thomas
A week has passed since I confronted Caesar and informed him of my plans. He hasn't appeared in the company again, but he's in my sights. I will not allow you to run or hide before my plans for revenge are realized. I bet you think I was bluffing when I said I was going to take your most prized possession, probably counting on friendship, but I wasn't. I just had more important things to do, like meeting with different experts to see how best to get out of this scam without losing too much.I hate to miss anything. I hate that things aren't within my reach, that I don't have control of every breath within the company. Things will go back to the way they were before, whatever the cost. Whatever the cost.I alarm the car after parking in front of the building I've visited more times than I can count. I walk to the entrance and am easily greeted by the doorman who knows me very well and never announces me. I go up the elevator looking at my reflection in the mirror. I adjust the sleeves of my dress shirt and run a hand through my hair, waiting for the slow climb towards the penthouse. As soon as the metal doors open, I walk to his apartment. I ring the bell just once before the clerk appears to greet me.— Your Thomas, what a surprise! - he says with sympathy and I smile in a greeting. "Come in, I'll call your Caesar."The middle-aged lady disappears down the halls and I look around the room. I look for something different, anything I can use against the man, but my inspection is interrupted by Paula, the wife of my former partner.'Thomas, dear…' I can tell from the years we've been together and from the look in her eyes that she doesn't know what's going on. At least she doesn't know that I'm aware of the stab her husband gave me. Now, if you know about the scam, I'll find out now.“Paula,” I say in a cold greeting, the opposite of what she's used to getting from me. - Where's your family?— César is in the office, he's only been leaving there to eat in the last few days — she says and makes a gesture of indifference with her hand, as if she's used to it. “Come on, darling, sit him down here and tell me why he's tense.“I don't want to sit down, Paula. I'll wait for your husband right here. I stuff my hands in the pockets of my dress pants and look at my reflection in the mirrored wall to my left.I look more tired than usual. I notice the dark circles under my eyes from the sleepless nights trying to think of a solution to all my problems. Despite this, which cannot be disguised, the rest of my appearance is meticulously in place: suit tailored, clothes well pressed, black hair neatly cut and slicked back, beard dark and neatly trimmed. Only someone who knows me too well and is attentive to details would be able to notice the signs of tiredness and stress. Fortunately, there are few such people in my life."Thomas..." I hear the man's voice and turn my gaze to where he is.His face is completely fucked up from the beating he took from me and a weak smile is inevitable.— You look good — I scoff and I see his jaw set, a sign that he's very angry. Excellent. For me, the more crying, anger and suffering, the better.
- What do you want? - He asks and looks at his wife sitting on the couch, as if she had just noticed her presence. "My precious, would you excuse us for a few minutes?" We have business to attend to.— Oh, Paula, you don't have to leave — I say, having my answer. He hid the truth from his wife. “I know you don't have secrets between you. I won't be the one to change that."Thomas, leave my wife out of this..." Cesar points at me, but I really can't take him seriously with those puffy, purple eyes and nose, slashed mouth, and the rest of his face a green tint."But why, my friend?"The tall, slender woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair and dark brown eyes stares at me suspiciously. She looks from me to her husband and I take the opportunity to let chaos reign for a few minutes.I see several framed portraits spread across the few pieces of furniture in the huge living room and I approach them. Cecília is in most of the photos, from a baby with a head full of red hair like her father to a teenager, with prescription glasses and braces. I haven't seen her since she moved to study abroad, but I remember the quiet, well-behaved and polite girl who lived close to her father. Her greatest pride, her crystal..."Stay away from my daughter, you sick fuck!" Caesar exclaims and I turn around in time to see the look of shock on Paula's face."What is it, Caesar?" Got crazy? she asks and the man runs a hand through his hair."Honey, I promise I'll explain later." But I really need to talk to Thomas alone.“Sit here, Paula,” I say, ignoring the man, who glares at me as I approach his wife. “Wow, you smell fantastic today."I…" She widens her eyes and sits down on the couch as I settle in next to her. Her white face flushes to the roots of her hair and I hold back a laugh. - Thanks.I was never anything but courteous to her, after all, I valued Caesar's friendship too much to even think about such a thing. Paula ended up becoming my sister down the road as well, but now that the friendship is over, I make a point of using everything to annoy the man.— What happens is that I'm going to marry your daughter — I say and the face that was already surprised becomes comical.— What happens is that I'm going to marry your daughter — I say and the face that was already surprised becomes comical.- How it is? With… Cecilia? - asks, getting up from the couch at once. - Since when? You know my daughter is only nineteen, right? She is a girl!"I know, Paula. I intend to respect it, of course - I say and his expression seems to soften, but I can't contain the laugh. — Ah, you two… You are so easy to be deceived.“What… What's going on, Caesar? she asks her husband, who lets out a long sigh and a string of curses before turning to her.He opens and closes his mouth more times than I can count and it starts to annoy me. The man has the balls to sink my company in cold blood, but he doesn't have the balls to tell his wife the truth. How pathetic is that?- Let me help you - I say and squeeze his shoulder hard. — Here's the thing, Paula: your husband stole from me. He had been robbing my company for years to support his frivolities, according to him.I wait for the
— Shh! - I put my hand on her mouth because Kelly has the habit of talking loud and attracts the attention of everyone around her. How embarrassing! - Speak quietly!I push her aside and stand in the middle of the store with the dress in my hand. She looks at me sulking and goes to change her clothes. After paying for the dresses, we head to Starbucks for coffee, and Kelly keeps pushing.“If you think Josh is so wonderful, why don't you go out with him? I ask.“Because I already have a boyfriend,” she says, and I stick out my tongue. Kelly laughs and holds my hands on top of the cafeteria table. — But seriously, Cecília. I only care about you. You're always cooped up in your room studying, we have to drag you around. You don't go out, you don't have fun, you don't do anything!— I already told you that I need to study — I say and tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. “Dad won't let me work at the company if I'm not very good. He takes that place very seriously. And his partner then, I th
Cecilia "Okay, we can talk here." I close my bedroom door and the place feels very small. It's not, it's quite spacious like all the rooms in this house, but Thomas is big and tall and strong, and he seems to take up all the space. He's looking around at the room's decor, and I don't know why I get so nervous, but I do. He walks across the room and over to the dressing table in the corner against the wall. He picks up a framed picture of me with my parents and flashes me a smile that sends shivers down my spine. It sounds mean, but it doesn't make sense that it would be, since he's always been a great friend of the family. - Everything is fine? - I ask. He doesn't say anything. He just nods and continues to stare at the photo for a few more seconds. "So your dad didn't call you?" he asks and I start to get worried. I take my phone out of my purse and start skimming through the messages I've missed over the past few days. — My cell phone broke a few days ago, I only managed to buy
thomasI listen carefully as Cecilia talks to her dear father on the phone. I watch the second her face transforms from worry to pure despair. I sit and wait and look at the clock impatiently. I'm bored."How could you do that, Daddy?" - The girl whispers in a thin voice and tears run down her pale face.I expect.I follow all the anger expended in an even sweet way, until Cecília hangs up the phone.“Oh honey, I'm so sorry. You know I've always thought of your father as a brother. I'm just as disappointed as you are. I smile cynically, because I know I'm going to use the sadness I see on your face right now against your father.- How can you? she explodes as she wipes the angry tears from her face.“How did I…” I look at her in surprise at the outburst. - How could I? How could your father be the right question, girl!"You think you're much better than he is, don't you?" He thinks he can just go around buying people to pay for other people's mistakes.I let out a snarky laugh and sha
thomasCecilia did not return. It's already three o'clock in the morning and the bitch girl is gone. Her cell phone remains unavailable. I already called her parents asking for her, threatening, but they both seemed surprised and worried, so I ruled out her running away at their behest. I'm pissed because I hate it when people disobey me. I told her to be here at the hotel when I got back, and she was supposed to be here. Simple.I give up waiting.I get out of bed and put on a shirt before grabbing my car keys. I take the elevator down and make some calls. I look for information about parties in the vicinity and it is not difficult to find the location of the “big party” on social networks. I put the location into the GPS and it only takes ten minutes to arrive. I see a bunch of brats in front of a fraternity house with red cups in their hands and the racket rolling down the middle of the street.I curse Cecilia out loud, wanting to crush her little neck, and park the vehicle. I go d
I get up early even though I slept at dawn as usual. My body is already trained to wake up at seven thirty in the morning every day, and there is no one to make me stay in bed late.I change into clean clothes after I take a shower and brush my teeth. I run my hand through my hair to comb it, put my watch on my wrist and put on my shoes before going to where Cecília is sleeping. I knock on the door and it takes a few minutes for the employee to open it. I go in and see that the girl is still sleeping. I don't know what she was thinking going off like a madwoman drinking all the drinks in the world, but I'm not going to give the little princess a taste of rest after all.— You can let me take care of everything from here — I say to the lady, who just nods and leaves.I approach the bed and look down at the girl's makeup-smeared face. I shake her shoulders slightly and she grunts, smacking my hand.— Wake up, Cecília — I say and shake her body again. - Wake up!The girl wakes up with a
I was so mad at everything Thomas is trying to force me to do that I agreed to go to a party with Kelly, which I never do. Is not fair. I always do everything right, I'm a good daughter, a good student. And for what? To be sold into marriage to a gruff man who only wants revenge on my father."It's not his fault, it's yours!" I say and lift my chin even though I just want to run away from him giving me that intimidating look. “You were the one who decided to punish me when I didn't do anything.Thomas tilts his head to the side and gives me a warm smile that confuses me. He reaches across the table and grips my fingers. His hand is warm and soft and somehow makes my body relax.“It was your father who chose this, Cecilia. He could be a man and pay for his mistakes. But he chose to sell you to me, didn't he? He would rather you suffer for the rest of your life than go to jail as is fair. I feel my eyes fill with tears and Thomas pats my hand. “No, honey, don't cry. Everything is fine.
Cecília- I was worried about you.I hug the pillow and sigh as Kelly settles into bed next to me.It's been a few days since my life turned upside down and I'm at a loss for what to do. I'm getting desperate about missing classes, but I emailed some of the teachers and they let me make up later. I just want my life back. I don't want to be stuck in a hotel room waiting for the good will of an arrogant tyrant who has decided to make a puppet of me.My dad keeps calling, but I didn't pick up the phone once. I don't want to talk to him, I don't want to hear his excuses. The last time I spoke to Mom, she said he's in a lot of pain from this whole situation, but what about me? I am paying for a mistake that is not mine and they are not doing anything to help me.“I'm fine,” I lie and try to smile at my best friend.“I didn't understand anything when that guy picked you up at the party. I only let you go with him because he said the name and I remembered that you told me you were your fath