Episode 2

CURRENT DAYS...

Helena arrived at the apartment and felt an enormous emptiness for the first time. She was happy that her only friend had found love, but she had no one else, and the apartment that once seemed small now felt huge.

She took off her high-heeled sandals and let her hair down...

Suellen insisted that she stay there, that it was a gift. She had to accept, she had nowhere else to go, and the little money left from her mother's inheritance was not enough to support herself. She needed a job.

She threw herself onto the sofa. She didn't stay for the wedding party. She left without saying goodbye, wanting to be alone.

She was restless, the makeup irritated her; she hadn't worn anything like that in many years… it brought back terrible memories.

She took a shower and went to make something for dinner, but she discovered that cooking just for herself was not a good thing. She grilled a steak and washed some leaves to prepare a salad, made her plate, looked at the table she used to share with Suellen, and went to the small balcony. She ate there, standing, looking at the little movement on the street, in that neighborhood far from the center.

Whenever she felt alone, she looked at the stars. She didn't know which one, but one of them was her mother, and that comforted her.

Now she was alone once again, on her own. Her friend had a family to take care of, and she would now have to get used to loneliness again and find any job, or soon she wouldn't be able to afford to eat.

She would end up accepting the job at the coffee shop, the only one that offered a good salary and, at the same time, she wouldn't be stuck there, complaining about her misfortune; she would have someone to talk to…

Thus, a few weeks passed; her work was tiring, but she couldn't complain. Without the influence of the Velasquez family, her diploma wasn't worth much. But deep down, Helena preferred to be in a place without much prominence; she didn't like to draw attention to herself.

Helena always wore her hair tied up in a casual bun and loose clothes. She didn't like to receive men's looks on herself. Suellen called daily to find out how Helena was doing. In the daily calls, she always wanted to know about her friend, and when she found out she was working in a coffee shop, she was inconsolable.

"Helena... you're wasting your talent, your education! Helena, you are capable!"

Helena knew her ability; she was competent. But she knew that no one would hire a secretary of her level who didn't wear elegant and feminine clothes.

She knew this when a contractor made it clear what he expected from an assistant, and she didn't want that. She wouldn't be used again.

......................

Felipe Mello was late, and his father wouldn't let him forget that detail.

The blonde who had been in his arms that night was tireless. She could even be a good option since his father wanted heir grandchildren.

He opened the door of the coffee shop a block away from the office. His father followed him, still repeating how important responsibility and stability were.

Felipe went to a table in a corner. He wasn't quite awake yet, but from that place, he could see through the glass the beautiful legs of the women who passed on the sidewalk, since the floor of the coffee shop was lower than outside. Thus, his father's words could wander without entering his head and stressing him out for the rest of the day.

"Good morning, gentlemen. You can place your order."

Felipe didn't even bother to look at the attendant, he ordered his coffee without taking his eyes off the legs that dripped outside.

Helena didn't care about the client's discourteous manner. After all, when he appeared, it was always like that. He had a good appearance, he caught the attention of the women in the place, but that only inflated his ego, and for Helena, that was already a big flaw.

She went to the counter to separate the order, and when she returned with the tray, she pretended not to hear how unhappy the older gentleman was with the younger one. She served that gentleman first, and when she was about to hand the cup to the other client, she heard something that destabilized her.

"Felipe Mello! Can you pay attention to your father?"

Helena was startled. Perhaps the stern tone of that gentleman or perhaps knowing that she was in front of Felipe Mello, was the reason for everything...

"Ahh..."

The groan of pain was inevitable, Helena turned the cup of coffee over the man's lap. Desperate, she grabbed the napkin and began to clean Felipe's clothes.

"I'm so sorry... sir…"

Felipe was static in the chair. The young attendant was red, and her hands slid frantically over his lap. It was an unusual situation, perhaps even comical, but what he felt was none of that. He wasn't thinking about the damage to his clothes or the heat on his skin. He was thinking about how a woman without a hint of attractiveness made him excited first thing in the morning...

The attendant in question wore a dark uniform and seemed to be two sizes bigger than hers. Her hair was severely tied high on her head, covered by an equally dark cap. She wore no makeup or any adornment, not even a piece of jewelry. But he was erect like a teenager. The girl seemed not to know what she was doing, and the smile on his father's face made it clear that he noticed his discomfort.

Felipe got up quickly, causing the girl to lose her balance and bump into another attendant, falling to the ground with cups and mugs falling on her head. He simply left, leaving his father and the chaos behind him.

......................

Helena entered her apartment slamming the door.

She was a fool! She lost a good job for offending "Mr. Mello."

They didn't think twice about settling up and sending her to the street...

She hated Felipe Mello!

She should have recognized him. But the few times she was in his presence, she didn't approach or look. Now, because of her stupidity, she was unemployed again. She always knew he was trouble, and there was the proof.

Because he was the "all-powerful of the Mello family," her job went down the drain in less than 30 days. She didn't know why her friend Suellen admired that preppy.

She hated Felipe Mello!

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