Epilogue ( part 1)

Leon

I can't believe it's been a few days since we finally met both emotionally and sexually. Now we were here, all gathered in my house, with my mother, Melinda, who was here after pulling my ear for not contacting her and making her so worried that she ended up calling Vanessa and asking about me.

- What do you think so much? - I hear my queen's voice coming and hugging me.

- I was thinking about us.

- I hope those thoughts are very good ones.

- Oh, yes, very.

- I can't believe you decided to have a nice lunch here and invite everyone.

- Yes, I wanted everyone to be here, because I am planning something for today.

- And you're not going to tell me?

- Not yet, my queen, not yet! - I speak, laughing at her, and kiss her. Our kisses were always explosive, and God, I was about to pull her out of there, take her straight to our bedroom and make her mine again.

- Hey... - I hear my mother's voice calling us, and we stop kissing. She was delighted to meet Duda, and vice-versa, so much so that the two of them have become inseparable friends.

- Mom, is there a problem?

- Olivia said she's already serving dessert.

- Oh, yes, we'll be right there, Melinda," my queen says.

- I'll wait for you there, then," my mother leaves us alone again. My queen kisses me again, and I surrender to her kisses. Honestly, I couldn't wait to be alone and enjoy everything again.

- Leon ... - my queen whispers, when I stop kissing her.

- Yes...

- We have to go and find our family," she warns, and she's right, we needed to go, as much as I didn't want to.

- I know, I just wish I could stay here a little longer.

- Then we'll stay together, as soon as everyone leaves.

- Can I send everyone away then? - I joke, and she laughs.

- No way, stop wanting to be alone with me," she says jokingly. I know it was a lie, but all it would take is one request and I would send everyone away.

- Yes, I just want to be with you in our room and in our bed, both of us wrapped in a comforter and slowly loving each other," I say, very seductively, knowing that a simple touch would be enough to make her fall into my arms.

- No way, Leon! - she says, pulling away from me.

- What? I didn't do anything.

- I know what you were thinking.

- And what were you thinking?

- I know you want to make love to me.

- No, I don't! - I declare, shrugging my shoulders, lying with a straight face.

- Oh, so, since I'm wrong, you don't want to know what I'm going to wear tonight when we go to bed, do you? - she teases.

- My queen, I'm kidding.

- No sir, you said you don't want to make love to me, so tonight I'll sleep at my place and you here! - she teases again, goes out and leaves me there alone. I call out to her, who doesn't care.

- My queen, I was just kidding, baby, of course I was thinking about making love to you. Always! - she winks at me and says:

- I know you better than you think - leaves me there alone and goes back to our family gathering.

I leave the foyer and head for the dining room, where everyone is gathered. When they see me, they start to make jokes, and I laugh. There are my queen, my mother, Vanessa and her boyfriend Lucas, and Olivia, my maid.

I signal to Olivia, who goes to the kitchen and returns with champagne and glasses, placing the tray on the table. I hear Vanessa ask:

- What's the occasion?

- You're very curious, aren't you? - I tease her, receiving a death glare from her, and giggle. I look at her boyfriend and say: "My friend, you better control that girlfriend of yours.

- Don't fill her up, Leon! - she shows her tongue, and I laugh.

- Well, since everyone was willing to come here to our house ... - I make it clear that my queen was already part of it.

- Yes, but we didn't come for you, we came for the food Olivia prepares," Vanessa says ironically, and I hear my queen laugh.

- And I thought it was because of me!

- Not at all!

- Children... - my mother calls our attention.

- Moving on... - I am pouring champagne into the glasses and speak: - I ask everyone to raise their glasses. First of all, I want to thank you all for coming.

- You're welcome! - they all say, and I laugh at their shameless faces.

- Secondly, I want to celebrate that the son of a bitch Pedro is finally going to be tried in a popular jury and will be convicted soon.

- Thank God! - Vanessa shouts.

- Thirdly, my queen is doing very well and will soon be finishing her treatment with the psychologist. And fourthly, I want to say that finally Laura, on the judge's order, took the pregnancy test and it was, of course, negative.

- Aeeeeeeee! - I hear the shout, and continue:

- And lastly, I want to ask you, Vanessa Sanches, to give me your sister's hand in betrothal, and then, of course, in marriage. I look at my beautiful queen, who looks at me in shock.

- Leon, what did you just say? - she asks, and takes out the little box with the engagement rings, gold in color, with three diamond stones.

I kneel on the floor and open the box of rings, take one and speak:

- My beautiful queen, do you agree to be my eternal bride and very soon my wife forever and ever? - I look at her anxiously, and see that her eyes are already in tears. I was about to ask her again, when she finally replies, overcome with emotion:

- Yes, I accept to be your bride and I also accept to be your wife soon.

I stand up, take her hand, put on the ring, and kiss it. She does the same with my hand, puts the ring on and kisses it the same way I had done.

I pull her into my arms and kiss her slowly, and thus we seal our love. After we kissed, we heard a shout of cheers and parted, to receive everyone's greetings. That was our day, very special. Seeing my beautiful bride smiling so happily, I vowed that I would do everything so that no one would make her suffer anymore.

Maria Eduarda

A few days later...

I never tire of looking at this ring and seeing it on my finger. It seems like yesterday that my prince proposed to me, and my heart felt like it would explode with so much emotion.

- Well, well, who do I finally meet - I hear Laura's voice, my man's "ex-fuck".

- What are you doing here, Laura? - I ask, seeing her sitting there. I look at her standing right in front of me as I was leaving my last session with Dr. Bastos.

- I would really like to see your face as a shameless little girl who steals other people's boyfriends," she says angrily, and pulls out a revolver. I stand there, afraid of her.

- Put down that gun, Laura! - I ask, fearfully, and see that people begin to run away.

- You are a little bitch, who thinks you are the one just because you are having sex with my man," she shouts, and I see how out of control she is.

- Laura, I beg you, put that gun down or we will get hurt!

- You have to die! - she wipes the gun across her face. Her eyes show a lot of hatred for me.

- You don't need this, Laura.

- You're a whore, you stole my man, the father of my child! - she puts her hand on her stomach.

- Laura, listen to me, you are not pregnant! - I remind her, and she looks at me angrily and points the gun at me again. And, damn, how I wish the police were there, right in front of me, catching this crazy woman.

And my relief is so great to see that the police are coming, that I get a little dizzy and have to hold on to a car to keep from falling. Damn, Leon is going to choke me when he realizes that I haven't eaten much of anything.

- Put that gun down, Laura! - I hear Leon's voice and am surprised to see him there.

- Leon, what are you doing here?

- I came to meet you to celebrate," he is shocked to see Laura's state, it was as if he didn't recognize her.

- Oh, so you've come to get your little whore, you bastard father? - she shouts, now pointing the gun at Leon, and I fear for him.

- Laura, please put that gun down, let's talk - Leon asks.

- "Please?" You, begging me? - she laughs. - Remember I told you I would make your life a living hell? I want you to suffer so much that you'll ask me to end your life! - she threatens me and pulls the trigger. Leon throws himself in front of me.

- Leon! - I shout, seeing him lying on the ground in blood.

- I didn't mean to shoot you, my love! - Laura babbles, crying.

- Don't go near him, you crazy woman! - I shout, seeing that she was coming toward us.

- You were supposed to be dead, you bitch!

- You'll pay dearly for shooting Leon," I warn her. I put Leon's head on my lap and try to stop the bleeding. - Please, Leon, don't leave me!

- I love you so much, my queen! - he whispers, and I place my fingers over his mouth, silencing him:

- Stay calm, my prince, soon you'll be fine.

He was already closing his eyes, but I thank God when I see the ambulance car.

- Please, Leon, stay awake for me!

- You always have been and always will be my eternal queen! - he says, and closes his eyes.

- Noooooooo... - I cry and stay hugging him. The paramedics come to my side and take him out of my arms.

- Please, madam! - the paramedic asks, seeing that I was holding my Leon and didn't want him to leave me.

- Please save his life!

- Let's do everything we can to help him get out of this!

He rushes him away along with the other paramedics, and I don't know what to do. I look for Laura and see her with the gun pointed at her head. She is silent, as if in a trance. Then she babbles disconnected things.

- Forgive me, Leon! - I see the policemen arriving and taking her away. What I wanted most was to see her behind bars.

- Ma'am, will you take the ambulance? - one of the rescuers asks, and I nod my head yes, going inside. Seeing him there with the oxygen mask made me very scared. They were trying to stop the bleeding. I look at him and start to pray, asking God to save him.