On the beach near the city, Vivian walked barefoot on the damp sand, thinking about how to go back to the time when, in Mark's eyes, there was not only coldness and resentment, but she could also see love and illusion.
They had known each other since childhood, and although Mark was two grades ahead of her, during recess they would meet to share their sweets. Also, he wouldn't let other children play with her, as he got somewhat jealous if he saw it.
As they grew older, they began to share more things, such as their love for architecture, nature, cars, music, and food, which brought them even closer. It could be said that they were more than friends, but everything changed when Mark took his place in the Lauren's company. The meetings between them became distant, their time together was reduced, and after he spent a year abroad, it was when they really grew apart. Upon returning, the smiling and cheerful boy she knew no longer existed. His character had completely changed, to the point that Vivian no longer knew how to start a conversation with him. When her grandfather fell ill and conditioned the merger of both companies to their union, it was when Vivian realized that the young man she knew was no longer there. The hurtful words he dedicated to her after her grandfather's request still hurt her. He called her an opportunist, suggesting that she was only approaching him for his money. When Vivian tried to explain that this was not the case, Mark did not listen to her, and everything worsened when Camila appeared. She, at every opportunity she had, put her in a bad situation, making her look like someone classist and completely indifferent towards a young woman who had suffered a lot before reuniting with her family. But the reality was different: when she returned to the Valencia mansion, her parents severely punished her for mistreating their real daughter and reproached her for being so ungrateful, because without them it was not clear what would have become of Vivian's life. As "compensation" for her supposed faults towards Camila, Vivian had to do all the work of the servants, in addition to attending to all of Camila's needs.
As soon as Camila arrived at the mansion, Vivian became simply another servant.
Many times she tried to tell Mark all this, but he never gave her the opportunity. He was always busy or with Camila, and she feared that if she told him what she did when no one was watching, it could make things worse. She endured all those abuses with the hope that when she married Mark, everything would change. She would remind him who he was before all this happened, and they would both be like before. But after everything that happened that day, her hopes fell to the ground. He not only didn't want her as a wife, but he detested her, because that way of finalizing their union was all she needed to know that he cared very little about her feelings.
While tears fell down her cheeks, a man approached and asked:
"Are you alright, miss?"
Vivian was surprised by the sudden tone of voice and, turning around, saw the gentleman.
"Yes..." she replied, seeing that he had his jacket slung over one of his shoulders and was also barefoot. "I was just taking a walk."
"I understand, I also come here to meditate." He observed Vivian's red eyes and, although he tried not to, he couldn't help but frown. "Is something wrong? Do you want me to call someone for...?"
"No, please... I just needed to think."
The man, without relaxing his expression, sat on the sand and, spreading his jacket so she could sit next to him, said:
"Alright, if you want you can talk to me. I'm not very good at talking, but I have the gift of knowing how to listen and give good advice."
Vivian looked at him. He didn't seem like a dangerous or bad person, but even so, she had some reluctance to be alone with him. She looked around, and seeing that not far away there was a group of security men watching in her direction, she turned her gaze back to the man and said:
"I don't know... maybe I'll bore you. Besides, I don't know if I should..."
"I have plenty of time. Maybe today I can be your friend. I think you need one right now."
Vivian smiled with some sadness and, taking a seat on the jacket that the man had spread out for her, she slowly told him her whole situation. When she finished, she looked at him again and said:
"And that's how, at this moment, I find myself not knowing if the decision I made is the right one..."
Nikolai looked at her with pity and, unable to help it, hugged her. This surprised Vivian, but, although in her mind she knew that this might look strange, in some strange way the warmth of that hug made her tears come out again. When Nikolai felt his shoulder getting wet again, he said:
"Vivian, you are not alone... Sister, I've been looking for you for a long time, but... Seeing that you had a family and that you seemed happy, I didn't want to... I couldn't get close..."
Vivian got up from the sand and, moving away a little, asked:
"What? Who are you?"
"Don't worry, I'll tell you everything. I only ask that you don't get upset and that you trust me..."
Vivian looked at him for a moment, and seeing that his eyes were the same color as hers, she felt curious about what that man had to tell her. She slowly nodded, and taking a seat again, Nikolai spoke...
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 43 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments