Miguel Henrique

I had spent the previous night having sex with a stranger, a woman I didn't even know the name of. I met her by chance after going out to dinner with some friends, we exchanged glances and she ended up in my bed...as she always did.

There is nothing better than sex to relieve the stresses of life. Even more if you don't have to call the woman you slept with the next day.

- Vaaaaaai...this Mariana this...go baby...come to me baby - The woman stopped wiggling when I was almost there...

- Damn, my name is Marina and not Mariana! - Damn, I had the woman's name wrong about two hundred times.

- I'm sorry, baby, but keep going, it's tasty - I did everything I could to keep her going - Go Marina...

Yes, I had an addiction, I confess. Sex was always my perdition. If I was sad, sex, if I was happy, sex. Any occasion for me was sex. I felt fulfilled inside women and liked to make them happy.

I woke up with a huge hangover, as I was on vacation I didn't mind drinking and living it up. December, for any soccer player, was the month to throw everything up, to be who I really was without needing control or to walk the line.

I had become Flamengo's goalkeeper and thanks to this I had achieved fame, money, and status. I had everything in my hands. I lived in a mansion, had luxury cars and everything else.

But this was not enough for Giselle to stay by my side. The money was not enough, I did everything. I paid for the best hospital to try to save her life, but unfortunately, she was gone. I remember every detail of that damned day.

- We did everything to save her, but unfortunately his wife did not make it. The injuries were very serious and... - The doctor looked at me with a tired look on his face.

- No," I shouted in despair, thinking only of the children, "This is the best hospital in Rio de Janeiro.

- You bastard! - Olga slapped me in the face - My daughter died because of you! You'll suffer a lot, Miguel Henrique, you'll be very unhappy.

It took a while to realize that I had lost Giselle. It might be a sin, but no, I didn't love Giselle, I had stayed with her for the circumstances of life and for her companionship.

I found myself destitute and with two 8-year-old children to raise, alone. While my wife was alive, she had all the responsibility but Giselle had left me and I found myself at a dead end.

- Miguel Henrique! - When my mother called me by my full name, I knew the bomb was coming.

- Okay, when I wake up, will that do? - I covered my face with the sheet and she abruptly pulled it away.

- Now! Miguel Henrique - She screamed louder and started slapping me - Get up.

By the 2% of sense I had left I got up. I went to the bathroom, wet my face, and tried to sit on the sofa in the bedroom to listen to Helena. I knew very well that my mother was not satisfied with the way I was living.

- Look, son, you can't go on living like this," I said, I knew it, "Rique, my love, you are a public figure, and you have to set an example for your children. Lavinia and Hector can't go on witnessing your scandals. You are in the newspapers every day with a different problem. Or being talked about in a negative way.

- Mamma! - My kids have too many video games, trips, and other things to worry about, okay? They don't even know what I do or don't do. Kids don't stop to read the newspaper. They don't even know what I do or don't do.

- I will give you some motherly advice, Miguel," she was teary-eyed, "Material possessions cannot replace affection, okay? Even more so for children who have lost their mother like them. It has been two years since Giselle died and you abandoned them. You simply closed your eyes to everything and left those children behind.

As wrong as it was, after the tragedy with Giselle, I had distanced myself from my children, I couldn't be the father I was before and only cared about pleasing them with gifts and not with a father's affection. It was hard for me to deal with all of this alone.

- Mom, I can't be their mother, okay? - I don't even have time for that, as a father I can only give them money and perks and of course they can live without worrying about anything.

- God! My son, no. It's not like that - my mother was already crying - It's not possible. You are being selfish. They need a father's affection. They are only ten years old, they are children. Wake up while it's still early, money is good but for children who suffer traumas, affection is much better I will help Giselle's mother to get custody of the twins.

- No, no, no, no, no, no! - Not the witch Olga - Mom, she just wants money, at least here they have you.

- So you can drop this life and take care of your children like a man, or I'll help Olga," I shook my head in denial, I was lost, "It's time for you to be ashamed of yourself, Miguel Henrique, and go back to being the man I raised.

I was at a dead end. The maternal grandmother of my children only thought about money, and if the children were to live with her, it would be worse or the same as living with me. At least in my house they could count on my parents.

I took a deep breath and started to think about my mother's words, maybe starting to give a little care and attention to the children would be the best thing, maybe stopping acting like a 15 year old boy and facing reality would make me a better person. The problem was that I didn't know how to behave with my children anymore.

- Damn it! Damn it! - I shouted in disgust - Why Giselle? Why did you leave? I needed you so much! Help me!

Suddenly I heard the balcony door slam...a strong wind invaded my huge room and left it freezing...would my help come? If it did I would be forced to be ashamed of myself.