Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Larissa)

After doing the shopping with Catherine, we both stopped at the shopping mall food court to talk. I had arranged with her to meet up when she called me yesterday, saying she needed to talk to me about Pedro.

—So, what happened? — I asked, dedicating my full attention to her. Catherine looked around and sighed, closing her eyes like it was going to hurt.

— I found out he's sick, Pedro has a rare disease and the doctors said they can't do much for him, at least not here.

— I'm so sorry, friend. I… would never imagine something like that..

— Me neither, but… the thing is he broke up with me claiming that since he knows he's going to die young, he wants to live more of his life.

My eyes widened as her expression got sadder and sadder.

—I… wait a bit, let me think…

Our order arrived and meanwhile, I processed everything my friend said. On one hand, there was a young person who found out he has little time left to live and on the other, a person who is watching the love of her life leaving her to live his last days far away.

—His decision to leave you to live is pretty… complicated. He could have had that experience by your side, knowing he would have someone who loved him with him.

— I think so too, that's why it hurt so much when it happened.

— Well, his head is full. It's not easy to receive news like that, but you should also move on. Pedro is your great love, but he's also made you suffer

a lot. You're a wonderful person and he's the one losing out by not spending his last days by your side.

—Thank you, my mom said the same thing. I hope I can forget him and that from the bottom of my heart, he finds a cure.

— But if that happens, which God willing, it will, you won't go back to him. I'm tired of seeing you suffer.

I made a pout and an angry expression and she laughed. We finished our snack and went to the beauty salon, where we had booked an appointment.

I settled comfortably in the beauty salon chair, letting myself get wrapped up in the relaxing atmosphere while I waited for my turn. Catherine was sitting next to me, flipping through a gossip magazine. While we talked, the salon door opened and Chiara entered, her blonde hair highlighting her natural beauty.

Noticing our presence, she waved with a slight smile and I did the same, knowing my heart was quite tight in my chest. Chiara started walking toward us and Catherine put the magazine away, straightening her posture.

—Hello, girls. — She said, with a fake smile. — What a surprise finding you here.

— Yeah, we always like coming to this salon. — Catherine said.

Chiara got closer, looking at the products on the shelf next to me. In a moment, her high heel stepped on my foot ripping a muffled scream from my lips.

— Larissa, I'm sorry! It was an accident. — She murmured, her gaze strangely full of malice.

Crouched down, while examining my foot, I looked up seeing a satisfied expression on her face upon noticing the blood on my pinky toe.

—Are you okay? — Catherine asked, seeing my expression of pain.

I just nodded to Catherine, while accepting the cotton the manicurist gave me. I cleaned the blood that had already stopped and took a deep breath, seeing Chiara enter the waxing room.

— It's your turn, can you get up? — Elizandra, the manicurist, asked me and I forced a smile confirming.

I closed my eyes while washing my hair and my mind brought back the expression on Chiara's face. Did she do that on purpose?

When I left the salon, I decided to walk a bit. My mind was troubled with this whole issue of Alessandro and Chiara. I got home going straight to the room to take a shower, when I finished, I looked at the clock on my phone seeing it was almost eight o'clock.

Where was Alessandro?

I went to the kitchen, finding Margarida washing the dishes.

— I didn't know if you were going to come for dinner, but it's ready, I can heat it up.

— It's all good, I'll do it. — I said going to the pots and serving a plate before putting it in the microwave to heat up.

— Is the boss coming today? — She asked, with her back to me.

— I don't know, Mah, he didn't let me know. But you can go when you finish there, if he has dinner when he arrives, I'll handle it here.

She nodded confirming and finished washing the dishes before leaving. I finished my food and washed the dishes, organizing everything leaving it as Mah had left it.

I went up to the room, decided to call my sister before her evening time ran out. Whenever I could, I called her to kill some of the missing her.

When we hung up, I saw it was already ten o'clock and Alessandro still hadn't arrived. He never slept out, only when he was traveling.

I grabbed my phone to call him, but put it away when I heard the sound of the car parking in the garage. I went to the window of our room and saw him get out and enter the house.

I ran to the bathroom and got ready for bed, finding him taking off his jacket when he left the bathroom.

My husband passed by me after putting the clothes in the basket and entered the bathroom. The sweet smell made me shiver and I waited to hear the sound of the shower being turned on so I could go to the clothes basket.

I took out his jacket and shirt, smelling it to confirm that there was indeed a sweet smell, a feminine perfume on almost the entire right side of the pieces.

My stomach turned with anxiety. I dropped the clothes from the basket and ran to the bed when I heard the shower being turned off. I covered myself with the sheets and turned my back to his side.

Was he with Chiara? I didn't recognize her smell, but in all these years we've been together, it's the first time she comes home with such a present smell on his clothes.

The bathroom door opened and I heard his steps going to the closet a moment before his side of the bed sank. The smell of his soap filled the air and I held my breath.

The feeling of humiliation and sadness was present and strong enough to overcome the appreciation I had for his smell.

I got startled with the sound of something vibrating and before I could see what I wanted, I felt Alessandro move in the bed.

— Hi. — He said in a calm and low tone. —Are you sure?... Alright, I'm going.

Still with my back to him, I felt the bed moving and him getting up. Alessandro entered the closet and came out moments later. The smell of his perfume filling the air. Right after, the sound of the door closing made me lift up and stare at it.

I grabbed my phone, seeing it was three thirty in the morning. Was he going to meet Chiara?

The tears insist on sprouting in my eyes and without enough strength to hold them, I let them escape the moment I heard the sound of his car being started and him driving away.

***

— What's up, didn't sleep well? — Rafael asked sitting in front of me.

— No, I had insomnia in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep anymore. — I blinked my eyes trying to push away the sleep, but the yawn that came right after gave me away.

— I'm going to order an energy drink for you. Today you need to stay awake for Mr. Oliveira's lecture. Have you imagined if you fall asleep while he recites the same testament?

His words made me laugh and I made the sign of the cross with my fingers. Rafael signals to the waitress and orders the energy drink before stopping and staring at me.

— You know it makes me embarrassed when you stare like that.

— What I know is that you look beautiful today. — I rolled my eyes while he laughed.

—I don't know if I trust you. — The girl brings the energy drink and I drink a little making a face. — Wow, there's really no way I can like this.

— You're picky.

— Wasn't I beautiful seconds ago? — I asked putting the drink on the table.

— You still are, but that has nothing to do with you being picky.

I land a playful slap on his arm making him laugh. Our order arrives and we eat calmly before going back to the company.

As Rafael had said, Mr. Oliveira gave his almost two-hour lecture and when it was about to end, an exaggerated yawn left my lips, making Rafael let a laugh escape.

I widened my eyes while he covered his mouth, realizing we caught the attention of some people.

— Sorry. — He apologized, but whoever shouldn't have already noticed.

— Something funny with you two, Larissa and Rafael? — Mr. Oliveira asked unsatisfied.

— Not at all, sir. Forgive us. — I asked trying to keep a serious expression.

My boss went back to talking and I looked with an ugly face at Rafael while trying to hold back the laugh. But it quickly disappeared from my mouth when I saw Alessandro, stopped near the elevator, staring at us.

I knew that expression, he was very angry. His attention was taken for a moment when Chiara approached, putting her arm through his and saying something, which made him laugh, but look in our direction again.

Damn, the same feeling from before came back. The excitement Rafael brought me, always died when somehow I interacted with Alessandro.

— Finally! — Rafael said low next to me and I looked at him, realizing my boss had finished. — How about we meet at the club tomorrow? I called Catherine and she said she'll only go if you go, and I think you should go since she needs to clear her head a bit.

— Alright, but we're going as friends, heard?

— You're the boss. If you change your mind there, let me know. — He winked and left laughing. —

I'll meet you guys there at ten o'clock.

I nodded confirming, going back to looking where Alessandro was, but thank God he had disappeared.

I went back to my room, trying to focus on my work. I sent a message to Catherine confirming that we would go out and when it was my time, I gathered my things and headed to the parking lot.

As soon as the doors opened, my feet froze on the ground upon witnessing the scene.

— I'm sorry. — Someone said behind me, entering the elevator again and disappearing from there.

But I continued, watching them move away and Alessandro stare at me with a bit of confusion and anger. Chiara smiled, going back to holding his arm like the other time.

My eyes were fixed on Alessandro's, but when I felt the knot in my throat and the tears insisting on coming, I forced my legs to move.

—Good evening, Mr. Moratti. — I said with a low voice, passing by them and entering my car.

My hands were trembling to the point of making me drop the key on the ground. I took a deep breath, seeing my vision blurred because of the tears. I finally managed and started the car, leaving without looking back.

A bad sensation overwhelmed my chest and I could no longer see right amid the crying. I looked for a place to park and let, in a failed attempt, the sadness overflow along with the pain I was feeling.

I shouldn't be like this, his love was never promised to me, his fidelity, he never gave me a hint that this would happen.

All that justified this feeling I have and the way it kept growing, was just because my mind created these fantasies the moment he sought me out only to satisfy his pleasure.

The only moment when I was most vulnerable and saw a little of something there, even without knowing what it would be.