by Olivia Saint
She had always been focused on her studies and her obligations, so, this new opportunity that had given her the destiny to meet this handsome boy had put her in a situation full of hope and expectations. She had aroused the envy of some of her friends since they all wondered how a shy and disinterested girl like her had managed to capture the interest of a man as attractive, ardent and handsome as Manuel.
He was a young man wanted by all his companions, but he had focused totally on her. Since he met Amelia, Manuel absolutely lost interest in any other boy, he only dreamed of the possibility that this gave me the opportunity to explore his feelings, get to know him and go a step further. To her. And this sooner or later would begin to become a reality, since, the gentleman used all his charms to conquer the young university student.
As things became much more intense, Amelia began to experience some fear, since, the feelings she was feeling for Manuel, exceeded her greatly. He thought about it at every moment, wanted to be with him, and Manuel's absence had become quite annoying for her. Being a very focused and determined girl, I could not afford to be under the effect of this depressing mood at all times that Manuel generated when he was away from her, had to go afloat, so, he began to evaluate some other possibilities to distract your mind.
But absolutely all her efforts in trying to stay focused on another activity were useless, Manuel always emerged as that thought that invaded her during the morning hours, just after opening her eyes upon awakening. It was her last thought when she went to sleep, and this was practically driving her crazy. The feeling, the experience, and the sensations were entirely reciprocal since Manuel was also going through something similar.
He had fallen deeply in love with this young girl and after the announcement of possible promotion and movement of his division, had contemplated the possibility of making a life with Amelia. That conversation they had during an afternoon at the corner cafe just opposite an old square, traditional in the city, would completely transform Amelia's view of her future.
She wanted to become a professional, to be independent, strong, with a financial power stable enough to support a family and get ahead, but these were not exactly the plans of Manuel, who asked him to accompany him and travel with him under your responsibility
- I am entirely sure that you are the woman of my life. I do not want to lose you or get away from you. I would like you to go with me and start a life together. - Manuel said.
Those words were full of commitment, obligation, and responsibility, something Amelia was not ready for yet. She wanted to continue enjoying her university life, but even though she was not completely sure of the step she was about to take, she agreed to compromise so as not to break the heart of a young man as valuable as Manuel. He was wholly excited and determined to give a fundamental space to this girl in his life, so, a negative would probably have destroyed all his plans.
They had only seven days for the girl to manage to pack and prepare her parents for the possibility of being away from the city for a significant time. Perhaps, if they had made the decision at that precise moment and had gone directly to their destination a few hours later, everything would have been entirely different, but those seven days became something fundamental that changed the course of events in a drastic way.
The influence of Amelia's friends was really determined since it combined catastrophically with her insecurity and led her to commit the grave error of rejecting Manuel's proposal at the last moment. These seven days were enough for Amelia to get confused, to enter a dark period of fear and confusion, something that was nourished by the interest shown by that tender and an attentive young man who had appeared thanks to her good friends.
Rito was a student of public relations and marketing just like her, so that, having so many things in common and developing such pleasant conversations, they seemed to be both in tune and want the same future. There was not an instant intense love like the one that had surfaced with Manuel, but by having certain coincidences in his personality and rambling on some projects in which both coincided, interest began to grow.
When the day came to depart, Amelia simply disappeared. For Manuel, it was one of the most desperate moments that he had to go through. He had a commitment to his country, to his obligations, but he also had a great love for Amelia who, with this sudden last-minute decision, had broken his heart.
The same friend who had introduced Rito into Amelia's life had seen the drastic change in attitude that the girl had suffered, trying to persuade her at the last moment to rethink things. Manuel had shown himself to be a very understanding and committed boy. He had left that life of Casanova and conqueror in the city to dedicate himself exclusively to Amelia, made her feel safe, in love and full of illusions, but perhaps, everything had emerged in a very intense and speedy way.
Amelia was too young and inexperienced to be able to commit herself in such a reliable way, perhaps, the maturity and discipline that Manuel had exceeded her enormously, which had resulted in a lack of coordination in their plans. Manuel had to leave, there was no other option, his future was already written, and although he was utterly convinced that next to Amelia could build a life, she let herself be enveloped by the verb, the charm and a fictitious personality of Rito that little by little it would diminish with time
Amelia's narrative was interrupted by Samantha, who had listened intently to the whole story. But curiosity about the reason why Amelia had decided to leave with whom her father had become many years later, did not let her listen quietly to the end of that story.
- If you were always in love with Manuel, how were you able to hide all those feelings for so many years? - Samantha asked.
- That was something I learned to deal with after a long time. Perhaps it was the acceptance, the denial or the resignation to know that at that moment I was not prepared for what Manuel was looking for.
At that moment, Amelia took Manuel's hand and squeezed it tightly. She knew very well that this man had strong values rooted in his personality, which had allowed him to forgive her and put aside all the suffering that had been inflicted upon her after her rejection. By that time, Amelia was a young woman, fragile and insecure, who let herself be carried away by Rito's proposals, who had aspirations very similar to hers.
It was effortless for Amelia to succumb to the attempted manipulation of that man, who had a personality scheme much more similar to her.
- Are you telling me that you agreed to stay with my father just because he looked more like you? I think you had a pretty misguided concept of love. - Luisa said.
That which had begun as a revelation of the whole truth had become a kind of trial for Amelia, who had to face the different positions of her daughters, who felt some disappointment in knowing this facet of her mother's past.
What they were actually discovering was that their mother had formed a family on the basis of lying and deception. The love he had always sworn to profess for his father was not completely genuine since he had ever had in his mind and soul the name of Manuel embedded very deeply.
CHAPTER 8
A s if it were the worst possible chance in that situation, Amelia's mobile phone began to ring at the precise moment that she was about to continue with her story. It was Rito, who had tried to communicate with her for days and had hit the nail on the head by doing so at that precise moment. Amelia, after seeing the screen of her mobile, placed it face down on the table, completely ignoring the man's attempt to try to communicate with her.
When she made this gesture right in front of her daughters, she aroused their attention, prompting the woman to answer the call. Everything was about to become real chaos, but it was time to face it if I wanted things to finally take their place and return to the balance I had always expected.
It had not been an easy decision for Amelia, to be honest with her daughters, who had witnessed her drastic change over the years. They were there to support her, to give her encouragement with her presence, but everything had quickly tr
ansformed into a kind of intervention where Amelia felt suffocated and trapped by the constant judgments that the girls make.
- It's dad, right? - Luisa asked.
- I think it's best that you answer the call, mom. - Samantha added.
- Girls, please respect my privacy and autonomy. I'm not in the mood to listen to your father's words. They know very well how it gets when it is a terrible mood. - Amelia answered.
The phone began to ring again and interrupted his words, so, to please his daughters, he answered the mobile.
- Until at last, I hear your voice. You were missing. Are the girls already with you? - Rito asked.
- Yes, they arrived early, we ate, and now we enjoy a conversation in the dining room. Everything is okay over here. We'll talk later.
- OK wait. Do not end the call. I was thinking about what could happen to your house, and so we all talked for a while. Do you think it's OK?
- It's not the best time for you to come, I need time with the girls. - Amelia answered.
When he met Manuel's gaze, he nodded that it would be the best option to finally face the whole situation he had been dealing with for so long. Amelia had partially deceived Rito, making him believe that her life was full and happy, but what was really happening was a denial of the feelings that dominated her.
- I have days trying to communicate with you, Amelia. It's not good to be absent in that strange way. The girls will feel great to see us together.
- It was the perfect opportunity, and confronting his inner reality would give him the possibility of finally healing.
- It seems right to me, Rito. We will wait for you...
Amelia ended the call and continued telling her story. There would be time to face the true and stark reality that would directly affect Rito.
Their continuous attempts to feed their relationship, made them go every year to the sea, enjoying holidays, very good memories that were treasured in their hearts in the first years of relationship.
Even Amelia was surprised that she had endured so long with him, since, although the first five years had been magical, everything began to wane after this. The monotony, the routine, and Amelia's lack of interest in the life he had provided had directly affected her relationship with Rito.
The sex was not funny, his exits had already become very, and the only thing he always wanted was to go home to go to bed to sleep until the next day to try to escape the unbearable reality in which he had gotten. The only person who had become his true support had been his mother, who had helped him raise the girls while Rito was dedicated to maintaining his successful work in one of the leading advertising agencies in the country.
His career as a public relations man was a success, and his income far exceeded Amelia's. This, in some other way, gave her a certain sense of power over her, that she had some control over her wife and that she would depend on him forever. This reality sooner or later would end, since, Amelia would begin to awaken slightly over the years.
She had to repress all her crying in the endless opportunities in which Rito humiliated her bluntly, absolutely disregarding all her attempts to be a selfless wife. Everything that limited him, he could get quickly in the street, but that success that had amassed this man would begin to descend at an unexpected rate for him.
Depression in the face of some failures in his employment had led him directly into a depression that had made him significantly gain weight. This, he finished doing the job of disappointing Amelia, who lost the little desire that she felt in him definitely. This directly affected the Rite, who began to demonstrate her jealousy and unconformity continually towards her.
The girls were too small to be able to process all that information at that time, but periodically, Amelia appeared with certain wounds on her face, arms, and legs, which were provided directly by Rito, who was a macho man, controlling and frustrated, that despite all this he had managed to stay with this woman for more than 20 years.
They had no idea how they had achieved it since love had not been decisive in remaining together. They hated each other in some way, they could not stand it, there was a considerable contempt in the way they are treated, and this, irremediably, would result in an imminent separation. Ever since she had married Rito, Amelia had made a great effort to get Manuel out of her heart and mind, who had always had it in her head as that possibility of having had a completely different life.
Destiny played an essential role in the life of Amelia, who had not been able to avoid encountering Manuel in different situations. The wedding of Astrid, one of her best friends had been one of the first events she had attended. Coincidentally, that girl turned out to be the wife of a cousin of Manuel, so, finding him right next to the cocktail table was a big surprise for her.
He had not recognized it since he had let his beard grow and his hair was longer than usual. Amelia, rarely saw the eyes of another man who was not her husband, since he knew how jealous he could be. In order not to unleash a scene and discover the worst of Rito before society, family, and friends, she avoided interacting with other gentlemen as much as possible, but it was inevitable for her to ignore it, more than three years had passed since she had last seen him, and that's when the spark ignited again in a long time.
- It's a great surprise to find you here. You look spectacular. - Manuel said right behind the girl.
When he turned around and found that face, he practically felt faint. The last person who aspired to find that place was Manuel, but there he was, with his charm, security, and beauty that had always awakened the most intense feelings in Amelia.
- What are you doing here? I should not be talking to you. My husband could be upset
- Your husband? So you got married? I do not know whether to congratulate you or regret it, I see that you are not very happy. - He said before turning around and leaving her there alone.
This broke Amelia's heart since she felt an incredible desire to jump on him and devour him to kisses, but her indifference and pain when she knew that she had married Rito, had opened a considerable gap between them that perhaps she would never return to close. He did not stop thinking about it for a minute of the rest of the day, since, that green-eyed look full of sweetness and love had remained fixed on his mind.
For a moment she wished to be completely alone and be able to give entrance to this gentleman again in her life, but there were some little ones under her responsibility and a husband who proclaimed a pure and sincere love. During this stage, Amelia had the strength to move forward, she thought that she would never see him again and that Manuel would finally disappear from her life, but years later, while the twins were baptized, he appeared mysteriously in the church.
He was there without any existing bond with her, so, Amelia thought there was a divine power much more significant than them that was destining them to join. Manuel took a long time to realize that Amelia and her family were in that place, so, when she noticed it, she decided to leave the place without a single word. Again, that unpleasant feeling of emptiness in his stomach arose, he was very curious to know what was his life and where he had gone and the places he had known.
But this was not possible, both Rito and his daughters needed her, and she could not risk her marriage just because of an illusion that had been born after Manuel's return. But that opportunity they had met at the bakery, had not been able to avoid succumbing to curiosity, had been talking for about an hour, sharing a coffee and narrating some of the experiences they had gone through all the time they had been separated...
As he had suddenly appeared, Manuel disappeared, and it had been a few years before he had finally met him in an art gallery. It seemed an illusion, since, at that moment, his memory had passed through his mind. When she saw him physically right in front of her, she felt a little scared, because she thought it was a joke of fate. This would be one of the most decisive encounters under his belt since his marriage at that time was already devastated. When she saw him there, so happy with a man full
of security and charisma, she could not help letting her instincts guide her.
That would be the first night they would be together, the twins had stayed at her mother's house, and she had lied to Rito assuring him that she would sleep in that place. But the reality had been a bit more raw, although he had resisted the desire to make love that night, had spent all the time between beers and drinks in a small bar in the city.
Thus, the meetings began to become much more frequent until they met again in the Caribbean, something that definitely broke with all their schemes. They did not expect to be there, but this was the trigger that had united them again in an unshakeable way.
The girls listened very carefully to the story of their mother. From one point of view, he was an admirable person since he had sacrificed the happiness of his life for trying to keep his family completely united. After the separation of her daughters, who had already reached the age of majority and needed to go to university, it was when she could really reason and evaluate that she needed a space for herself, urgently needed to give herself the necessary courage and the optimal space to be able to be happy.
Manuel had become that element that could be translated as his happiness. Rito never heard about the existence of this man, and if he did, he would possibly go mad, but after the divorce, it was no longer necessary to hide anything, and if he wanted to be free eventually, the ideal would be to expose himself entirely to his daughters and his ex-husband. Amelia's intention was merely to be happy, either with Manuel or completely alone, taking care of her parents and daughters, but what she was looking for were peace and tranquility.