“Two Cheeseburgers to go, please!”
“Matt, two cheeseburgers!”
Matthew was in a corner of the kiosk trying to read an Economics book, but with the order given by his superior, he patiently left the book with the marker on the page where he stopped and got up to go to the hot plate.
Grabbing cheese and hamburger meats, Matthew began the preparation. After cooking so much, Matthew could make snacks with his eyes closed.
While preparing the order, Matthew began to reflect on his life so far.
The customers who eagerly awaited the order were university students, attending the famous and private Sterling University, the most popular and referenced Higher Education institution in the state of Espírito Santo. The two-story university was built with the same appearance and architecture seen in the world’s most famous universities.
For someone to say they would study at Sterling was the same as saying they would study at Harvard or Oxford.
The building was erected by the famous Rocha Constructions, and they captured well the style of a university that evoked tradition, respect, and leadership.
Sterling University was built in a remote area of the city of Blue Cove, not far from the large city of Lagoon City. After the completion of construction and its inauguration in 2010, the area around the university began to be populated. Stores and food options emerged to serve university students, including the Happy Snack kiosk.
The kiosk is located in the huge tree-lined square, at the entrance to the university. Students entering or leaving through the front entrance inevitably would face the kiosk.
And it’s this kiosk that helps Matthew Silva, 25, get a little money to pay his bills and help his mother.
“These cheeseburgers are takeout.” Clayton Saldanha reminded him, the owner of the establishment.
“Yes, sir,” Matthew wraps up the takeout snacks and goes to the front to deliver them to two young ladies who are waiting.
The two university students were dressed elegantly, in fashionable clothes, probably Law students or other higher education courses. Still, they can’t take their eyes off the kiosk assistant.
Matthew’s kind blue eyes along with his gentle and comradely posture, was an attraction in itself at the kiosk.
After they pay, say thank you, and leave, the waitress who works there leans against the counter and comments, “You managed to gain two more loyal customers, Matt.”
“Me?” Matthew chuckles, “They’ll come back because of my snack-making skills, Patricia.”
Patricia shakes her head with a mischievous smile, “It’s not like that. They’ll come back because they think you’re quite a catch.”
Matthew wags his index finger, “If we have customers, it’s thanks to you standing outside serving them.”
Patricia blushes slightly and tries to hide it.
Both Matthew and Patricia have good looks, but unfortunately, no scout from any modeling agency would hire the two of them if he was passing by at the time. Matthew and Patricia, without realizing it, hide their good looks with the caps they put on, the baggy kiosk t-shirt they wear, and the greasy frayed jeans.
Matthew, to add the matter, has a three-day stubble, his clothes are greasier from being the grill cook, and the smoke that always comes out of the grill leaves his skin in bad condition.
Still, some can see beauty in Matthew, which is why he has become a topic of conversation among college students.
Coming down the stairs after a long day of studying, Cindy Cardoso, a stunning blonde the same age as Matthew, sees the kiosk and smiles slightly.
She heads towards the establishment, but going around the back, she calls Matthew with obvious intimacy.
“Matt?”
“Cindy! How are you, my love?”
Matthew was going to hug Cindy, but the apron with signs of the snack he just fried put her on guard.
“Ehr... Be careful, my dear. From here, I’m going straight to LCN!”
“Oh, I got it.” Matthew is a little embarrassed. But then, he looked at the white blouse and black jeans that framed her thighs and realized that he couldn’t get her dirty.
“How are you?” Cindy tries to break the awkward silence.
“Nothing much happened. I continue studying and working here.” Matthew smiles proudly.
Cindy tries to be enthusiastic, but inside, she’s kind of bored by her boyfriend’s ready answer, “OK, I hope something comes along to help you improve your life, Matt. Your mom is counting on you. If I can help in any way... LCN is hiring.”
“I’m not suited to work at a television station, darling.” Matthew laughs.
“Matt, we have one more order!” Clayton interrupts, placing a piece of paper on a counter.
“Sorry, honey, I need to get these snacks ready. I’ll see you later?” Matthew asks fondly.
“No need, I’m going to work late. We’re covering an important story about a corrupt politician. It looks like a colleague of mine found some evidence and we need to prepare a bombshell article, but the deadline is approaching!” Cindy suddenly has her brown eyes shining. Talking about her journalism career is more exciting for her.
“Careful, darling,” Matthew turns serious, “I don’t want them to hunt you down in retaliation. I’d hate to know that—”
Cindy laughs as she walks away. Matthew was going to pet her, but the smell of grease from the grill repels her, “Don’t worry, Matt. I’m just an intern helping. The person who will write the article is an already renowned journalist and expert on this type of subject. And nowadays, retaliating against a journalist who publishes this type of material is a sign of guilt. Politicians are still corrupt, but now they’re smarter.”
Matthew relents, “OK, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodbye!” Cindy waves, already walking away.
Matthew smiles, proud of his girlfriend.
Patricia, however, is somberly serving customers. She seems to notice some signs that Matthew missed...
Other university students approach. One of them, acting as if he were the leader of a pack, stands too close to Patricia, while the others sit at a table, watching with arrogant smiles.
“Hey, waitress! Tell the loser we want four doubles BTL.” Said the one guy who was still standing.
Patricia is uncomfortable with the unwanted approach, “OK, you can wait and sit there with your friends.”
“What’s the problem?” The young man continues to approach when Patricia tries to move away, “While the loser prepares the snacks, we could talk a little, don’t you think?”
“I can’t talk, I’m at work.” Patricia tries to go to the counter, but the young man grabs her right arm.
“I don’t think Mr. Saldanha will mind. He knows me. Almost everyone knows me, except you, as seen. I’m David, and you?”
Patricia lets go of David. She knows who he is. David Rocha, the third son of the great construction baron Josias Rocha. At 31 years old, he was in his final year of Administration and was the most popular among university students.
His resemblance to his father in physical appearance, tall and fit body, draws the attention of women and the admiration of other guys. But what David had in beauty and status, he also had in arrogance.
Patricia smiles wryly, “I don’t need to be introduced to the heir of Rocha Constructions— OOPS! I forgot. The company is already under the big brother’s command, right?”
David’s friends stop laughing as David drops his mocking smile. Patricia had touched on the forbidden topic.
He again grabs her arm, this time violently, “And what do you know about this? The battle is not lost yet! That’s why I’m here, qualifying myself to prove that I can be as good a leader as my older brother, or even better than him!”
Patricia shakes her head and retorts, “Doesn’t it cross your mind that you’ll never be worthy of taking over the most powerful construction company because you were born from a mistress’s womb who tried to pull off a marriage coup?”
“You b*tch!”
David raises his hand to slap Patricia, but another, more ferocious scream echoes through the square, attracting the attention of the others around.
“Let go of her, you coward!”
David’s hand freezes in midair. With furious eyes, he searches until he finds the owner of the voice who dared to challenge him.
“YOU?” David asks in caustic disdain.
Patricia turns back and sees Matthew removing his apron. She is frightened by her friend’s domineering and at the same time protective stance.
“Does your girlfriend know you stick up for other girls, man?” David lets go of Patricia carelessly, causing her to trip and fall to the ground.
“Patricia!” Matthew, more concerned about her friend’s safety, rushes over to check if she’s okay.
But as soon as Matthew leans towards her, David takes advantage of the situation and delivers a heavy kick to his ribs.
“ARGH!” Matthew screamed in pain.Matthew was not a weak man. The difficult life he led made him endure a lot. He never shied away from hard work, causing him to gain stamina and physical strength.But being completely taken by surprise by David, it was inevitable that he wouldn’t feel some pain. Still, David’s friends laugh thinking that Matthew was nothing more than a useless weakling.“A light kick like that, and he screams like a little girl!”“For a moment, I thought I was going to witness a real fight.”“The waitress is lost if she really needed the grill cook!”“Come on, man, get up!” David bellows imperially, “You asked, and now you’ve got trouble!”But Clayton appeared from inside the kiosk, rubbing his hands on his apron, “Hey, you guys, stop it or I’ll call campus security!”David looks arrogantly at Clayton, “Are you also going to call my father to teach this worm who dared to defy me a lesson?”Patricia doesn’t remain silent, “Mr. Saldanha, that’s not what—”“You know wha
Matthew felt a mixture of surprise and disappointment. Cindy was reacting as if they were strangers or as if they had broken up years ago. He observed Ricardo and saw how he smiled mockingly.“What’s going on here?” Matthew asks, not so sure he wants to know the answer.Ricardo steps in front of Cindy and responds on her behalf, “Look, my friend, I don’t know what Cindy said – or what she didn’t say – the point is that we’ve been dating for months. I think we should dissolve any misunderstanding before the situation becomes more embarrassing than it already is.”Matthew’s eyes widen. He tries all the time to face Cindy, but she doesn’t have the guts to face him.“Ricardo, allow me to resolve this...” Cindy asks in a low voice.“No, darling. As a gentleman, I can’t let you expose yourself.”Matthew finally says, “Cindy, is this the journalist who is investigating a corrupt politician? What if he puts you in danger?”“Matt, I already told you that’s not going to happen!” Cindy speaks in
Walter stands up abruptly, his brow furrowed, eager to defend his friend, “Excuse me, there’s an injustice happening here. Who are you, the new university inspector?” Another colleague comments, “If Matt got into trouble with David Rocha, then that’s not an injustice, Walter!” A girl says dismissively, “Yes, yesterday’s fight was spread on the campus social media, Walter. Haven’t you seen it yet?” “I don’t have time for this nonsense!” Walter exclaims. “Is that you Matthew Silva?” The fifty-year-old man slightly narrows his eyes, as if he already knew that whoever was speaking was a friend of the person he was looking for. “No, I’m Walter Andrade.” Walter speaks boldly. The surname Andrade should spark some interest in the middle-aged man, given that the Andrade family has a network of private clinics famous for serving people of all ages and social classes. But the man didn’t change his stance, “I just came here to take Matthew Silva.” The professor also notices that the man
Abner leafs through Matthew’s academic record very carefully. He nods with a calm but observant look. Matthew just wonders what the old man must be thinking.“Your grades are very good and your class attendance is above average.” Abner finally speaks.Matthew allows himself to smile. At least someone is saying something nice, “Thank you, Mr. Sterling.”Abner continues to flip through and read, “No internships in the field yet?”“Like I told you, I’m working at the square kiosk here,” Matthew responds with a touch of pride.“But you’re wondering if you’ll be able to buy your mother’s medicine. In other words, that means you’re not earning enough income.” Abner has a worried expression.Matthew starts to find something strange. This is not the talk about someone who will be expelled from an educational institution...“Mr. Sterling, I know you care and I appreciate that. But can we formalize my expulsion once and for all? I think I’ve learned my lesson.”Abner, however, raises his head a
Walter finishes eating his snack and gestures to Patricia.“Yes, Walt?”“How much is the snack? Bring the bill, please.”“Yes... oh, damn!” Patricia looks in the direction where David is approaching.Walter turns his head in the same direction and his eyes narrow in discomfort.Especially as he sees an uncomfortable Cindy being forced by the bully to approach the kiosk.Thinking that David wants to cause another scene with Matthew, Walter stands up and greets them ironically, “David Rocha! What a pleasure, I didn’t need to drive Cindy here. As my best friend’s girlfriend, she would come here voluntarily.”David smiles evilly, “She was running away, I don’t know why. Maybe she can explain it to us.”Patricia still doesn’t know that Cindy and Matthew have broken up. Therefore, she goes inside the kiosk.Matthew is idle and is drying his hands on a threadbare handkerchief.“Matt!” Patricia exclaims, “David is outside, pushing Cindy here. I think he’s up to something!”“What an idiot! I k
The doctor informs Matthew what happened in a normal tone, “Your mother is medicated, under control. She stopped coughing and is now sleeping.”“What’s wrong with her, doctor?” Matthew is a little relieved to know that his mother’s life is not in danger.“We still don’t know for sure. When she showed up, paramedics said they found her coughing violently, with her hands on her neck.” The doctor states, “Does she have any allergies?”Matthew swallows hard, understanding why, “No, doctor, but we’re residents of Lion’s Den. Our house isn’t the best example of cleanliness.”“It’s necessary to maintain a certain standard of cleanliness even if you don’t live in a mansion.” The doctor patiently advises him, “Your mother probably has pneumonia or tuberculosis. With the definitive diagnosis coming out, we will know how to treat her.”“Thank you, doctor.” Matthew smiles yellowly.“She won’t wake up for now. If you don’t want to stay here overnight, you can come back early in the morning.” The d
Cindy is surprised to bump into Matthew. Matthew finds it strange how Cindy reacted.“What happened, Cindy? Did you think it was a thief?”“No, I just didn’t expect you here.” Cindy fixes her hair and clothes, afraid of catching the smell of fried oil even though Matthew has taken a shower.“By the way, I’m sorry for the unnecessary exposure,” Matthew says in a neutral tone.Cindy looks at Matthew in disbelief, “I don’t believe it.”“What?” Matthew narrows his gaze.“Are you still feeling sorry for me, worrying about me, when the main target was you?” Cindy says in a dismissive tone, “You know, Matt, I think that’s one of the things that make me despise you. You have no self-respect. You’re always thinking about the well-being of others.”Matthew is horrified by Cindy’s idea, “Did you want me to be selfish and insensitive? And then you go around complaining that men are no good? Did you want me to be like David Rocha? He’s definitely laughing in your face and helping share the gossip!
Ricardo becomes jealous as Cindy’s friends insinuate that she should have continued dating Matthew because of the apparent influence he has with Abner Sterling.Cindy, however, recovers from her shock and laughs. Wanting to reassure her boyfriend, she brings her cell phone to her mouth and records another audio, “You’re crazy. Don’t you realize that I was the reason Mr. Sterling banned gossip in the university forum? The fact that Matthew was mentioned was pure formality. After all, you were talking about him too. And be thankful that my current boyfriend doesn’t demand any compensation for having his name involved in sordid rumors.”Cindy finishes and puts her cell phone in her purse, “There, honey, problem solved. Thanks to your influence, Mr. Sterling took matters into his hands and ended the gossip.”Ricardo, however, keeps insecure and severe, “Are you sure that the dean and the owner of the university don’t have a strange fondness for the poor guy? His name was mentioned first,
At Silva Oil Company, Kirk appeared in Leonardo’s office. Fernando and Marta had already left. “KIRK!” Leonardo abruptly stood up from his desk. “How are you, my young man!” “Mr. Silva?” Kirk was surprised by such reverence. “I didn’t know you cared so much about me...” “Cut the small talk! You just had a seizure and looked like you were going to die in my company,” Leonardo gestured for the employee to sit down. “Now I want to know all the details. Don’t hide anything from this curious old man.” Kirk smiled and sat down. “Well, sir, there’s not much to tell. I was stupid enough to fall for the siren’s song.” “In this case, the cocaine song, right?” Leonardo leaned forward. “What do you intend to do from here on out?” “Obviously, I promised myself and my family that I wouldn’t use that cr*p anymore. It wasn’t worth all the drama and suffering,” Kirk replied honestly. “That’s good. Then you can continue from where you left off,” Leonardo smiled, relieved. “That’s about what I w
In Urbano Magazine, Cindy returned with the printed sheet, extending it to Andreia. “Read this not-so-pretentious article, my friend,” Cindy declared. Andreia took the paper and read it. A smile formed at the right corner of her mouth. “Cool... nothing so blatantly accusatory, but clear enough for any semi-literate person to understand that Elaine knocked over that pyramid of champagne glasses, causing a scene at the book signing.” “Of course, I won’t say she did it because the honored author was her enemy’s mother,” Cindy replied mischievously. “You don’t want to risk Matt’s wrath.” Andreia stood up, a bit slowly due to her pregnancy. “Speaking of which, how did he react after your dad’s video?” “I didn’t bring it up with him,” Cindy shook her head. “If I mention it, people will say I still love him.” “And you don’t want to do anything to ruin your relationship with Jackson,” Andreia repeated. “Cindy, it’s commendable that you’re more committed and focused on having someone in
Fernando appeared in the kitchen wearing gray sweatpants. Liz, who was sour and bitter, smiled pathetically with her gaze fixed on her husband’s pants. “Good morning, son. What’s new?” Ronaldo replied rudely, “The news is seeing my mother still able to walk!” “RON!” Liz was startled. Fernando shook his head. “Son, don’t be disrespectful. Your mother and I are trying to be as discreet as possible.” Ronaldo shot back, “Just missing discretion when discussing my fiancée, huh? Can we talk about that now?” Liz pursed her lips. “I was so happy when I woke up, but you made sure to ruin my day.” “Mom, we can’t avoid the obvious!” Ronaldo turned to Fernando. “Matt told me that Elaine was reprimanded.” “And I will never agree to that!” Liz shouted. “Elaine was a victim of that tough girl from the slums! She could have died from a cut to her jugular!” “But Elaine provoked Patty’s wrath by saying those nasty things,” Fernando reasoned as he served himself breakfast. “Couldn’t Patricia a
Silva Penthouse, Monday morning. Ronaldo was walking down the hallway to the kitchen in just his boxer shorts when the suite door opened. Liz was smiling a little too much, looking like she was about to dance ballet. “Mom! Long time no see!” “Yes, son, I had a wonderful time with your father!” Liz replied suggestively. Ronaldo blushed to the roots of his hair. “Is breakfast ready?” she asked casually. “I was about to check,” Ronaldo said, heading to the kitchen. There, the coffee maker was already brewing coffee. “Nando must have prepared it in advance.” Liz took bread and butter from the fridge. Ronaldo, cautious, sat down at the table. He noticed a tear in Liz’s nightgown. “Mom, did you and Dad make up this Sunday?” “We can say he’s no longer in love with your fiancée,” Liz replied with a mischievous smile. “Mom, stop talking about that disgusting stuff!” Ronaldo frowned. “This is all your sick imagination.” Liz simply shrugged, sitting down at the table as well. “You’r
Elaine arrived stumbling with fear and bewilderment. The truth about Bella and Nathan’s relationship was something horrifying and incredible for her to digest. “Oh my God... how did these two families let this issue intertwine like this?” Nayla was at the reception desk, smiling, waiting for Elaine to approach. But when she realized Elaine was going to walk past her, Nayla called out loudly, “ELAINE?” Elaine stopped suddenly and looked at her friend. “Oh, Nayla, I’m sorry...” “Don’t worry. I know you must be going through a lot of pressure.” Nayla stood up. “I really am. But I always have time for my friends.” Elaine smiled and approached, trying to distract her mind. “I wanted to know if there are any openings here at Golden Letters for my brother.” Nayla asked respectfully. Elaine’s smile vanished with the wind. As Nayla’s boss, she knew who the brother was. “Nayla, we’re friends, but you know I have a strong opinion against drug use and sales.” Elaine replied in a boss t
At Andrade Clinic, Charles was leading a meeting with the receptionists and security guards. Walter and Emmanuelle were present. “So, everyone, the next time Liz Silva or anyone else causes a scene at the clinic entrance, security or even the police must be called in immediately. Don’t hesitate just because the troublemaker is someone from an important family. This is a hospital clinic, not a zoo, so I demand order in the lobby. A disturbance can jeopardize the patients who are waiting for care, and I don’t want to compromise anyone’s safety, understood?” “Yes, Mr. Andrade!” everyone responded in unison. “Okay, everyone can return to your posts.” The staff went back to work. Linda gave Walter a brief kiss before leaving. “Linda, I need to ask you a quick question,” Emmanuelle called her back. Linda paused, closing the door after the last person left. “Did you check with your parents if it’s safe to go home?” “No, Emmanuelle. The conversation with Gus was so good that I forgot
In Matthew’s suite, he was now buttoning the cuffs of his genuine cotton dress shirt. Elaine had also gotten out of the bathtub, unable to continue relaxing, and was now putting on her work suit.The memory of the Golden Letters prompted Matthew to strike up a conversation. “Did you remove a glass from the base of the pyramid?” Elaine stared at Matthew as if he were the devil. “What? How can you throw a question like that out of nowhere?” “I just asked a question, woman, answer me.” Elaine shook her head as she walked to the sofa to put on her high heels. “This is inconceivable. Your mind is always revolving around Patricia’s issues. You never forget her, and then tell me I don’t need to worry.” “Was the champagne glass pyramid made for an occasion involving Patricia?” Matthew countered logically. “No, but it was her mother’s book signing.” Elaine angrily slipped on her shoes. “Well, I remembered that many claimed the embarrassment happened because someone removed a glass from
Monday. Elaine was relaxing in the bathtub of her husband’s suite. Matthew stepped out of the shower stall, drying his hair with a white towel as he walked to the double sink. The sight of Matthew’s exposed body startled Elaine for a few seconds, but then she took advantage of the beautiful view, smiling mischievously. “It hardly feels like it’s Monday,” she commented casually. Matthew was washing his face as he said, “Yes, it’s Monday, the day to take care of important things after we relax our nerves on Sunday.” Elaine pursed her lips and retorted, “If I relaxed my nerves, it’s because they were in shambles. It’s not like me to live in constant stress, darling. I might not get the chance to calm down in the future.” Matthew turned off the faucet and grabbed a face towel. “Are you saying you would be willing to reduce your contact with Aunt Liz?” Elaine could no longer relax. “What does that mean?” Matthew tossed the towel onto the sink and turned to his wife. “I don’t like t
In the Silva Penthouse, Liz took advantage of the wreckage of the coffee table to create more drama. “Here we have it, darling! The COFFEE TABLE is SHATTERED with Elaine’s body thanks to Patty—” “SHUT UP!” Fernando slammed the door shut. Liz trembled in panic, staring wide-eyed at her furious husband. “But what is this? Why are you angry with me, darling, when you should be furious with Patty—” “I command silence, and you keep babbling even more!” Fernando went to the utility room to grab a broom. Liz quickly grabbed her phone and took a picture of the shattered coffee table. Maybe this will come in handy for her in the future... “So, what are we going to do about this?” Liz shouted for Fernando to hear. Fernando returned with a broom and a dustpan in hand. “Don’t tell me you’re going to sweep this up!” Liz reacted horrified. “Let the maid clean it up on Monday!” “I won’t have a living room full of glass shards until Monday. I want to watch TV tomorrow!” Fernando’s ferocity