Chapter 53
THE PERFECT PLAN
Joana
It’s been a couple of days since Victoria and I officially broke up, and I can’t believe that, in the end, our relationship has come to this.
We had a huge fight before she left for Ibiza; I knew this would happen sooner or later, but I never thought it would happen like this.
Now she can’t even stand being around me; her attitude toward me has changed, and I’m sure she’s been brainwashed these past few days.
Before I was her partner, I was her friend, and although I’d like to understand her, the most selfish part of me—the part that still loves her—refuses to accept that she’s going to give up everything just to run back to her ex-wife.
Victoria is blind; it’s obvious she hasn’t thought things through and needs someone to snap her out of it; it’s absurd that all her hard work is going to go to waste just because she’s abandoning her life to move to an island where there’s nothing.
The sound of the phone breaks the silence, abruptly snapping me out of my thoughts, and when I look up, I see Alfredo’s name flashing on the screen. I don’t feel like talking to anyone, but I answer the call with a resigned sigh escaping my lips.
“Joana, Pepa and I need you to come to the office immediately,” he says bluntly in that authoritative tone. “There’s an urgent matter the three of us need to discuss.”
“I’ll be right there,” I reply, my heart racing at the abruptness of his words.
I know why he’s so upset; it can’t be easy to realize that your protégé refuses to follow the path you’ve laid out for her.
With a calm smile on my lips, I get up from my chair and head toward the office.
Through the windows, I see them arguing; I’m sure it’s about Victoria, and I wonder what they want from me now. “I’m here. What’s going on?”
Alfredo exchanges a meaningful glance with Pepa before answering, and I decide to sit in the empty chair in front of the desk.
I don’t know what they’ve been planning, and I don’t know if I want to know what’s going through their minds, but that part of me—the part most hurt and bruised by the situation—urges me to stay where I am and wait.
“It’s about Victoria,” Alfredo begins, his face twisted into a grimace and his voice cold. “She’s resigned from her position as deputy editor, and we can’t let that happen.”
“But that’s her business. What can I do to fix it?”
To my surprise, they feel the same way I do, so I settle back in my chair and cross my arms, ready to listen to them.
“We know it’s her life, that we have no right to influence her decisions, but Victoria is a key member of our team,” Pepa adds, looking contrite and worried. “We can’t let her drop everything to go off with her little friends at Europa Press.”
“What? What do you mean, Europa Press?”
“Haven’t you heard?” my boss asks, surprised. “Apparently, Asís Martín and she have a very good relationship, and he’s offered her a spot at the agency.”
“Damn…” I exclaim, somewhat overwhelmed by the news. “So what do you suggest we do?”
“We think the key to keeping Victoria on the staff is her relationship with Elena.” Alfredo smiles mischievously and leans both hands on the desk.
“And that’s where you come in. We know you’ve been dating her for several months and that you’ll find a way to break up that damn relationship.
I already did it once, when I realized Victoria was really worth it, but this time I can’t get involved. ”
“And why is that?” I simply ask.
“She knows me; she already knows how I work,” he adds without further explanation.
“So you’re willing to play with Victoria’s feelings…” I say, looking at both of them. “And what’s in it for me?”
“What do you think of Victoria’s current position?” Pepa says. “If we can get her to stay, it’ll be open, and we don’t have anyone better than you to fill it.”
Neither of them shows a single sign of regret; they’re willing to play dirty to get what they want, and for a moment, doubts assail me.
Victoria crosses my mind, and even though everything is different between us now, the idea of losing her hurts me; so as I try to weigh all my options, I realize I’ve already made my choice the moment I receive a message from her and my heart skips a beat.
“We know this isn’t an ideal situation, Joana,” Pepa adds, looking me in the eyes. “But sometimes, in the world of journalism, we have to make difficult decisions to achieve our goals.”
“I’ll do it,” I reply confidently. “Count me in for whatever it takes. I’m not going to let her walk away from all this just because she wants to live a fairy tale.”
“That’s the spirit. You’re a smart girl; you’ll go far.”
As soon as Alfredo hugs me, I get goosebumps. I don’t care what the consequences of this will be, but I’ll do everything in my power to stop Victoria from doing something crazy.