Chapter 4


    My anxiety increased when I heard Pam ‘s panicked voice , as my father-in-


    a sudden attack . “ Call the ambnce , quickly ! ”


    “ I already did that , Linda . I can’t talk to my brother , so can youe ?”


    “ First , go to the hospital . I will be on my way .”


    “ What ‘s up ? Isabel looked at me with concern in her eyes .


    “ My father-inw had a heart attack , so I have to go to the hospital . ”


    As I left with a bag in my hand , Isabel came


    up behind me . “ Why do you care what happens to his family after everything Carlos did to you ? _ _ _


    _ _ ”


    Remembering what he did , I slowed down as my heart felt like it was being squeezed . “ At the end of


    the day , it ‘s the life of another human being . I’m leaving Bianca in his care , so see


    youter . ” My words leftIsabel stomping her foot angrily behind me .  _ _


    My father-inw was still undergoing surgery when I arrived at the hospital , while my mother-in-


    “ Beautiful , you ‘re finally here ! ” Perhaps due to her recent shock , my mother-in-


    is a blessing that you are here now ! Carlos is also guilty ! why he _Are


    you always on business trips ? ”


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    “ He ‘s just too busy . ” The answer I gave was short , as I didn’t want to waste time thinking about


    it . A nurse came out of the emergency room as we waited outside . _ I thought it brought news about m


    y father-in-w , soI approached her along with my mother-inw , but I


    realized that she was asking for payment for my father-inw ‘s treatment .


    The two turned to me as soon as she said that , with my mother – in-


    That ‘s how I shook my head as I stifled my anger before turning to leave for the checkout counter , duri


    ng which I bumped into someone in my haste . _ _ _ He reacted in time to catch me , which prevented


    me from falling ..


    “ Sorry! ” I quickly apologized .  _


    “ Okay . _ ” The voice sounded familiar to me . When I lifted my head to check the person , I


    found that it belonged to a handsome man . At that moment , I was stunned , as it was the face of


    the man from five years ago !


    Five years ago , I organized a birthday party at my father ‘s hotel , during which all the guests toasted


    me for being the birthday girl . _ I ended


    up having to leave the salon to reduce the alcohol in me a little , as there wasdrunk a lot , where I


    met an extremely handsome man in the hallway .


    Perhaps due to the effects of alcohol , I could n’t help but follow him and ask


    for his phone number , going so far as  topliment


    his appearance , in addition to making clumsy attempts to kiss him .


    The next day , I woke


    up and found Carlos , who hugged me while he urately recounted the events of the previous day , w


    hich led me to believe that the handsome man I saw was nothing more than a dream . However , for hi


    m _reappear


    now …


    I was shocked to see him smile at me before leaving and I realized that I should have asked him for co


    nfirmation about what happened five years ago , in order to know if it was really true . That encounter ig


    nited in me a sudden desireto know if he was that man . However , I received a call from Pam askin


    g me to bring the receipt back , which I did as I recalled my father – in –w ‘s situation .


    The doctor only started administering first aid as soon as I paid , after which we waited half an


    hour before my father-in-w came out . After that , we were told he was safe for the time


    being , but still needed to be ced under observation , ashe was not quite out of the


    woods yet . Upon hearing this , my mother-inw and sister -inw began to cry , so I


    could n’t leave , but I had to stay with them in the hospital .


    That night , my mother-inw and sister-inw could barely stay awake , so I was told to watch


    over my father-inw as they


    noticed I was n’t tired before falling asleep in bed next to him . The next morning , my father-in-


    callde Carlos was finally answered . I suppressed my emotions as I informed him of his father ‘s hospit


    alization , as well as the fact that his father was out of danger , so he should concentrate on his so –


    called work .


    However , he did n’t seem to notice the sarcasm in my tone as he rushed to the hospital that afternoon


    . _ There


    was a gap of four hours between his arrival and my call , which corresponded to the time needed to tra


    vel by car fromRio de Janeiro . It was obvious to me that he also took this into ount in his act of


    Him.


    I stayed by his side , clenching my fists at the thought of the facade he was putting


    on when he asked about my father-inw . Perhaps


    he felt I was watching him , Carlos lifted his head from where he was beside his father to look at me wit


    h a kind look that carried some guilt . “ Honey , you must be tired after spending the night here , so allo


    w – _send me – her home ”  .


    Despite humming in response , my heart was cold . _ Had it not been for


    the solid evidence presented to me , I would never have doubted Carlos ‘ feelings for me . I waspl


    etely blinded by what I said he was an honest man inwho could I trust !


    Carlos offered to send me home , which I agreed to as I could n’t afford to refuse . _ _ _ _ _ However , I


    sat in the back seat with my eyes closed instead of sitting in the passenger seat . _ _ _ _ CarlosHe eve


    n pulled back the window shades because he


    just assumed I was exhausted , but I felt nothing for his attention .


    On the way home , Joana called me to ask where I was , saying that she missed me . _ _ _ I mentally s


    coffed before telling her about my father-in-


    I hung


    up the call after muttering in response , while Carlos asked when realizing that my reaction was differen


    t from how I


    would have reacted before : “ Honey , are you feeling bad ? ” Hearing an evasive buzz from me , he trie


    d to please mesaying he would cook for meter to make it up  to me , which I ignored .


    After suffering from insomnia two nights in a row , I fell


    asleep as soon as I got into bed . I was awakened by the


    noise of conversations , after a long sleep , through which I discovered that Joana was present , and I


    asked myself why she would dareenter my house .  _