The sun rises on the horizon, but the heat that welcomes the city does not find an echo in the heart of Marilena. After a night of fever and reflection, she awakens with the resolve to face the emotional storm that surrounds her. Her mother, attentive to her rest, left a note expressing her love and the need to take care of herself. This gesture reinforces marilena's conviction that it is time to confront unresolved issues.
Dressing with determination, Marilena decides to go after Rafael. She knows she needs answers, to understand what happened the night before. The rain still leaves traces on the streets, but it moves with determined steps towards the company where Rafael works.
When she gets there, she comes across the imposing building, a silent witness to many shared moments. The secretary, a familiar presence who has already crossed paths with Marilena a few times, greets her with an understanding look.
"Marilena, how are you? I haven't seen you around here for a long time."
Marilena forces a smile, trying to hide the anguish that consumes her. "Hi, Laura. I... I need to talk to Rafael. It's important."
Laura, perceptive, nods. "He's in a meeting right now, but I can try to fit in a time for you later."
Marilena, eager to clarify the uncertainties, decides to wait. She settles in at the reception, lost in thought as the ticking of the clock echoes in the peaceful environment.
Finally, the secretary signals that Rafael is available to talk. Isabela enters the office, finding Rafael behind his desk. His expression is a mix of surprise and tension when he sees her there.
"Marilena, what are you doing here?" Rafael asks, keeping a certain distance.
She takes a deep breath before responding. "We need to talk, Rafael. We can't just ignore everything we had. Five years, we got engaged, and now everything has dissolved without a clear explanation."
Rafael looks away, a gesture that Isabela knows well. He seems hesitant, but she is determined to get answers.
"I've said what I needed to say, Mari. We can't go on together. Our paths are going in different directions."
Marilena, frustrated with the simplicity of the words, counterargues. "I don't accept that as an answer, Rafael. Not after everything we've been through. Do you think you can just end everything without a conversation, without a deeper explanation?"
Rafael sighs, feeling the tension in the air. "Marilena, things have changed. I have changed. We cannot force something that no longer makes sense. You need to move on."
Marilena, determined to fight for what they built, fights back. "Things change, yes, Rafael. But that doesn't mean we can't try to overcome it together. We need to at least try. It's not fair for both of us to just give up."
Rafael, looking into Marilena's eyes, feels the intensity of the emotion she brings with her. The pain shared between them is palpable.
"Mari, I understand this is difficult for you, but sometimes moving on is the only sensible option."
Marilena, refusing to accept the abrupt end, expresses her truth. "I don't accept that, Rafael. Let's not end it like this. I need more than that. We need more than that. I deserve an explanation, and so do you."
The room seems charged with dense energy, the words hovering between them like a storm about to break. Rafael, visibly uncomfortable, faces the dilemma before them.
"Rafael, we can't throw everything away like this. We can't ignore what we built together", insists Marilena, her voice bringing with it the intensity of years shared.
Rafael seems to ponder for a moment before responding, choosing his words carefully. "Mari, I did not make this decision lightly. Things have changed, and we need to move forward."
Marilena's frustration grows, and she continues to argue. "But what changed, Rafael? You can't just say it changed without giving me a clearer explanation. I deserve to know. We were us, Rafael. We were building a future together. We can't just throw everything away"
Rafael looks out the window for a moment before locking his eyes with hers. "Marilena, life presents us with challenges, with changes that we cannot always control. I realised that my priorities have changed, and I need to follow my path."
Rafael's answer is vague, leaving Marilena even more confused. "Changes happen, Rafael. But that doesn't mean we can't face them together. I don't accept simply giving up on what we've built."
Rafael's eyes reflect a mixture of sadness and determination. "Marilena, you're an incredible person. You deserve someone who can offer what I can no longer offer. I don't want to trap you in a relationship that is no longer fair for both of us."
The pain on Marilena's face is palpable. "You're giving up without a fight, Rafael. We can get through this together. I won't accept losing you without really trying."
Rafael gets up from the table, walking to the window as if looking for an escape from the difficult words he had to say. "Marilena, I've thought about this a lot. There's no going back. We need to follow our own paths."
The conversation reaches an impasse, a crossroads where the past and the future collide. Marilena, feeling the anguish of imminent farewell, steps back for a moment, taking a deep breath to control her emotions.
"Rafael, I'm not ready to give up. Not without fighting for us. Please, at least try to understand what we're about to lose."
The room remains silent for a moment, the weight of the words floating between them. Rafael returns to his table, looking at Marilena with an expression of compassion mixed with sadness.
Rafael looks at the ground for a moment before looking at Isabela. "This isn't easy for me either, Marilena. But we need to accept reality and go our separate ways."
Marilena você, feeling tears threatening, takes a step back. "I don't accept this, Rafael. I can't accept it. We need to talk, find a solution. I won't just give up on us."
Rafael, maintaining a firm stance, responds. "Marilena, please understand. I've thought a lot about this. We can't go back. It's better to move forward and seek our own happiness. Mari, I... I'm truly sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but we need to accept that not all stories have a happy ending."
"But... we can work through this, Rafael. We can fix whatever's broken," Marilena pleaded, tears welling in her eyes.
Her heart beats in rhythm. "Mari?" He whispers, trying to hold her face. She refuses to look at him, letting his hands quickly move away.
"When did I stop being enough for you?" She asks, her voice shaking. Rafael looks at her, destroyed, letting out a long sigh. His answer seems to escape between sighs, each word weighing more than the previous one.
"Marilena, please... Don't make things any harder than they already are for me."
When she asks about the value of her love in his life, he closes his eyes, fighting back his own tears. Amid anger, his confession explodes. "I was feeling alone, okay? I thought something was missing in my life, and that our relationship was hurting you. I didn't want you to think about me all the time, Marilena! I don't want to be a burden to you. I have the right to want to end a relationship!"
Anger begins to bubble, but before she can respond, Rafael continues, "I know that, but..." He tenses, and his eyes reveal more than his words.
When he finally utters the truth, a shock runs through her body. "I cheated on you!" He admits, leaving a heavy silence in the air.
Without realising it, her hand comes up and slaps his face hard. The physical burning is insignificant compared to the emotional devastation. As she walks away, Rafael tries to get closer, but she raises a hand to stop him.
"I know I deserved this," he whispers, his gaze reflecting a mix of remorse and sadness.
"No... You deserve so much more than that." The revelation struck Marilena like a lightning bolt, leaving her paralyzed. Betrayal and disbelief mingled in a bitter concoction that threatened to drown her. "Rafael, how could you?" Her voice cracked, the pain audible in every syllable.
The memory of his tension after the message invades his mind. "Was that her in the messages inside yesterday?" she questions, staring at him with wide eyes.
"How do you know?" His eyes betray panic. The final revelation of his betrayal proves what she feared.
"When did I turn a discarded page in your life?" The intensity of emotion is reflected in each word. Rafael approaches, holding his face with his hands.
"Love, for God's sake!" He pleads, allowing her closeness. "I'm wrong. I broke up because... I don't know... You don't deserve to be lied to, and I didn't want to be the asshole who keeps cheating while dating and..."
"I thought you loved me," she whispers, exposing her pain. Her eyes show deep pain, breathing quickly, as if trying to contain a growing despair.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispers, trying to find words to soothe the hurt.
Anger turns into intense coldness. All the love and admiration disappears, replaced by an unknown before her. "I didn't everything for you, everything you dump asshole. I blame myself for it."
Rafael's gaze finally met hers, and theres a coldness in his eyes that she had never seen before. "It's not about blame, Marilena. It's about moving forward. Goodbye."
"I thought you felt the same way I do, that there would be no more life if I wasn't with you. Do me a favor," she whispers, taking the promise ring off your finger and placing it in the palm of your trembling hand. "Be happy with your slut"
Marilena, heartbroken, sje takes a step back, leaving Rafael's office.
As Marilena emerges from Rafael's office, her face marked by the pain of the imminent farewell, she does not notice the figure of Christian who observes the scene from a distance. Her eyes capture her fragility, but he keeps his presence hidden, respecting the privacy that this delicate moment demands.
Marilena, immersed in her tumultuous thoughts, walks down the corridor, unaware of Christian's attentive presence. He decides to follow her, not out of intrusion, but out of a compassionate impulse that leads him to want to be there for her, even if it is in a silent way.
Christian, skilled at disguising his steps, lets chance guide his movements. He feigns inattention, watching Christian from afar. The sadness on his face awakens a feeling of empathy, and he decides to get closer, letting chance determine the moment of the meeting.
As Marilena crosses the lobby, her hesitant steps echo the silent pain that surrounds her. Christian, strategically lost in his own thoughts, decides to bump into her as if fate, on a whim, brought them together once again.
The gentle clash of their bodies triggers an instant of surprise. Marilena looks up, and her expression of disorientation turns into recognition.
It's him, the stranger who helped her in the rain. The surprise in her eyes mixes with gratitude.
"Ah, I'm sorry! I was distracted. Are you okay?" Christian asks, offering a gentle smile, as if the bump was a simple chance.
Marilena, still processing the meeting, responds with a shy smile. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for your concern."
Christian decides to extend the casual moment, keeping the conversation light. "It seems that fate likes to make us cross unexpected paths."
Marilena agrees, a shadow of sadness returning to her gaze. "Sometimes life is full of strange encounters, isn't it?"
"Absolutely. Sometimes it puts us in the path of people who can make a difference in our lives," Christian comments, his gaze conveying an understanding beyond words.
Marilena, without realising the complexity of her destiny at that moment, decides to deepen the conversation. "I remember you. You helped me two days ago in the rain. It was very kind of you."
Christian, hiding his identity once again, opts for simplicity. "Ah, it was a small gesture. I hope you're feeling better now."
As they talk in the company lobby, fate weaves its invisible threads, intertwining Christian and Christian's stories in ways they both do not yet fully understand. Behind them, Rafael's office remains immersed in a tense silence. He finds himself alone, lost in his own thoughts, while frustration grows like an inescapable shadow.
Rafael, sitting at his desk, runs his hand through his hair in a gesture of contained frustration. The decision he made echoes in the empty room, and the reality of what happened begins to sink in with intensity.
"Why is this so difficult?" Rafael mutters to himself, as if searching for an answer that was slipping through his fingers.
The rejection he inflicted on Marilena weighs on his conscience, and the image of her leaving the room with eyes full of sadness torments him. He wonders if he made the right decision, if the choice to follow his own path was truly fair.
"I should have explained better, maybe..." Rafael mutters, mentally reviewing the words exchanged. However, even rational justification doesn't alleviate the feeling of discomfort that settles in your chest.
As the morning progresses, Rafael finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts. The decision to end the relationship was supposed to be liberating, but now he is faced with the painful reality of loneliness and emptiness that this choice brought with it.
As Rafael reflects on his decision, the phone on the table rings, interrupting his thoughts. When checking the call, he sees the name of Vanessa, the woman who played a crucial role in his choice to end his relationship with Marilena.
Rafael swallows hard before answering. "Vanessa, what do you want?"
Vanessa's voice sounds determined on the other end of the line. "Rafael, we need to discuss what happened. It looks like things aren't going as planned."
The tension intensifies in Rafael's voice. "You think so? Because last time I checked, my life was in chaos after your suggestions."
Vanessa takes a deep breath before responding. "I know it's hard right now, but we need to stay focused on what's best for both of us. We can't go back, Rafael. You made a decision, and now we need to move forward."
Rafael closes his eyes, feeling the weight of the consequences of his choices. "I know, Vanessa. I just hope this is worth it."
The call ends, leaving Rafael in a silence full of doubts and regrets. As the morning progresses, the consequences of his decisions continue to unfold, creating a complex web of emotions and relationships.
While Marilena tries to maintain her composure during her conversation with Christian, the emotional and physical repercussions of her interaction with Rafael begin to weigh on her. The sadness she tried to hide manifests itself in physical signs, and she feels the dizziness intensify.
Christian, attentive to the subtle changes in her expression, notices that something is not right. "Marilena, you look pale. Are you feeling okay?"
Marilena tries to smile, but it is clear that her condition has worsened. "I... I think the emotion and everything is getting to me. But don't worry, I'll be fine."
The look of concern persists on Christian's face. "It doesn't look like you're going to be okay. Let me help you. I brought my car. Can I take you home?"
Marilena hesitates for a moment, but the courtesy and kindness in Christian's eyes reassure her. "You are very kind. I had come by taxi, but I accept your offer. I don't feel capable of taking a taxi back now."
Christian offers his arm to support her as they head to the parking lot. His concern is genuine, and Marilena begins to realize that there is something more to this kind stranger who has crossed her path twice.
When they arrive at the car, Christian opens the passenger door for Marilena. "Sit back and relax. I'll take you home."
Marilena thanks her, feeling gratitude for Christian's disinterested gesture. As the car moves through the streets, she is enveloped by the familiarity of the comfortable seat and the comforting warmth of the interior.
During the journey, emotional pain and physical exhaustion lead Marilena to silent introspection. Christian, respecting her space, drives carefully, maintaining the calm atmosphere in the car.
When they arrive at their destination, Christian parks the car in front of Marilena's building. He climbs down and gently opens the door for her. "I hope you rest and recover soon. If you need anything, I'm here."
Marilena thanks him again, feeling her gratitude blossom for this stranger who became an unexpected guardian angel. Christian, realising that she is not completely well, decides to accompany her to the apartment.
When he opens the door, he comes across a woman with a worried expression. "Marilena, where were you? I was so worried!" exclaims her mother, whose expression turns from concern to relief upon seeing her daughter.
"I was just getting some air, mom. Don't worry, everything's fine." Marilena replies, trying to hide the truth about the visit to the company where Rafael works.
Marilena, trying to smile to reassure her mother, introduces Christian. "Mom, this is Christian. He's the mam who helped me out in the rain."
Marta looks at Christian with gratitude in her eyes. "I really appreciate it, Christian. It's good to know that there are still people willing to help each other. Please come in and have a cup of tea with us as a thank you."
Christian, accepting the invitation, enters the apartment. The atmosphere, previously charged with worry, begins to soften. The three sit in the room, sharing stories and experiences, while fate, through these unlikely interactions, continues to weave the threads that connect their lives.