Chapter 24
[Carmen Stevens’ Vision]
“What are you thinking about?” my husband asks.
“Was it really a good idea to put her there?” I scrutinize, but the question is more for me than for him.
“Let’s let time tell, darling,” you hold my hand, to this day, whenever I feel your contact, warm, I feel like the happiest person in the world, the best man in the world is mine.
It was my idea to put her in the company, I wanted Juliana to see her conquering things, overcoming the abandonment she suffered, however, after a year and a half of being a model employee, she started going out with practically all the men in the company, even going out with partners. I never questioned why she started acting this way because it is her life, however, Iuri left asking us to take care of her because he loved her, and now? After seven years, he has not found any other woman, is he still in love with her?
During the four years that she lived with my family, I almost turned my hair white, and almost had a heart attack when Leandro contacted her that she was in the hospital, she had been gone all day, but to find out that she was trying to commit suicide, that really moved me too much, I had never witnessed anything like it. Two months later, she told me that on this day she had met her mother, who told her many things and she blamed herself for everything bad that was happening and that she thought that everyone would be better off if she no longer existed. I wanted to hit Juliana hard, but I controlled myself and just hugged her.
Observing the huge buildings makes me think: What will the air be like in the countryside?
“Honey, how about spending our vacation on a farm? I want to change the air, get to know a little of what the countryside is like.”
“Then let’s go, my love,” he kisses me.Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.
No matter how many years go by, I will always be in love with my husband. The memories of what we lived will always be alive in my memory, love is the most beautiful feeling in the world. I want my son to live a love like this, without suffering, without regrets, where one strengthens the other. I want that for my son, and as much as I like Aya, I cannot feel that she is the ideal woman for my son.
“Love?” I call him.
“Yes?”
“Why did Aya go and ask to buy the orphanage?” It was only now that I realized what she had asked, she was even crying while talking about the children.
“I don’t know the details, but Leandro said that there is a girl there that she really wants to adopt, but she can’t because she is single.”
“And if you buy it, will she be able to adopt it?”
“No, but the owner of the park bought the place and the children will be moved to another place. That orphanage was abandoned by the government and the former director embezzled the money and perverted the children, a very sad thing.”
“How absurd!” How is someone capable of mistreating children?
“Yes, the new director is Leandro’s wife, a pity that she stayed there for only two and a half years.”
“Yes…”
Is that why she goes out with different men, in search of someone who could be the father of this child? Forgive me Aya, I even believed the rumors that spoke ill of you.
How many times do I have to be hit in the face before I learn? This is the second time I judge you without knowing the facts, I need to improve this defect in me.
[ Juliana Millenis’ View]
Do I regret what I did?
Yes, as soon as I set foot out of that salon seven years ago, I regretted it, however, my pride always spoke louder. I know that I have always demanded too much of Aya, Cristine although she was hardworking, intelligent, educated, and never embarrassed her family, she never let me mold her, she was always independent. Since I couldn’t make her be like me, I was left with Aya, I wanted to turn her into a version of me, however, she never let me, always being rebellious and only caring about anime drugs, the only thing I could make her do was to get good grades at school.
When I heard that Iuri was in love with her, a euphoria settled inside me. My daughter had managed to get the heart of the heir of one of the biggest companies in the world, she was done in life, however, once again she did everything the wrong way, she didn’t listen to me, she got involved with the wrong people and today her name is on everyone’s lips. Only disappointment.
I am married to a good man, who has a great job, he started at the bottom, as a simple janitor in that company, first class, my focus was on the heir, however, he fell in love with my friend Carmen, even though I was frustrated I was happy for them, I am not jealous. I met my husband at a company party, I drank a lot, he was still a cleaner and I did what I shouldn’t have done, I went to bed with a nobody, but in a way I was lucky, he was about to finish his studies and then started to rise in position, I had to marry him and learn to love him with time. It was not difficult, he was always kind to me and we are both perfectionists so we are totally compatible.
Do I miss my youngest daughter?
I miss her a lot. Like it or not, she is my daughter.
Cristine left two days after it happened, she didn’t accept what I did and I don’t blame her. Aya’s room is still the same, I didn’t change anything. When the longing was about to leak through my eyes I would go to her room and turn on the TV, watching over and over again the anime that she left there as the latest one.
I kept wondering how she was doing now, but my upbringing and my pride kept me from looking for her, when I told my parents what happened, they said I did the right thing. She chose the wrong path, now she would have to face the consequences. That my parents supported what I did, only gave me more reason to throw her into oblivion, even though I never forgot her.
Two years later, I met her coming from college in New York, an anger rose in my head and I couldn’t even think, my legs moved by themselves and I ended up going to her, I said horrible things, things that I didn’t really mean, but I said them and now I can’t go back, no matter how much I want to hug her, she is not my little girl anymore.
I need to keep my heart cold, seeing her kneeling and crying like that, in that humiliation, hurt me, I never wanted to see her in that miserable way, but in a way, it felt good to see her like that, she is now feeling in her skin the pain of not having listened to me. She insisted on going out with that boy and lost someone who would give her everything, without even needing her to ask.
Sighing, I look at my husband reading the papers on his desk, I know that he also feels sad and misses her, between the two of us, he was always the one who went in her favor, but just like me, faith in traditions made us close our hearts and turn our backs on her.
Whatever, I won’t dwell on it, she chose the path she wanted, she planted it, and now let her reap it!
[Iuri Stevens’ vision]
I look at the clock on the wall and it is already six in the evening, the last employee left an hour ago. I stayed because I wanted to advance as much as possible in the updates about the company. I need to find a secretary, I had to schedule a meeting with Lucas Philip myself, exhausting.
Loosening my tie I leave my room and walk to the elevator, the car that came to the company with my parents is now mine, sigh tired, I arrived and have not even bought an apartment for me, if I had a secretary this would already be done.
I get in the car and drive off, arriving at the restaurant half an hour before the agreed time.
“Good evening, do you have a reservation?”
“Yes, Iuri Stevens, I made a reservation for nineteen o’clock.”
“This way sir,” she walks in front of me and leads me to my table, “I hope you have a great experience here.”
“Thank you,” I sit down and she leaves.
I take my cell phone and start searching for apartments, I don’t want anything too big, I find a perfect one, and it’s not too far from the company, I take my cell phone from my jacket pocket and dial the owner’s number.
“Hello, who am I speaking to?” a male voice speaks on the other end of the line.
“Iuri Stevens, I want to buy the apartment immediately,” I say immediately.
“It’s two hundred thousand, if you give me that money now, in half an hour I’ll…”
“Tell me your account, I will transfer you two hundred and fifty thousand, I want you to get the master bedroom and the kitchen ready, you have half an hour for that, do you think you will manage?”
“Sure, I will text you.”
“Okay,” I turn off my cell phone.
At least I already have a place to live, I put the cell phone away and Lucas appears, smiling.
“Hello, young businessman,” he says, sitting down.
“Hello, Mr. Philip.”
“Why did you want to meet with me?”
“It’s about the orphanage site you bought.”
“Oh, I see, you want me to hire you to demolish and build my park, don’t you? But I am sorry to tell you, I have already hired another company and…”
“No, I see the confusion on his face, this old man does not look like a bad person, I want to buy it.”
“Why?” he asks looking at me without understanding the reason. “That place was abandoned by society! And I paid a huge amount of money there.”
“I will pay you double, I want it to continue to house children.”
“And you will pay me a million?”
“Right now, just tell me the account to transfer.”
“Stubborn boy, I foresee much success on your path,” he says with a smile.
“I predict that too, and I predict a fat bank account in a matter of seconds.”
He smiles, good point; it was even easier than I imagined.
“Here is my bill,” he hands me a piece of paper.
“Perfect, tomorrow when I sign the paper that transfers the place to my name I will send you the money.”
“Done.”
“What would you like to order?”The waiter arrives.
“I’ll have the special,” I answer, not even looking at the menu.
“And for you, sir?”
“Nothing dear, I’m leaving,” he gets up and extends his hand, I shake it. “See you tomorrow at seven thirty, Mr. Stevens.”
“See you,” and he leaves. Five minutes later my meal arrives.