Chapter 1

Helena

Finally, vacation and how it will be welcomed.

I look at the store where I'm a partner with Vanessa and I'm happy, after four years without rest, hard work and many customers, I deserve it.

Vanessa and I, my friend from college, decided to open this store in the mall when we graduated in interior decoration, at first things weren't so good, but we are getting better and the store is making a profit.

We're taking some big projects for decoration, and we're getting famous in the business.

I stopped by the store just to say goodbye and deliver a project that Vanessa will oversee.

It's still the morning, I have the afternoon to enjoy with my family.

- Bye Vanessa, I know you'll miss me - I wink.

-I'm really going, I already miss you, who's going to scold me all the time for talking loudly or doing something stupid - she says with a pout.

- But I'll be back soon, in a fortnight I'll be back.

- You don't need to exaggerate either, don't worry, I'll call you anything – she hugs me and gives me a kiss on the cheek – rest ok, because I'm super rested, or did you forget that I just arrived from a trip from Fernando de Noronha.

-You boring, you keep making me jealous – I pout – Let me go on a trip too and talk about her all my life.

But not now that money is short.

I take my car, a popular style but it's great for those who don't have a lot of money like me, you can walk.

Here in Brazil, those who have their own car and don't need to ride a bus have a queen's life.

Just to think about standing at the bus stop for hours waiting, and staying in a place that was designed for thirty more people that is currently overcrowded with twice as many people at peak hours, I am one hell of a lucky person.

I turn on my playlist in my car and sing, because happiness consumes me today, it's not every day that you're on vacation, I sing a countryman at the top of my lungs.

My parents live in a place, and that's where I go to rest from the busy life I have.

The trip takes about an hour or so.

Estrelinhas is a tiny town, in the interior of Paraná, it continues with the same way and with the same people.

Some like me preferred to leave to pursue new dreams and others stayed here in the city and started their families or started their businesses.

I go to the city market, to buy some things to take to the place, and I see my idiot ex-boyfriend, his father owns the market, the pharmacy, the furniture store... Almost the whole city.

And I hate him.

- Hi Helena, how long - says Carlos.

- Well, it's been a while Carlos - I say rolling my eyes - Thank God - I told him to listen.

- Helena, will you stay here now?

– He looks at me with pitying eyes – Can we schedule something?

- No, no meetings Carlos, your time is long gone.

- Forget the past Helena, the future belongs to us - he gives that naughty smile - What do you think about having dinner with me?

Or have an ice cream?

– He smiles but not like before, it's a sincere smile – I missed you, I tried to look for you but your parents didn't give me your phone number or address.

- I asked them Carlos - I paused - I didn't want to have contact with you - I lowered my head - You did me a lot of harm, or rather, if you hadn't done what you did I wouldn't have left and I wouldn't have followed my path. life, today I am a happy person – I paid for my purchases, put everything in the car with him on my heels – Bye Carlos – I got in the car and accelerated.

Carlos is a very handsome man, the true prince charming, has green eyes, dark blonde hair, 1.85 height, athletic body (from what I can see he went to the gym because his body is more defined and full of muscles), attentive, tender.

The perfect boyfriend until I found out he didn't have anything like a prince, in short, he's not worth the rice he eats like grandma used to say.

I started dating Carlos when I was about 17 years old, he was 22 years old and we stayed together for 3 years until I found out that he was also dating almost all the other girls in Estrelinha, only I didn't know, until one day I decided to go to his house and make a surprise and there was my boyfriend in bed with one of the girls he also ´´dating``.

I cried, suffered and moved from the city, studied and graduated and continue to live my life after suffering a lot for him.

I left the city after Carlos' advances, heading to the place where my parents lived, I took the road that led to the Sugar Cane Plant.

There was an abandoned building, and as a child, I loved to play so much.

The high walls, already greenish, broken and worn by time, the tall grass showing that no one had been there for a long time, I often remember running away from home to play there with my brother and my mother was angry with fear that some snake If someone bit us or some animal caught us, it was a place that left me alone, I liked to sit and look at the beautiful view from afar and the swaying of the cane trees planted there.

I stopped the car and got out, stayed there in my sanctuary,

sitting and thinking about life, about Carlos, the place, my store, about everything and how my life has changed, and if I had forgiven Carlos, would I have had how many children in the hem of my skirt, a house to take care of, clothes to wash, and how many horns on the head would I have.

And that it was a deliverance, as Vanessa said.

- That was God's deliverance my friend, forget that hoax.

Lost in my thoughts I saw that a helicopter was approaching the plant's headquarters, I heard that they had sold it to a Sheik and that he was in Brazil, my mother told me, and that it would be good to be able to generate more jobs in the region, with the machines for harvesting cane, many workers were out of work in the region.

I hear a car noise, coming on the road, it looked like a powerful car, with a loud engine sound, only darker when the car accelerates.

I went to the road and I see a Lamborghini Aventador stuck in the mud.

Something I never imagined.

Who drives a Lamborghini on a dirt road like this.

It can only be crazy.

- Hi Do you need help?

– I asked and a beautiful girl looked like a model gets out of the car, blonde, white, 1.75 height, thin - Model can only – I whispered.

- Girl can you help me?

- with a French accent - I was going to the plant and got stuck.

- I really noticed - I extend my hand with a greeting - My name is Helena Baum, and I can help you, yes, let's go to my father's place is right after the plant's headquarters, and I ask him to tow you, or rather the car.

- I'm Sophie Muller, thank you very much, I was going to the power plant.

- My car is not as elegant as yours, but I can give you a ride.

We engaged in a conversation, Sophie is from France, her father is French and her mother is Brazilian, so she speaks Portuguese perfectly, and from what I understand they live around the world traveling, she is a model, daughter of one of the new partners at the plant.

I stopped by the plant's new headquarters with her to let her father know she was fine.

From there we finally went to the place, everyone is waiting for me, my parents are the first to come and then my beautiful brother, who by the way Sophie is delighted.

- Daughter I miss you - says mom - Did you bring a friend daughter?

- Mom, she's Sophie, her car got stuck there at the old headquarters, and we can help - there with the tractor.

- Daughter how beautiful you are - Dad says coming and hugging me - Sophie we will help you yes, stay calm - Sealing the commitment with a handshake.