"Are you asking me to marry you because it's possible that...?" She couldn't even speak."No, of course not, darling. I really want to marry you, regardless of whether I'm sick or not. If it were up to me, I would have married you when I met you five years ago," he wiped away the tears running down her cheeks. "You know how I feel about you, and I wouldn't mind reliving every moment as many times as necessary to be with you.""I know, but it's just that... it's just that..." She pressed her lips together and smiled, while tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "Of course, I want to marry you, Oscar....The next morning, on the way to work, Katia was very pensive.She tried not to cry so Oscar wouldn't see her that way.She was trying to come to terms with what her boyfriend had told her. For her, the thought that he might leave her alone again shattered her heart into a thousand pieces."I would have preferred he hadn't come... or that you hadn't told me anything," she thought ag

He placed the photo in his wallet and then tucked it into the inner pocket of his dark gray jacket before getting up. He walked over to her and when he was in front of her, he asked:"Turn around, please."She turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. Undoubtedly, that dress suited her better than the others, and it seemed to be her size. She began to touch the skirt, and a small smile formed on her lips.It was the first time she had seen herself so beautiful, but she couldn't see herself getting married in that dress.Thanks to the mirror, she could see the expression on Stefan's face as he watched how the dress fit her. The silhouette of her body was well-defined due to how the fabric clung to her.He placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly moved them down her arms. Stefan's touch on her skin caused Katia to tense up.Her breathing became shorter as the German man's hands traced down her ribs and then across her abdomen.She could feel electricity running through her

Katia remained silent, gazing towards the door. She couldn't bring herself to tell him the real reason she refused to work with that man.She turned the doorknob with her eyes closed, hearing him approaching. Without further ado, she opened the office door and left before Stefan could fully reach her.He was left stunned. What had happened that made her request this? He watched her gather her things and head for the elevator.Katia passed by her friends, and they were surprised by her condition. It was unusual for her not to acknowledge or say anything to them.Stefan, worried about the woman who was his wife, left his office and walked decisively towards the elevator. He entered seconds before the doors closed.She moved away from him and wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks."Where do you think you're going? Your workday..." he began to say."I refuse to work with that man roaming freely in this company," she interrupted, avoiding his gaze.She hugged herself, closing her

The next morning, Katia was in the company cafeteria with Madeleine, as she recounted what had happened the previous day.After the incident with Stefan, Katia stayed home, lying in bed and not leaving all day, until her son returned from school.Luckily, there was no one around when she had that torrid encounter with the German."Well, there you have it. Joshua threatened Mr. Johnson and told him that if he tried the same thing he did five years ago... he'd have to deal with him," Madeleine recounted. "Are you listening, Katia?" she insisted, noticing her friend's distracted gaze."What? Sorry, Madeleine. I was thinking about something else," Katia replied.Since the incident with Stefan, Katia couldn't stop thinking about what had happened with him. Fortunately, she hadn't run into him or received any calls.She didn't know how she would react when she heard from him or saw him again."I'm starting to realize," Madeleine said with her arms crossed. "I was telling you that Joshua con

Before lunchtime, Katia went to the bathroom to splash some water in her eyes.She was tired and could not understand why the Health Department always refused to pay for the treatment of her little boy's illness.Dario, the photographer and father of Adrien's best friend, had advised her to reapply for the treatment but she refused. She would not put up with another rejection.And then the man had told her to stop by her father's pharmacy to pick up Adrien's medications. She splashed water on her face and stood looking at herself in the mirror with her hands resting on the marble wash counter.She closed them, while her breathing was ragged.She heard the bathroom door open but still, she uncovered her eyes until she felt hands touching her belly from behind. As she looked in the mirror, her eyes showed terror as she saw that it was Albert Johson."Let me go," she demanded, as she tried to free herself from the grip that had grabbed one of her breasts and squeezed it. She closed her e