Chapter 6
Eliza Campos
I walk with my head down, with a certain shyness and a little nervous, I know that everything has to be perfect, my permanence in the company depends on it.
So I decided to ask Carla.
- Carla, but, has the meeting already started?
- It is about to start, but Pedro asked you to go to his office to show him that project you had told me you were doing.
As nervous as I was, I thanked Carla and went to Pedro's room.
Upon arriving at Pedro's room, I take a deep breath and knock on his door.
- Come in," Pedro says in a thick voice that sends shivers through my entire body.
I open the door slowly and speak.
- Carla said you wanted to talk to me before the meeting started?
Pedro looks deeply in my direction before answering my question.
- Yes, I wanted to know about your project, Carla had told me that you had put together some spreadsheets, when I went to your office, I forgot to ask.
I swallow dryly because of that look he was giving me, but I hand him the project I created.
Pedro analyzes the paper for a few moments.
- Look, this is really great, the spreadsheet is very complete, I saw here that you put the information about the company, from when it was started until today, with data from books published by us - He says, looking impressed - Where did you get these ideas?
- Thank you - I say embarrassed – Well, I remembered the time I launched some of my books and that before doing, so I did a brief survey to find out which books were most successful and what the target audience of each one was. The spreadsheet has all this information - Complete.
- You manage to surprise me more and more - He says, holding my hands again - You surprise me more every day - He completes without letting go of my hand, but, before I could do anything, someone entered Pedro's room without knocking, making me let go, afraid of what could happen if someone saw that scene.
It was a blonde, medium haired, haughty woman with an elegant bearing.
- Am I in the way of something? - the person asks, casting a contemptuous glance in my direction.
Just as I was about to answer that woman's question, Pedro answered in my place.
- No, you didn't, Heloise," Pedro says, so he probably knew the girl who had entered his room. Could she be a relative of his? - My love, this here in front of me is Eliza, the newest employee, and Eliza this is Heloise, my fiancée.
When Pedro says those words they seem to echo through my head "Fiancée, fiancée, fiancée" and once again I had my heart broken by another love disappointment, it was probably something in my head to believe that Pedro could have some feelings for me.
I don't expect Peter to say anything else.
- Pleased to meet you, Heloisa," I say greeting the girl who just returned the handshake out of politeness, "Do you need anything else?
- No, thank you for the spreadsheet, this is really amazing - he answers - I want you to present the project - he asks, and since he is my boss, there is no way I could say no. As much as I find it strange that an employee should be a part of the project, I think it's a good idea. As much as I find it strange for an employee to present a meeting on her first day of work.
- Okay, I'm waiting until the meeting starts, ask Carla to call me - I ask already leaving the room, I was very sad about the occurrence for being so stupid and not seeing things clearly, Pedro was probably just being polite with me.
But I left the room with a huge smile on my face, I wouldn't let myself be shaken by this one, because if I did that I would be giving wind to all these people who don't deserve 1% of my attention, I was so distracted that I end up bumping into the last person I wanted to see in the earth phase.
- Sorry, Pietro, I didn't mean to bump into you," I say.
However, I would have kept quiet if I had known I would hear what came next.
- Look where you're going, you're not only drugged, you're blind too." He smiles mockingly, he had probably spoken that way because he knew how I looked, even more so in front of all the employees, who thank God were busy doing their respective jobs.
As I needed to pull myself together, I headed for the bathroom. I never thought that Pietro could treat me like that, of course, in parts he blames me for the loss of our daughter and that I have made him suffer a lot in the last years, especially when we were dating.
I decided not to hold any grudges for the words spoken by my ex-boyfriend.
While I was still in the bathroom, I heard the door opening and as I looked in the mirror, I realized that it was Carla who seemed to be worried about my condition.
- Eliza, are you feeling all right? - she asks.
- Yes, you are, don't worry about me, Carla," I answer, but Carla probably didn't believe me.
- Are you sure? Because I saw an argument between you and Pietro," she says.
Since there would be no point in lying to Carla, I decided to answer everything, except that I will not talk about my drug addiction.
- Okay, Pietro is an ex of mine and I accidentally bumped into him, and he ended up being rude to me - I answer.
- Eliza, but what I saw went beyond rudeness. You know I'll have to report his behavior to Pedro, don't you? - She says.
- Don't say anything, please, I beg you, leave everything as it is." I ask, not least because I don't want to harm Pietro even more, the last thing I want is for him to lose his job.
- Okay, just for your sake, I will not say anything - Carla did not seem happy to do that.
- Thank you, Carla, but changing the subject, did Pedro tell you when the meeting will take place? - I ask.
- I was going to start now, but Heloise showed up and Pedro postponed it a bit - She answers - If I may ask, what did he think of your project?
- He said he liked it a lot, and wants me to present the project in front of all the partners - I say, but the expression Carla makes is strange - What is this face?
Carla has an expression that shows confusion on her face.
- It is nothing, but Pedro has never asked this to any employee, especially when he was new," she answers and then smiles playfully.
When Carla says that, I start to blush with embarrassment.
- Carla, stop it, it has nothing to do with it. Besides, he's married," I answer, and so I stop the conversation with Carla, leaving the bathroom and standing in the hallway waiting for the meeting to start.
Pedro begins to rummage around in my thoughts again, could it really be that nothing could happen between me and Pedro. I hope that everything goes well in this meeting.
Chapter 07Eliza CamposI stood in the hall waiting for Carla to call me, the meeting will be with several partners of the company. Pedro really wanted me to present my project in front of all of them. I am very nervous, because for sure in the room would be Pietro and Cassandra, his girlfriend.I don't know how I can face Pietro after his harsh words to me. Not only that, but I know that I have a share of the blame for how our relationship has turned out since I got addicted to drugs. I have ruined not only my life, but the lives of everyone around me.I came out of my thoughts when I saw that Carla was calling me, probably the meeting was about to start. Furthermore, I wiped away some tears that were running down my face and hoped that Carla hadn't noticed.- Carla, has it started yet? - I questioned.- The meeting is about to start. Pedro asked us to go - Carla answers - Are you nervous?- A little, Pedro asked me to present that project - I say.- I am sure that everything will be
Chapter 08Eliza CamposWe had just arrived at the Roxy Club, the hottest club in São Paulo, where several people meet to drink, dance, and have fun, and right at the door we almost bumped into Pietro and Cassandra, who didn't seem happy to see me, and Pietro was as if he didn't care about me anymore, as if I didn't exist.Carla turns toward me.- My friend, how angry they are that they came too," she says. Carla had really taken a dislike to Pietro.- Unfortunately, but, what the hell, they are also employees of the company - I say - But they might as well not have come at all, they would save our eyes from seeing this toxic couple in front of us - I completely with a laugh.Cassandra had probably realized that we were talking about her because she almost stepped forward, but Pietro held her back.We giggled for a few moments until we were interrupted by another unwanted person.- By the looks of it, they're pretty excited," Heloise says, "May I ask the reason for the joke?She was p
Chapter 09Eliza CamposLucas was driving me in his car to my house, but on the way, he decided to ask me some questions.- Eliza, I didn't believe what you told me. Where were you?I guess I'll get a lecture from Lucas just for having fun.- Lucas, I told you I went for a drink of coke and ran into someone there, you probably already know what happened next.- Eliza, you are very irresponsible," says Lucas.- Brother, stop being so grim - I say - Carla told me that you guys are staying, right? - I said, trying to change the focus of the subject.Lucas ends up getting embarrassed by my question.- Yes, we did, but we don't need to talk about it now," he says, making me laugh because of the look on his face.- Brother, you don't have to be embarrassed," I say and decide to tell Lucas the same thing I told Carla, "I would love to have Carla as my sister-in-law, you two would make such a cute couple.Lucas gives a small smile and continues to drive to my house, which doesn't take long to
Chapter 10Eliza CamposAlready in my room, I begin to think that my father and Heloise have the same names and Carla couldn't tell me the name of Peter's brother, I can't explain this whole mystery.After a few minutes of analyzing the paperwork that Peter had asked me to do, I hear someone knocking on my door.- You may enter - I speak to the person, who opens the door, and it is precisely Carla - Do you need something?- Peter told me to tell everyone to gather in the meeting room, it seems that the visitors have just arrived - She answers - Shall we go?- Yes," I say, and so we proceed to the meeting room.I just didn't expect to meet that man again, even more so being the one from the ballad.- Thomas? - I say without managing to contain my smile.When he hears his name called, he turns toward me and is even more surprised than I was.- Eliza, I didn't know that you work here," he says, "It seems that fate is trying to bring the two of us together.Probably Peter had become jealo
Chapter 11 Eliza Campos Carla's question made me freeze for a few moments, this secret is kept under lock and key and only my family knows about it. Only that I trust Carla a lot, as if I have known her for many years. That is why I decided to tell her everything. - It is not easy, it is a delicate matter, but, yes, I can tell you,” I answer. What do you think? - That's fine,” she answers, “Now let's go back to the meeting room, Mr. Manuel was very worried about you and even tried to follow you, but Heloise wouldn't let him. Thank God he didn't come when you were crying. - Thank God he didn't come - I said - I'm only going back because I still have to work, but I didn't want to talk to him. - I understand your friend - Carla says, holding my hand in a sign of support. Then we went to the meeting room and as we walked down the hallway I noticed people looking at me and pointing their fingers blatantly at me, probably they have already found out that my father is one of the own
Chapter 12Eliza CamposAs I leave the meeting room, I bump into Pietro again. It's probably going to get messy again.Pietro smiles debauched.- That means that the ex-drug addict is the daughter of the company owner, who would suspect that Mr. Manoel was that rich - Pietro says.I look around to see if anyone had heard what he was saying.- Pietro, what do you want from me now? It's not enough that you and your girlfriend got into this mess," I say with almost no patience left to put up with him.Pietro slowly approaches me until I lean against a wall that was next to us.- I want you," he says, making me confused, until he completes what he wants to say, "now that you're rich I'd love to date you again... I just feel disgusted to be near you.- What? I can't believe you had the nerve to come here and tell me this," I say, surprised by Pietro's boldness.When Pietro says such a thing, I feel like flying in his face, but, I take a deep breath, and if he would just stay close to me be
Chapter 13 Peter Monterey I never would have suspected that Manoel was Eliza's father, he had told me that he had two other children from another marriage, but never told me anything more about them. And when I found out that she is Heloísa's half-sister, I thought about asking Manoel to give me Eliza's hand in marriage, but I don't know if it was the right thing to do. I don't want her harm, but, I can no longer stay Heloisa, I don't have the same feeling as in the beginning. I'm sure I can achieve this with Eliza, I feel something so good coming from her, but, when I saw that Thomas met her at the company party, he even warned me about a wonderful woman he had met, but, I never suspected it was Eliza he was talking about. I still haven't figured out how I can talk to Manoel about the change of plans since I want to break up with Heloísa and get married to Eliza, but I need to prepare the ground; I know that Thomas is interested in her, even though he has been married for years t
Chapter 14Peter MontereyPietro was the last person I wanted to see, I just felt an enormous desire to punch him in the face as hard as I could, however, at the moment I can't do anything and ruin Afonso's party, one of my best friends from when we were young and played in the street about various things.Then, like the polite man that I am, I greet the people at the party, some were acquaintances from my college days and others were just friends of Alfonso. I approach Pietro and speak, even if against my will. I had to hold myself in order not to do anything against him.- Hi Pietro, how are you? - I was just being polite to him, I hope he would not be stupid enough to provoke me, for this he would have to bear all the consequences, since I am his boss and whether he likes it or not I am the owner of the company, which now bears my name.- All right, what about you? - He answers.- I'm fine," he answers without wanting to hear Pietro's voice.Alphonse saw how I was in Pietro's prese