Max paced back and forth while waiting to board the plane. Four friends watched him, starting to get nervous.
"What are you going to do?" Alex asked, absentmindedly biting his thumbnail while keeping his eyes on Max, who continued walking.
"I don't know. Coming to Hawaii to pretend I know nothing, I think it was a mistake. I should be there and confront them," Gus replied, shaking his head.
"Don't tell me coming and getting out of the hell you were in was a mistake. We're your friends, and at least you had some fun, right?" Max stopped walking and smiled weakly, looking at his four friends: Gustavo and Alejandro, both Americans, Viktor and Sasha, Germans who came to work with him from Berlin.
"Of course, he's had fun shamelessly!" They all burst into laughter, seeing their friend blush and give himself away.
"Shut up, you jerk," they laughed even louder in that private boarding lounge.
"I want to know," said the tall, well-built, elegant man, crossing one leg over his knee and leaning back in his chair. "Has it been so intense that you got lost in those thighs all night and part of the morning?" Max wasn't one to share his personal affairs, and the worst part was that they knew it. His only girlfriend, who had become his fiancée, was currently in New York and part of his father's legal team.
"I've never done this. You know that," they all nodded slowly, wiping the mockery off their faces.
"But it's been done to you, hasn't it? And we don't know for how long. That vile bastard did it to you, and we all hope he gets his karma. And, of course, that you help him," they all remembered that Horacio, another friend of the group who still didn't know he was an ex-friend, was sleeping with Max's fiancée right under his nose. Max had been disappointed by their betrayal. They thought they were covering up their affair perfectly, but Max had discovered them and had gone along with the wedding plans as if nothing had happened, just to teach them a lesson they would never forget. Max despised infidelity; his mother had done it to his father, and he had always believed that being unfaithful was not something a man should do. He believed that when you love someone, it can cause a lot of pain, and even though he loved his fiancée, he would never forgive her for anything in the world.
"Let it out," Alejandro said curiously, along with the others.
"I'll just say this: a true lioness," Max replied, impressing everyone with his response. They then started clapping excitedly and amusedly, but their moment was cut short by the voice over the loudspeaker announcing that it was time to board. "Now, let's head to New York," Max announced, grabbing his briefcase.
***The flight hours to the city of New York went by quickly. Max had constantly replayed the images from the previous night and this morning in his mind, but they would fade away when he remembered that she was married, and it was her honeymoon. “Relax, it was just casual sex,” he felt annoyed and disappointed in himself. He had been the man used for infidelity. Well, maybe the husband was aware of it, but then he shook his head. He had to focus on the merger scheduled for Monday morning and still had to prepare for the meeting alongside his father. This merger was important for the family, but even more so for his father, as he would finally retire from business and end on a high note. Max would become the main figure in everything his father left behind. Though it was a lot of pressure and responsibility, he would take it on. But without a wife by his side as planned. And he didn't know it.
During the journey from the airport to the hotel where his father was temporarily staying, he pondered his next steps to achieve what he had set out to do. A bellhop carried his suitcase, and they headed towards the elevator. Before entering, he turned to his four friends.
"In the bar at nine?" They all nodded, tired from the journey and the late nights they had during their week in Hawaii. Max entered the elevator, and as the doors closed in front of him, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Let this end quickly," he silently pleaded with himself. Upon reaching the suite, he dropped off his things and then went to find his father. It was past two in the afternoon, so he assumed his father would be at lunch. He sent a message to his father's assistant to find out his whereabouts. "Restaurant," came the response. Max smiled, realizing that some habits die hard. He made his way to the restaurant and found his father at a private table with the best view of the city.
"Finally, you're here, son," his father showed excitement upon seeing him. He greeted him and sat down in the chair across from him at the table. "How was the bachelor party?" his father asked, quite curious, taking a bite of his steak. Max signaled the waiter, ordered the same thing as his father, and then watched him eat, waiting for his turn to respond.
"It was good, fun," Max said, avoiding eye contact as he looked out at the landscape. He then let out a long sigh.
"That's an unusual sigh coming from you. What's on your mind?" Max wanted to tell him that there wouldn't be a wedding, but it would have to wait for another time. He returned his gaze to his father.
"Nothing is bothering me, it's just that I'm tired and jet-lagged from the trip. But enough about me," he paused. "Are you ready for the new merger?"
His father finished eating and took a sip of his wine, then wiped his lips with the cloth napkin.
"I'm finally at ease. I'll close this final deal, and everything will be in your hands. I hope you follow in my footsteps while I can still be of service to you."
"Don't start with the topic of death and all that. You're healthy, your latest tests came back stable, we just need to cut
down on the meat," Max's father snorted.
"Never. I love meat," he smiled at his response.
"Well, suit yourself," his father smiled back.
"My other guest has arrived," Max's father said, looking beyond him. Max turned his head over his shoulder to see who he was referring to, and there she was, elegantly walking towards their table: Irina, his current and unfaithful fiancée.
Sunday afternoon rolled around, and Emma was busy packing her clothes into her suitcase, making all the necessary preparations to depart for the airport in just an hour. Her destination: New York. Although she still had one more week remaining in the current location, she felt that it was sufficient. She had achieved a beautiful tan and enjoyed ample rest, and now she was eager to return and move forward with her life. The thought of selling her apartment and using her savings to purchase a fresh new one had crossed her mind. Likewise, she contemplated selling her car and acquiring a different one, longing for everything to be new and untouched by Jamie… or her secret lover.****The following hours felt eternal for her. She thought about all the work that awaited her on Monday, and just thinking about it relaxed her. Emma was addicted to work; focusing her mind on something productive and rewarding was something many wouldn't understand. As she glanced out the window, she saw the dist
Days later...Emma finally completed the purchase of her new apartment. She had used her savings to furnish it to her liking, since everything she had in her old apartment was sold along with it. She looked out of the window in her new living room, and the view was breathtaking. She crossed her arms and admired the Statue of Liberty in the distance as the incoming light bathed the entire space."Finally, a fresh start," she said after adjusting the photo frame next to the state-of-the-art, built-in television. The photo captured her graduation from university, standing alone with a serious expression she often wore in pictures. She smiled and then sighed. Her phone rang in the nearby bedroom. When she picked it up, she saw an unknown number on the screen. She squinted, thinking it could be Jamie, as she had blocked all unknown numbers, but this was a new one. "Do I have to change my number?" The unknown number persisted, so she answered, "Hello?""Can you stop blocking me? I've been t
Emma looked at her mother lying in bed, her smile, and the sparkle in her eyes reminded her of the past, everything she had done to avoid her at all costs, but apparently, it was all in vain. She was here. Seeking money. And perhaps something more."How are you feeling?" Emma asked, approaching the foot of the bed. Her daughter's cold reception only made her mother smile even more."I'm fine. This hospital is a dump, but I'm fine. Why did it take you so long to come for me?" her mother asked. Emma tensed up and shook her head slowly."Come for you? First of all, what do you want? We can settle it right now. There's no need for you to come with me. Tell me, and we can go our separate ways.""Well, I just want a few thousand dollars to get by in the city for a while. And don't come up with small amounts. I know you earn quite well," her mother replied. "Because I work," Emma retorted. "That's why I am where I am, why I strive not to go hungry or suffer from all those shortcomings. Have
Emma looked at herself in the new mirror she had acquired at a prestigious furniture and decor store. She noticed how little tanned she was and scolded herself for not enjoying the sun at the beach a bit more. Then she closed her eyes and smiled weakly, remembering that tall, muscular body with a German accent, full lips that had kissed every corner of her body. She let out a long, heavy sigh. "Who would have imagined that Emma Spencer would do something so crazy in her life?" She admitted to herself that she had never had so many orgasms in her sexual life as she had with Jamie during those few hours they were together. When she opened her eyes, she cleared her throat and touched her cheeks, which had turned a deep pink color, recalling how good that night with the German had been. It was impossible to have something like that again in her life. After that, she would never enter into a relationship for anything in the world. The experience with Jamie had left her with no desire to ha
In front of a beautiful house, within the most luxurious grounds, Max sat in his car with his fiancée, Irina. She kept talking about wedding matters, while his fingers impatiently tapped on his leg. He tried to show interest, but she was quickly wearing out whatever patience he had left."Shameless cheater," he thought to himself."I don't want to ruin the moment, dear, but I need to leave," he said. Irina raised an eyebrow and gave him an irritating look. She crossed her arms, accentuating her daring cleavage."We need to finalize the details of our wedding, darling," Irina responded. Max discreetly took a deep breath and sighed through his teeth. Then he put on a big fake smile."I know, but remember that with the merger of the companies, I'll have more work. Right now, I'm losing money discussing a topic where, in the end, it's always going to be what YOU want, not me. You know why?""Because I'm the best, and because I love you," Irina replied with a triumphant smile. Max had been
"...And you're the only one missing..." her boss's words echoed in her head. How could she escape? How was it possible that the German man was an employee in the same company? Was this some kind of revenge from her past life? Karma, perhaps? "Impossible." She hadn't done anything wrong to deserve the universe collecting a debt from her."I'll be there in a moment. I don't feel well," Emma said honestly. Her stomach had tightened from what she had seen."Really? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Emma shook her head as if she had come face to face with something."It's just that I must have eaten something that didn't agree with me. I just feel a bit nauseous.""But you haven't had lunch, so what would you vomit, dear? Are you sure...?" Her boss paused her words."What?" Emma asked, alarmed."Are you pregnant?" her boss asked. Emma widened her eyes and quickly denied it."No, no, no, no. Of course not. Impossible." Emma had always been careful. Always. It was impossible for h
Max was left alone in the apartment, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. He had managed to make Irina leave, at least for now, but the situation was far from resolved. Their relationship was crumbling, and Max knew that it was time to face the truth.He walked through the empty rooms, each one a reminder of their shattered dreams. The apartment that was meant to be their temporary getaway now symbolized the disintegration of their future together. Max couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for the life they had once imagined—a home with a garden, a grill area, a pool, a spacious kitchen, an entertainment room, and a view of a lake, with plenty of rooms for their future children. A place where family could thrive.It was one of their dreams as a married couple, although Irina had always preferred a penthouse in a famous and expensive building with a view of the Statue of Liberty. Max had been confident that he could convince her to embrace a quieter life outside the bustling cit
Emma closed the door behind her and then leaned back, slowly sliding down until she was seated on the dark hardwood floor. She lifted her legs against her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She replayed the encounter with the German man over and over again, losing count of how many times she had done so at that moment. She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. How could she work with someone she had a sexual affair with in Hawaii? And to top it off, he was her boss's boss.“I already have enough with my mother's situation, Jamie, and now this,” she muttered under her breath. She got up and walked to her bedroom, grabbing her towel and a change of clothes before heading to the bathroom. After a long shower, she stepped out to rest. She still had time to read for a while. With the towel wrapped around her hair, she began applying her nighttime creams until the doorbell of her apartment rang.Her eyes widened, alarmed. No one knew her new address