Episode 13

It was early afternoon, and all the processes related to Izabel's wake and burial had been dealt with, leaving only heartache for those who loved her. Daniel, for instance, could hardly eat; nothing could fill the emptiness.

"You need to eat. I'm sure mom wouldn't like to see you this sad," Consuelo said, managing to swallow some soup despite it scorching her throat – but as a mother, she needed to set the example.

"I'm not hungry, but I'll try the soup; it looks great," Daniel replied, offering his mother a faint smile.

"When are you going back home, and why did your wife leave with another man, and hasn't returned yet?" Jose inquired, almost causing Daniel to choke on his soup.

Jose was a good man who always looked after his family, but he sometimes had outbursts, speaking whatever came to mind. Upon hearing those words, Daniel gave a wry smile and said, "We're divorced. I asked her to keep me company for a while, and after I got a bit better, we said our goodbyes, and she left."

The Gonçalves couple was overjoyed with the news, not even inquiring about the reason or whether Daniel was okay with it.

"Is that for real? Only mom liked her. Even though I'm sad about mom's passing, I think we should celebrate," Consuelo chirped excitedly, but Daniel didn't like the idea, saying, "I thought about staying here for a bit, but everywhere I look, I see grandma. So I'm going back home, at least for now." He bid his parents farewell and got into his car, planning to start it when he saw the bag with a men's gift purchased by Lucy. He thought about calling his ex-wife, probably to return it, but he lacked the courage.

"Would she even answer my call?" Daniel murmured to himself, clutching his phone when Dayse sent a message followed by a photo.

'Hey bro, what's up with Lucy? She came into my store dressed like a tramp, see for yourself, how could you get involved with her?'

Dayse's words only had the desired effect when Daniel saw the photo. Lucy was wearing a white dress, a bit short, revealing her legs, and the photo even highlighted her breasts, suggesting she wasn't wearing a bra. Realizing this, Daniel felt very upset and impulsively called Lucy, to his surprise, she answered promptly.

"Hello, Daniel, how are you?" she asked with a slight smile.

"Why do you have to wear such short clothes? Are you already looking for a new husband? Have you forgotten me?" Daniel asked, letting out a small sigh.

Upon hearing his words, Lucy couldn't help but think how nosy her former sister-in-law was, such a gossipmonger. It turns out Lucy had borrowed a dress from Carol, and they had gone shopping together. The dress wasn't even that short, and surely Daniel was making a mountain out of a molehill. But Lucy was unsparing in her response.

"Well, I'm a free woman now and definitely don't need your opinion on anything. Oh, and tell your sister to stop meddling in my life," she snapped, recalling the day she bought the dress and how quickly Daniel was informed as if she always had to report back to him, while he never mentioned where he was going or when he'd be back.

Embarrassed by the situation and unwilling to admit his jealousy, Daniel forced a smile and said, "I was just worried. Unscrupulous men like taking advantage of vulnerable women. Cover up, it might reduce the chances of becoming a victim," he said, his voice laden with a concern Lucy couldn't quite explain.

"If that's all, I'm going to hang up now," Lucy stated and was once again engulfed by sadness, akin to quicksand pulling her further down. She didn't wait for Daniel to respond and quickly ended the call.

Since she was still in Dayse's store, Lucy looked contemptuously at the young woman with gossipmonger's lips and contemplated a fitting revenge. Acting nonchalantly, she said, "Oh Dayse, I'm truly sorry. There's nothing here I like. Guess I got used to those clothes nobody wanted anymore, which you sold for a fortune, even taking the shirt off your brother's back because you knew I couldn't talk to him well, and it always ended like that, except Daniel would spend less time at home, all out of spite. But don't worry, I have news—I'm divorced from Daniel, and whatever I do is none of his business." She ended the last sentence with a contrived smile.

"If I did that, it's none of your business. Better he gives his money to me than to some poor thing like you," Dayse retorted while smiling and caressing her hair, glad to know they were no longer sisters-in-law.

"It's not my concern, but I'm sure Daniel wouldn't like to hear about it," Lucy said, smiling, then surreptitiously removed her finger from the small microphone in the right-hand corner of the message app, releasing the audio to Daniel. Seeing this, Dayse went into a panic and was at a loss for words.

Laughing at the situation, Lucy and Carol left Dayse's store and headed to the one across, where with an unlimited black card, Lucy purchased all sorts of clothing, accessories, and shoes—everything she needed to mask her sorrow and move forward.