Episode 3

Upon arriving at a place with an enormous iron gate, we stopped where the security guard instructed us to.

The lawyer went ahead and stopped further on, got out of the car, and walked towards us.

The security guard addressed me and noted down my car’s license plate number, my name, and identification.

The lawyer reached the security guard and said, "This is the lady from the Bastos family, entering today. She is Mr. Augusto Bastos Junior's wife."

The guard nodded and granted me entry, apologizing.

It was a beautiful mansion, but it gave an impression of solitude, and I was going to live there for two years.

We stopped in front, and the lawyer waited for me to get out. He said that for the time being, only the staff would be in the house, that he would introduce me to everyone, and that this was a good place.

I thanked him, and we headed towards a large door, where we were greeted by an elderly gentleman who introduced himself as the butler of the Bastos family. The lawyer introduced me as Mrs. Bastos Junior.

I greeted him, shaking his hand and smiling. He smiled back, and I said, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Further ahead, there were four more employees together in the room. The lawyer told everyone that I was Mrs. Bastos Junior, that I would be living there, and that I would be the lady of the house. I thanked the lawyer and added, "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

A lady came forward and said, "Welcome, ma’am. The pleasure is ours. Do you have any luggage to be taken to your room?"

"Yes, please, if you could do me the favor of helping me, I would appreciate it," I replied, handing her the key.

"Don't worry, ma’am, it's our job," she said.

The lawyer said goodbye and left.

"Is your name Maria?" I asked, and she confirmed. "May I ask a favor? Please call me Ariane, or Ari, because ‘ma’am’ makes me feel very old," I said with a smile.

Everyone agreed, and Maria said, "Ma’am... I mean Ariane, we can only call you by your name when Mr. Augusto is not around. He demands that the staff show respect to their employers."

"That’s fine, but when he’s not around, I'm Ari or Ariane, okay?"

Everyone nodded. Maria showed me around the house, and we arrived at my room, which was beautiful.

As soon as I entered, I noticed how beautiful my room was, where I would live for two years. I got to know the rest of the house. There were no restrictions on any room; I could go to the library, use the office.

Everything was at my disposal. I just wouldn't meet my husband, and it was as if I had been left at the altar; he didn't even show up at the wedding. Well, if that's what he wants, I'm not going to think too much about it.

Days went by, a month, two, and I was there, living, eating, drinking. Not even my father-in-law came to meet me. I started to frequent the kitchen, helping to prepare food. I enjoyed talking to Maria and Lena. There was also Marcia and Julia, who took care of the house. Maria organized the clothes and took care of the house's running. Then, I asked, "Where is the gentleman who welcomed us? Wasn't he the butler? Where is he? It's been a month since I've been here, and he hasn't even shown up to say good morning!"

They looked at each other and smiled, and then said, "He is your father-in-law, and he asked us not to say anything unless you asked about him."

"Oh my, why didn't he introduce himself as my father-in-law?"

"He wanted to see how you treated the staff first because he said the young lady from the Gomes family was frivolous and mistreated people.

But at the last minute, her father switched brides, and he didn't know who you were.

That's why he wanted to observe you first.

He saw you, and he was going to introduce himself the next day, but he had to travel early the next morning.

He will be back tomorrow, and then you will meet the Bastos family. They are good people, and they only agreed to the marriage because of the father, who practically sold his daughter. To get the man to stop, your Augusto accepted, but then he realized that by doing so, he would never have peace.

If that man married his daughter, he would always have to give in. So he said that his son was sick and deformed, and he managed to make the girl run away. He was going to give up the penalty clause and even sold his shares so he wouldn't have any connection with that man.

But suddenly, he ends up signing the contract as a stepdaughter. He had to accept it and get married in his place. He only found out the day before.

Now he's going to meet you tomorrow, and he knows you're a good person. You've made friends with everyone in the house.

He said that if a human being does not know how to take care of another human being, regardless of their financial condition, they do not even deserve to be called human.”

I agreed with what she said, and I told her everything about the contract and how I ended up in this marriage. She was left open-mouthed at what the man and daughter had done.

And she said, "So you were tricked, and your mother was going to be used, and then they would take money from the Bastos. Lucky you acted fast; otherwise, your mother would be suffering at the hands of that man."

"True, and I wouldn't know what to do; I would be in his clutches too."

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