Ademir’s hand clamped over her wrist, silencing her. “Grandpa,” he said smoothly, “Karina was worried about you. We couldn’t enjoy ourselves knowing you were here.”
Otávio chuckled softly. “Karina, you’re a good girl. Thank you for thinking of me.” He waved them off gently. “But don’t worry about me. The most important thing is for you to be happy together.”
“Of course, Grandpa,” Ademir said, forcing a smile. “We’ll leave you to rest now.”
He took Karina’s hand and led her out of the room.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Ademir dropped her hand as it burned him. His expression hardened, his words laced with contempt.
“Grandfather can’t handle any shocks, so we’ll keep this charade going until he’s recovered,” he said coldly. “But don’t think for a second that you’ve fooled me. Just having your name associated with the Barbosa family disgusts me.”
Karina flinched at his words, the sharpness cutting deep. She clenched her hands, her palms clammy. She wanted to remind him that this marriage wasn’t her choice, but the words wouldn’t come.
Ademir turned away, his tone final. “Once Grandpa is stable, we’ll settle the divorce. Until then, play your part.”
Karina nodded, her voice barely audible. “I understand.”
Without another glance, Ademir walked away, his figure stiff with anger. Karina stood there, her heart heavy.
That night, Karina returned to her dorm at J University. She told herself there was no point dwelling on it—this was a transaction, nothing more. But even as she lay in bed, her mind refused to quiet. The memory of Ademir’s contempt haunted her, but so did her past.
The following day, she received a call from Júlio.
“Miss Karina,” he began, his tone careful, “can you come to the civil registry next Wednesday to finalize the divorce?”
“Yes, I’ll be there,” she replied quietly.
Hanging up, Karina felt an odd sense of relief. The arrangement was ending sooner than expected. She should feel free, yet the weight in her chest lingered.
That evening, she met her childhood friends, Patrícia and Simão, at the Ocean Restaurant. Their cheerful banter brought a temporary sense of normalcy.
“Karina!” Simão exclaimed, grinning as she arrived. “Why’d you take so long? We’ve already ordered enough food to feed a small army!”
Karina smiled faintly, grateful for their lightheartedness. For a moment, she could forget the mess her life had become.
But the mention of her ex, Túlio, brought an unwelcome chill.
“He’s coming back,” Simão said cautiously.
Karina stiffened. The name she had worked so hard to erase from her memory resurfaced like a ghost.
“I’m not going,” she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Simão sighed, but Patrícia quickly changed the subject, steering the conversation back to laughter.
Karina clung to the small solace her friends provided, knowing that her battles were far from over.
Karina’s weekend began with a bus ride to the Castelo Verde Nursing Home, where her brother, Catarino, resided. She brought him small gifts every week and sat by his side, even if he rarely responded to her presence. His silent world had been her anchor for years, even as her life spiraled into chaos.
Halfway through her journey, her phone buzzed with a WhatsApp notification. A new friend request popped up from an unfamiliar name. She frowned, dismissed it, and tucked her phone away.
When Karina arrived, she walked through the familiar halls carrying the bag of gifts she had brought. The faint, sterile scent of the nursing home always lingered, but today, something felt off.
A loud, shrill voice rang out from one of the rooms, punctuated by something breaking.
“Cry, you useless thing! Come on, cry!”
Karina’s heart froze, her blood boiling as the voice grew louder.
“Idiot! You can’t even cry when you’re hit! What use are you, you freak?”
The cruel laugh that followed was the last straw. Karina stormed toward the room, her footsteps silent but determined.
Inside, Catarino sat slumped in a chair, his thin frame draped in soiled clothes. Soup dripped from his hair, obscuring his face, and his pants were soaked. A middle-aged woman stood before him, jabbing a spoon of cold soup toward his mouth.
“Eat, you worthless brat! You’re worse than a dog!”
Before the woman could react, Karina grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked hard.
The woman shrieked, her voice echoing down the hall. “Who are you? Let go of my hair!”
Karina’s voice trembled with fury, her hands tightening in the woman’s hair. “Whose mother? You’re nothing but a disgusting dog. How dare you touch him? Do you think his family is dead?”
“Stop, it hurts!” the woman cried, flailing under Karina’s grip. “I won’t do it again! Please!”
Karina released her with a shove, sending the woman sprawling to the floor. She grabbed the bowl of soup, filled the spoon, and jammed it into the woman’s mouth.
“Didn’t you enjoy force-feeding someone? Then eat it yourself!” Karina growled, her eyes blazing.
The metal spoon scraped against the woman’s teeth as she choked and gagged. She raised her hands in surrender, but Karina wasn’t finished.
A sharp crack echoed through the room as Karina slapped her hard across the face.
“Was that satisfying? Is that how you hit my brother? Let me show you how it feels!”
Another slap. Then another.
By the time Karina dragged the woman to her feet, her face was swollen and red.
“Come on,” Karina hissed, her grip like steel. “Let’s go see your boss. Let’s see how long you keep this job.”
