost kicking the can down the road and returning with my tail between my legs to Philadelphia, that is, to my parents' home. My God! It would be much easier to study business administration in my old city than to go to a prestigious private university in Miami, where I got a full scholarship. On the other hand, my ambitions and longing for new horizons, new challenges, were always greater than seeing myself stuck in the state of Pennsylvania, taking a course I never liked and, in the future, managing my parents' pet shop. No, I could never devalue or belittle their dream, for this would be an unfair and hypocritical act on my part. Besides, it was from that small building that the countless financial aids to support myself in Miami came, un
Chapter 6. — Once upon a time, the new CEO… — Swimming in shit like me. — I wrinkled the tip of my nose, opting for an almost universal truth and putting my suspicion aside for the moment. — And we still have to schedule a time for your dinner with us. — I turned away from our current focus and continued with my miraculous plan. What could possibly go wrong trying to pair my best friend with my head of planning? In my current “lucky” streak, anything. However, he who laughs last laughs best. — Yes, of course. — With her cheeks still rosy, she agreed. — However, if it weren't for the betrayal that he doesn't know about, what would be the reason for his resignation? — She returned to her previous focus, purposefully disconfirming. —Lorenzo said that I would be fired if I broke up with him. — I let out a heavy sigh and ran my fingertips between my eyebrows, where I massaged a wrinkle of concern that wouldn't go away. — Lora, by the end of the day, I'll be out on the street as a son o