Pietra
I was finishing up cleaning the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I placed the dish towel on the hook by the sink and wondered who it could be. Without realizing I should go answer the door—or that one of my brothers could do it—I stood there, staring at my outfit: a lycra workout set I had bought in hopes of starting an exercise routine but had never actually used for that purpose. Time constraints and financial struggles didn’t help.
I figured it might be Mirella, though that would be odd since she had mentioned having an important client that Saturday night. When the doorbell didn’t ring again, something stirred inside me. That wasn’t normal. Frowning, I headed toward the living room, already suspecting it was just a neighborhood kid playing a prank.
To my surprise, the door was open, and I heard voi
PietraHearing my rejection, the disappointment on Andressa’s face was immediate, and it hit me hard. “Why can’t we go, Pietra?” Andressa asked, her sad eyes fixed on me.Her expression, and the question that followed, made it clear she felt I was taking away a rare opportunity from her. And in a way, I was. It wasn’t just about Anton’s invitation; it was about something much bigger. I knew opportunities like this—a morning at a wealthy family’s house, with a pool and no worries—were rare. And with Andressa’s surgery approaching, who knew when she’d get another chance to experience something like this? Recovery would be long, and even simple activities like swim
AntonI heard Pietra’s resigned sigh but didn’t let that small detail dampen the moment. The happiness I felt was too overwhelming to be overshadowed. Finally, Pietra was by my side—at least for the day—and that was all I needed right now.As I helped her out of the car and observed her siblings, Isaque and Andressa, with excitement radiating from their faces, it felt like a long-cherished dream was coming true. I had envisioned a Sunday like this so many times: Pietra and her family enjoying a peaceful, fun day together. Now that it was happening, I could barely believe it."Come on, I want to show you the pool area," I said, trying to contain my own excitement.Pietra nodded, still looking slightly uneasy, but she didn’t resi
PietraThe Sunday at the Baumann house was turning out to be a completely different experience from anything I could have imagined. Anton’s grandparents, Berenice and Leonel, had surprised me from the start. They were kind, and welcoming, and treated both me and my siblings as if we had always been part of the family, without any distinction. It was something I hadn’t expected. I grew up attending expensive private schools on scholarships, surrounded by the elite. I knew all too well how snobbish and cruel these people could be. I had suffered quite a bit from prejudice over the years, but I learned to deal with it because I never expected anything different. I was prepared for disdain and condescension, but what I found at the Baumanns' house was the opposite. For years, I had formed a mental image of Berenice and Leonel, and they were completely shattering those impressions.After lunch, around one in the afternoon, I was surprised by the appearance of Anneliese. She was known to b
PietraMonday morning, the tension in the house was palpable, and my nerves felt almost unbearable. I tried to keep calm and project strength for my sister, but inside, I was on the verge of breaking. Every movement felt heavier, as though the weight of what lay ahead had settled squarely on my shoulders.Even with my chaotic thoughts, I stuck to my daily routine. I dropped Isaque off at school, where he would stay until the afternoon. The thought that I might not be back in time to pick him up haunted me, but thankfully, Mirella, always ready to lend a hand, had offered to pick him up and stay at my house until I returned. Her generosity left me speechless. I didn’t know how to thank her for this support in such a challenging moment.Although I wouldn’t be able to stay with Andressa during her postoperative recovery, I was determined to be by her side until the very last moment before her surgery and to wait until the procedure was over. I needed to be there, to feel like I was doing
AntonI sat down next to Pietra and held her hand tightly. She tried to pull away at first, perhaps to avoid any gesture of comfort, but I didn't let go. I felt terrible. In the last few hours, all the pieces had started to fall into place, and the guilt hit me hard.I remembered the day I found out that Pietra was working as a luxury escort. At the time, I had been petty and superficial, making judgments that I was now ashamed of. I never imagined that she was facing something as serious as her sister's surgery. I had no idea how serious the situation was.I looked at Anneliese, who was standing a little further away, watching everything in silence. She was the one who had opened my eyes earlier. She had gone to the Baumann Industries headquarters, demanding to know why I wasn't by Pietra's side at such a crucial moment.
AaronThe night I slept at Rebecca’s apartment seems to have drastically changed my life. Paolla had become a completely different woman from the one I was used to, and it unsettled me. She was more loving, trying to please me in ways she never had before. Each affectionate gesture, every attempt to get closer, only seemed to widen the gap between us.Rebecca wouldn’t leave my thoughts. Pretending everything was fine with Paolla was becoming increasingly difficult. I started spending even more time at the office—not out of a willingness to work but as a way to avoid my wife and the guilt I felt.I also began visiting my grandparents more often, something I’d rarely done before. Previously, I only had dinner with them once a week, but that week alone, I’d gone to the Baumann mansion three times.On Friday, after the family dinner ended, Ettore, who had also been present, seized the moment as we were leaving the mansion to question me. He was a trusted man, always taking care of the fam
PietraDespite the doctor’s words that the surgery was a success, four days after the procedure, Andressa still hadn’t woken up, and I was on the edge of collapse. With each passing minute, the anguish consumed me more. Anton was trying to stay by my side, offering support, his face reflecting the same worry I felt, even when I pushed him to return to his life and work. He barely knew Andressa, having seen my sister only twice, but his care was genuine. I felt grateful that he and Anneliese were trying to be a part of this, supporting me. Mirella was also by my side whenever she could, and that gave me some strength, even though, inside, I was falling apart.On Friday, after another exhausting day at the hospital, I felt like a rag. I had visited Andressa in the ICU, but nothing seemed to change, and the helplessness was eating me alive. I was exhausted, physically and emotionally. When Anton showed up at the hospital, ready to take me home after work, the last thing I had was the en
AntonOn Saturday morning, the first thing I did after waking up was prepare to go to Pietra’s house, as I had promised the night before. After the dinner I made for her — a light pasta that, fortunately, she agreed to eat — I felt more at ease. I had made sure she was eating, something she had been neglecting for days due to her worry about Andressa.As I was descending the stairs of the mansion to leave, I ran into Anneliese. She looked at me with that knowing smile she always wore when she knew I was involved in something serious. “Going to Pietra’s house?” she asked, already knowing the answer. “
AntonI arrived at Pietra’s house on Sunday afternoon, as we had planned, to finish watching the series we had started a few days earlier. Despite the simplicity of the plan, being with her in moments like these made everything feel easier, more complete. But I quickly noticed that Pietra was restless, uneasy, so unlike herself. Her eyes kept darting to the clock, her phone, anywhere but me. "Is everything okay?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual. She glanced at me quickly, offering a brief smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Of course, everything’s fine," she replied, but the hesitation in her voice made it clear that wasn’t entirely true. I tried to figure out what might be bothering her. The first thing that came to mind was her sister. But Andressa was growing stronger every day, which was a relief to me, but even more so to Pietra. Three weeks had passed since the surgery, and her recovery was on track. Andressa still spent most of her time resting, and under strict medi
PaollaRage burned inside me. Eric had just told me about the latest events, and I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Aaron must have lost his mind. He was about to throw away everything we had built, our meticulously crafted plan—all of it because of that dull, insipid girl, Rebecca.I felt a wave of heat rise through my body, exploding into a mixture of frustration and indignation. The image of Rebecca—fragile and plain—dancing in Aaron’s mind was almost unbearable. And now, there was a chance she might lose the baby, the only practical purpose behind this whole mess. Without the baby, everything would fall apart, and I would not allow all our planning to be destroyed just like that. How could Aaron not see the risk of ruining both our futures over some whim?“This is unacceptable!” I shouted, my fury spilling over.“Paolla, I need you to calm down,” he said, his voice low and controlled over the phone. “I just confronted Aaron. He stormed out of the room, furious, but you nee
AaronI left the hospital feeling as if I were in a daze, unable to process what had just happened. Rebecca’s words still echoed in my mind—her cold determination to push me away… and Eric, with that almost satisfied smile, reinforcing everything I wanted to ignore.I got into the car, trying to calm my thoughts, but my hands trembled on the steering wheel. São Paulo’s traffic was slow, as always, but my mind was a storm of emotions. I passed through a series of red lights, barely registering where I was. Suddenly, I felt an impact and realized I had crashed into the back of the car in front of me.The driver quickly got out of his car, his face full of fury. He was already approaching, shouting something I could barely hear. My anger and frustration were so overwhelming that, instead of calming down, ever
AaronAt my words, I saw a subtle change in Rebecca’s face. Her eyes brightened, and she gave a soft smile, a shy but genuine gesture. It was as if a new life appeared in her expression, bringing a lightness that had seemed impossible just minutes before.“I didn’t expect you to show up here, Aaron,” she said, her voice soft and filled with emotion. “But I’m glad you’re here... I was so scared of losing our baby.”Her words hit me like a wave, filling me with a feeling I could barely describe. I took her hand, bringing it to my lips and placing a light kiss on it as if that was the only way to apologize for failing her.“Rebecca... I’m sorry for being such a huge idiot,” I whispered, the weight of everything I had done falling
AaronWhen I arrived at the hospital, I was trying to stay calm, but my heart was racing. I knew Rebecca was there, and I needed to see her. After finding out where she was admitted, I hurried in the direction indicated. But as I approached her room, a nurse intercepted me, blocking the entrance with a professional smile.“I’m sorry, sir, but the patient already has a companion. You’ll need permission to enter.”I took a deep breath, trying to process the information. I knew Eric was with her, but hearing that he was already by her side while I was stuck outside only made my anger grow. I could feel my blood boiling at the thought of him there, next to Rebecca, as if he were in control of everything.But I needed to keep
RebeccaThe nurse came into the room to let me know that my companion had arrived, and after saying goodbye to Anneliese and Pietra, I waited for Eric with a sense of unease. Lying in the hospital bed, trying to stay calm, I heard the door swing open abruptly. Eric walked in, and immediately, I felt a wave of tension. His face was filled with frustration, his eyes locked on me as if he were waiting for an explanation I didn’t know I owed. My heart raced, and my body stiffened automatically at the sight of his harsh expression.He didn’t waste any time.“How do you know Anneliese?” he asked, his voice laced with a harshness I hadn’t expected.I frowned, surprised by the question. The tension in the air was palpable,
AaronI got out of the car feeling a growing sense of gloom that was becoming harder to hide. I walked through the hall without really paying attention to the details around me — the artwork on the walls, the luxurious furniture, the muffled sound of footsteps echoing on the marble. It didn’t matter. Today, like so many other days, my mind was somewhere else.I needed a distraction. My brothers were gathered in the leisure area near the pool, playing pool. Axel and Anton were overly competitive, and it always ended in laughter or heated arguments. I thought watching their game might help me push the chaotic thoughts about Rebecca out of my head — at least for a while.But as I approached the pool table, I sensed something different in the air. The v
PietraAndressa was finally home, recovering remarkably well. That’s how the doctors described her progress every time we went for her appointments. Every time I heard those words, it felt like a massive weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was so happy, so relieved, that it was hard to put into words.However, I couldn’t deny the important role Anton played in this story. He had been by my side through all the turbulence, and now, we were dating—or at least, that’s how Anton insisted on putting it every chance he got. And me? Well, I was simply going with the flow.That’s how I ended up in a hospital, accompanying a stranger. I was with Anneliese after we’d gone to the mall to look for a gift for Paolla, Anneliese’s sister-in-law, because of her pregnancy. Everything seemed normal until we enco
RebeccaWhen I regained consciousness, the white ceiling and cold lights of the mall were the first things I saw. My head throbbed lightly, but I was beginning to piece together what had happened. The two women I’d encountered earlier—Pietra and Anneliese—were by my side, their faces etched with genuine concern. My thoughts were still scrambled, but I could hear them.“She’s waking up,” Anneliese said, relief evident in her voice as she leaned closer to get a better look at me.“I’m already calling an ambulance,” Pietra informed, her phone in hand, her posture steady and commanding. There was something about her presence that radiated control as if she were used to managing crises.I tried to sit up, but my legs felt shaky, so I let myself relax back onto the cold floor. The sensation of weakness was unnerving, and my heart was racing. I wasn’t used to feeling so vulnerable. Anneliese crouched beside me, her expression kind, as she gently placed a hand on my shoulder.“Are you okay? I