Mel continued walking through the dark streets, feeling the desperation grow with each step. She knew she needed to find a place to spend the night; it was dangerous to stay outside, and so she decided to seek help from her aunt, who had cared for her when her mother passed away when she was 14 years old.
Arriving at her aunt's house, Mel hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. Her aunt, a middle-aged woman with a weary expression, opened the door and looked at her in surprise.
"Mel? What are you doing here at this hour," dear? asked her aunt, worried.
"Tia Maria, I... I need a place to stay, just for tonight." Mel replied, her voice trembling from tears. "My marriage is over... Alexandre cheated on me, aunt... and I have nowhere to go. Mel shared through her sobs."
Maria let Mel in and embraced her, offering some comfort. Mel looked around, feeling a mix of nostalgia and pain. It was in this house that she had lived after her mother's death, staying there until the day she moved in with Alexandre.
"Certainly, dear, you can stay here tonight." said her aunt, guiding her to the living room. "Sit down, I will make you some tea."
As Mel settled onto the sofa, one of her cousins entered the room. She looked at Mel with disdain and a mischievous smile upon seeing her cousin's suitcase.
"Look who showed up! teased the cousin who never liked Mel."Looks like Alexandre finally kicked you to the curb, huh?
Mel felt her face flush with embarrassment and sadness as her cousin began to laugh, continuing the taunts.
"Men don't like nice girls like you, Mel, who do everything for them. You should know that by now."
Maria returned to the room just then, casting a stern glance at her daughter.
"Cut it out, Fernanda! she ordered."Mel, ignore what she said. You have always been a wonderful, beautiful, and hardworking person, and you deserve better than that loser who can't recognize your worth.
Fernanda rolled her eyes and left the room, still laughing at Mel. Her aunt sat down beside her, holding her hands tenderly.
"I'm sorry about that, dear. I know it's not easy dealing with your cousins, but this house is mine, and you are always welcome here. And if you want to move back in..."
"Thank you, aunt, but I prefer to have my own place; I don’t want to be a burden."
"I understand. Recently, I met a lady who rents rooms to young women; I will give you her address. She is a very nice person, and I am sure she will help you. You can go there tomorrow."
Her aunt took a piece of paper and wrote down the address, handing it to Mel.
"Thank you very much, aunt. I really need a place to stay," Mel said, trying to hold back tears.
"It’s all going to work out, Mel. You are strong, and you will get through this." said her aunt, embracing her again. Now tell me what happened... her aunt requested, ready to listen to Mel's confession.
Mel spent the night at her aunt's house, trying to find some solace in the familiar surroundings. Although her cousin's provocation hurt her, she knew she needed to move on.
The next morning, Mel didn’t wait for breakfast and set off for the address her aunt had given her, determined to find a place to live.
Upon arriving at the address provided by her aunt, Mel was greeted by the owner, an elderly and friendly woman, who had a warm smile.
"You must be Mel. Your aunt just called me saying that you're coming to look for me, and she spoke very well of you."
"Yes, my name is Mel, nice to meet you, Ma’am… Mel greeted the lady, waiting for her to say her name."
"Nice to meet you too, and my name is Lucia, but you can call me Lu."
"Right, Mrs. Lu."
"Come on, I'll show you the empty room. The rooms are all the same size, and they all have a bathroom, so you won’t have to worry about your privacy. Mrs." Lu said, guiding Mel.
Mel followed the woman to the second floor of the house, which had a hallway with several doors. Upon entering the small room, Mel observed the simple but clean space. In one corner, there was a sink with cabinets, and on the other side was the bathroom door.
"I hope you like it."
"Yes, it's what I need right now."
"When are you bringing your things? I’ll ask to have the stove taken out of here so it doesn’t bother you."
"I don’t have anything other than my suitcase."
"Seriously, girl?" Lucia asked, almost in disbelief.
"My ex-husband didn't let me keep anything in the apartment," he said it was his.
"What a jerk! You should have called the police on him."
"I was so stunned that I couldn’t think of anything, and I was afraid he would hurt me, so I took only my clothes and my documents."
"Calm down, everything will work out. Do you see this stove? The girl who was living here left the stove and the gas cylinder as payment for the rent. It's not very new, but it works; we just need to buy gas."
"And how much are you going to sell me the stove and the cylinder for? I don’t have much money right now... Even feeling embarrassed, Mel was honest."
"Don’t worry about that for now. I really like your aunt, and you can use the stove until you get settled. Later I'll figure out a fair price, of course, unless you want to buy a new stove for yourself. Dona Lucia said with a friendly smile. Make yourself at home, and if you need anything, just call me." Lucia said, handing Mel the keys to the room before leaving her alone.
As soon as the door closed, Mel fell to her knees on the floor, unable to hold back her tears. All the sadness, frustration, and pain she had been trying to contain came rushing back. She cried intensely, feeling completely drained and vulnerable after discovering Alexandre's betrayal.
After some time, the tears began to dry, and Mel slowly got up. Although she still felt sad, she knew she needed to move on. That empty room represented a new beginning, a chance to rebuild her life away from lies and betrayals.
Determined to make this work, Mel realized she needed a steady job and to continue her studies. She knew it would be a difficult journey, but she was willing to fight for a better future. With a deep sigh, she looked at the small mirror hanging on the wall of the room, gazing at her reflection and promising herself that she would not let anyone else destroy her dreams or hurt her again.
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