Believe
Not because I would be embarrassed in any way, but to avoid exposing Virginia.
"Well, I wish I had prepared you so that I could then tell you something so serious. But things got out of my control.”
" I realized. The food couldn't wait, could it? " I joked, trying to lighten the mood, seeing that she seemed upset.
She rolled her eyes as if she was bored, and I smiled at her outgoing manner. Although I believed that she should follow a stricter diet now that she was pregnant, I admired the fact that she didn't hold herself to the imposed standards and ate what she wanted, without guilt.
I remembered Bruna and her constant dieting and shook my head negatively to push the memory away.
Bruna hadn't been a part of my life for months, and I shouldn't remember someone who had no regard for me, let alone our history. I was facing my future, Virginia, and our son. That was all that mattered from now on.
"When did you know?”
" What? " She was so upset that she couldn't even pay attention to what we talked about.
" About the pregnancy " I explained "When did you know you were pregnant?”
"My life was in such a rush and I only realized that my cycle was late last night.”
" And you took the test today " I deduced.
I wondered internally if there was no pregnancy at stake if she would still have responded to my messages and agreed to see me, but I reprimanded myself. I won't get attached to such small matters. More important than anything else was the present moment.
" From your reaction to the news, I should understand that you are not upset and that you are not going to act like an idiot and ask me not to have the baby, am I right? " she asked but still seemed to be in doubt.
" Of course, I'm not going to ask you for something like that! " I protested, feeling outraged by the uncertainty in her tone of voice "We protected each other, and if you still got pregnant, we can only think of what's best for our child.”
She sighed, looking relieved to hear my answer, and gave a shy smile, which made me even more vibrant than I was already feeling.
" This situation is so crazy. We don't even know each other, and now we're going to have a child together " She spoke gesticulating and pointing to herself and then in my direction.
" Nothing we can't fix, " I said. "I am Murilo Fernandes and you are Virginia... ?”
She didn't take my cue, instead, she looked at something that seemed to be behind me and I waited for her to complete the sentence by telling me her name.
" Murilo Fernandes? " she repeated, looking horrified.
I did not understand the horror in her voice and turned around trying to understand why her reaction was so strange at the mere mention of my name.
I then noticed that there was a banner with the current advertising campaign of my family's cosmetics company of which I was the CEO, where I appeared as the "poster boy" for our new brand, FERZ, an idea from the marketing department and that I could not oppose it, since it would only contribute to increasing our profits.
" Are you the owner of FERZ? " She finally managed to utter the question that screamed in her eyes.
" I am one of the owners, actually " I explained a little begrudgingly.
I had never felt bad about my social position, but when I saw that this had generated such a negative reaction in Virginia, I regretted that I had even agreed to participate in the campaign to promote our products.
She still seemed shocked by her "discovery".
" Now all that's left is for you to tell me that you are married! " Her tone was accusatory and I felt slightly uncomfortable with her attitude.
"I don't understand you. What is the relationship between me being a businessman and having to be married?”
"Because that's all I needed! To be pregnant by a man as rich as you are, and a married one at that.”
She put her head between her hands, looking desolate, and I felt even guilty for fitting, at least in parts, into the profile she drew.
" I don't believe it has anything to do with anything, Virginia " I tried to be sensible. "I am indeed a rich man, as you put it. You shouldn't be surprised by this fact. But I am single.”
" You are right. I really should have known that a man who pays a million dollars at an auction like the one where we met could only be a millionaire " She spoke as if to herself, and the tone she used bothered me a lot.
" What's the matter, Virginia? " I questioned, quite annoyed "You should be happy because you are sure that the baby you are expecting will always have the best that money can buy.”
" Things are not only about money, Murilo " she replied, finally lifting her face and staring at me with her warm honey eyes.
" Of course, it isn't, " I agreed immediately. "But it makes a lot of difference in someone's life.”
I managed to control myself in time to talk some nonsense, like how money could force people to take extreme attitudes. I didn't want to bring that subject up.
" You're right " she finally agreed but looked defeated.
Without another word, she stood up, grabbing her purse from the back of the chair, and I watched her as I couldn't believe that she was thinking of just leaving like that, without having discussed everything necessary.
" Later we'll have a better talk " she at least had the decency to say, turning away.
