João Felipe
I felt that Viviane had not approved of my choice for the restaurant that night, but even at my suggestion to go elsewhere, she remained steadfast in continuing in that environment, which was not to her liking.
We already had our dishes in front of us, because the service of the restaurant was excellent, and she just stirred the food, without really taking it to her mouth.
"You didn't like your request?" I asked once more. "We can ask for something else."
"It's wonderful."
"How can you know? He hasn't eaten even a spoonful yet of what's in front of you," I said without understanding anything that was going on.
Before she could answer, we were surprised by the arrival of a person at our table, which made me worried. It wasn't going to end well, I thought upset.
" Now if it is not João Felipe Mendes de Albuquerque and the daughter of his employees, the current wife of his brother! " Alicia spoke, realizing what I feared most, the failure of my first appearance with Viviane.
I got up from my chair and smiled cordially at Alicia.
" Now look, " I started repeating your words. " if it's not Alicia, the nasty unloved one who can't maintain even a friendship!"
I know I was cruel, but I wasn't going to allow anyone to stand between me and Vivi, after all, the I'd ever committed and the difficulty I had in getting her to give me a second chance.
" You are very abused, João Felipe " she spoke offended. " Who do you think you are, to talk to me that way?"
" And who do you think you are, to come to talk to us like that? " Viviane spoke, also rising from her chair, and imposing herself before Alicia's unpleasant presence. "We don't like you and we don't want your presence here at our table. It's already catching everyone's attention, it should withdraw before the damage to its "image" is even worse" Viviane stressed the word image ironically and I felt proud that she defended herself so wonderfully.
"You've been more selective, Felipe. He should be ashamed to be accompanied by low-level people."
She spoke and was already leaving, wanting to have the last word, I'm sure. I still opened my mouth to fight back, but Vivi held my arm gently and asked me with a gesture not to do so.
I heeded his silent plea and we sat down. She was right when she said we were catching the attention of the other people in the restaurant, but that didn't matter to me at all. I now only thought of my happiness alongside my family, for I already considered Vivi and Sara as my own.
"You know that was just the beginning, don't you?" she spoke in a warning tone.
I held her hand, kissing her wrist and caressing her afterward.
"And you now know I don't care, don't you?"
She gave a radiant smile, which was all I had hoped for all that night and which was now present on her face. Alicia didn't know it, but she had even done something positive because, despite her discriminatory attitude towards Viviane, she only brought us together even more.
In the days following our dinner, I took Viviane everywhere I felt like it, and whenever possible, Sarinha would accompany us. This attitude resonated even in the media, with several images of us circulating on gossip sites. Even João Pedro knew, and when we spoke by video call, he laughed a lot about the situation.
"You're pretty famous now, you're the most talked-about adulterous couple on the internet," he joked, calling us the way the media was calling us in their stories.
" I don't see any fun in that, JP " Viviane spoke, looking angry.
"Ah, Vivi. Don't come to me with this one. It's funny yes! " João Pedro insisted.
" Leave Vivi, João Pedro," I asked, hugging Viviane and pulling her to me. " Do you know that your vacation already ended a week ago? " I asked, changing the subject.
Viviane didn't feel good about the rumors that she had cheated on her husband and that she was having an affair with her brother-in-law. I didn't take away her reason, but I always consoled her by saying that soon another scandal would appear and that everyone would forget about us. I was counting on it.
We talked a little more with João Pedro and after the call was closed, with his promise that in a week at most, he would be back in São Paulo, we continued in the mansion's office, talking about ourselves and making plans for our vacation trip.
Being with Viviane like that was something that did me a lot of good. I felt complete, like never before. I remembered the period after our breakup when she and my brother announced their marriage and I left for New York and it gave me a chill.
I didn't like to remember the way I was. I always felt so empty inside. It was a harrowing feeling. I would no longer jeopardize my relationship with Viviane because she was the woman of my life and as soon as she and my brother made the separation between them official, I would ask her to marry him.
************* 💙**************
João Pedro arrived the following week and returned to assume his position at the head of the company's board, leaving me free to be able to travel on vacation with Viviane and Sarah, and we traveled to Orlando in Florida, United States.
Viviane always had the dream of meeting Disney, and now with Sarinha, she wanted to fulfill this great desire. It was a trip of only ten days and soon we were back home, as the foundation could not release more days, due to the demand for existing service and Viviane had not yet completed a year of work.
I still thought of suggesting that she resign, but I could not even express this thought, because she has already anticipated and reprimanded me vehemently, affirming all the importance of her work. She was right and we enjoyed the time we had and that was the most important thing.
" The photos of the trip were all so beautiful! " my mother spoke excitedly during our dinner after we arrived from travel. "Sarinha is so photogenic!"
" True, Mom, " I confirmed. " I remember when I was in New York, I kept looking at the pictures of Sarah's birthday, I was already in love with my little one."
" Did you look at Sarah's pictures? " Viviane asked and only then did I realize that I had said something that I shouldn't, because it would require some explanation from me.
"Good evening, family!" said João Pedro entering the dining room, the usual excitement, freeing me from answering that embarrassing question.
He had moved into an apartment in a neighboring neighborhood, just a few minutes from the mansion in which we lived, something that made me very happy, because the fact that he and Vivi shared a room, if before I had already eroded myself with jealousy, now then, it would be something capable of going crazy, no matter how much he was homosexual, they had been involved before.
"You're always so excited, dear " my mother commented as if wondering what the current reason for my brother's joy was.
" I came to dinner with you, because I have an announcement to make " he spoke by sitting at the table with us and serving himself because there was already a seat at the table for him, who always appeared without warning.
I was immediately curious because I imagined it was his relationship with Jack. I looked at Viviane, and she looked extremely pale and I couldn't understand why, after all, this matter wasn't going to affect her in any way, since we were already together and everyone knew there was nothing left between her and my brother for quite some time.
We did not tell anyone that she and João Pedro lived a marriage only of appearances, but I believe that it was not necessary, since even my father, always discreet, pointed out that Viviane and I had lost a lot of time to assume our feelings.
"I'm going to take Felipe's place at our New York branch.
Well, it wasn't yet what I expected, but it was already a breakthrough. Despite the excellent work that all the employees of the branch were doing, even without me being present, it only showed that I had made the choices right. Even the most recent hire, Luana, was doing very well, according to the reports I received weekly.
We were all surprised by my brother's announcement, but at the same time happy with the joy he showed at being out of the country. It would be something he could only add to his resume and would do a lot of good for his career at the helm of Mendes.
I, however, did not intend to leave my wife alone in any way, which directly implied not leaving the country unless it was to travel together, as we had done.