Episode 11

James drives and stops in an underground garage. He walks down a corridor until he enters a locker room.

James takes off all his clothes and takes a shower, removing the perfume he had used before leaving the house.

He gets out shirtless and wears shorts. He goes to a locker, puts on his clothes, grabs an equipment bag and wraps his hands.

He had put on a whole show in front of Kate, he wasn't going to meet Miranda. He thought he would be much more stressed meeting that woman.

He went to boxing training like his friend, Maycon, who was waiting for him in the ring.

The two exchanged punches, and Maycon sweated to dodge James, who was taking out all his anger in that fight.

Maycon landed a few punches, but James knocked him down several times. They both only stopped when they were exhausted and bleeding from their noses.

"That's enough, man, let's have a beer!" Maycon says, thinking James wanted more.

The two changed clothes and went to a nearby bar. Although Maycon had invited James for a beer, James ordered a bottle of whiskey and started drinking without his usual control.

"Hey man! Stop it, please! You won't solve things like that," Maycon says, stopping him from continuing.

"You don't know, man, I'm so screwed, I feel like shit. How did she prefer that guy over me?"

"Sometimes he gives her something you didn't. Women are not satisfied with sex alone. In these three years, what have you done to win her over?"

James fell silent and looked to the side, ashamed.

"Not much, but... she didn't collaborate either. She never told me she wanted to do something just the two of us and every day she was at that hospital. Saturdays, Sundays... I don't even remember seeing her taking a vacation. Is that possible? Or did she tell me she was going to the hospital and was actually going to meet that guy?"

"Well, James... that's possible, yes. Kate lives in a different reality than ours. You said it yourself that she's an orphan and has no one for her."

"Yes, I investigated. There are no records of her parents or anything remarkable other than academic performance. It's like she came out of nowhere and I even understand. Maybe she lived in an orphanage before and didn't have definitive documents until she was eighteen... I don't know, but... Her file is like a robot's, practically. There's not a single slip."

"Well... things are easy for you and they're not for her. Maybe she works a lot because she wants to graduate and have something she really wants to buy. You told me her car is popular and it's already an old model. Maybe she wants to buy a new car, I don't know, James. You're jealous, you know? I think you're finally liking someone for real and you don't know how to deal with it."

"I saw it, Maycon! Didn't you hear me? They were there, in a passionate kiss. She didn't seem to resist him and they were so engrossed that they didn't even hear me come in."

"What if it's a misunderstanding? What if it was the guy who kissed her and she didn't react because of the surprise? You can't make decisions like that without thinking first."

"Why are you defending her, Maycon? Are you my friend or Kate's friend?"

"Because you told me that Kate was different, that you were liking her. And your mother, you know, she's always been very hard to win over and Kate did it easily. She must have something different."

"I thought so, but maybe the illness softened her heart." James toys thoughtfully with the peanuts on the plate, until he says, "I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone. After the accident, you know..." Maycon nods and James continues, "After the accident I couldn't, you know..." Maycon frowns and James, embarrassed, makes a gesture with the pen, simulating an erection.

"What? No! Lies!" Maycon starts laughing and James kicks his arm.

"Don't laugh, this is serious, man!"

"I'm sorry, but that's kind of funny. To imagine the guy who's surrounded by women wanting attention and can't have fun with them."

"Oh, don't joke about it, Maycon! It's true, okay? I went through the worst pain of my life, okay? And I still had to let them mess with 'it', you know? My dignity was crushed along with my balls."

Maycon starts to cackle, he can't take it and James punches him again.

"You really are not my friend! I'm leaving!"

"No, no! Go on, I just... I didn't get out of fifth grade, I'm sorry. So, you're saying you don't get it up anymore and that's why Kate sought pleasure from someone else?"

"Of course not! It was different with Kate, with Kate he got up, you know? She's so... the damn woman is so delicious! She messes with me too much. She has a thing... I can't explain it. She has that serious, professional face, she has an air of a big woman, you know? And when she fights with me, she pouts cutely. Damn it, man! That woman screwed me over completely!"

"Are you telling me you've never slept with any woman other than Kate since the accident?"

James shakes his head, avoiding eye contact. He was too embarrassed to tell him that.

"Have you tried hooking up with someone else, you know? To see if it works?"

"No... why would I try if I had Kate waiting for me in bed, smelling good, soft, sexy... Now that I think about it, she's an exceptional manipulator. Why did I get interested in an intelligent woman, huh? I should have stuck with the dumb ones."

"You know what I think? I think you should go there, find Kate and talk. Try to understand what happened and then make your decision. Have you ever imagined hurting her with the things you're saying and then finding out it was a mistake? You're going to be worse off than you are now."

James was thoughtful until his phone rang. He looks and sees that it was from the hospital.

"It must be her, I won't answer."

"Does she usually call you at this hour?"

"No, but... She told me Mom asked me to go to the hospital tonight and might be using this to manipulate me."

"Or it could be something really serious..."

James stares at the phone, after a few moments he looks at Maycon... after a few moments he decides to answer.

"Hello, this is James Weyland."

"Mr. James, this is Santa Maria Hospital," the voice of an unknown woman sounds on the other end of the line. "I saw in Sara Weyland's file that you are her only son."

"Yes, I confirm," James says, standing up abruptly.

"We also saw from Kate Vieira's documents that you are her husband."

"Yes!"

"We need you to come urgently to Santa Helena Hospital."

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