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On the Wrong Side of Love

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Episode 3

The cell phone notification flashed on the screen early, even before the alarm went off.

Miguel Duarte:

"Vila Central Cafe, 8am? I'll buy you coffee and we can talk. :)"

Clara smiled as she read.

Direct, gentle, simple. Just like Miguel had always been.

She looked at the clock: it was just past six in the morning. She still had time to get ready, but decided to get up right away. She was anxious... and for the first time in days, she felt alive.

She opened her wardrobe and, unlike the sophisticated dresses and outfits she usually wore for any outing, she chose dark jeans, a light fabric blouse, and a jacket. Simple, comfortable... more like her.

She tied her hair in a casual bun, put on a soft lipstick, and grabbed her bag.

As she walked downstairs, already with the keys in her hands, she found Eduardo in the kitchen, still in his pajamas, stirring his coffee. His hair was messy, as it always was when he didn't sleep well.

He looked up as soon as he saw her ready to leave.

"Are you going out?" The question came with that tone of surprise and slight discomfort that Clara was already beginning to recognize.

She nodded.

"I have an appointment."

He raised an eyebrow.

"At half past seven in the morning? Since when do you have appointments before ten?"

She smiled wryly, throwing the bag strap over her shoulder.

"Since yesterday."

Eduardo was silent for a second, watching her with the look of someone trying to decipher what was happening.

"Do you want me to give you a ride?" He asked, in a failed attempt to sound casual.

"No need. I can manage." She replied firmly.

She passed him without looking back, opening the front door with the lightness of someone who knew that, with each step, she was moving a little further away from that suffocating world.

On the way to the car, the fresh morning air hit her face and, for the first time in a long time, Clara took a deep breath... without the weight she usually felt in her chest.

She started the engine, tuned into a random playlist on the radio, and drove to the Vila Central Cafe.

The place was just starting to get crowded when she arrived. Some people were having coffee standing up in a hurry, others were reading newspapers or looking at their cell phones. The aroma of fresh coffee, grilled bread, and freshly baked croissants invaded her senses, bringing a feeling of warmth that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Miguel was already there, sitting at a table in the corner, facing the street. The same easy smile, the gentle look... as if time hadn't passed.

He stood up as soon as he saw her approaching.

"Clara Vidal... live and in color." He said, opening his arms for a light, but warm hug.

She laughed, reciprocating.

"Miguel Duarte... always punctual."

"Old habits." He winked at her and pointed to the chair in front. "Sit down. I already ordered two coffees, but if you want something else... it's on me."

She settled in, crossing her legs, still trying to assimilate how good it was to be there... with someone who simply liked her. No ulterior motives, no games.

"So..." Miguel began, resting his elbows on the table. "I saw that you updated your LinkedIn profile yesterday. I was curious. What happened? Career change or...?"

Clara hesitated for a second. Part of her just wanted to say that she was looking for new challenges... but she didn't have the energy for disguises anymore.

"Life change, actually." She replied, looking directly at him.

Miguel raised his eyebrows, surprised... but he didn't insist.

"Well... whatever the reason, know that I'm happy that you're starting over. And if I can help in any way... I'm here."

Clara felt a warm feeling in her chest.

"Thank you, Miguel. Really. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

He smiled, as he always did.

"Then let's start with the basics... tell me: what are you looking for?"

And, at that moment, as she described the positions she had in mind, the areas she would like to work in, and the projects she missed doing, Clara realized that she was, in fact... taking the first steps out of Eduardo's shadow.

As the conversation progressed, Clara felt the accumulated tension of the last few days beginning to dissolve. Talking about the market, about marketing strategies, about campaigns she admired... it all seemed to bring back a part of her that had been dormant for years.

Miguel listened carefully, asking questions, laughing with her, remembering stories from their college days.

"You always had that creative edge..." He commented, stirring his coffee cup. "I remember your presentation in the last semester... that one about the power of emotions in brand communication. I still use that example in my meetings."

She laughed, shaking her head.

"I don't even remember that anymore..."

"Well, I remember." He said, looking at her with a genuine smile.

For a moment, the two were silent. A comfortable pause. Unlike anything Clara had been used to lately.

Miguel fiddled with his cell phone, as if gathering courage to say what he was about to say. When he finally looked back at her, there was a different sparkle in his eyes.

"Clara... I'll be direct." He took a deep breath. "My agency needs a marketing coordinator. Someone who knows how to lead a team, think outside the box, take care of some strategic clients... And before you say anything... I know it's been a while since you've been in the market, but... I know your potential. I always have."

She froze for a second.

"Miguel... I don't know..." She began, with a nervous smile. "I'm totally rusty. I haven't worked in years. I don't know if I'm ready to..."

"Clara..." He interrupted her, with a firm voice. "You're more ready than you think. And, if you want... we'll start slowly. A trial period, a few weeks of adaptation... you feel the environment, see if you like it... and, if it doesn't work out, it's okay. No pressure."

She opened her mouth to answer, but the emotion caught in her throat for a second.

It was the first time, in a long time, that someone really believed in her... without charges, without demands, without games.

"So? What do you say?" He asked, resting his elbows on the table, waiting.

Clara took a deep breath. She felt her heart beat a little faster.

"I say... I accept." She smiled, feeling lighter than she had in weeks.

Miguel gave a broad smile, the kind of smile a friend gives when they are truly rooting for you.

"Great. So tomorrow, nine in the morning, at the agency. I'll introduce you to the team."

"Tomorrow? Just like that?"

"Better to start before you give up." He joked, winking.

The two laughed.

She grabbed her bag, ready to leave, but before she left, Miguel gently held her arm.

"Clara... I know you haven't told me everything that's going on... but just so you know... if you need someone to talk to, to vent... I'm here, okay? I always have been."

She felt her chest warm with that sentence.

"Thank you, Miguel. Really."

On the way back home, Clara could hardly contain her smile. Inside, it was as if a part of her... one she thought was dead... was slowly waking up.

As she parked in the garage, she turned off the car and took a deep breath.

She knew that, when she crossed that door... she would face Eduardo again, the failed marriage, and all the tension that still surrounded them.

But this time, she had something she didn't have before:

A plan.

A purpose.

And, who knows... a new story about to begin.

Eduardo was in the living room, on his cell phone, laughing at something she didn't care to know what it was.

When he saw her coming in, he stopped laughing for a moment, just watching as she passed right by him.

Clara went up the stairs with light steps, as if his weight no longer reached her.