Mark squinted at Anthony Curtis. Something is really off on this day.
Could it be possible that Anthony was trying to please his son, knowing that he is dating Celia, and decided to punish her ex-husband for something he didn't do?
How else to explain this scathing injustice?
Anthony, still with a serious look, turned to the other employees.
"Well done! The guy is not working, so he doesn't deserve his salary!" João exclaimed, laughing uncontrollably.
Laughter echoed throughout the hallway.
Anthony knew that Mark was an exemplary employee. Often, he would go above and beyond to keep a good impression on his superiors.
If Mark has a fit body and toned muscles, it is due to the hard work of his profession.
However, everyone had a prejudice against Mark for being poor and for his appearance.
In a company that worked with fashion and physical appearance, Mark always seemed to stand out from the image Glamour wanted to portray to the public.
But Anthony was not stupid. If he only punished Mark, maybe the fool would finally gather the courage to protest, so, not to be so obvious...
"And why are you all laughing over there?" Anthony turned to the others, "We have a magazine to publish, articles with deadlines to be edited, and a program to record.
"But all of you are watching the clown Mark, huh? Do you want to go without a salary too?"
Everyone immediately stopped laughing when they realized they wouldn't be spared.
"Manager Curtis, it's not like that!" Mary Ellen tried to explain, "It all started when—"
"Blah, blah, blah, you all just talk, talk, talk, and don't deliver any results to me!" Anthony shouted.
João, the editor, pointed a finger at the general manager, "Don't even think about cutting our monthly salary, Mr. Curtis! All the power you have wouldn't prevent the Labor Court from receiving our complaint and lawsuit!"
Anthony was shocked. And now, what to do?
Mark smiled smugly, satisfied with what he saw. It seems that there is justice in this company, after all...
Glancing at Mark and seeing him smile, Anthony became angry and decided to escape using Mark as bait, "OK. I'm not careless enough to risk the company being sued. I know your work is harder than janitorial services."
Mark's smile quickly faded.
Excuse me? Janitorial work is less demanding than writing, editing, and layout?
While I bust my butt with brooms, mops, and scrub brushes, these cretins spend the entire day in the comfort of air conditioning, with their butts in a cushioned chair, clicking and typing on the computer!
"But so I won't be unfair, you will lose a day's pay! Let this chaos not happen again!" Anthony decreed and quickly spun on his heels, returning to the safety of his office.
Mark was outraged. He felt that Anthony did not correct an injustice, but instead, dropped another bomb to explode in Mark's lap!
The employees turned to Mark and nearly lynched him as was done in the Wild West!
"YOU DAMNED JANITOR! It's all your fault!" João shouted.
"Why did you have to take a day's pay from us?" Mary Ellen whinnied.
"Do you hate us so much to be so cruel and inhumane?" Gisléne complained, "While you have the ease of janitorial work, we shed our blood to keep the fashion world working!"
Mark couldn't control himself anymore.
"Are you kidding me? Do you want to spend a day scrubbing floors and washing dirty floor cloths?"
João crossed his arms and approached Mark with indescribable disdain, "No, thank you. That's what happens to people like you who don't specialize in anything.
"Let me describe you, because I know people of your kind: you wasted your time in high school, didn't pay attention in class, got horrible grades, and graduated out of pity from the teachers.
"Since you obviously couldn't get into any college, you do what every poor guy does: take the first crappy job you can find, bed a girl from the slum where you live, and marry her without a shred of love.
"Now, with your life being the mess that it is, you rebel against people who didn't follow your lead and think the world owes you something. That's why you cunningly manipulated Manager Curtis to punish us today!"
Mark was taken aback by João's words.
He had never heard such calumny and absurdity in his entire life!
But instead of a single soul warning João that he is exaggerating, the other colleagues applauded João and booed Mark.
"Pretty right, João! That's how scum like Mark lives!"
"He should be fired, that's what!"
"If he were smart, he would resign, it would be better than working a whole month for free!" Gisléne laughed mercilessly.
Mark only had one thing in mind: to get out of there as quickly as possible! He feared if he stayed for too long, he would become as blind and arrogant as these idiots.
Mark couldn't believe things were escalating to this point. Not only had he become divorced overnight, but now several employees from the company where he worked had taken the day to mock and unjustly accuse him. Something inside of him said that what Anthony Curtis had just done was an indirect favor for his son, now that he was with Celia. "What are you doing standing there, janitor?" João wouldn't leave Mark alone. "Are you thinking of quitting?" "It's better to take João's suggestion," Mary Ellen neighed. "You have no future here anymore." "Unless you want to see your beloved ex-wife happy with another guy every day," Gisléne added, making the others laugh. Mark seemed immune to the employee's provocations. If they expected a violent reaction from the janitor, they would be disappointed. A smile creeping up on Mark's right corner of his lips made the group stop laughing. "What's so funny?" João asked indignantly. "The funny thing is that you guys lost a day's salary by ki
"Miss, do you know this guy?" João pointed at Mark with disgust."I don't know him intimately," she replied, "But he is not entirely unfamiliar to me.""IMPOSSIBLE!" Mary Ellen screamed, "You and he come from completely different worlds!"Gisléne stepped forward, "Miss, let me explain: this guy, although he is not wearing a uniform, is the most deplorable janitor in our company. The other janitors at least manage to keep their uniforms clean, but Mark insists on keeping his always dirty and grimy." Mark smiled ironically. His uniform was the dirtiest because Celia always dumped it into the sink and used it as a mop every time he had hand-washed it. To make matter worse, Celia forbade Mark from using the washing machine because she didn't want his uniform to stain her clothes. João added salt to the wound, "Furthermore, he made us lose a day's pay today, so we need to straighten things out with him." The lady disagreed with the views of the others, "Excuse me, but I thought I was e
Mark was about to continue walking when he thought better of what to do.Miss Vasconcelos would probably be busy with Manager Curtis now, so he could stop by the office later.So, he decided to go first to the janitors' room to gather his things before resigning.As he spun on his heels, he realized with exasperation that Mary Ellen was still at the door of her office."Forget it.""Forget what?" Mark frowned."Her. Forget her. She's not for you." Mary Ellen grinned wickedly."Don't you have anything better to do, Mary Ellen?" Mark crossed his arms.He swore that Mary Ellen would be the first on the list to be fired!"Well, since you did me the favor of making me lose my day's pay, I have no motivation to work anymore." Mary Ellen mocked."So get ready to clean, mop floors, disinfect sinks, and unclog toilets." Mark shook his head."Why? You won't be around anymore to do that charity work for us?" Mary Ellen chuckled strangely, as if she suffered from bronchitis, "You really believed
When Mark burst into Anthony's office, he got a better view of the situation.Anthony was about to grab Briana in his arms. Briana was semi-conscious, with a red face. Her arms were flailing, trying to push away from the perverted manager.Near her, on the floor, was a smashed coffee cup."Is this the kind of collaboration you want, Mr. Curtis?""MARK?" Anthony's eyes widened as he realized who had burst into his office, "What do you think you're doing? Get out of here immediately!"Mark clenched his fists in anger. Did the general manager really think he would just leave and abandon a defenseless lady?What kind of man would he be?Boldly and irritated, Mark approached in three steps, "Let her go!"With a precise punch, Mark hit Anthony, throwing him away from Briana.The punch was so strong and unexpected that Anthony fell on the coffee table. The impact made him faint instantly.If the coffee table had been glass, the result might have been more disastrous...But Mark had no intent
Mark came to think that he deserved the prize for both the unluckiest and luckiest person in the world.OK, Mark didn't consider 'unlucky' to have met a beautiful woman like Briana Vasconcelos.The big problem, in his view, was the completely unexpected situation in which he found himself with the same Briana!Everything seemed to conspire for Mark not to escape from his predicament, starting with the same Briana who locked the car with a technology unknown to him.Then, it seemed that the drug had given Briana some strength from beyond to subdue a man.As Mark had noted before, the car was parked in a spot away from the other cars.Also, the employees usually have lunch at a nearby restaurant and walk there, so no one would enter the parking lot and find one of the cars in this unexpected situation.Mark almost strangled himself struggling to prevent Briana from taking off his shirt, but, with no way out, he no longer stopped her and resigned himself.He convinced himself that Briana
Mark and Briana walked out of the registry office.For both of them, the feeling of being married gave them an extra dose of confidence in what to do.Mark looked at his new wife and felt that she had a different sparkle in her eyes.As they walked towards her car, he asked, "What's the matter, Briana?"Mark wondered if it would be too bold to call her by affectionate names, but at least he wouldn't call her formally."I can't explain, Mark," Briana replied, "But I feel that signing that certificate gave me a boost for what lies ahead.""Do I not repulse you?" Mark asked, thinking of the countless times Celia had told him that.Briana stopped next to her car's driver and shook her head. "Why would I? I might not know you deeply, Mark, but I'm sure you're not of the same kind as those who drugged me."Mark smiled contentedly to hear that.He felt that, if his marriage wasn't perfect as it usually is in fairy tales, at least with Briana, it wouldn't be a repetition of what it was with C
Anthony Curtis was shocked to hear the door of his office being slammed open.When he saw who it was, his face immediately turned red with anger."MARK FERRO! What does this mean?""Did you call me, Manager Curtis?"Anthony was taken aback by Mark's sarcastic tone and attacked with words, "What is a mere employee, of the lowest rank, doing with such an arrogant attitude?""Manager Curtis, my time is precious," Mark replied, leaving the door open, "Let's address what happened."Anthony was a bit confused, but continued to speak angrily, "Yes, let's talk about what happened! How dare you barge into my office and take Miss Vasconcelos, one of our most esteemed collaborators?"Where did you take her? We have CCTV footage showing you taking her by the arm to I don't know where!"You better tell me now what you did with her or where she is, or I'll fire you and report you to the police for kidnapping Miss Vasconcelos!"Mark was not shaken by the words.He shook his head slowly, feeling disg
Anthony Curtis was catatonic for a few seconds. He couldn't believe what his ears had just heard.Him, fired?He was about to fire the troublemaker janitor!How is that possible? What did he do wrong?Anthony shook his head and questioned, "Gene, today is not April Fool's Day. Stop with the prank!"Gene rolled his eyes and signaled to someone, "Manager Curtis, this is not a joke. We received strict orders for your position to be terminated today.""Gene, I demand that you give me an explanation—"Anthony was even more shocked to realize that Gene had hung up on him.João, Mary Ellen, and the other employees were in shock, not knowing what to say. Did they hear correctly?"Manager Curtis, why are you reacting as if YOU were the one being fired?""Didn't you explain to HR that it's janitor Mark who has made our company an impossible place to work?" João asks scandalously, entering the office.Mark, glancing disdainfully, warned João, "Careful, idiot. You never know when HR is in a bad m
Gilson returned to the mansion, completely distraught. Claudia was coming down the stairs, heading to their son’s temporary room. Seeing her husband with a ghostly expression, she stepped back. “Dear, what happened?” “Is Mom here?” Gilson asked in a weak tone. “Huh, your mother?” Claudia frowned and approached him, not hearing properly. “She’s watch-binging some independent series made by Glamour. Why?” “Independent series?” Gilson was puzzled. “Yes, those series that are made without great ambition to be a mega-hit, with a limited budget, usually posted directly on the Internet or streaming TV,” Claudia said in a tone that also showed her disagreement. “Why is she wasting time watching those things when she could be watching one of OUR series?” Gilson asked indignantly. “She said she’s trying out products from other companies to get better acquainted.” Claudia shrugged. “Anyway, let your mom enjoy the last years of her life however she wants. I was going to talk to Chris.” “
Mark showed up at the police station. Sergeant Ribeiro greeted him with respect. “Is this chair comfortable enough for you, Mr. Ferro?” Mark found the kindness a bit strange. “Yes, it is, thank you very much, Sergeant. But what’s all this about?” “I just want to make you comfortable so you can tell me everything without stress.” Ribeiro sat down across the desk. “I don’t understand.” Mark scratched his forehead. “Something tells me that the solution to this whole mystery will come from you, the man who is so often accused of being the culprit.” Ribeiro leaned back in his chair with an interested smile. “Can you explain why you think that, Sergeant?” Mark smiled slightly. “I think I’ve been watching too many movies on my days off.” Ribeiro chuckled. “In the films I watch, when the hero is cornered with false accusations of a crime, he gives it his all to solve the mystery and clear his name. Isn’t that what you’re doing, Mr. Ferro?” “You saw me hiding in my house last week,” Ma
Gilson arrived at the LCN Group headquarters. Upon being greeted by Susana Linz, he sat down in front of her desk. Gilson felt the atmosphere suffocating him. The serious expression of the Vice President indicated that she wouldn’t bring good news. “Vice President Linz, is something wrong?” Susana sat facing him. “Do you still have the nerve to ask me that, Mr. Vasconcelos?” Gilson swallowed hard. “I don’t understand. Are you unhappy with something regarding the series?” “Yes, I’m very upset.” Susana replied. “Mr. Vasconcelos, we signed a contract with you because we thought the Vasconcelos Company deserved a chance to grow under our guidance and support. We provided our facilities and partially financed a project for a series we believed to be promising.” “I didn’t understand why you used some verbs in the past tense.” Gilson felt his heart rate quicken. Susana leaned back in her chair. “Unfortunately, we will have to reevaluate the situation of our partnership.” “What do yo
At Ferro House, Mark and Briana had just finished breakfast. “Dear, what will we do with the information Luana gave us?” Briana asked, placing her cup on the saucer. “Should we report James to the police?” “We have no evidence, just Luana’s testimony.” Mark shook his head while wiping his lips with a linen napkin. “But the Vasconcelos family has no proof of you sabotaging other people’s cars either.” Briana exclaimed, “That didn’t stop them from making disgusting accusations against you.” “And Katrina spent a night in the slammer because of it.” Mark smiled mockingly. Briana chuckled. Any punishment for Katrina is still too little! “Anyway, maybe we can give Luana’s testimony as a lead for Sergeant Ribeiro to continue investigating,” Mark suggested. “Yes, that’s a start!” Briana calmed down. “What we heard from Chris makes a lot more sense.” “Yes, it makes more sense to believe James was the saboteur.” Mark looked toward the pool. “We know how James isn’t fully invested in thi
Next Monday. The Vasconcelos Mansion was in ‘celebration’ with Christopher’s return. He had left the hospital but still needed crutches due to his casted foot. “I broke the very foot I used to try to brake hard and desperately,” Christopher joked while in the foyer. Gilson hugged him tightly. “What matters is that you’re still alive, kid!” “That’s right!” Claudia shot a disdainful look at Sandro and Nadir. “Unlike your sister, you won’t be kicked out of here.” “We still need to talk about that, folks,” Christopher said seriously. “This injustice needs to be corrected.” Sandro couldn’t hold back and interjected, “You want to talk about injustice, nephew?” Nadir echoed disdainfully, “How about we discuss the injustice of accusing our daughter of horrible things even after the police ruled her out as a suspect?” “Katrina told me how Briana got rid of the suspicions,” Christopher retorted bitterly. Gilson stepped between Sandro and his son. “Okay, folks, let’s not fight today. S
Katrina discovered that some chick had hurt her sick brother, and by Christopher’s reaction, the wound was of the heart.“Chris, tell me NOW how did she hurt you!”“No one, sis, don’t be paranoid.”“What did Luana Barros do to you, huh?”“If you’re going to be this hysterical, then it’s better if I don’t tell you. I don’t want you to do something crazy.”Katrina shook Christopher. “She was the girl you were interested in, right? Briana’s best friend? They both must have plotted something to hurt you! Come on, Chris, spill it!”“Forget it, and stop shaking me!” Christopher struggled. “If Dr. Vargas showed up here, he would kick you out.”“I don’t give a damn about Dr. Vargas!” Katrina shouted at the top of her lungs.A nurse appeared with a frown. “Mrs. Ross, we ask for respect and silence here.”“Go take care of your job, you hellish nurse! Nobody called you here!”“Alright.” The nurse hurriedly left.The multi-parameter monitor began recording Christopher’s accelerated heart rate.“S
Mark listened to the entire conversation that took place between Luana and Christopher in his hospital room.Vargas had previously placed a bug recorder to capture what promised to be an important discussion.As Mark suspected, the conversation was indeed revealing...Mark smiled in satisfaction as he heard Luana efficiently extract the secret from the deluded and foolish Christopher.Hearing Christopher come to terms with the truth and cry like a baby brought a smile to Mark’s lips.Karl noticed from his desk. “Are you watching funny videos on the Internet, Mark?”“Not exactly. I’m smiling at the prospect of Luana showing up to share the outcome of her conversation,” Mark replied.“You act like you know she got something out of him.” Karl was surprised.“I trust your girlfriend’s abilities.” Mark chuckled.Briana entered their office, anxious. “Mark, Luana called me. She’s on her way, but she told me a bit about it.”“Did she manage to get anything?” Mark took off his headphones and
Luana is astounded by the revelations Christopher shared about James. “So, instead of opening your sister’s eyes, you prefer to keep secrets to blackmail James at a future moment?” Luana scolded him with her arms crossed. “Chris, don’t you realize this will cause you problems?” “Well, I didn’t think James was a murderer, just an insatiable adulterer,” Christopher sighed in disappointment. “Well, now we have a strong reason to believe that he was the one who sabotaged your car, not Mark.” Luana stood up. Christopher raised his hand, trying to stop her. “What’s wrong?” Luana noticed. “You’re not going to tell Briana, are you?” “Do you want to keep this nonsense going? The police are running around in circles like a headless chicken trying to find the culprit!” “We have the perfect culprit: Mark,” Christopher retorted, shrugging. “IMPOSSIBLE!” Luana exclaimed indignantly. “The police have already ruled Mark out as a suspect. I heard your conversation with Sergeant Ribeiro. And I
Mark isn’t bothered at all by Gilson wanting to make a scene in the café. “Why are you so calm when my son is bedridden in the hospital?” “I’m not exactly calm,” Mark replied serenely. “I just don’t allow that to disrupt my life’s routine. Should I mourn as if your son were dead? From what I heard, he woke up and is recovering.” Gilson sat down at Mark’s table. “Not thanks to you! If it depended on your scheming, my son would be dead!” “You have absolutely no proof that I had anything to do with this.” Mark sipped another gulp of his macchiato. “Repeating this endlessly won’t make that theory true.” “We’re looking for evidence because WE KNOW it was you!” Gilson replied in a low, more threatening tone. “We won’t rest until we have you behind bars, where you belong.” “What a pathetic life you lead.” Mark shook his head in disdain. “What do you mean by that?” Gilson was outraged. “You dedicate yourselves to making others’ lives hell instead of taking care of your own business.