Apology

Mariana

I was about to close one more shift at the store, after all, it was almost twenty-two o'clock, and while one of the employees was serving the last customer of that day, Matheus was helping me to close the cash register and other processes before we closed.

Matheus is a young man of eighteen and I hired him due to a request from his grandmother, Mrs. Josefa, an old neighbor of my aunt Celina's and of whom we are very fond, and she was increasingly pleased with the boy's commitment to the store.

He chose to work the second shift precisely so that he could hitch a ride with me to come to the mall and then back to his house, and I really appreciated his company, especially since I had to go out every night.

"Today was quite busy, wasn't it? " the young employee asks.

" It has indeed " I agree " I am simply exhausted!"

I didn't get a good night's sleep after dinner with Ethan and his associates and spent the entire day feeling tired and fervently looking forward to the end of the workday so I could go to my house and sleep.

Ethan had called me several times that day, and even though I knew he had me and my friends in his hands, I didn't answer it, and I knew I had done so only to tease him.

According to Ethan himself, I like danger, and I was beginning to believe that. Still, he had sent me a few messages, and from the tone of all of them, I can tell that Ethan is not intending to use his leverage against us, after all, I hadn't gone to bed with him. Still.

I see that the customer has just left, after paying for the piece, and before I need to point anything out to Matthew, I notice that he is already walking towards the store doors to close them.

I intended to do the same and help him finish the task more quickly, but my plans are prematurely thwarted as, at that moment, a man enters the store.

"We are closing, sir," Matthew tells him.

But he didn't need to do that, because I am quite sure that the newcomer was not interested in the clothes available in my store, after all, it was Arthur Rodrigues.

"I just want to exchange a few words with that pretty young lady over there," Arthur says in a very charming and friendly way.

I already anticipated that he would find a way to reach me, but I had not imagined that it would be so fast and to avoid delaying the closing of the store and thus also the departure of the employees, I decided to facilitate this conversation.

I walk over to Arthur, making it quite clear from my facial expression that I had not liked his coming.

" Let's go out, " I say, without greeting him, or anything like that " Let me just get my bag."

It is twenty-two o'clock, I am extremely tired, dying to lie in my bed, therefore, without any patience whatsoever to deal with Arthur, after everything that happened between us.

Still, something told me that he was not going to leave me alone until we had his longed-for conversation, so I reached for my purse in the small office and indicated that we could leave, after telling Matthew that I would be waiting for him in the mall parking lot.

I didn't wait for any movement on Arthur's part and was already walking down the mall hallway, but I deduced that he would soon follow my steps.

"I hope that whatever you have to say will be brief because I intend to leave as soon as Matthew finishes closing the store.

" I can drive you home, you don't have to wait for the big boy," Arthur says, showing displeasure that I had arranged to meet Matthew.

" I have my car and have no desire to go anywhere with you."

I'm not trying to be nice and I don't even face him as I talk to him, keeping my vision straight ahead.

" I know you must be pretty upset with me," he says, walking beside me " I also know that I was a complete jerk to you, and I want, before anything else, to apologize, Mariana. But now I am separated from Gisele and..."

" You were separated from her too when we met, Arthur " I interrupt him, rudely " And that doesn't exactly mean anything, we both know that well."

Arthur stops walking and I decide to do the same, staring at him with an arched eyebrow, in a way that shows I don't care about that.

" I know I was a jerk, I said that a few minutes ago " he acknowledges, sighing audibly " But things have changed. I have changed."

"But I've changed too, that's why I don't care what you say," I say without blinking, "I advise you to find someone else to use as bait to bring your wife back because I don't accept this role.

Matthew approaches us at that instant and I make a gesture indicating that we should head for the parking lot, a few meters from where we are, and without saying goodbye to Arthur, I leave him standing there, staring at me with an expression of deep desolation, but one that no longer deceives me.

I was not going to subject myself to being made a fool of by him again.

"Is everything okay?" Matthew asks, looking worried.

" All great, Matthew " I lie, and still manage to smile as I do so " I have my store, I have my friends, and soon I will be godmother! What more could I want?"

I was not saying those words out of my mouth. I feel that way, satisfied with where my life is going and how everything is going.

I know that the way I chose to change my life was not exactly something that people consider as worthy and honorable, but it's what I did and I don't regret it one bit.