THE LIE: DECEPTION TO THE CEO

Simultaneously, at the Morillo Tovar mansion, Piero was walking with Christopher towards his office, precisely because he was disappointed because he was not making any progress in his plan of conquest with Sabrina. Upon entering, the two sat facing each other.

Tell me, how did your plan of conquest with my mother-in-law go,” Christopher asked.

-Bad! I haven’t gotten anywhere, man! I do not advance with her, she is very afraid of your reaction. She thinks that you will get angry, that, on the one hand, and on the other hand, she thinks that at her age she has no right to experience love,” he explained sadly.

-And then, what will you do? Christopher asked, a little amused. “So far I haven’t wanted to get involved in this, out of respect for you, my friend, and obviously for my mother-in-law.

-If in a month, I don’t manage to convince Sabrina to accept me as a boyfriend, I’ll leave. I don’t want to keep having her so close to me and at the same time so far away,” he said, hurt and frustrated, as he felt he was already in the final stretch of his life.

-Oh, gee!” commented Christopher, with sadness because he was used to Piero’s meals and even his little son Christopher.

-Yes, my friend! That’s why I needed to talk to you, so that you go and look for someone else, to be in charge of the kitchen,” he requested.

“At the rate I’m going with your mother-in-law, I think she’ll never accept me and I’m not willing to see her as a friend, I’m in love!” he confessed, with great sadness.

-Okay! But confess your love, without any detours or subtleties,” Christopher suggested.

“In any case, I offer you again what I told you some time ago, if you want, I’ll give you a little push? And we’ll see what happens,” he announced, empathizing with him.

-No! I already explained to you, if I’m not able to conquer a woman like Sabrina, I’m not fit for anything. I’d rather leave,” he answered, overwhelmed and disappointed.

-That’s all right! It was just a suggestion,” added Christopher, regretting that he did not accept his help.

He senses from some glances and gestures he has observed from his mother-in-law towards Piero, that she feels something for him…

(***)

Fifteen days later

In spite of having refused his help, Christopher preferred to take a gamble, for the benefit of his mother-in-law and his friend. For this reason, he ordered to prepare a dinner, in which one of the guests would be Piero, his chef, surprising him.

In the middle of the family dinner, he raised his glass to make a toast to Piero, looking at his mother Maddie, who had confessed to him how Sabrina felt about him.

-Well, family, I want to make a toast to my friend Piero. He informed me days ago that he is leaving our side, to take another course, in search of his happiness,” Chris affirmed.

In view of this, he will only be with us for fifteen more days because he will be leaving Santiago,” he added.

When he finished saying this, he raised his glass and clinked it with Piero, who had his eyes like saucers, feeling betrayed by Christopher, and who toasted with the classic phrase…

-Cheers!

-How so? -asked Amber, astonished, sad and dumbfounded.

-Yes, my love, Piero is leaving us,” he affirmed, but with a hidden smile shining in his eyes.

-Piero! Are you leaving us again, like you did before? -asked Maddie, with an astonished face and a mischievous and playful voice.

-Yes, Maddie! I’d rather retire in time than start doing crazy things that I’ll regret later,” he confessed, passing a fugitive glance at Sabrina.

-Piero, is there anything we can do to make you stay? -asked Amber timidly, totally ignoring what was going on around her. Especially, because with that pregnancy, she had become very sleepy and she was spending all her time on this.

-Nothing, my dear lady!” affirmed Piero, feeling worse and worse, as he noticed that the only one who didn’t mention anything was Sabrina, as if she didn’t care. She was silent, feeding the baby, without lifting her face from what she was doing.

-Have we treated you so badly?” asked Amber, dumbfounded, as it was really an unpleasant surprise for her, this news.

-No, of course not, Amber! -On the contrary, you have made me feel like family, something I haven’t had for many years, I would say since my father’s death,” he replied, embarrassed.

-But then, please reconsider this decision! -Amber begged, surprised and looking at Christopher, pleading with her eyes to intervene, to convince him to stay.

-I have already thought about it a lot and I have nothing more to think about, Amber! -he added, feeling very sad. At that moment, Sabrina got up, took the baby out of her chair and fled to her room with her grandson, without saying anything.

-Mom, what happened?” asked Amber, seeing that her mother was crying.

She got up from the chair and wanted to run after her mother, but Christopher grabbed her arm, holding her back.

-You stay here, my love! -He ordered, nodding his head, looking at Piero, who asked, without speaking, for permission to follow Sabrina.

Immediately, he ran to the stairs, to go upstairs to look for Sabrina. Amber, not understanding what was happening, got angry with Christopher and reproached him for not letting her go after her mother. Meanwhile, she complained because Piero was allowed to go.

-What is going on behind my back, in my own house, that I don’t know about,” she asked, looking angrily at Christopher and Maddie, who was smiling.

-That Piero is in love with Sabrina!…” said Chris.

-What Piero, what?” she asked again, with her eyes like saucers.

-What I told you, my love! -He has been confessing to me for a long time that he is attracted to your mother. However, it seems that Sabrina doesn’t feel anything for him,” said Christopher, sad and sensitive, worried about Piero.

-Why didn’t you tell me anything,” she reproached, in a low voice, so that he wouldn’t be heard, looking towards the upstairs area of the mansion where Piero was no longer visible.

(***)

In Sabrina’s room

She entered and went straight to the bathroom, taking her grandson down from her arms. She washed her face, to erase all traces of crying. When she looked up, she saw through the mirror Piero standing in the bathroom doorway, looking deeply at her.

-What are you doing here, Piero,” she asked, with a lump in her throat and in a barely audible voice.

-Why are you crying?” he asked, entering the bathroom to force her to face him.

-Piero, please! Come out of the bathroom,” she demanded. “What will Christopher think,” she questioned, astonished to see him there. It was the first time she did it.

-He supports me, if anyone knows for sure how I feel about you, it’s Christopher. He is my friend and my confidant,” Piero finally confessed.

-How so? Did you tell Christopher,” she asked, putting a hand to her face and then to her mouth, “And what did he tell you?

-He supported me and authorized me to conquer you. He loves you and wants to see you happy,” added Piero, sincerely.

-I don’t understand, since when does he know it,” she asked.

-First you did,” answered Piero. He came closer to her and dared to do what he had never done before. He took Sabrina by the waist and pulled her to him, to take hold of her lips.

He could taste her soft, sweet lips. Meanwhile, Sabrina felt the same with his lips. This initial kiss was more of a probing than anything else. Piero took hold of her mouth and let his tongue run all over Sabrina’s mouth cavity.

Suddenly, she felt someone tugging at her pants, saying…..

-Ita, ita, ubeme -said in his childish language the little Christopher, extending his arms, so that she could pull him up.

Thus, even in a state of shock, she did not react immediately to this kiss. Therefore, it was Piero who took him up to her arms, laughing with him.

-What happened my little Christopher? Don’t tell me you are jealous of your grandmother,” said Piero, without taking his eyes off Sabrina, who still did not react…