Chapter 30
Alice Mendes
I leave the room to give him privacy to finish his conversation with his father, but I linger by the door, listening from outside.
I know it’s wrong, but I need to hear what he’s going to say.
When I hear him confirm that he’ll discuss the engagement, something inside me crumbles.
I don’t want to admit it, but it made me sad. It hurt.
I go to my desk and make a decision: from now on, I’m going to focus on work and my studies. I need to do this for myself. I earned this opportunity and I want to give it my all. I don’t want to be abandoned again.
The rest of the day flies by. I manage to have lunch with Isa and Henrique and take care of some urgent matters. When my shift ends, I knock on the door and let my boss know I’m leaving—I need to buy a dress for the party this weekend. Gabriel invited me, and I don’t intend to miss it for anything.
I leave in a hurry and rush to the mall. Catarina comes with me, and we end up buying a dress for her too, since she’ll be coming along.
The next morning I arrive and immediately call the restaurant to reserve our lunch. The day starts normally, with some contracts to draft and others to schedule for renewal. When it gets close to noon, I knock on the door to get Oliver so we can head to our appointment.
We’re sitting in silence when Oliver tries to start a conversation. I’m about to respond when I see the waiter come in.
“Alice, so good to see you!” Isa walks in and immediately pulls me into a hug.
She’s a beautiful girl, a little shorter than me, with big gorgeous blue eyes and brown hair, an angelic face.
Henrique is an imposing man who commands attention without saying a word—handsome, about 6’3”, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a brown beard.
“I’m happy to see you too.” I return the hug. “Hello, Mr. Henrique, how are you?” I extend my hand, and he shakes it.
“Hello, Alice, happy to see you again. You must be Oliver. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Please, sit down.” Oliver greets them with a polite gesture. “Alice told me about you. I was interested in your work and would like to know a bit more.”
The meeting went smoothly, and we left with a potential contract between the companies.
In the elevator heading to the executive floor, Oliver breaks the awkward silence between us.
“Thank you for introducing me to Henrique. I believe we’ll work very well together.”
“My job is to do what’s best for the company. You don’t need to thank me.” The doors open, and I head straight to my desk.
The rest of the week flew by. After Andréa’s visit and his father’s call, Oliver and I grew distant.
We only spoke when necessary—work matters.
Neither of us wanted to bring up the subject, so we let it hang in silence.
He even invited me to dinner, but I refused immediately, using my college classes as an excuse. And that’s how things stayed.
Finally, Friday arrived—the day of the party.I woke up excited and left work early to get ready. I wanted to look stunning.
As soon as I get home, I toss my purse carelessly on the bed and it falls, spilling everything inside. When I bend down to gather my things, I see a small box. I pick it up and go pale.
Damn.
The pill Oliver bought me the day we had sex without protection. How could I have forgotten about this?
“Holy shit…” I murmur to myself. “I hope nothing comes of it.”
I take a deep breath. I decide I’m not going to worry about this today. I want to enjoy my night. I get in the shower, wash my hair, go through my routine, and try to keep my thoughts away from him.
When I get out of the shower, I start getting ready. I dry my hair and pin it to the side to show off the dress’s neckline. I do my makeup light and start getting dressed.
“Catarina!” I shout from the bedroom. “Help me with the zipper, please?”
She walks in, and her reaction makes me laugh.
“Holy shit… what a fucking hot woman!”
“You like it?” I ask, looking at myself in the mirror. I really do look stunning.
The dress is a gorgeous turquoise, almost the color of my eyes, which makes them shine even more. It ties at the neck, with a bare back and a slit that runs all the way up my thigh. My whole leg shows when I walk. I complete the look with silver sandals and a matching clutch.
I look at my reflection and smile. Yes, I’m ready.
“Girl, you’re going to have every guy at the party drooling,” Catarina says, laughing.
“We’ll see, right? Are you ready?”
“Just need to grab my purse and we can go.”
We call a rideshare and soon arrive at the hotel, which is close to home. Gabriel greets us, looking me up and down with a smile.
“Alice, my dear… you look simply wonderful. Would you give me the pleasure of being my companion tonight?”
“Thank you so much, Gabriel. You look great too,” I respond lightly. “Of course, I’d love to. And thank you for the invitation.”
“Would you like a drink?” he asks, already offering me a glass of champagne.
I accept without hesitation. I need this today.
I thank him and head to the table reserved for us—but I realize too late that it’s the same table as Oliver and… Andréa.
I sit down next to Gabriel and Catarina. Minutes later, Oliver arrives with her.
“Good evening.” He greets everyone.
“Good evening, Oliver. Good evening, Andréa. I didn’t know you’d returned to the country.”
“Good evening, Gabriel,” she says, with that fake tone. “Yes, I came back for my wedding to Oliver, which should be happening soon.”
She smiles. And looks me straight in the eyes.
“I didn’t know you were Oliver’s fiancée,” Gabriel says, giving me a curious look.
I feel my chest tighten. I stand up and leave the table, heading out of the ballroom.
The event is being held on the hotel’s terrace—a space reserved exclusively for invited guests and high-society clientele.
I was the one who suggested the renovation that transformed it into an exclusive venue, after the old ballroom kept getting overrun by hotel guests.
I look around, satisfied with the result.
But my peace doesn’t last.
I sense someone approaching from behind. When I turn around, there’s Oliver. He’s standing there with two champagne flutes in his hands and a look that pierces right through me.
And in that instant, I realize he would be my ruin.