Doubts torment me and sleep eludes me. I get out of bed and walk downstairs to the kitchen in a daze. Without thinking, I put the glass of water somewhere, and the sound of breaking glass echoes through the house. Worried, I mentally pray that my mother hasn't heard, but life doesn't always grant our wishes. She appears behind me, scolding, as all mothers do.
In silence, we clean up the mess I've made together. In an unexpected gesture, my mother hugs me without saying a word. It's a tight but comforting hug that makes me feel less alone at this moment of imminent farewell. We talk about my departure, and Mrs. Candida advises me with the wisdom that only mothers have. Finally, she holds my hand and blesses me, which makes me feel emotional and grateful. I promise to always keep in touch, and she hugs me again, as if she doesn't want to let me go. Tears run down my cheeks as I say goodbye to my home and my family, certain that nostalgia will be my steadfast companion.I continue getting used to the idea of leaving everything behind and starting a new life in a foreign country. I feel scared, but at the same time, excited about the possibility of exploring new places, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures. Amidst these thoughts, my phone rings—it's past 1 PM—an unexpected work call. I bid my mother farewell and head out; as soon as I arrive, I'm surprised by a farewell party organized by my coworkers.
The common room is adorned with colorful balloons and flowers, and there's a table filled with delicious food. Everyone smiles at me, welcoming me with kind words and affectionate hugs. I can't help but feel an indescribable emotion, seeing how much they care about me. Tears well up in my eyes as my colleagues hand me cards and thoughtful mementos. They wish me luck on my new journey and promise to keep in touch whenever possible.
I head home with a joyful heart, a smile not leaving my face. The sun paints orange rays through the clouds, announcing the mild evening. These four hours have been unforgettable, filled with love and joy. I was surrounded by people who love me and support my decision to go abroad. Now I know that, although I'm leaving behind many important things in my life, I will always have a true family and group of friends who will accompany me wherever I go.
I feel my phone ring, bringing me out of my daydreams, I look at the screen and my smile disappears, Nilza is calling me.
Nilza approaches with hesitant steps, her shoulders slumped, revealing the weight of a secret kept too long. Her tired eyes meet mine, and I feel a mixture of sadness and curiosity. Why has she finally decided to talk?
I invite her to sit down, and we order our drinks and sandwiches, while an awkward silence fills the space between us. I try not to be rude, but her presence makes me tense.
Finally, Nilza breaks the silence. Her voice is low and shaky, and I have to lean in to hear her words. She begins to tell me about her story with Bráulio, the fiancé I loved and trusted so much.
The truth is shocking, and I feel my heart squeeze as she reveals the betrayal and the intimate video he used to threaten her. Now it's easier for me to understand why she left me in the dark, thinking I was marrying a good man.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea about all of this. So, that's why you've always been hostile towards him?" She nods and wipes her face.
"I'm sorry, too, for not telling you earlier. And I'm sorry for the photos," I looked at her with a furrowed brow.
"Photos?
"It was me who sent the photos, from a private number, it was the only way I found. I couldn't bear to see you marrying that jerk without doing anything."
We stay silent, staring at each other for seconds. Finally, I sigh and say, "It's okay, in a few days, none of this will matter anymore."
***
As I walk towards the boarding gate, I feel a tightness in my chest and a lump in my throat. I look back and see my family, small and distant, waving and smiling. It's hard to leave them behind, but I know this is an important journey for me.
The voice over the loudspeaker interrupts my thoughts and draws my attention to my flight. I feel butterflies in my stomach and clutch the butterfly pendant that Dad gave me, feeling the weight of the gold in my hands. It's like a part of them is with me, even though they're so far away.
Upon entering the airplane, I'm greeted with a warm smile from the flight attendant, who points me to my seat. I make my way down the aisle, looking for my seat number. When I finally find it, I see a man sitting in my seat. I double-check my ticket to confirm the seat number.
"Sorry, sir, you're sitting in my seat," I state with a neutral expression on my face.
The man gazes at me for a few seconds with a gentle smile. His attractive, deep eyes sweep over my entire body, sending shivers down my spine.
"I apologize, I think I made a mistake. I was lost in my thoughts and sat here without realizing. If you want your seat back, I can move to another one. I don't want to cause any trouble."
He doesn't take his gaze off mine, his intense and mesmerizing green eyes, his well-groomed brown hair slicked back.
"Don't worry, it's no trouble at all. I can sit here. It seems like you need this seat more than I do," I smile shyly and take my seat. He smiles back.
"Thank you. By the way, I'm Tobias Bernstorff."
"Nihara Vitti. Nice to meet you."
"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats and fasten your seat belts. We'll be taking off in five minutes. Thank you."
The plane begins to move down the runway, and I start to feel my stomach squirm with nervousness. I look out of the window, watching the landscape move quickly and feeling the speed increase. I hold my pendant and lean my head on the seat, breathing slowly and deeply.
As the plane starts to take off, I feel my heart beating faster, I stifle a scream with my hand, while I dig the nails of my other hand into something firm and smooth. I look at the other passengers, seeing that most of them look calm and serene, as if it's no big deal. I turn to look at the man next to me, who is holding my hand, reassuring me.
A few minutes later, but calm, I can't look at him for shame, I release my hand from his and hide my face with my hands resting on my legs. He remains silent, with an air of doubt or confusion, I can't tell for sure.
"Oh, my God, please, I'm so sorry," I exclaim, grabbing his hand and placing it on my lap, concerned about the small nail scratch on his extremely fair skin. "I didn't mean to… look at what I've done."
"It's alright, no need to worry…" Is this your first time flying? Or is this something that happens whenever you travel?"
"Definitely the first option. In my defense, I didn't know I'd be this scared," I reply as I rummage through my bag for adhesive and antiseptic, I always carry stuff like this.
"Sometimes we don't know how we'll react to a situation until we face it."
"Please, give me your hand," I ask almost as a command. "I hope this won't cause you any trouble." I clean the wound and then put on the adhesive.
The man makes a few faces when I apply the antiseptic, then he breaks into a faint smile when he sees the colorful butterfly sticker that covers the scratch.
"Sorry, I only have these."
"No, it's fine. My little girl will love this when she sees it."
I widen my eyes in confusion, trying to imagine the logic behind a woman loving a scratch on her boyfriend's or husband's hand that she didn't cause. What kind of woman wouldn't be bothered by seeing a scratch on her man's hand? I don't even realize that my question sounds loud enough for him to hear.
"I believe any woman would be suspicious of that, but since I don't have one, I don't need to worry. I was referring to my daughter," he responds with a certain sparkle in his eyes.
Continuation.His comment reminds me of how and why I got to this point, and the promise I made. Once again, I apologize, move away, and return my attention to the book. He seems like he's about to say something, but hesitates, straightens his posture that was previously leaning towards me, and continues watching the movie. In the front row, there's a lady with a baby who seems to be about six months old, and in front of them, a man with an angelic-faced little girl who appears to be around four years old. I believe he's the husband and the girl's father, judging by the way they're looking at the baby. For some reason unknown to the parents, the baby is crying uncontrollably, and they can't seem to calm him down.The woman is desperate, not knowing what to do, and the father tries to calm the little girl who is getting anxious due to her brother. Other passengers are whispering things that I can't hear properly, but I can imagine what it is. I feel sorry for the mother who is not
Tobias Bernstorff I hear the pilot's deep and melodious voice announcing the landing at Berlin airport, and my senses sharpen. I widen my eyes, searching for the woman who sat beside me the entire flight. I glance around, but I don't see anything until I get up and spot a colorful notebook with a butterfly on the cover, presumably a diary. Carefully, I pick it up in my hands, and that's when I see Nihara near the exit of the plane. I try to get her attention, but I'm stopped by the flight attendant, who instructs us to follow the disembarkation order. "Nihara, please," I shout, but her gaze is brief as she continues down without being able to turn back. I wait patiently, and when I finally leave the plane, I scan the airport with my eyes, looking for her in every face. But she seems to have vanished into thin air, leaving me with the anguish of not knowing what to do now. "Tob, what's wrong? Are you okay? What are you looking for?" Harry asks, appearing behind me in confus
[...]Steering away from these thoughts, when my ears catch my father's velvety voice. "Son, you're not an impostor, don't ever say that again. What happened wasn't your fault, and you're doing a great job fulfilling the promise you made to your brother. He would be very proud of you." "Yeah, bro, Dad's right. Stop dwelling on it," Herman approaches, followed closely by Astrid. Before we know it, we're all intertwined in a warm and lingering embrace. "Alright, let Tobias go up to his room and rest. He's tired from the journey. My son, take a good shower, rests. It's one o'clock now, get some sleep. The event will start at six in the evening."Mom, I received Sophie, who fusses until she reluctantly agrees to go to her lap, or rather, she was coerced. I felt bad about it, but I'm really exhausted and need a few hours of sleep. ***I wake up two hours before the event, peek through the window and see a glittering garden with lights pointing the way to t
Nihara VittiI wake up half an hour before the pilot announces the landing. Tobias is still sleeping so peacefully, as are a few other passengers. The Lancaster family is also awake, except for little Olivia, who is still sleeping serenely in her seat."Hi, Ollie, did you sleep well?" I greet the boy, who is in his mother's lap, facing me. "Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster, how are you?""We're doing great, and you?" They respond with a broad smile."So, ready to land in the beautiful city of Berlin?" the husband asks."I can hardly wait; it's the first country I'm visiting, and I hope to be warmly welcomed.""And you will be, dear. Berliners may seem cold and distant, but after a few days of getting to know them, you'll discover some incredible people," Mrs. Adele speaks with a warm smile on her face."Thank you, I'm sure you're a sign that I'll do well here."Finally, the pilot announces our arrival over the intercom, and the landing procedure begins. As we land and are allowed to remove our s
Nihara Vitti It's now fifteen-thirty, and Léah is getting ready for the big event. Although attending it would be a good opportunity to meet new people, I'm very tired from the trip and still haven't been able to get any sleep. I want to take advantage of the fact that she'll be out to do just that. "What do you think, a tight dress or a loose one?" she asks, holding up two dresses on hangers. "Hmm, let me see. It's a gala event, right?" "Yes, it is." "Then I think the tight dress suits it better. But let's look for another one, a black one, the color of elegance. I believe you won't be the only one in this color, so the dress has to make you stand out right away," I explain as I search for the ideal dress. "Wait, I have the perfect dress; I brought it to wear on an occasion like this..." "So you shouldn't have given it to me..." she starts to say, but I give her a disapproving look that makes her stop mid-sentence. "Alright, put it on now," I order. It's not long before she ap
TOBIAS BERNSTORFF I appreciate a good glass of wine while I indulge in a long, relaxing soak in the whirlpool bath. It has become a habit that does wonders for me after a trip. I step out of the bathroom and spot a tuxedo laid out on the bed, most likely prepared by my mother. I dress myself and stand in front of the mirror, carefully combing my hair back. A quartz watch adorns my wrist, and I grab the tuxedo jacket before heading toward the door. However, I pause when I hear the phone ring. I had left it forgotten on the bed. Before answering, I check the caller ID, but it displays an unknown number. "Hello, this is Tobias," I answer as I leave the room. "Uh... hello, it's Tobias." The person on the other end is hesitant, and I can feel their difficulty in talking to me, but I don't understand why. "I'm sorry, but I can't recognize the voice. Can you tell me your name, please?" I ask after the person finally answers. I stop halfway down the stairs, stunned, when I hear the wo
TOBIAS BERNSTORFFWe enter the hall just in time to see my father rise as his name is announced to make the opening speech. He steps up to the podium, and before he begins, he nods in greeting to someone. My mother then stands and joins him.Miss Vitte arrives late, but her tardiness is well justified. She looks stunning in a tight black dress that hugs her curves until the hips, with a slit on the left side, long sleeves, and a V-neck neckline. What elegance."H, you're soaking the entire tablecloth with your drool, how disgusting," I tease.My best friend has his eyes fixed on her, and they sparkle like a child who's just received a new toy."Hahaha, my jaws hurt from laughing so much," he complains. "She went from cute to elegantly sexy.""Yeah, now I'm really curious to meet her sister," I say without hiding my interest.Miss Vitte approaches our table, her gaze still drawn to her sister."Mr. Bernstorff, I apologize for the delay, but I had to pick up my sister from the airport,"
Nihara VittiYou wake up in a new house, in a new room, surrounded by new decor, a new vibe, and a new life that is starting here. You get up, still stretching, and walk over to the glass window. Likewise, you open the thick gray curtains, and the morning is gray on the tenth of August. Furthermore, you check the small bedside clock, and it reads five-fifteen in the morning. You smile with surprise as you notice that Leah has organized your intimate belongings in the appropriate places. How considerate.You double-check the time and realize that you still have plenty of time before you need to leave. You haven't discussed how schedules work at the company, whether they provide lunch or if you need to bring your own. So, to be safe, you decide to prepare something to take with you. You walk down the hallway, which is illuminated by two white colonial-style pendant lights, contrasting with the gray-toned walls adorned with various photos and paintings. The final touch is the modern yet