Chapter one

Luke Fagundes

I was driving down a busy avenue in Rio de Janeiro, watching the car in front of me, so I wouldn’t let it out of my sight. Sweat was running down my forehead. I looked at the clock on the dashboard, and it was only eight in the morning. I accelerated when I realized that the car in front had established a great distance. Inside that car is Gonzalo Fagundes, my father.

The night before, I saw my mother come home from the church with a heavy face. Maybe it was fate. I was at home that day, which was very rare, since I was always wandering the streets of Rio de Janeiro, spending my father’s fortune. I went to the bedroom and, with the door ajar, I saw my mother take an envelope from one of the drawers, open it and take what I supposed to be a letter. A tear rolled down her face, as if she were reading it for the first time. Closing her eyes, she shoved the paper back into the envelope and placed it in the third drawer of her dresser. He got up and walked towards the bathroom. I stood there, thinking about how serious it would have been to write on that paper to make Helena so distressed. In the dim light, with the window still open, I heard the sound of the shower turning on and decided not to talk to her that night. But I needed to read what was in that letter. I also knew that I should not invade Helena’s privacy, but my curiosity exceeded common sense and when I wondered who would write a letter, in times of social networks, I realized that time was passing. Hurriedly, without much thought, I took the envelope hidden in the bottom of the drawer and opened it. My heart skipped a thousand beats while reading the first paragraph. I objected to the information contained. I was full of anger. Besides, I’m sorry about that. The noise coming from the bathroom has ceased. With trembling hands, I put the envelope exactly where I had found it and left the room without Helena realizing it was there. The hours that passed after that were long and thoughtful. I found out what everyone in that house already suspected: Gonzalo was cheating on my mother.

The next morning, I woke up very early and waited for Gonzalo to leave the company. Now I’m here, chasing you through the streets of Rio de Janeiro to find any proof of your betrayal. I noticed, as we crossed the main avenue, that it was going in another direction, toward the suburban area of the city. I knew that place well because I had been there several times to meet women for a night of fun. He parked his car in front of a building. He came down, straightened his jacket, looked around, making sure he wasn’t being watched, and walked into the room. I got out of the car immediately. I was wearing a black hooded jacket. It wasn’t that cold. I put my hands in my pockets and walked towards the same spot. The place was old. There were cracks and dirt marks on the walls. There was a man smoking a cigar in the lobby. He was old, or maybe his skin was worn out over time.

— Hello, good morning, – I said, but the old man did not look at me. – did you see a man in a jacket coming in here?

He caught another drag on his cigar, silent.

— Could you tell me which apartment he went to?

— Second floor, number 13.

He was silent and, by the expression on his face, the old man was short of friends.

I ran up the stairs and walked down the hall. The place smelled bad, it even looked like a brothel with scant women coming in and out of the rooms. A drunk man staggered past me, and I was wondering what Gonzalo, the fifth-richest man in this country, would be doing in a place like that. I walked to room thirteen, and the door was ajar. How careless, rich, business and stupid. That wasn’t in my father’s way. Go around leaving clues. I opened the door slowly. Apparently, the place was clean, and the smell inside was nicer than the rest of the building. I walked across the room and heard a noise coming from the back of the room. It was a small room, it also had dirty walls. I noticed and noticed that your jacket was thrown over the couch. I walked cautiously toward the noise and almost fell back when I saw him kissing another woman. It took me a while to absorb the event. The woman had blond hair up to her waist. She was wearing a red dress and looked very comfortable in my father’s arms. I took my phone out of my coat pocket and pointed them both out to take a picture. They were so involved; they didn’t even notice my presence. But the flash, turned on by the cell phone camera, accused me and the look of both was directed at me.

— Luke? Your mouth was red, eyes wide – what are you doing here?

I swallowed it hard before I answered. I looked him right in the eye, thinking about running away. Likewise, I already had the evidence, but my legs just locked up.

— I’m collecting evidence. – I put my phone in my pocket. – Now everyone will know who Gonzalo Fagundes is.

His expression changed from surprise to anger in a matter of seconds. He ran towards me and grabbed my arm, taking me out of the room.

— What do you think you’re doing? We stopped in the hallway. Your face was too close to mine – how did you find me here?

— I followed you,– I confessed, defying him. I loved challenging my father – you should know that the bitch you betrayed my mother sent you a letter telling you everything.

He let go of my arm, and now his expression was one of fear.

— Give me your cell,– he commanded.

— Fuck the hell, – I answered, as I held the device hard in my pocket.

— Don’t make me lose my temper with you, Luke. – He leaned even closer, talking with his teeth clenched.

— Or what? I took a step back – will you cut my allowance?

He laughed, a broad mocking smile.

— Don’t underestimate me. – He reached out, waiting for me to give you his cell phone. - what are you going to do with it? Show your mother.

— She already knows – I continued adamantly. I will show it to those who have not yet seen it.

Hurriedly, he walked towards me, pressing me against the wall. He was stronger than me, but I would fight him if I had to win that fight. He tried to take the phone away from me, and in response, I punched him in the face. I immediately regretted what I did and before fixing the mistake, I took another punch in return. When I realized I was fighting with my own father. The woman in the red dress tried to break up our fight and in a single gesture, he pushed her against the wall. He didn’t respect my mother. Would he respect other women? The cell phone fell out of my pocket and Gonzalo picked it up.

— You’re going to pay dearly for what happened today, you arrogant brat.

— I’m not afraid of you,– I said, as I wiped the blood running down my nose from my face.

— Great, – he said, looking me straight in the eye, – because from today onwards he will. 

He took my arm again, but I didn’t try to run away. Before dragging me down the hall, he turned to the woman in front of us and asked,

— Is what he said true?

She took a while to answer. She seemed lost, looking for any lie to get away with it.

— It’s true,– he lowered his head, confessing in a whisper.

— I’ll settle accounts with you later.

He looked at her one last time, and we walked back outside. He made me get into his car and drove in silence through the streets of Belo Horizonte. We stopped at an airport for small planes, and I still didn’t understand why Gonzalo had taken me there.

— Why did you bring me here?– He got out of the car without answering me. He opened the passenger door and took my arm again.

— You’re going to travel,– he said as we walked toward the private plane he had.

I tried to pull away when I realized what he wanted to do to me.

— It’s easier to get rid of problems, isn’t it dad – I smiled in despair, but I didn’t let my fear show – where are we going?

— We’re not going – we stopped near the plane – you can go with a one-way ticket.

— Which is? My eyes watered.

— Don’t you want to be smart? – he said – do you think you can live the rest of your life enjoying the sweat of my work and then stab me in the back? Now I’m going to teach you how to be a real man.

— Want to teach me something you haven’t learned?

His jaw locked, and I didn’t like what I saw in his eyes.

— You’re going to live in Brasília with your poor aunt – his anger was boiling over – and I’m going to tell her to get really tough with you.

— You can’t do that – my eyes were wide open, fear, now, transparency – what are you going to say to my mother, to Natalia when they ask for me?

— The truth.–  He waved his hand, calling the pilot.

— Will you tell them about your betrayal too?

As you said, she already knows.- There was no empathy or remorse in him when he said that. I hated him for doing this to my mom – he’s going to run out of money, no credit card, and he’s going to stay there until I decide.

I didn’t know what to say. In my mind, it should have been the other way around, but I fell into my own trap.

Gonzalo started pushing me into the plane. I could re-attack him and run away, but it wouldn’t work. I knew my father so well that in addition to him seeking me to the ends of the earth, he would keep his promise to leave me in the gutter.

— You dare not contact your mother or sister – already sitting in the armchair he put his belt on me – you will stand there eating the bread that the devil kneaded to learn never to confront me again.

— It’s not going to stay that way, Dad.

But he didn’t answer. He got off the plane, closing the door and leaving me alone with my fears, my hatred and my uncertainties. Gonzalo was very powerful, and even if I were his son, I wouldn’t have the strength to fight it.

I tried to find a way out of the mess I’d just gotten myself into, but it was too late. The plane took off towards Brasília. And I was going without clothes, without hope and alone.