La Fuerza del Destino

Por Mônica de Castro y Por el Espíritu Leonel

Jaqueline es una chica de 19 años. Llena de vida y sueños, piensa en un futuro mejor para ella y su hermano Mauricio, diez años menor. Son los hijos de Rosemary, técnica de enfermería de un hospital público de Vila Velha, Espirito Santo. El padre de Jaqueline murió hace unos años y su madre se casó con Di

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: World Spiritist Institute
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 1 ago 2023
• ISBN: 9781088250877

Vista previa del libro

PROLOGUE

It was all so dark! Dark as dawn when it’s not possible to see the stars. Where would they be? Could it be that she had gone through the night of her life without even realizing that there would be no more sunrises?

Somewhere in the distance, she heard someone crying. At first, a feminine cry, gentle, almost childlike. Then a deep, heartbroken and frightened voice joined the first one. She didn't understand what was going on.

After all, what kind of crying was that?

Doubts filled her mind when she saw a body lying on the bed. Rosemary looked at it in disbelief, thinking that an extremely bad joke was played on her. Someone had placed a mannequin just like her on her bed! And it had also been in charge of making it up as a deceased person on the eve of the funeral, before being treated at the funeral home. Honestly, such absurdity must be punished.

The absurdity, however, took shape. As the morning progressed, the unusual scene seemed to become clear, revealing a room, a man, a girl and... a body. But whose body? As in an unusual dream, Rosemary approached, realizing, to her horror, that the poorly finished mannequin wasn’t exactly a replica, but her own body lying, pale, on the wrinkled sheet.

Gradually, consciousness was returning. Seemingly, pointless images went through her mind. Untraveled places, unlived times, and unknown figures. It was all mixed up in a chaotic whirlwind of singular events in which she was always the main character. Blood, death, tears, hatred... These were the worst elements used to prepare for revenge.

What about forgiveness? Lost somewhere in her thoughts, Rosemary had the fragile memory that she would live to be forgiven. But everything had gone wrong. The promises of the spirit were lost in the illusions of the flesh, setting aside the commitments made to the conscience itself. The world could be an illusion, but in her eyes, it was much more than a fleeting dream: it was the certainty of pleasure, vitality, and passions. Wasn’t that what she always dreamed of?

A pang of remorse made her heart beat. It was too small to cause pain, but strong enough to be a bit uncomfortable. Now what? Was everything lost? She knew, deep down, that she had missed a unique chance to reconcile herself with life and with God. But God wasn’t ruthless, He would know how to forgive her; and life... Life was much more than the misfortune of that moment.

Although, she cried. Life was more than she saw, but less than she still had, because she had nothing else. All her life, or what remained of it, was there, welcomed by the insensitivity of the bed which, one day, had been flooded with heat. Just a cold, inert, and deadly body.

It wasn't fair. Or perhaps it was, to the countless injustices she had committed against whom she should love and protect the most. Now, looking at the world from a different perspective, she realized that she would never be able to keep her word unless an outside force made her do so. Yes, that’s all. There was no use in swearing, committing, and planning. On the way back, everything is different. In a future life, the way was to build a more difficult bond to break and return what she took.

It was at that moment that the idea began to take shape. At first, it gave her a shiver of terror, just to imagine the monstrosity that would result from that aberrant sketch. But on second thought, maybe it was the only solution. Anyway, that was a project for the future, if they had a future. At the moment, her heart was still dominated by the black stain of hatred, and revenge insisted on portraying itself as the salvation of her pride.

It was in astonishment that she noticed the luminosity that invaded the environment. It wasn't a strong light, one that blinds without even looking. On the contrary, it was a small pale, weak light, almost without power. When Rosemary saw the faint lightning coming towards her, she hesitated. Inside, a familiar silhouette greeted her, inviting her on a journey through the stars. The idea of mingling with the stars seemed very poetic and passionate. However, there was an obstacle. She didn't want to mingle with the stars. She'd rather see them from below, like she'd been doing so far.

With this thought, she turned her back on the saving light and told herself that it wasn’t yet time to leave.

CHAPTER 1

It really looked like this wouldn't be a normal day for Jaqueline. Since her 13th birthday, not a single day had come within the usual range of what people expect. Jaqueline had a home, a mother, a brother and a stepfather. But that was before her mother died.

It all happened so fast. Jaqueline had woken up that morning thinking about how she would survive another day inside the house she hadn't called home in a long time. Mauricio and she had no choice. They felt abandoned, lost, and betrayed by the one who should love them the most in the world. Still, they swallowed their frustrations and survived.

As soon as she opened her eyes, Jaqueline realized something was wrong. The familiar aroma of coffee didn’t fill the air, as usual at that hour. Her stepfather, Dimas, slept late, leaving Rosemary alone with her tears until the children showed up for breakfast. But not that day. The house was silent, quiet, and cold. A shiver of terror went through Jaqueline's skin as she approached to her mother's bedroom door. She paid attention, trying to get a sound from inside; however, she heard nothing but Dimas's loud snoring.

Feeling not sure about what she should do, she knocked and called in a soft voice:

Mom..., as no one answered, she insisted: Mom... Is everything okay? Mom? Are you there? Dimas’ snoring stopped, and she realized that he had woken up. Jaqueline heard a guttural whisper; silence, new whisper; silence and finally a crash, like a chair crashing to the ground, and the door was opened abruptly.

She doesn’t wake up, Dimas stuttered, still smelling of yesterday's drink. I don't know what happened to her. She looks... dead.

He said it with fear and certain coldness, as someone who is amazed at his own indifference. Jaqueline stopped paying attention to him. She pushed him aside and ran in, kneeling next to Rosemary.

Mom! she shouted. Mom! she shook her. Mom, wake up! Please, wake up!

Rosemary didn't wake up. She was laid on the bed, and had her eyes closed, cold and pale like a corpse. Faced with her mother’s death, Jaqueline didn’t know whether to cry, scream or do nothing, because she was afraid of Dimas' reaction. However, the shock was stronger, and Jaqueline began to cry softly.

Is she dead? Dimas asked, not convinced yet.

Not looking at him, Jaqueline nodded, going through a profusion of confusing and contradictory feelings. The stepfather approached slowly, looking at the woman with an empty expression.

He put his hand on his stepdaughter's shoulder, getting upset when she shuddered.

Jaqueline couldn't stand him touching her. Since she was thirteen years old, Dimas' touch had always had a dark intention. At first, she hadn’t noticed; he was her uncle. She was a little girl, so she had no malice for those things at all. She was foolish, naive, and gullible.

She hadn’t been closer to Dimas as she should have; the early loss of her father had left a void that was difficult to fill. It had been nine years since he left. When he died, Jaqueline was ten years old and Maurício had just turned one.

She still remembered that day as if it had happened the day before. Glad with his second child's birthday, Reginaldo did his best to prepare his baby’s first little party. Everything was so beautiful; the circus’ colorful decoration gave an air of joy to the atmosphere. Reginaldo left early to look for the birthday cake and his daughter's dress from the seamstress. He loved his children a lot! For Jaqueline’s birthday, which was close, he had promised to take her to visit Rio de Janeiro, her dream.

He was so happy and fascinated that he didn't realize that a drunk driver had crossed the avenue on the other way. With no time to brake, Reginaldo hit the other car head-on. His death was instantaneous, turning his son's party into his first moment of mourning.

Even in shock, Dimas served as a comfort to Rosemary. Reginaldo was his older brother, his protector, his friend and, above all, the one who paid his expenses when he exceeded the limits of his salary. Reginaldo loved Dimas, and it's not like Dimas didn't love him back. He appreciated his brother, but he wasn’t close to him. He respected him, but love wasn’t the one expected among the close brothers.

The following year, Rosemary married again. Dimas was six years younger, handsome, noisy, and friendly, but he was still a rascal. He liked easy life, the night, and bohemian life. He liked everything; he just didn't like to work. He was a good bricklayer, albeit lazy. At first, he managed to keep busy with a project here, a renovation there. But then, when he saw that Rosemary was working herself to the bone at the hospital, he relaxed, missed his appointments at work. He turned down services for no reason, or performed them in a messy and careless manner. He left and the clients began to run out until they completely disappeared, leaving Rosemary the obligation to provide the house herself. Rosemary, a nursing technician, doubled the shifts and, when she should be taking a break, she took care of the elderly, babies and sick people.

Without work or occupation, but with money in his pocket, Dimas turned his attention to drinking and women. Rosemary was always tired, complaining about everything, not in the mood for his sex games. It made him so angry that it didn't take so long to start hitting her. Rosemary was hit almost daily, and it was only a year into her marriage!

Over time, blows became routine. They were so constant that Rosemary had gotten used to them, convincing herself that she had been hit because she deserved it. She worked hard; she didn't have time for her husband. Therefore, it was normal for him to claim to his wife that she couldn’t be, seeking in the street the satiety of the desires that she would satisfy. Dimas wasn’t blamed for her failures. And it wasn’t her fault to love him so much.

As Jaqueline grew, understanding grew with her. Gradually, she realized that none of that was right, especially when he hit her for the first time. Jaqueline cried, complained to her mother and told her that Dimas wasn’t her father, but the simple, shocking and empty answer was:

It's like he was.

When the matter was over, Rosemary didn’t interfere when Dimas beat her and then her brother. Gradually, what was no longer much affection became indifference, sometimes reaching the brink of anger. Not understanding why her mother treated her so badly, Jaqueline ended up turning away from her and turning to Maurício, whom she took care of with all her love.

Jaqueline and Maurício became unhappy children. The mother neglected them, without losing the chance to accuse Jaqueline for all the bad things that happened to them, especially Dimas' betrayals. Both of them hated their uncle. Eventually, they only have each other. The two were so close that they slept in the same bed, and Maurício only felt safe next to Jaqueline.

One night, during one of Rosemary's many shifts, Dimas came home drunk as always. Stumbling, he stood in front of the TV, taking the remote control from the table.

Ignoring Jaqueline, he changed the channel to a soccer match.

Hey! she complained, I was watching a novel.

You were he said ironically.

She didn't reply, fearing being hit. Frowning, she got up and went to the kitchen to prepare a snack. From where he was, Dimas saw everything she was doing, paying little attention to her until she dropped a glass. The scare he got made him get up to slap her. Halfway through, he stopped in fascination. Below, on the kitchen floor, Jaqueline was picking up the broken glass with her hand.

It was at that moment that desire fell upon him in an unstoppable way. He had noticed her some time ago, but he had never had the courage to try anything. Today, however, it would be different. Jaqueline was wearing a not sexy knitted sweater, but her position allowed him to see her well-formed thighs and the bottom of her white panties. The view numbed him, creating fantasies in his head and imagination, bringing out the full image of his stepdaughter's thirteen-year-old body.

Where’s your brother? he asked, standing at the kitchen door.

Asleep, she replied, now sweeping up the smaller pieces in the dustpan.

Rubbing his tongue over his lips, Dimas approached her, almost undressing her with his gaze. Although she didn’t identify malice in his eyes, she could notice that there was something wrong with his posture. Leaning against the wall, Dimas looked at her. He waited patiently until she wrapped all the glass pieces in the paper before approaching.

His proximity made her startled. She was going to be hit, Jaqueline shuddered, but the usual slap didn't arrive.

Come here, he ordered, pulling her hard. Finally, you became a really tasty little bitch, you know?

Despite her innocence, Jaqueline wasn't stupid. It was with horror that she quickly realized Dimas' intentions. Not caring about the fear of being hit, she pushed him as hard as she could.

Leave me alone, she groaned, trying hard to escape from the kiss he was trying to give her.

Don’t play rough with me, girl. You've been craving this for so long, I know it. You go around, teasing me, and now you're pretending you're such an innocent girl. You have nothing related to innocence.

Let me go, uncle, or I'll tell my mom everything.

He let out an evil laugh, as if he were taken by an evil angel. He pushed her against the wall. He kissed her on the mouth, on her neck, and on her breasts. He smoothed himself and squeezed her body, ignoring her desperate protests.

Your mother loves me, he said sarcastically. If I tell her you teased me, who do you think she'll believe?

Jaqueline didn't know if that was true, but it could be. The way her mother ignored her might well be against her. However, she fought as if she was fighting for her life. It was all for nothing. Being stronger, Dimas easily defeated her, taking her to the room and placing her on the bed he shared with her mother.

Don't worry, he continued, enjoying the situation. I won't deflower you. There are other ways to satisfy me without taking your virginity. I don’t want you to get pregnant.

He turned her face down and penetrated her from behind. It was as if an incandescent whip was tearing her from the inside. Jaqueline fought in vain, completely dominated by Dimas' muscular arms. She tried to scream, but he stifled her cry, pushing her head over the pillow in such a way that he almost choked her to death. Now more concerned about her breathing, Jaqueline stopped fighting.

Finally, satiated, Dimas snorted, trying to catch his breath. Next to him, Jaqueline cried softly. She has her body aching, her honor shattered, her pride overwhelmed by the monster's brutality.

Did you see? he mocked. I kept my word, didn't I? You're still a virgin.

Swallowing the pain along with the tears, Jaqueline went to the shower to wash her dignity, rubbing herself until her skin turned red. But Dimas' dirt didn't seem to come out, impregnating all her pores.

It took Jaqueline almost three months to tell her mother what was going on. Assaulting her had become Dimas' habit every time Rosemary left. When she finally decided to tell, it was because she couldn't take it anymore. She had to overcome her fear, and denounce Dimas to make him pay for what he did to her. Her mother would understand. She had to understand. What the stepfather said wasn’t true. If she loved her husband, she should love her children even more.

The decision to tell the truth was no greater than astonishment. Jaqueline told her everything in detail, from the first night. At first, she thought her mother didn't get it. Rosemary looked at her in disbelief, as coldness spread over her face. Gradually, the color returned to her face until it turned red with anger. Unexpectedly, Rosemary raised her hand and slapped Jaqueline, filled with rancor and angry.

You’re a liar! she roared. Do you think I don't know what you're doing? Dimas warned me to keep an eye on you.

Did he warn you...?

He warned me that you’re throwing yourself to him, that you’re always showing off to guys on the street and even to him, leaning over to pick things up from the floor to show him your panties!

Mom, she replied, wounded, how could you believe in Uncle Dimas? Even after all he does to you, do you still trust him?

He does nothing to me.

He hits you! He hits me and Maurício too, who is only four years old! And if we had a dog, he'd hit him too.

That isn't what this is about. The issue here is another one. Dimas hits us to discipline us... because we deserve it.

That's the biggest lie. We don't deserve to be hit, much less if he’s not even our father!

Leave your father out of this conversation! You started with this issue and now you want to change the subject.

I didn't make anything up! Uncle Dimas assaults me when you're not around. He does everything from behind, he's afraid I'll get pregnant. Do you want to see?

Jaqueline's red face burned with shame. She wanted her mother to believe her, but she seemed to get more and more angry.

Don't you dare! she screamed, keeping her daughter from taking her clothes off. Stop with the lies. Dimas loves you as a daughter. You're the one who is shameless. You don't even look like my daughter. You should be ashamed of your lies.

Dimas is the one who should be ashamed of what he did to me! He did, no. What he does. This happens all the time.

Enough! I don't want to hear any word about this absurdity anymore. Shut up if you don't want to be hit again. Dimas is a good father to you. What you're doing with him is thoughtlessness.

Thoughtlessness? And what he does to me, what do you call it?

He does nothing to you.

He assaults me!

I told you to shut up.

If you don't pay attention to me, I'll find someone who will, she threatened.

Try it! she said. Dare to tell another person that lie and you’ll see.

It's not a lie!

Yes, it is. It's a lie! It’s enough! You've gone too far, trying to turn me against Dimas. Do you want him just for you?

Mom! she was horrified. How can you say something like that? I'm your daughter...

Damn the day I let you be born. I wanted to take you off, but your father wouldn't let that happen. I could’ve tried it before on the sly. I work in a hospital; it wouldn't have been a big deal

Jaqueline couldn't believe what she heard. Tears ran through her eyes, seeming to drown in her ears. Suddenly, everything was dark, a confusion of realities that she could no longer discern. Did she keep her truth or the truth her mother imposed on her?

It seemed she had no choice. The need to tell the police faded with Rosemary's confession. What did it matter to reveal everything to strangers if her own mother didn't believe her? And she didn't believe her because she hated her, because she didn't want her to be born.

CHAPTER 2

Dimas' voice brought Jaqueline out of his reminiscences. It happened many years ago. Little has changed since then. Jaqueline had grown up, but Dimas was still the same, he was subduing, mistreating and humiliating her. After a while, he no longer cared about a possible pregnancy, and it was with him that she lost her virginity. Her mother didn't care or pretend not to care. She did this so she wouldn’t lose the only person she seemed to love in her life.

What are we going to do now? Dimas asked insistently.

What’s going on?

The question came before she had time to answer. Standing at the door, drowsy, Maurício looked at them inquisitively. Jaqueline left Dimas talking to himself. She ran to her brother and wrapped him tenderly. Deep down, she knew that Maurício would suffer less than she was suffering. After all, she was more a mother than her mother was. The child wouldn't miss Rosemary as much as Jaqueline. Indeed, he didn't feel it. He cried just for a moment; however, his sister's presence was all he needed.

The burial went smoothly. The autopsy gave as a cause of death: acute myocardial infarction. Rosemary didn't take care of herself. She was overweight. She followed a sedentary and stressful routine. She smoked, had bad eating habits, cholesterol and triglycerides far above normal.

Life would be a mystery from now on. Jaqueline had no intention of living under the same roof with her uncle. They were illegal squatters in the house where they lived, so they had no title or anything to tie them to the property. When Rosemary was alive, she always talked about adverse possession, but Dimas was postponing the process and at this point he would take no steps to be the owner of the house.

While preparing lunch, Jaqueline thought of all this, how they would survive. She was nineteen years old. She had finished high school and she could get a job as a waitress or as a maid. She was beautiful, polite and kind. All she wanted was Dimas to leave and leave them alone.

What are we having for lunch? Dimas' nasty voice reached her.

I'm cooking for me and Maurício she replied defiantly. You're not part of this family anymore, so you can pack your things and leave.

The audacity frightened even her. Dimas, however, felt the heat of hatred on his neck, filling his face like lava from a volcano.

What did you say? he growled, angry.

You heard me right she confronted, struggling so that he wouldn’t realize how afraid she was. This house belongs to Maurício and me. You're not our father.

But I’m your legitimate uncle and I was your mother's husband. I have rights over your property.

It turns out that this house isn’t exactly ours. You've never been interested in following the reversion process.

Which doesn't stop me from doing it now. Everyone knows I lived here with your mother for about ten years.

Please, Uncle Dimas, walk away she asked, softening her voice to see if he was touched. You have no reason to live here anymore. You can rebuild your life somewhere else, far away from us, without a child to look after.

You take care of the child. I'm just the legal guardian.

She didn't say anything. She had to control her hatred or she would get mad. There he was, very close to her, so close to her hand that held the kitchen knife. It wouldn’t be a big deal to go in his direction and bury the knife into his heart.

Horrified by her own thoughts, Jaqueline shook her head to avoid the terrible idea. She wasn't a murderer. However, the image of Dimas dead persisted in her mind, defying reason in front of the survival instinct.

In the days that followed, Dimas stayed away, afraid of what she said.

He wasn't sure if he had any rights over the house, so he didn't want to upset Jaqueline; he had nowhere to go. Every night he stayed late out, wasting the little money they had in the bars. Jaqueline didn't complain about him not being at home. At least he left them alone, allowing them to spend the night in silence with no problems.

Sitting in front of the computer, Jaqueline tried to distract herself with an Internet game, when Maurício came into the room.

Jaqueline, he called.

Hmm...? What's up, dear?

A sci-fi film starts in a few minutes. Do you want to watch it?

She looked at her watch. It was still early and the next day was Saturday. It was fine if he went to bed a little later.

All right, love. Let's watch it together.

She turned off the computer and followed him into the living room with her arm around him. He turned on the TV and laid his head on her lap. While waiting for the film to begin, Maurício asked:

Will Uncle Dimas still live here with us?

I don't know she hesitated before replying.

I wanted him to leave.

I know.

He’s mean. He hits us.

But he hasn't hit you, has he?

No. Not since Mom died. But I know what he does to you.

She frozed. The last thing she wanted was for Maurício to be aware of that filth.

He doesn't do anything to me, she tried to hide it.

He does. I’ve seen it.

What did you see?

You know... those things that hurt you and make you cry.

For a few minutes, Jaqueline didn't know what to say. She could never imagine that Maurício would notice the abuses to which she was subdued. Lying was useless, she didn't want to lie. He was her brother, he deserved to know the truth. Instead of denying it, she simply tried to comfort him:

He won't do it anymore. I won't let him come near me again.

But... he hesitated.

But what?

What if he does it to me?

Did he try to do something to you? she was horrified. Tell me, Maurício, did he abuse you?

Did he touch you in an inappropriate way or said something indecent?

Maurício's suddenly blushing face was the best answer, but he soon tried to clarify:

It was only once. Mom was on duty and you were sleeping. He came drunk, saw me come out of the bathroom, came over and wanted to touch me over the towel.

And what did you do?

I ran out.

And did he chase you?

No, he went to his room.

She understood. More than once, she had woken up with his uncle on top of her, touching her private parts. It made her anxious, especially when she thought about what he might have done to Maurício.

He has to get out of here, she said, angry. Before anything worse happens.

Maurício hid his head into his sister's lap, crying in fear. She patted him, trying to comfort him, a whirlwind of sinister ideas engulfing her mind. When the film began, they remained silent, trying to pay attention to the story. Eventually, the boy became involved in the plot, leaving Jaqueline the burden of survival.

Tiredness overwhelmed them. Before the film was over, they both were sleeping on the couch, Maurício's head still resting on his sister's lap. The sound of a key turning in the lock woke her up. Jaqueline opened her eyes, trying to focus the clock in the living room, frightened by the hour. She yawned, straightened his brother's hair and noticed that the film was long over. What was on TV now was a soft-core pornography that the cable TV channel showed in the early hours.

Quickly, Jaqueline groped the remote control to turn off the device before Dimas had a chance to see what was going on. Too late. With control, he watched the spicy scene with his lips open, drooling like a dog in front of the female dog in heat.

Maurício, she said quietly. Let's go to bed. It's late, the film is over.

Rubbing his eyes, the boy sat on the couch. Without giving him time to recover from sleep, Jaqueline pulled him by the hand. She wanted to get him out of there as soon as possible.

What's the rush for? Dimas objected, standing between the brothers. Sit down with me and watch the film.

No, thanks she said, trying to get away from him. It's not my type.

What’s your type, then? Instead of watching?

Completely drunk, Dimas couldn't stay away from Jaqueline. Since Rosemary's death, he hadn't dated a woman, so he wouldn't spend any money. He couldn't take it anymore. On top of that, he came home and watched those hot scenes. Certainly, Jaqueline had left that channel on purpose, only to tease him.

Let us go, uncle, she insisted. We just want to go to sleep.

Without replying, Dimas pulled violently on her, causing her huge displeasure as he approached his mouth with liquor on his breath.

Come here, you brat, he cursed, lying her on the couch and pushing Mauricio aside. I have what you want.

She fought with all her strength, revived by the presence of his brother, whom he desperately wanted to avoid that humiliation.

Let me go, dumb animal! she screamed, trying to scratch his face. Let me go or I'll kill you! His laugh terrified her. It was as if Dimas was possessed by several demons. And in the fight against demons, the angel seemed to lose. From a corner, Maurício watched with horror the horrific scene. If he were already a man, he would deal with Dimas, kick him out of the house with punches and kicks, and he wouldn't let him touch Jaqueline again. But he was just a child, a fragile child who couldn't defend himself. However, the love for her sister was stronger. Without thinking about what he was doing, Mauricio was all over Dimas.

Let her go, you monster, let my sister go!

The pain of the bite in his ear, suddenly, made Dimas release Jaqueline.

Filled with anger, he grabbed Mauricio by the neck and slapped him several times.

You disgusting brat, you insignificant worm, he snorted, trying to turn his back on the child. I'll teach you a lesson so you’ll learn to stay out of my business

The boy screamed in terror, too weak to defend himself against such a violent aggressor. Where was Jaqueline? For a moment, he thought she had fainted or fled to get help.

Suddenly, she came up with a knife, the same one she held when Dimas approached her in the kitchen.

Let him go she ordered deliberately or I keep my word and I kill you.

The knife was very close to Dimas' eyes. Fearing for his life, he let the child go, though he didn’t think she had the courage to kill him. Maurício ran to his sister with whom he began to cry. The moment she, confused, welcomed him, Dimas moved, falling on her with murderous desires.

It all happened so fast. Dimas threw himself upon her, convinced he would disarm her. That didn’t happen. Jaqueline needed to defend herself and her brother. The knife was in the way, fear was her driving force. When his body approached hers, with his hands eager to reach her neck, the knife moved with him, digging deep into his heart.

CHAPTER 3

When Alice looked in the mirror, she didn’t see her own eyes, but those of another person, a young and beautiful girl, of voluptuous beauty and, at the same time, innocent, quite different from her simple reflection. She felt a lump in her throat and touched her chest, at the level of a small, imperceptible scar she had since childhood, as a result of a heart surgery. She didn't know the girl; however, it seemed that she had seen her before, but she couldn’t remember where.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and Julian appeared. He came with the towel wrapped around his waist, shaking his wet hair to spray her with water on purpose. Alice gave him a captivating smile, separating her lips to receive the kiss.

Are you ready yet? he asked, smoothing his bare neck.

Almost. I still have to choose a necklace.

You look beautiful, he said. With or without a necklace, you’re the most beautiful woman I've ever met.

Silly, she joked, but happy with the compliment. Your opinion isn’t impartial.

Yes, it is. It's not just because I love you that I can't recognize beauty.

I’m a woman with an ordinary face.

He laughed and patted her again.

Your dad is waiting for this moment, isn't he? he asked, carefully dressing the suit.

You would be, too, if you were married for thirty years.

That’s true. He and your mother get along very well.

Very.

Silently, Julian finished getting ready, while Alice finally decided on a pearl and diamond necklace.

It looks great, he praised.

Alice smiled. She really looked beautiful. Not as beautiful as the girl in her dreams, but she left something to be desired. When they were in the car, already on their way to their parents' house, she spoke carelessly:

I dreamed about her again.

Did you dream?

This dream is getting recurrent. And the worst part is, I know that girl, even though I've never seen her.

Really?

I also dreamed about our baby.

That’s more understandable.

Will we ever be able to have our child?

Your father said neither you nor I have any problem getting pregnant. It's your anxiety that gets in the way.

Could be…

They kept silent for the remainder of the journey, each immersed in their thoughts, although they both thought the same. Alice's greatest desire was to be a mother. However, even after five years of marriage, she hadn’t yet managed to get pregnant. The more she thought about it, the more she was distressed. She feared the ghost of infertility, who was around in her family. Even the most modern fertilization processes couldn't help her to have a child, because none of them had physical difficulties with fertilization.

When they came into the hall where the party was held, Celso was anxiously waiting for them, rubbing his hands nervously.

Finally! He exclaimed. I was starting to worry. I thought you wouldn’t come.

That would never happen, Julian objected. Your daughter loves you. She'd never miss your wedding anniversary. Neither would I.

Celso smiled, feeling the approach of his wife, who joined them in a hug that involved everyone.

Your father had colic, she joked. It’s hopeless.

You look very pretty, Eve, Julian said. As always.

Thank you, dear.

Come, my dear Celso called. I want to introduce you to a colleague of mine.

Alice followed him, holding his hand. In a corner, a group of men discussed with enthusiasm Celso's new discovery, related to the field of genetics.

Hello everyone, she said, who already knew most of those present, except a discreet man.

They responded to the greeting and kissed her gently on the cheek. They were her father's age and they had known her since she was a child. The new member, however, looked at her in amazement, as if he was trying to hide the surprise that her appearance caused.

Here's my eldest daughter, Tobias, Celso introduced. Alice, this is Tobias. He recently has returned from Europe, full of new ideas.

How are you, Tobias?

She held out his hand, despite the wave of disgust that hit her hard. Not being used to this feeling, Alice stepped back, soon she overcame that feeling, and reproached herself for the rudeness of her thoughts.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Tobias said, looking at her in amazement. Your father’s always talking about you.

Alice is one of my pearls, Celso said. One of my greatest treasures.

She certainly is.

They all laughed. Celso's love for his daughters was no secret to no one. When Julian approached Eve, Celso introduced him too. After the time needed to properly comply with the protocol of being polite, Alice came up with an excuse to leave. Holding her mother’s hand, pretending to look for something in the kitchen, she dragged her.

What did you think of Dad's new friend? she asked, as soon as they were out of earshot.

Tobias? Eve said, embarrassed. He's not a new friend.

Okay, but what do you think about him?

I didn't find anything wrong.

It's not what it looks like. You don't seem fine.

He looks good... she stopped talking, not knowing what to say.

But even then, you didn't like him

He’s a friend of your father. We have to treat him well.

Where does Dad know him from? I've never heard of him.

He worked with your father in his youth. Then he went to Europe and disappeared.

And he comes back now, why?

I don't know, my dear, and honestly, I don't care. But look who's there!

Denise! Alice exclaimed, running into her sister's arms. When did you arrive?

Last night Denise replied, hugging her effusively and her brother-in-law.

Why didn't you tell me?

I wanted to give you a surprise.

How was the graduation? Too bad we couldn't go.

I missed you so much. I was dying to come back to Brazil. I couldn't take it anymore.

Ah! Come on, Denise Alice objected. Studying at Harvard isn’t a sacrifice

It isn’t. But there's no better place in the world than home.

They kept talking their nostalgia away. Alice and Denise were close sisters. Denise, at the age of twenty-four, had just graduated in biomedical from Harvard University, where Alice and Julian studied architecture before her and where they met. Alice and Denise were only three years apart.

Did you see Dad's new colleague? Denise whispered in her sister's ear. Handsome, don't you think? Alice looked at her stunned. How could her sister be interested in the man she disliked