Episode 2

I've known Mariana for a long time, since school.

She's always been a discreet girl, the exemplary daughter, the diligent student. And me? I never cared about her. My fascination was always with someone else. Since then, my eyes have been fixed on Bianca.

The most popular girl in school, the most desired, the most envied.

To be more specific, she was in my class.

I fought to win her over, I used every weapon I had. Until, after a while, she finally gave in.

We started dating, and I made her a promise:

"When we're adults, we're going to get married. You'll be my wife."

She smiled and believed it. And for a while, I believed it too. For a while, everything was going well. Until the world collapsed on me.

It was my fault.

I was stupid.

I wanted to prove to my father that I didn't need him, that as soon as I had more money in my hands, I would buy the company just for myself. I wanted to show that I was capable of making decisions on my own, that I knew how to manage money. And, out of arrogance, I ended up investing a large amount of the company's money.

Without permission, without thinking about the consequences. And I lost. I lost everything.

My father doesn't know this. The only person who knew, until then, was my right-hand man, Renan.

He's always been by my side, always protected me, always helped fix my mistakes. And, when shit hit the fan, he tried to help me.

We met in a place far from the company to discuss a way out, a solution. But, in the middle of the conversation, we didn't realize that someone was listening to us.

Isabel, Mariana's mother.

She heard everything, recorded everything. And, at that moment, my life was over.

I tried to negotiate, I tried to offer money. But it was no use. She wanted more, much more.

"You're going to marry my daughter, Eduardo."

I laughed. I thought it was a joke. But when she showed me the recording, I realized I had nowhere to run. If my father found out that I had messed with the company's money without authorization, he would disinherit me right away.

I would lose everything, and Isabel knew it. She knew she had me in her hands, and she demanded a high price for her silence.

The marriage to Mariana was part of the agreement. But there was an extra condition. The money that should be hers as my wife, I would have to give to Isabel. In other words, Mariana would get nothing.

Meanwhile, Isabel enjoyed the cursed luxuries that money bought.

Designer bags, international trips, ridiculous jewelry.

She didn't care about her sick husband, she didn't care about Mariana. She just wanted to satisfy her greed. And for two and a half years, I've been supporting her and her damn luxuries.

My life has turned into hell. I had to give up the only love of my life.

Bianca begged me not to do it. She called me a coward, a weakling. But I had no choice.

If my father found out, I would have nowhere to fall dead. And she didn't deserve to get involved in this chaos.

I still love her, I always will. And there's no room in my heart for anyone else.

Mariana? She's just a poor wretch used by her mother, stuck in a marriage that doesn't benefit her in any way. She's not to blame. But I've never seen her as a woman.

Several times, she tried to win me over. She wore those ridiculous nightgowns, hoping I would be interested. But it doesn't work. She doesn't attract me.

In my eyes, she has no appeal. And, if it depends on me, I will never touch her.

The company's debts still haunt me. But I'm managing to pay them off little by little.

If my father notices any holes in the finances, he'll start investigating. And, when that happens, everything could crumble.

I need to keep Mariana where she is. She can't find out anything. And, most importantly, my father can't suspect anything.

I've been leaving home early, before Mariana wakes up. I avoid seeing her. I avoid looking into her eyes. Because, deep down, I know that I'm trapped in a lie and so is she. Having breakfast next to her would be torture. So, I prefer to have my coffee at the company, surrounded by reports and numbers, where I can pretend that my life is still under control. But the truth? My life is a chaos.

In the last few weeks, something has changed. I've started talking to Bianca again. The woman I've always loved. The woman who should be my wife. I fought so hard to win her over in the past, made promises that one day it would just be us. And now, after so long, I'm finally with her again. Even if it's just in secret.

The first time I called Bianca, she didn't want to answer me. And with good reason. She hated me. I abandoned her without explanation. But I couldn't tell the whole truth back then. And, deep down, I think she always knew there was something more. It was only after insisting for days that she agreed to meet me. We went to her apartment. And when she opened the door, it was like nothing had changed, it was still her. The same perfume, the same intense look, the same contained desire. And, when I kissed her for the first time after so long, I knew I never stopped loving her.

Now, we see each other every night. After work, I go straight to her apartment. There, I'm myself again. Away from the lies. Away from the blackmail. Away from Mariana. There, I'm the Eduardo from before. We spend the nights together, and I often end up sleeping there. I only go back home in the early hours of the morning. I enter in silence, go straight to the bathroom, take a quick shower, put on a clean suit, and leave for the company before Mariana wakes up. She has no idea. And she doesn't need to know.

But, as much as I try, I feel like the net is closing in. Mariana isn't stupid, she must notice my absence. She must notice that I'm never home. But she never asks. Never confronts. Maybe because she's also tired of this marriage. Maybe because she's already given up on me. And, if that's the case... So much the better.

At night, I took the same route as always. I left the company, got in the car and drove straight to Bianca's apartment. That routine was already part of my life. It was there that I found the only thing that still made me feel something.

When I arrived, she was already waiting for me. She had prepared dinner for the two of us, the table was set with good wine and lit candles. She always knew how to please me. As soon as she opened the door and smiled at me, I couldn't contain myself. My body responded before I could think.

I attacked her. My lips took hers urgently, and I pulled her against me, feeling her perfume take over my senses. Her nails dug into the back of my neck, her lips hot, her skin soft. That's what I wanted. That's what I needed.

I pushed her against the wall, my hands exploring her body, and Bianca gasped against my mouth, pulling my tie off in a hurry. Dinner was forgotten. The hunger we had was another, much more intense.

Her hands opened the buttons of my shirt as I slid my mouth down her neck, feeling her shiver under my touch. I lowered the straps of her dress, revealing her naked skin, and I couldn't wait any longer. There, in the middle of the room, I took her in my arms and carried her to the bedroom.

We gave ourselves to each other as if it were the last time. As if we were making up for all the lost time. As if all that repressed desire was exploding at once.

After so long, Bianca was still mine. And I was still hers.

Afterwards, we lay side by side, trying to catch our breath. Bianca turned to me, gently running her fingers over my chest.

"I hate when you leave."

I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling a tightness in my chest.

"I know," I replied.

"How much longer will this farce last, Eduardo?"

I opened my eyes and looked at her. I knew she wanted a different answer, but I couldn't lie to her.

"I don't know."

She pulled away, sighing, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You know I can't wait forever."

My jaw clenched. I knew that.

I got up and went to her, wrapping my arms around her body and kissing her neck.

"You are everything to me, Bianca."

She sighed, tilting her head to the side, allowing me to continue kissing her.

"Then prove it. Send that bitch away."

My breath caught in my throat.

"It's not that simple."

She laughed, bitterly.

"Of course not. Because you always make an excuse."

"You know it's not an excuse."

She turned to me, her eyes full of pain and frustration.

"I don't want to be the other woman, Eduardo. I've always been the first in your life."

I closed my eyes for a moment. I understood what she meant. I hated this situation as much as she did. But there was no way out.

If my father found out, I would be finished.

If Isabel exposed everything, I would lose everything.

And I couldn't risk it.

"Give me more time," I asked, holding her face in my hands.

She didn't answer. She just sighed and lay down again, turning her back to me.

I knew I was losing Bianca.

But I couldn't do anything to stop her.

Because I had already lost control of everything.

And, for the first time, I began to wonder if this lie was worth the price I was paying. I wanted to have more time to solve everything, so that I wouldn't have to leave home, but so that I could bring Bianca into what belongs to me, because she deserves a good life.

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