"All the money is gone! We're broke!""What do you mean broke?" The piggy bank was turned upside down and shaken, trying to get some money to fall."Shake that piggy bank! Maybe it has something more than trash!" Everyone was around, trying to get their hands on the porcelain piggy bank.Yukio took the piggy bank, now a frightened child hiding from everyone, carrying the piggy bank while Aya, Yuselso, Ankit, and the creditors chased him."It's mine, it's mine, it's mine..." He whimpered, squeezing the piggy bank in his hands.The piggy bank slips from his hands and falls to the floor, then winks and speaks:"I don't belong to you anymore."The piggy bank turns into Sotomayor, looks at him defiantly, hugs his lover, an unknown and faceless man..."No!" He sat on his bed, sweaty. "It's just another nightmare!... Again!...""Are you okay?" Sotomayor called from his door. "Can I come in?""I'm fine!" He replied, looking at his interlocutor, who appeared at his door dressed only in a white
The brown-haired man stood up and walked towards the door, descended again to the gallery room, and stopped in front of the large portrait. He looked at it with nostalgia."I forgot that Tori used to paint... This is the painting everyone talks about, the one you posed for her... Sotomayor, how could you pose naked for her!..." While observing the painting, he imagined that woman who was once his flirting with the Korean. He imagined Sotomayor appearing before his eyes wrapped in that white robe:"I want you to paint me wearing just this!" She takes off the white robe and lies naked on the couch."Just that?" The shameless Tori asks, preparing her charcoals to portray that woman."Just this..." She adjusted her body delicately. "I'm tired of paintings where I look like a doll; I want a real one... And as a paying customer, I expect to be satisfied." She handed the girl a few coins."Alright, put your hand on your face... Like that, very well... Relax your body and don't move..." She i
Three days later...The evening illuminated the apartment's large windows with an orange hue. Yukio and Sotomayor remained seated, each at one end of the sofa in front of the television."And in world news, a fierce battle unfolded today in the Gaza Strip near..."The sound of the doorbell made both of them look at each other. Yukio stood up, smiling, and went to open the door."Where do we install it?" asked the man in a blue overall."I don't know... Sotomayor, come here."The Korean approached the door and looked at Yukio and the blue-clad men carrying a huge package."What is that?" she pointed at the package with curiosity."It's a gift, for you from me," replied Yukio, stepping away from the door and returning to the television."Huh?..." The black-haired woman walked toward the package and opened it. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!""Why, don't you like it?" the brunette looked at her from the comfort of his seat. "I thought it would look fantastic in your room... It's a more intimate
This was the furthest he could have gone, yet he didn't regret it. He was convinced that the situation couldn't be worse. He observed the twenty-year-old young girl sleeping deeply beside him in the darkness of the immense room. Her arms surrounded him, so he moved carefully to avoid waking her.He got out of bed, his skin bathed in the moonlight, appeared radiant and beautiful. He glanced sideways at the angel with tousled hair who continued to rest, her body wrapped in the sheets.He closed his eyes, feeling somewhat disgusted and wondered, "How had he fallen so low?" But still, he didn't regret it. He walked silently toward the bathroom, and once there, he leaned against the door. The screen of his cellphone illuminated for a few seconds, and without haste, he checked the device."New message received.Total messages: 10Read Dismiss""Hello..." he whispered in response. "I don't know, I'm locked in the bathroom. She's still sleeping. I warn you, this is the hardest t
"I know how important Mr. Tanarro was in your life," she said, placing her hand on the shoulder of that woman dressed in a black leather jacket, trembling with disgust as she continued her performance. "Let me assure you that nothing is going to change, and the family's charities for the underprivileged youth will continue. We understand your pain; Tanarro has left a great void in our hearts."Everyone murmured in favor of the woman, thinking that perhaps this individual was an unprotected orphan saved by the family's donations. Her gesture of solidarity made the audience appreciate her virtues. Obviously, that was the effect she was hoping for to win their favor. She would have time later to find out who that person was and why she was there."Let go of me, crazy old woman!" replied the motorcyclist, taking off her helmet. "Understand my pain?! Who are you to understand my pain?" She walked confidently toward the casket where the deceased's body lay, took a look, and knelt down, cry
Four months ago...The Tanarro family fixed their gaze on the newly arrived girl, the same disheveled motorcyclist who showed up unceremoniously at Kai's funeral.She raised her hand to greet them informally; she could barely muster a "hello" that was quickly ignored by the attendees who turned their attention back to the lawyer. Aya Tanarro spoke up, interrupting the prolonged silence."Sir Hidalgo, could you explain to us what this person is doing here?" She furrowed her brow, demanding an answer from the lawyer whom she detested. "But respond, say something!""Well, Kai's last wish was for the entire family to be present..." He swallowed, unaccustomed to dealing with this harassing woman. He opened his briefcase and took out a folder, which he slowly opened, adjusted his glasses, and proceeded to read."My dear family, consumed by this incurable illness, I must inform you that I, Tanarro Kai, in full possession of my mental and physical faculties, of my own free will and responsibi
They looked at him puzzled. Yukio took off his glasses just to make sure with his own eyes that it was true. Yuselso took another cigarette, brought it to his lips, and lit it without any hurry. Mrs. Tanarro looked at him in awe, placed a hand on her chest, and sighed. It seemed that everything had ended favorably for the Tanarro's interests."Jina, I know this news hasn't been easy for you, especially considering that you have traveled hundreds of kilometers to come here and discover this truth. However, you cannot renounce what has been inherited," the lawyer smiled at her, trying to reassure her, and continued reading the additional clause imposed by Kai."I know very well that it has always been the desire of my ancestors that a person from the Tanarro lineage inherit the fortune that we have amassed for centuries. However, if Jina Sotomayor voluntarily decides not to accept the inheritance, it should be fully distributed to charitable institutions."Mrs. Tanarro immediately under
Four months later... He was driving his car at high speed, wondering why he had done all that; he didn't need it. He had his own businesses, his own assets earned with his own efforts, but he knew that didn't compare to the fortune his cousin had left in the hands of that girl. He smiled as he pressed his foot on the accelerator. He took the main road, not wanting to go back home. He didn't want to see Tori, didn't want to look her in the face, especially after sharing intimacy with another girl... No, he was sure she would forgive him for everything except that. Just remembering what had just happened made his skin crawl. He needed a shower, maybe a couple of drinks, or possibly to get into another woman's bed, something to rid himself of the strange sensation on his skin when he recalled the girl's caresses and kisses. He stopped in front of the entrance gate of a luxurious building. He searched his pocket for his cell phone. His cold and calculating face twisted in anger. The id