Episode 2

...XAVIER AMERY...

I just received the greatest joy of my life at thirty. My girlfriend of three years agreed to be my wife and confessed she's pregnant.

I was born into an upper-middle-class family of American origin. My father started a small business that gradually made money and expanded its horizons. The production of sportswear has steadily propelled us to the top.

I studied, prepared sufficiently, and actively became involved in my parents' business. I have an older brother who's a lawyer.

Ever since I became CEO, everything has improved in our lives, our income multiplied, I bought my first apartment, and achieved complete independence.

I always sought a partner who could provide some stability, but with so many commitments and work, that was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

I fell in love with Amber, a beautiful, intelligent, loving, kind woman. I pictured a life by her side with children of our own, but then I found her in bed with a supposed university peer when she was supposed to be at a study group. That ended our relationship; infidelity, to me, is unforgivable, a despicable act.

Ludmila came into my life later, a stunning brunette with a sweet and serene personality. She brought peace and certainty that everything in my life was in the right order. Once again, everything felt meaningful, and she seemed like the perfect woman for me. Comparing her to Amber, I realized I had been blinded before. Ludmila had to be my wife.

I bought a ring to propose she spends her life by my side, but when I went to surprise her, it was I who was stunned. She was crying and showed me a lab test confirming she was pregnant. I was so happy that I silenced my conscience's voice, which had always protected me.

"Xavier, I'm sorry, you're a great man, but there's someone else in my life," she walked away from me.

"Is the child not mine?" I asked with a lump in my throat and labored breathing.

"No, you didn't give me what I needed. You're a great man, but I have needs you can't fulfill, I'm sorry," she apologized after it felt like she had pierced my heart with a merciless sharp dagger.

I gave the ring I had bought to a colleague who wanted to propose to his girlfriend but didn't have the money for such a detail. I could no longer bear to see it.

I felt shame, disappointment, and profound sadness. The woman I thought was ideal had cheated on me, become pregnant by another, and treated me as nothing in bed. It was the height of disillusionment, the shattering of a romantic relationship.

I rarely had relations after that. My pride was deeply wounded, and the last thing I wanted was to fall in love and be let down by another woman.

As a model for one of the company's collections, I met Virginia Santamaria. A blonde woman, sweet, likable. We talked, and I was charmed by her way of expression. I asked her on a date, and after that, with great caution, we began to grow closer until I was finally sure of my feelings and hers.

My family did not approve of her, but upon investigating and finding her record clean, they did not interfere with my relationship.

After two years together, I proposed that she become my wife. She confessed her pregnancy, and I believed we were destined, nonsense.

She wanted to get married right away before the pregnancy became noticeable, and no dress would flatter her slender figure, which she was so proud of. I granted her wish, and we had a grand and luxurious wedding.

The honeymoon was fit for royalty, but upon returning, I noticed she was no longer the same. She appeared depressed and sometimes furious even with the air she breathed.

I heard her complain about the pregnancy and losing her figure. I thought it was a phase, that she might change her mind later, perhaps due to hormones or a hint of depression. I showered her with attention, treated her like the queen she was to me, but nothing was enough.

My sweet and beloved Virginia seemed to have changed. Her joy was gone; we attended couple's therapy, as well as individual psychological therapy. I would do anything to make her happy and ensure her well-being.

Jealousy ensued, but my eyes were only for her.

As the months went by, we learned she was expecting a boy. I was ecstatic; it's what I longed for, but as I celebrated, she cried in distress, looking at her swollen belly. She started trying to lose weight afterward, and my concern grew.

The pregnancy was turning my relationship into a nightmare, always worried about my child's safety, but I was at a loss. I tried everything for her, but it seemed never to be enough.